Chord Transition Strumming

When I'm doing a D DUDU pattern and transitioning from one chord to the next I'm adding a downstroke before I transiton to the next chord. Technically not correct since I should end on an upstroke and transition to the next chord and then do a downstroke. Bad habit...any tips to break it? The faster I play the more it happens.

Hi Lcharlie,

You said that the faster you play, the more it happens, so I think you'll just have to go slower.

Here's a pretty great lesson on fine-tuning your strumming: https://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=18320&s_id=1408

And don't forget, Lisa also talks about strumming in Guitar Fundamentals 1 right here: https://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=23532&s_id=1914

Originally Posted by: LcharlieBad habit...any tips to break it?

Like any habit, you substitute it with another one. A habit is just something repeated over and over until it becomes an ingrained subsconsciously automated behaviour.

Slow it down focusing consciously until you get it right, focusing only on that part and the change to & from if relevant, then start increasing speed as it starts to become ingrained subconsciously to the point of rote. Use a metronome if your innate sense of natural rhythm won't cooperate at the slower speed. Works for me.

Here's what I do in songs where there might be several consecutive changes in strumming pattern such as in the coda of this song, or an unusual one as in the intro. Go to the 43s mark in that link (can't hotlink timed links on GT) and listen to Dave's explanation of the strum pattern with the tailing timing change to a quarter note triplet rhythm finishing off each chord before changing to the next and reverting the strum pattern and timing. Getting that right is tricky, and needs to be assimilated to rote prior to playing it at tempo.