Best Guitar Strum Patterns for Beginners
Hi there!
I'm Thomas Michaud.
Along with scales, chords and songs learning guitar strumming pattern is a critical element
to learn to play guitar well so what are the best strumming patterns for a beginner to
learn?
Over the years, I found there are some basic strumming patterns that if learned well, will
help you tremendously as you progress on the guitar.
Take the form as basic fundamental building blocks to help you play more level patterns
as time goes on.
Now, I've chosen five of the best strums for a beginner to learn.
Let's go ahead and get started.
The first strum is the BASIC DOWN-UP STRUM.
It is the simplest strum and it's a building block for many other strums.
I like to teach students this in the beginning especially so they learn how to get just the
basic smooth Down-Up Strum so let's do it with the pick first.
I'm on the A minor chord.
Down, down, up, down, down, up, down, down, up 1, 2 and 3, 4.
Now, when using a pick, what you wanna do is tight upon the buckle of the pick so it
wiggles a little bit otherwise it sounds too stiff.
You want to brush across the string.
Brush.
Do it with me, ready go.
Down, down, up, down, down, up, down, down, up, down, down, up.
Basic down-up strum now with your fingers so do it with fingers were gonna use the back
part of the thumb nail and the back part of the fingers so we gonna go up and down.
Down with your fingers back part and up with your thumb so it's down, down, up, down, down,
up, down, down, up, down and twisting slightly with my hand and then the arms going up and
down also at the same time.
Again, I'm brushing across the string.
Strum Number 2 is the MUTE STRUM now this incorporates another technique that can be
used in lots of strum to add interest.
It's the basic mute.
What you're doing is going down, striking the strings and muting at the same time.
This is with the pick.
You hit the string with a pick and palm in your hand then you incorporate it into a basic
Down-Up strum.
Down, down, up, mute, up, down, up, down, down, up, mute, up, down, up, 1, 2 and 3 and
4 up.
The trick is to revert come up after mute that's 3 and 4, down, down, up.
With the fingers, mute strum with the fingers is the same down and up motion only open your
hand when you mute -- down, down, up, mute, up, down, up and the up is with the inside
of my finger.
Down, down, up, mute 1, 2, and 3 and 4, 1, 2, and 3 and 4 and 1, 2, and 3 and 4.
Strum number 3.
This is called the CALYPSO STRUM and it's the combination of the strums that we've done
already adding another technique of the right technique.
Let me demonstrate for you.
I'll use a G chord so that included two mutes with my palm which
I've already done and the rake which is strumming across the strings but instead of brushing,
you dig in a little bit and go a little slower so instead of -- that's a brush so you're
a little bit of each note.
Hard to practice by itself but works better in the context of the strum.
Down, down, up, mute, up, mute, up that's without the rake now it's down, rake, up,
mute, up, mute, up, down, mute, up, mute, up, down, mute, up, mute, up now with these
fingers.
Fingers, I find it a little easier for me.
I'm using the G chord again.
It's gonna go down, rake and when I rake with my fingers I'm opening my fingers a little
bit just a little bit not like that so here what it sounds like down, rake, up, mute,
up, mute, up, down, rake, up, mute, up, mute, up and with some chords.
Okay.
Strum number 4, the POP ROCK STRUM.
This is a very common strum in the world of pop music, pop rock, soft rock music.
Again, I'm using a G chord.
Basically, this is the same as the basic down-up strum except I'm adding one little element.
I'm skipping on one little strum so it's down, down, up, skip the strings, up, down, up,
down, down, up, skip, up, down, down, down, up, skip with my fingers same technique as
basic down-up strum.
Down, down, up, pop rock strum.
Okay and finally
Strum number five is actually a FINGERPICKING PATTERN, a very basic one but the foundation
of many other fancy and cool fingerpicking pattern.
Start with the pick.
We'll grasp the pick with my thumb on the first finger and we're gonna use number 2
and 3 to pick the strings so I'm on the G chord again and I'm gonna hit the base note
G third finger sixth string and then my second finger is gonna hit, I used the fourth string,
third string and then back to the fourth and start over.
Listen, so just change base notes, the finger on the chord with the fingers.
Now, use the thumb for the base note in the same two fingers, a little softer on the base
note.
These permit me to use my thumb but it's not as pronounced as the pick.
That's it for this video.
Thanks for joining me.
I look forward to seeing you in another video.
Bye for now.