How to Strum a Guitar (With 3 Strumming Patterns)
One of the first things anyone does when they pick up a guitar is strum. Learning how to strum is a building block of playing a guitar. It’s a technique where you use your right hand to sweep the strings while your fretting hand forms chords.
You might think strumming is easy and there is not much to it. However, there are many techniques to learn once you get past the basics. Before you start learning how to strum, get a good understanding of rhythm, tempo, and sequences or different patterns. Combined with this you can strum a guitar seamlessly with time.
So how can you learn to strum a guitar? Let’s find out!
Highlights: The Road To Learning Guitar Strumming
| Basic Strumming Patterns | Intermediate Strumming Patterns | Advanced Strumming Techniques |
|---|---|---|
| Downstrokes | Syncopation | Fingerpicking |
| Upstrokes | Muting and Accenting | Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs |
| Sliding, and Bending |
Getting Started
Well, it is a no-brainer that a good guitar can complement your experience of playing a guitar.
Acoustic guitars are a must-have for beginners as they can help build finger strength. They are simple and they can be a low-cost entry to the world of guitars. Try to physically test out a guitar before purchasing as in hand feel matters a lot.
Essential Equipment
Try to use these pieces of equipment to help get started on strumming:
- Picks: Almost all guitarists use a pick to strum a guitar. A pick helps bring more volume and crisp sounds.
- Metronome: A metronome helps keep rhythm and a steady tempo.
- Tuner: While a tuner may not help strumming directly, for beginners, it can be useful to make sure all strings are in tune.
Basic Hand Positioning and Posture
While some guitarists have a unique way of strumming, here is the general rule of thumb to follow:
- Posture: It is best to hold a guitar sitting upright on a chair with the neck of the guitar slightly tilted. If you are playing a guitar while standing up, make sure the guitar is not hanging too low.
- Hand Positioning: If you use a pick to strum, hold one between your thumb and index finger and loosely strum the strings. Keep the wrists relaxed as you do not need much strength while strumming.
Understanding Rhythm and Timing
Rhythm is the flow that a song follows. It defines how you hear the song being played. Timing defines how the overall tempo and beat that the song follows. Paired together, it is a building block of music and its structure.
Common Time Signatures
Time signatures are the number of beats in each measure that reserve notes in each beat. Common time signatures are:
- 4/4: This is the most common signature that is used for music genres. You have four beats per measure and one per quarter note.
- 3/4 Time (Waltz Time): Here each measure has three beats with each quarter note having one. You can hear this in waltz and certain folk music.
- 6/8 Time: This signature has six beats per measure but it may sound more like two beats.
Using a Metronome to Practice Timing
As we mentioned before, a metronome can help you develop a sense of rhythm and tempo when strumming a guitar.
- Set the tempo: it is best to start slow around 60 to 70 beats per minute.
- Play Along: Try to strum on each click by keeping your strumming hand in sync.
- Gradually Increase Speed: Gradually, increase the tempo once you master each BPM.
Basic Strumming Patterns
Strumming is essentially a mix of downstrokes and upstrokes. Downstrokes are when you strum with the beat whereas upstrokes are strummed off-beat.
Simple Strumming Patterns for Beginners
Here are a few beginner-level patterns to learn step by step.
- All Downstrokes
- Down and Up Strokes
- Muted Strum Pattern
- Strumming With Rests
Practicing with Easy Songs
Try out these patterns on songs that you know and have simple open chords. You can check out the song Twist and Shout by The Beatles which uses the open chords D, G, and A primarily. For a little more frill, you can also check out Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen which introduces B flat barre chords among open D, G, and C chords.
Developing Your Strumming Technique
Why Keeping a Relaxed Wrist Is Necessary
It is best to keep your wrist relaxed when you practice strumming. Natural movement lets your hands pivot freely when strumming creating a fluid sound.
Techniques for Smooth Transitions Between Chords
Here are a few techniques that help improve switching chords:
- Finger Placement: Practice having right finger placements so that you can switch between chords accurately.
- Anchor Fingers: Learn to anchor your finger when playing barre chords as the root note changes but the shape stays the same.
- Anticipate Following Chords: Get a good understanding of the fretboard so that you can play the next on the last beat of the last one.
Tips for Maintaining Consistent Rhythm
Keeping a consistent rhythm is vital for any guitarist. Here are some tips to help you maintain a steady beat:
- Practice with a Metronome to train yourself on keeping a steady tempo
- Tap Your Foot: Alternatively, you can tap your foot if you do not have a metronome around
- Record and Listen: If you can, record your sessions and listen back to improve on parts where you lack accuracy.
3 Intermediate Strumming Patterns
Moving up another level you can incorporate a little more complex techniques to add some attitude to playing the guitar.
Syncopation
This is a technique where you emphasize the off-beats or unexpected parts of the measure. This adds a dynamic twist to playing the guitar. Syncopation challenges the predictable rhythm pattern where you start with simple off-beat strums and gradually incorporate more complex syncopated rhythms.
Muting and Accenting
Muting is the practice of partially or fully dampening the strings with your strumming hand to create a percussive sound. Accentuating on the other hand is when you emphasize certain strums by playing them louder than others.
Practicing with Intermediate Songs
Here are a few songs that are a little more advanced so that you can practice these techniques too.
- Under the Bridge By Red Hot Chili Peppers: D, F#, E, B, C#m, G#m, A, Emaj7, F#m, B/F#, Am7, G6, Fmaj7, E7, Gmaj7, Am
- Blackbird by The Beatles: G, Am7, G/B, C, D, Dadd4, D#(b5), Em, Cm, A7, F, Fadd9, Dm, Dmadd4, Gm/Bb, C#dim, Ebaug, Dbdim, C/D
- Overkill by Men at Work (Double Drop D Tuning, D-A-D-G-B-D): D, A/C#, C add9, G6, Bm, F, A7sus4, F#7, G
4 Advanced Strumming Techniques
If you want to add more flair to playing the guitar, you can check out even more advanced techniques like fingerpicking. So what is finger fingerpicking?
