Strumming problems..

[Quick]

I seem to be having problems strumming.. I tend to have the same pattern over and over and when I try to change it, it goes back to the same one that comes so naturally.

I can't seem to get the strumming down for any song, especially Two Step and #41.. so my question is.. has anyone had the same problem as me, and if so how did you get out of it? I would love to play these songs correctly, but listening and listening and trying and trying doesn't fix my 1 strumming pattern I seem to do.

Thanks a lot.. I'm dying here.. ;)

[w0odman]

Dave is whacky. Whacky rythm. Play how you see fit. Make yourself happy :)

[Quick]

Yeah I know and for a lot of his songs almost any rythem sounds ok.. but when it comes to Stay, Two Step, etc you need the correct strumming pattern which I can't seem to get and it's getting frustrating.

If no one can answer my first question (I don't blame them), how long before you starting picking up Dave's strumming pattern and what did you use?

Or maybe I just suck too, so yes I have considered that. ;)

Thanks again,
Mark

[chrisbsmusic]

You have to stay on one chord and practice different patterns.
A good book which goes over a lot of rock/jazz/fusion patterns is the Berklee Guitar method

http://www.fretland.com

[FPrefect61]

Originally posted by Quick
Yeah I know and for a lot of his songs almost any rythem sounds ok.. but when it comes to Stay, Two Step, etc you need the correct strumming pattern which I can't seem to get and it's getting frustrating.

If no one can answer my first question (I don't blame them), how long before you starting picking up Dave's strumming pattern and what did you use?

Or maybe I just suck too, so yes I have considered that. ;)

Thanks again,
Mark

www.dmbtabs.com has a good place to listen to clips then play it. Spend a lot of time practicing to get it down, it'll come in time. :)

[Mathers420]

i have major strumming problems, I cant pick out any patterns when I am listening to a song

I am assuming as FPrefect61 says, it will come in time

but should I just listen to a song as I play and keep trying until I get it, or is there a better method to learn how to determine strumming patterns?

[FPrefect61]

Originally posted by Mathers420
but should I just listen to a song as I play and keep trying until I get it, or is there a better method to learn how to determine strumming patterns?


That's pretty much it, unless you can get Dave to actually teach you how to do it, but I get the feeling he doesn't even know half the time. :lol

[Mathers420]

thanks,

I am talking about more than just dave tunes though, most of his tunes are a little advanced for me

i almost have most of ants done though, I just need to get it faster and learn the bridge

[FPrefect61]

How long have you been playing?

[Mathers420]

since April, so 4 months

I've been taking lessons for the last 2 months, and I've yet to determine the correct strumming pattern for any songs:(

I can play watchtower pretty good, and a couple of other songs

I know a whack of chords(barre and open) and I can move fairly decently between them, I just suck at strumming

[Zio DMB]

I've had the same problem you had, and it just coems in time, tiem and practise.

uhm...just keep trying different strumming patters, and just keep trying them, i'll still soemtime go back to that first one, but I can correct it easily...it just coems in time and practise, practise practice practise

now excuse me as i got practise my typing/spelling

[boydrockz32]

So this response will probably sound as redundant as a Dave Song after you've practiced it until you finally got it but...practice really is the only way to get something right. Oh and also, don't put so much emphasis in getting just daves strum (though it is a lot of fun to play and is mighty gratifying after you get it) but develop your own strum and style. However that depends what you wanna do with learning to play guitar :D. I hope this is encouraging cause empathize with you but just trying and it will come, I promise!:thumbsup

[hayter]

The most important thing I was ever taught relating to strumming is to keep your right hand moving up and down. If you keep it moving up and down at the same pace, it will sound good. When you hear the chord not being hit, strum imaginary strings in the air so you skip the real strings. Again, if you keep your right hand moving, you can basically just feel the song.

[DMDream]

I like to slow myself down when I'm learning a new strumming pattern too. try playing and strumming at about half speed to get the rhythm right and then speed it up. just keep practicing.

[underdog1924]

You have to stay on one chord and practice different patterns.
A good book which goes over a lot of rock/jazz/fusion patterns is the Berklee Guitar method

http://www.fretland.com


Good book. I'm going through the first one right now. Tough, but teaches you ALOT.

[JG2121]

you have to really get the feel and experiment with your down and up strokes, especially with #41. To play the verse, you kinda have to alternate between the bass notes and the high notes. L@LC and other acoustic shows can be good for picking out daves guitar better than full band shows

[evolvefurther41]

I think a good thing to do is to keep in hand moving at the same pace the whole time, and just practice strumming along muting all the strings. That way you can feel the rhythm. The chords can come later. The beautiful thing about the guitar is its rhythmic qualities. Try the muted string thing, but remember to keep your hand moving. Your hand doesn't just move when it hits the strings, like Hayter was saying. Good luck. Keep us all posted.

[hayter]

Exactly. Keeping the same speed is very important. If you watch Dave, even on songs like the Stone where he is only hitting one string, he allows himself a full strum because the muted strings won't sound even if hit. My teacher has told me it is like dribbling a basketball, in a way. If you want the ball to bounce less, you will be dribbling from higher in the air. If you want it to bounce more, your dribbling hand will be closer to the ground. In the same way, if you want a fast rhythm, your stroke should be shorter, and a slower rhythm should have a longer stroke. The way you keep your rhythm is not by counting (usually) but by keeping a steady pace in your right hand.