The Art Of Guitar Strumming

The Art of Guitar Strumming

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FIRSTLY,
While learning strumming, u have to be conscious of your hand movement to match the counts etc. HERE you will find your hand moving more like a mechanical robot. BUT the art of strumming begins with having your right hand low down and up in a smooth natural movement.

SECOND:
STRUMMING is an ART based on a simple DOWN-UP movement of your hand. So your hand should ALWAYS move down and up,
and based on the pattern that you are playing you either choose to HIT or MISS the strings while going down or HIT or MISS it while coming up.

For example some basic strumming patterns to Practice are as follows:

NOTES BEFORE YOU BEGIN

1) First divide the basic counts into a pattern like this: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

2) Move your hand down on ONE and UP on the AND (&) and keep this going on continuously.

3) Wherever in the examples there is an X mark, you DO NOT stop your hand movement, but you simply DONT play on that X.


Example 1:
Hitting all the counts:

1--&--2--&--3--&--4--& | 1--&--2--&--3--&--4--& |
D--U--D--U--D--U--D--U | D--U--D--U--D--U--D--U |

Example 2:
Hitting on 1-2&3-4&

1--&--2--&--3--&--4--& | 1--&--2--&--3--&--4--& |
D--X--D--U--D--X--D--U | D--X--D--U--D--X--D--U |

Example 3
Hitting on 1-2&-&4&
This pattern if played at a moderate speed can be used for Papa Kehte Hain type of songs:

1--&--2--&--3--&--4--& | 1--&--2--&--3--&--4--& |
D--X--D--U--X--U--D--U | D--X--D--U--X--U--D--U |

Example 4
Hitting on 1&-&-&4&

1--&--2--&--3--&--4--& | 1--&--2--&--3--&--4--& |
D--U--X--U--X--U--D--U | D--U--X--U--X--U--D--U |


ALL THESE STRUMMING PATTERNS are OPEN PATTERNS where you can let EACH OF YOUR BANG to RING...

APART from these strumming patterns there are quite a few complicated ones, - some which require you to MUTE the strings after you BANG on it ONCE. - some which require you to HIT the strings hard with your right hand, but completely MUTED by your LEFT hand.