Strumming just 2 or 3 strings
Anyone have advice for strumming just 2 or 3 strings without strumming the adjacent strings? I am learning to play Hole Hearted and it seems like a constant strumming pattern on just a couple strings near the beginning of the song. The strings I'm trying to strum are the A and D strings. But my problem is that I am hitting most all the strings with my pick. I have the general basics of strumming down but this technique is really challenging me.
# 1
Couple things.....
-First off, no idea what "Hole Hearted" was, but when Googling it, the only thing that came up was a song by "Extreme".
-Assuming that is it, he isn't doing an A/D string strumming thing at the start of the song.
-If you are talking about the next part of the song, ya, he is playing mainly on the A/D strings, but it's not really a strumming. If you are hitting ALL the strings when you should just be playing 2.......well the obvious solution would be to stop strumming down so far. Play it just like you would on 1 string, but hit 2 instead. Can you play the same rhythm on 1 string? If not, then you need to just work on your right hand control. It's like saying you are trying to play 1 string but are accidentally hitting 3. Well then stop moving your hand so far up and down and focus on the 1 string you should be playing.
-As far as muting goes, use your index finger on your picking hand and just lay it flat on all the strings below. That way they are all muted if you accidental hit one. You should rely on this though since you shouldn't be hitting any other strings anyways. It's there just in case you ACCIDENTALLY do.
-Lastly, he is using a 12 string guitar, so you won't get it to sound exactly like the song unless you have a 12 string.
-First off, no idea what "Hole Hearted" was, but when Googling it, the only thing that came up was a song by "Extreme".
-Assuming that is it, he isn't doing an A/D string strumming thing at the start of the song.
-If you are talking about the next part of the song, ya, he is playing mainly on the A/D strings, but it's not really a strumming. If you are hitting ALL the strings when you should just be playing 2.......well the obvious solution would be to stop strumming down so far. Play it just like you would on 1 string, but hit 2 instead. Can you play the same rhythm on 1 string? If not, then you need to just work on your right hand control. It's like saying you are trying to play 1 string but are accidentally hitting 3. Well then stop moving your hand so far up and down and focus on the 1 string you should be playing.
-As far as muting goes, use your index finger on your picking hand and just lay it flat on all the strings below. That way they are all muted if you accidental hit one. You should rely on this though since you shouldn't be hitting any other strings anyways. It's there just in case you ACCIDENTALLY do.
-Lastly, he is using a 12 string guitar, so you won't get it to sound exactly like the song unless you have a 12 string.
# 2
Yes, it is the song Hole Hearted by Extreme and it is in the "songs" section of guitar tricks. This strumming pattern isn't exactly at the beginning of the song, it is in the next "chunk" as the instructor Michael Elsner is describing. In the lesson it appears he is doing a regular full motion strumming pattern on just the A and D strings. I am having great difficulty with it. If I try to limit my strumming to just those strings it sounds terrible because I'm forcing myself to just hit those strings with a tight strum, but if I try to strum with a full motion, other strings come into play and doesn't sound good either. Maybe I have to work more and more on my picking hand control and just deal with it. Also in the lesson he says a six string guitar is ok to use. Thanks for the advice Hunter1801. I welcome more input from others as well. Thanks!
# 3
Hey johnsag,
It does have a lot to do with muting the strings (with the remaining parts of your left-hand finger) you're not wanting to ring. The tip of your fretting fingers can go past the A and D and lightly touch the E string to keep it from ringing.
But another part is that you don't just want to strum up and down vertically and hit all the strings ALL the time. You can strum sort of diagonally, meaning TOWARDS the body of the guitar. Imagine your hand is an airplane landing across the strings, and the runway you wanna hit is the A and D strings. Try to come in and land on the A and D strings, but clear the E string as if it's a bridge or building or trees. As you practice that you'll get more precise at only hitting certain strings on what would LOOK like a full strum. You're actually just BARELY missing the strings you don't want.
You can practice this by strumming without hitting ANY strings, and then get that diagonal motion going on by slowly bringing your hand in closer to the strings until you're hitting the ones you want. It'll take practice. Just remember, don't only strum perpendicular to the strings, from E to E. Get a more curved / diagonal approach.
But the muting is always there as protection, so you can be looser with your right hand and avoid extra notes coming out when you hit strings you didn't mean to play.
Thanks for the very good question, and I hope that helps!
-Carl.
It does have a lot to do with muting the strings (with the remaining parts of your left-hand finger) you're not wanting to ring. The tip of your fretting fingers can go past the A and D and lightly touch the E string to keep it from ringing.
But another part is that you don't just want to strum up and down vertically and hit all the strings ALL the time. You can strum sort of diagonally, meaning TOWARDS the body of the guitar. Imagine your hand is an airplane landing across the strings, and the runway you wanna hit is the A and D strings. Try to come in and land on the A and D strings, but clear the E string as if it's a bridge or building or trees. As you practice that you'll get more precise at only hitting certain strings on what would LOOK like a full strum. You're actually just BARELY missing the strings you don't want.
You can practice this by strumming without hitting ANY strings, and then get that diagonal motion going on by slowly bringing your hand in closer to the strings until you're hitting the ones you want. It'll take practice. Just remember, don't only strum perpendicular to the strings, from E to E. Get a more curved / diagonal approach.
But the muting is always there as protection, so you can be looser with your right hand and avoid extra notes coming out when you hit strings you didn't mean to play.
Thanks for the very good question, and I hope that helps!
-Carl.
Carl King[br]GuitarTricks Video Director / Producer
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