Alright so ive been playin guitar for a couple months but I really need help with my strumming...... I can't listen to songs and beeable to tell if i need to up strum or down strum................... Ive seen those self teach ers in guitar magazines...... wondering if anyone has tried them or if ne ones got ne other suggestions for me........
I have one. Learn to spell "any". And as to the strumming, you'll pick it up as you go along. Most songs are down-strums puncuated by up-strums. Do what sounds right.
Basically you strum down. Of course, the hand needs to come up and, while doing that, you hit the strings (not necessarily all of them). It toook me quite a while to learn how to strum properly but it's quite simple. For practicing purposes, just strum down and don't focus on hitting the strings when you come up.
if you listen carefuly in less experianced players the upstrum will sound less full, i guess is the word for it, Now just kinda do how it feels, you will get it with time
So you've only been playing a couple of months and already you're concerned about the details... Great! Just don't worry too much, and stay focused on the MUSIC, not the technique. Can you count time? ya know... 1, 2, 3, 4... What I'm about to tell you is pretty advanced, and it will really mess with you to start with, but it will pay off dividends in BIG ways if you can do it. If you can't do it now, then just keep it in mind, and eventually it will come to you naturally. There's this think called alternate picking. It works for single-string work, but it also works GREAT for strumming. It will give you fantastic rhythm. You ALWAYS move your hand DOWN ON the beat. You ALWAYS move your hand UP on the HALF beat. ALWAYS. Now... whether you play the strings or not.. that's your choice. ALWAYS move your hand... Down on "one," up on "and," down on "two," up on "and," etc... Play when you need sound. Start with something easy... Jimmy Buffett, or Eagles (avoid Tequila Sunrise... they do it wrong on that one) Take it slow... You'll get it... You'll be 10 times the player of folks who don't do this. Enjoy.
you will get it as time goes on. i mean you said you have only been playing a couple of months. if ur taking lessons, then ask your teacher... but it sounds like your not haha just listen closly to the songs you wanna play. thats how i did it. just listened to the song over and over until i got it. the down strum will start off lower than the the up strum... and that makes sense seeing that the lower strings are on the top... if that makes sense to u haha. peace~
Hey man, I give guitar lessons to quite a few people, and what I have them do alot is have them listen to the song they are going to do, have them close their eyes, and have them focus on the timing of the guitar pattern in the song. I have them move their hand in sync with the music, and most of the time they can pick up from that. If you are a beggining guitarist, just make sure to stay true to the music, and don't get all technique-obssessed. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that, I'm just saying make sure you have fun with it, and play it for what it is. Learn your scales, listen to Page, Hendrix, Clapton, Vai, Hedges, and you will be fine. Have fun with it man.
just play how you feel comfortable, the up strumming will come with more practice...but that's not much advice since i taught myself to play..
