Hi thanks, that’s a typo on my part I did mean Em7. So in a roundabout fashion you have answered my question. The tab available on this site for the Wish You Were Here Riff is different from what Justin plays in the video, App or Website. Which is what I don’t understand. Thanks for replying it’s appreciated and for clarification on writing the chord.
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The version Justin is teaching in the beginner course is a simplified version for beginners. This is why there is a difference.
Hi Thank, but isn’t Em7 a more difficult chord? Which is played in the video, also playing 2033, in place of 022033 sounds bad, and not anything like the riff in the video. It is a shame really as someone who is more versed in music theory than me could just say it’s wrong and is not what’s in the video, or I’m not reading it correctly and explain it. All the experienced people are saying some very complicated things.
Was actually a question, just wanted to give a bit of background so I didn’t appear so stupid. But hey ho.
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Hi Mick,
Could it be that you are hitting all the strings and not just the bottom 4 with the 2033, otherwise I don’t understand what you mean?
Greetings,Rogier
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xx2033 (the x’s mean unplayed unstrings) is just the top 4 strings of the full Em7 (022033). It is used in the strummy parts of the riff and should sound fine. If it “doesn’t sound anything like what Justin plays in the video”, then you are likely doing something else wrong. Since both xx2033 and 022033 are Em7 chords, they are sort of inter changeable. Although, in this context, playing the full 6-string version might sound a bit muddy. The strums are meant to be light and just fill in between the individually picked notes (which really constitute the riff). Hence the exclusion of the thickest strings when strumming the chord.
If you post a video of you playing it, you’ll surely get some help in figuring out what isn’t working.
For a long time I wailed on these strums and it was rough sounding. These strums, as @jjw mentions are light fill strums. Took me a while to dial that in (well, still fine tuning after several years at it…).
Listen to the original version and try and emulate that light shimmer. The up strum is important.
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Is it okay to tap foot 8 times per bar instead of 4?
If it helps you keep the rhythm, I would say it is fine. Just be aware you are tapping at double the original tempo. You can practice tapping at the “proper” tempo after you’ve learned the riff…which is probably worth doing.
For what it’s worth, it took me several months of playing this riff before I could tap at the proper tempo. Then again, I’m someone who finds foot tapping actually disrupts my rhythm a lot of the time. There are a few of us here.
The tab sheet you leave, doesn’t match what you’re playing. You play an Eminor 7 with all 4 fingers, however the tab only has 3 fingers down.
That isssue was dealt with here:
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Can someone help me with the part of this video ,rhythm counting’'? I don’t understand, especially for part 2 of the riff, which are the correct beats for the picking and strumming pattern? I know Justin counts out loud but I don’t get it
I must agree with others, I found the less than a little too fast particularly and some of the transitions later on in the song, no explanation as to how many times to do it, etc. etc. etc. so take that for what it is
I am trying to follow the 16th note count for the strumming and picking in the beginner lesson for Wish You Were Here (Grade 2 Module 8 Wish Riff). Admittedly I am struggling greatly.
When you are strumming 16th notes I understand you keep your arm moving for each beat and only tap your foot on the beat. So your foot taps 4 times for each bar but your arm does 8 down and 8 up strums regardless if you touch the strings or not.
With the WYWH riff there are strums and individual notes picked. In this situation do you need to pause your arm to keep in line with the count when picking individual notes? This seems to be what Justin is doing in the video. Is this correct or am I missing something?
As a side note I am ok with 16th note strumming but amazed that someone can transcribe by simply listening to a song. It must be tedious and time consuming to accomplish this.
Thanks in advance for your response.
Attila
With strumming and picking in this song, just have the mindset that a single picked note is the same, rhythmically, as a strum: its just the single string note picking is shorter. Sounds obvious when I write it, but it’s really the key to the groove if this song.
With this tune, which is deceptively tricky, and certainly beyond Grade 2 in it full form, the key is to keep that arm/ wrist going continuously.
It’s a feel thing really.
Cheers, Shane
Shane is right.
I would like to add one important point to it.
Your strumming arm is not going to be heavily involved. This is definitely a case of having a mobile and flexible wrist and doing the single-string picking and the small strums with a wrist and hand motion. If your arm is swinging in a big arc and you then try to drop to single-string picking you will struggle with accuracy and lose the feel.
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Thanks, both responses make sense. Quarter note strum same as one pick of an individual note. Song lends itself to subtle playing (ie small and deft arm movements)
Regarding transcription, is it a matter of listening and stopping/rewinding a lot of times to match the count to the music? I find even following the count with Justin playing the intro a challenge. I am not at that point in my journey to start transcribing but I am curious if the process.
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Should we be trying to mute the strings during the picking parts?
If you don’t like the sound of the other strings still ringing out when you start playing the picked parts, then YES, you should try to mute them.
I do not mute them, because I prefer the sound of the higher strings still ringing out from the last chord strum as I transition to the picked parts. The sudden silence caused by muting before starting the picked part sounds wrong to my ears.
Remember, “if it sounds good, it is good!” 
Hi, I am a big fan of the songs and lessons app on my IPhone, especially as I can slow down songs when I am struggling with chords or strumming. I wonder if it would be possible to not only get the whole song in the app, but also only the riff to so that I can play it slowly while learning and still get the rhythm right.