Beginning Guitar Lessons - How to Play the Mute Strum
Here were go, the mute strum.
I'm gonna play it.
I'm gonna use the G chord.
Listen to it first and I'll break it down.
Here we go (strumming) okay.
Now this strum is really the same pattern as the simple strum, go like this -- down,
down, up, down, up, down, up there's just a mute in there so it's down, down, up -- mute
- up, down, up.
Again, that's down, down, up -- mute - up, down, up, down, down, up -- mute - up, down,
up (strumming) Okay.
I'm gonna break it down further.
Now, I'm gonna show you this strum with my fingers that's the way I like to do it.
If you have a nylon string guitar, I highly recommend it.
If you have a steel string acoustic guitar, it's still good.
It's still works but you may wanna consider using a pick.
I'll show you with a pick in another video.
Start with the fingers here, same idea.
Pick is just a little difference, you'll see.
Now, I'm using the front part of my thumb to strum down and also my finger.
I don't always do it consistently the same way every time but I get a sound that works.
I'm gonna show you a very simple consistent way.
Don't worry if you don't do it exactly it's the sound were after.
So first half, first half is the four beats strum just like the simple strum and the first
half is down, down, up easy enough it's the same as the simple strum down, down, up.
We got the first half, nailed.
Now, I'm gonna go to that mute technique that's the trick of course.
The mute technique uses the fingernail and my palm to mute the string, so you go... you
start up here.
We'll just do this technique first and then I hit the strings with my finger and mute
it at the same time (demonstration) that's the sound I get.
Practice that separately.
Now I'm showing with the first finger and that works beautifully.
I often do that with all three fingers, either works just fine.
It's a little louder with all three fingers.
Needless to say, there's really no absolute right way to do it and it's a very similar
technique.
The technique involves both twisting the wrist a little and opening the hand at the same
time so I'm turning my hand up as I go down, I open my palm so it looks like this.
This technique is actually used in many of my strums that I used in my Flamenco Jazz
Music.
It's a very simple technique and when you get it, you will find lots to use for if you
wanna play something with a lot of Flamenco feel that will make a rumba.
First finger a little lighter, start with the first finger.
I find it a little easier to teach people so the flick, practice that separately.
I call it the flick technique.
Twist your hand just slightly really.
It's not all the way up like this.
It's just a little turn down and open at the same time then I come up with my finger down.
Actually, I also use my thumb again then up with my thumb just like the simple strum so
that last two beats it's the flick, up, down, up.
Try it with me.
Try the flick, up, brushing with the inside of the finger then down with the thumb and
up with the thumb.
You'll see, if you watch me play sometimes, I use all my fingers up and down.
Down, down, up, flick, up, down, up that's the whole strum.
Watch again slow, down, down, up, flick, up, down, up.
Do it with me.
Try it.
Down, down, up, flick, up, down, up.
I'll count it out.
It's four beats 1, 2 and 3 and 4.
Down, down, up, flick, up, down, up.
Now, you might have to rewind that part that we did so far before you go on.
I'm gonna go on.
You make that decision.
We're gonna do it consistently now in a row.
I'll start slow and then I do it again a little faster so here I go -- 1, 2, 3, 4 (strumming).
How do you do?
Hmmm still (6:18) on that flick?
Try this, just the flick over and over.
We will do it together and I will do this (strumming).
Try it with me now -- 1, 2, 3, 4 -- flick up, flick up, flick up, flick up.
Okay, rewind and play that as many times as you need to, to get it even stop the tape,
stop the video and try it a few times on your own then go back to the video for as long
as you need to.
Such that when you get the hang of it, it's a leisure -- do it faster.
Now I'm gonna add that to the last part of the strum so it's the flick and then down,
up so flick, up just try that, flick, up, down, up, flick, up, down, up.
Try again.
Flick, up, down, up, flick, up, down, up, flick, up, down, up.
Two more times flick, up, down, up, flick, up, down, up and we're gonna finish this video
just do the strum with me.
I'll do about 23 and a half times, we'll see.
Here we go -- 1, 2, ready play (strumming/demonstration).
Excellent!
Just wanna show you it looks like a little faster.
If you want, try it with me -- 1, 2 ready, go!
(strumming)
See you on the next video.