As a musician your going to spend at least 90% of your time playing rhythm. It may not be as glamorous as soloing, but by far one of the most important things to master.
Here are some of the keys to being a good rhythm player (watch video):
How you do feel about your playing when you read these 5 items? If your like most of us, we could use help in at least one of these areas.
Let's discuss #1: You must know the most commonly used strum patterns used in songs.
Time and time again I have been asked by students, "what is the strum pattern to this song?" I'll listen to the song and realize that the strum pattern used in the song is actually a strum pattern that I have worked on with the student numerous times.
I decided to do a little research. I listened to tons of songs of all styles: Pop, Rock, Blues, Christian, Hawaiian, Country, and R&B and realized something amazing. Hundreds of songs in all these styles used 8 different strum patterns.
That's right, hundreds of different songs used 8 different strum patterns over and over again.
Could it be this simple?
The answer is yes. Playing solid rhythm is not about playing something complex, it's about laying down a solid foundation as part of the rhythm section.
You are going to be absolutely amazed when you master these 8 strum patterns and watch the world of musical possibilities open up to you.
First you have to understand theses 4 basic rhythms:
1. Whole Note: a note that rings out for 4 beats (watch video)
2. Half Note: a note that rings out for 2 beats (watch video)
3. Quarter Note: a note that rings out for 1 beat (watch video)
4. Eighth Notes: a note that rings out for 1/2 a beat (watch video)
Now that you we have looked at these 4 main rhythms used in music, let's look at the 8 most important strum patterns:
For all these examples practice with a 'C' Chord.
Strum Pattern #1 (watch video)
Strum Pattern #2 (watch video)
Strum Pattern #3 (watch video)
Strum Pattern #4 (watch video)
Strum Pattern #5 (watch video)
Strum Pattern #6 (watch video)
Strum Pattern #7 (watch video)
Strum Pattern #8 (watch video)
How did you do with those? Make sure that you practice these until you get them smooth. Once mastered you will be able to strum your favorite songs.
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