Fingerpicking vs. Strumming
Fingerpicking is a little different from strumming but does the same thing in general, creating sound from the strings. When you fingerpick, you are essentially plucking individual strings for a more focused sound. Strumming on the other hand has more volume as you are playing all the strings together. Fingerpicking, when combined with strumming, can add character and flair to your guitar playing.
Hammer-ons and Pull-offs
Hammer-ons and pull-offs let you add a few extra notes while strumming the guitar. So you can hammer on from an open string to a fretted note or execute a pull-off within a chord.
Sliding and Bending
Alternatively, you can also slide between chords or within a chord. Bending notes while strumming, particularly on higher strings is used frequently in genres like blues or rock. It adds more expression to your playing rather than sounding robotic.
Experiment with Different Musical Genres
Moving away from classic rock and pop, you can learn a lot about strumming from other genres. Classic jazz music has complex chords that can help build versatility in playing the guitar. Alternatively, for speed and percussion, you can try out flamenco. If you want to learn offbeat strumming patterns, reggae is a good genre to check out too.
Practice Makes It Perfect
It is difficult to achieve anything without enough practice. Here are a few ways you can help develop strumming techniques for yourself.
Setting Practice Goals and Routines
Make sure to practice different strumming techniques every day. Set clear goals for yourself that you think you can achieve in time. This will help you keep yourself on track and avoid any slips. Make sure to warm up before every session as strumming can put pressure on your fingers. Be consistent and practice during your allocated time every day.
Record and Evaluate Your Progress
Many people record their sessions to listen back and figure out any problem while playing. You can even use your cellphone to do this. Recording can help you pay attention to the timing, accuracy, and overall fluidity of your playing.
Using Backing Tracks and Play-Along Apps
Backing tracks and apps that let you play along can be very useful when learning how to play songs. With them, you can improve timing and chord change cues. Think of them like a metronome but more advanced. It speeds up the learning process and can help you prepare for a more professional band setting.
Check out these 5 essential guitar strumming patterns.
3 Common Strumming Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Here are a few common mistakes guitarists make when strumming.
- Rushing or Dragging the Tempo
When playing the guitar, timing is everything. Every chord is played to a beat that the whole band follows. If you rush ahead, your bandmates may find it difficult to follow through with you. This results in a poor performance overall. So, practice with a metronome and backing track to understand all the cues for the song you are playing.
- Inconsistent Strumming Force
You can control how your strums sound by controlling how hard you hit the strings. Try to keep a steady force throughout. If you hit the string too hard, your overall performance may seem unpolished. To avoid this make sure to strum from your wrist and not your elbow. Strumming from the wrist gives you more control over playing the guitar.
- Poor Hand Positioning and Tension
If you do not follow the right-hand position when strumming, you can risk injuries. To add to it you may not sound too great either. Make sure to keep your hand relaxed when playing with just enough tension. Try different picks to see which one you are the most comfortable with. How tightly you hold the pick also affects how well each strum sounds. Check out what other great musicians have to say about technique and mimic them to improve your strumming.
Resources for Learning
There are many readily available resources that you can use to master learning strumming techniques.
Zager Learning
If you need a structured way to learn all things guitar, check out the countless number of lessons we have at Zager Guitars. They are broken down and explained through a set of three different learning packs from beginners to pro level. Additionally, we also have many video tutorials, some by Denny Zager himself, that explain everything from strumming to chord progressions.
YouTube Channels and Video Tutorials
Alternatively, you can also check out many videos on YouTube if you are just starting. A few notable channels are Marty Music and Justin Guitar. They are great at explaining everything about guitars and how you can train yourself at home. Additionally, you face difficulties in learning songs, they have your back.
Guitar Communities and Forums
Join as many guitar communities as you can as they can be very valuable for not only learning the guitar. Ultimate Guitar and Reddit are great communities where guitarists can gather to share ideas, experiences, and lessons for newcomers.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on individual learners and the time you can put into learning the guitar. The more you practice the faster you can tick off the boxes. Make sure you practice regularly and watch as many tutorials as you can. You can master basic strumming in a few weeks but getting a grasp on the more advanced ones can take years.
It depends on individual learners and the time you can put into learning the guitar. The more you practice the faster you can tick off the boxes. Make sure you practice regularly and watch as many tutorials as you can. You can master basic strumming in a few weeks but getting a grasp on the more advanced ones can take years.
Some easy songs to practice strumming are:
– Blowin’ in the Wind by Bob Dylan
– Over The Rainbow by Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole
– Wonderwall by Oasis
– You’re Beautiful by James Blunt
To improve speed, you need to first practice playing slowly to maintain accuracy and rhythm. Once you are comfortable at the given speed, start to increase the tempo on your metronome. Keep a check on how you move your wrist to make sure it is not too stiff.
It is not a hard and fast rule that you have to use a pick to strum. While you can use one for a clearer sound, you can still use your fingers to strum. However, for more advanced and faster strumming patterns, you may need to use a pick.
If you use a metronome when learning to play the guitar, you can effectively maintain a consistent rhythm. Alternatively, you can tap your foot per beat too. Once you build a sense of rhythm you can internalize it with time.
How Long Do You Think You Need?
Learning how to strum a guitar may seem very straightforward, but it is not that easy. It may take months to properly learn the basics for some. When you start playing the guitar, ensure that you regularly practice and watch as many videos as you can. You can also buy online resources like that from Zager Guitar Lesson to speed up the learning process.
