GT short in strumming patterns ?


SalvaX
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Joined: 06/21/18
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SalvaX
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02/07/2019 6:37 am

Hi All,

As a complete and absolute beginner, I went through GF-1 in about 6 weeks, then I took 3 months just to practice songs and started GF-2 approx a month ago. I am now at half GF-2.

I find that overall there is very little in GT on strumming patterns. My personal feeling/opinion is that I am slowly progressing on almost every aspect of the guitar learning curve but still feel that I lag behind in strumming patterns. How comes there is not one (or more) chapter(s) just devoted to dig a bit deeper into strumming patterns in GF-1 and GF-2 ? Knowing and mastering a variety of chords but only a couple of strumming patterns makes everything so repetitive and flat !

I heard and red so many times that "you can play thousands of songs with just 3 chords" but nobody tells you that what make them different from each another is not only the chords progressions but the tempo and the strumming patterns.

So, why does GT focus so much on chords and chords progressions and almost nothing on strumming patterns variety...?

Anybody here has the same feeling ? I definitely and strongly believe that a chapter focused on on strumming patterns only in GF-1 and another in GF-2 would be of fantastic help !

Food for thoughts !

Best


# 1
Guitar Tricks Admin
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Guitar Tricks Admin
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02/08/2019 6:53 pm

Hi there,

This is a great suggestion. We do offer a number of lessons that focus on strum patterns. Some of them are in Guitar fundamentals 1, like this one: https://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=23535&s_id=1914

It's a good idea to have a dedicated lesson within the Core Learning focused on strum patterns, and so I'll pass that along to the team.

With that being said, strum patterns are pretty specific to a song, so I believe that most people learn strum patterns by learning songs, which you said you have done as well.

Learning a strum pattern also has a lot to do with your ear, in that most of the time you will be able to hear the rhythm or pulse of the guitar.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestion!

Billy


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# 2
manXcat
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manXcat
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02/08/2019 9:01 pm
Originally Posted by: SalvaXAnybody here has the same feeling?

Not really.

As you'd already know having spent three months "to practice (sic) songs", every song lesson here covers the song's prerequisite rhythm strumming pattern, with detail if unique. e.g. "Wonderful World" Caren A, "She Loves You" Dave C. At least, all the ones I've done do.

I found otherwise that for me, what I hadn't picked up as taught in Fundamental 1's lessons progressively, strumming either comes instinctively with the sense of a song's rhythm or by ear 'transcription' appreciating everyones' natural inclination to musicality varies. To me it's something best picked up progressively in context to give it relativity and aid retention in memory.

That said, there are a few generic 'one of three sizes fit all' strumming patterns which arguably could be taught as an individual ad hoc lesson, e.g. see Shane Simpson's tutorial here, but I don't personally think (vs feel) it needs to be expanded upon here at Guitar Tricks any differently or more than it already is.

What by observation of posts in this forum I think occurs, and I'm not casting aspersion that this is the necessarily the root of dissatisfaction in your own case, is that many beginners rush through the Fundamentals courses too quickly mistaking rapid completion of the course progress bar as actual progress in wanting get to be a guitar player in X week/months, and in so doing haven't paid sufficient attention on the journey to overlooked detail or taken time to consolidate actual tactile skill at aspects of the overall task before moving on to the next stimulating novelty of a new lesson.

I still think of my own skillset in terms of being a relative 'guitar Gumby', but I think that by now I've discerned that making music with guitar, is to my mind a thing of many integrated sometimes complex aspects that can't actually be separated in application even if they can in theory, much like flying.


# 3
SalvaX
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SalvaX
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02/09/2019 4:03 am

Thank you both, Billy and manXcat.

[br]I didn't know the Shane Simpson's tutorial but this is the kind of approach-for-beginners that I had in mind when I first wrote my post. Although I fully agree with manXcat that strumming is learned for each specific song (and, yes, you are right, many songs tutorials devote some room to the strumming pattern), I still believe an overview of the most common strumming patterns, rules and related exercises within the Core Learning could help to lay down strong(er) basis.


# 4
jarkko.eklund
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jarkko.eklund
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02/09/2019 5:15 am
Originally Posted by: Guitar Tricks Admin

Learning a strum pattern also has a lot to do with your ear, in that most of the time you will be able to hear the rhythm or pulse of the guitar.

Yes, aural skills are the fundament part of musicianship.

When learning a new song I sing the rhythm in my head. Like "daa - da - daa - daa - da - da - daa - daa". It makes it easier to pick-up the strumming. If rhythm is difficult with anticipations or syncopation etc. I may write it down to clarify it.


# 5
manXcat
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manXcat
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02/09/2019 8:34 am
Originally Posted by: SalvaXI didn't know the Shane Simpson's tutorial but this is the kind of approach-for-beginners that I had in mind when I first wrote my post.

Shane's site is very good, and he has exceptional communication & teaching skills IMV. Along with Andy's outstanding tutorials at Shutup & Play, my two favourites of many very good alternative tutors online.

I take on board your points, noting in particular the 'dedicated to as a Core Skill' perspective. I suspect that when revised and updated to higher res vids, the Fundamentals course with Lisa was intentionally simplified, or dumbed down for a less flattering appraisal, in order not to make it laborious and facilitate a sense of rapid progression for the average beginner, important to maintain motivation once the initial newness and novelty enthusiasm has worn off, especially for youngsters still at high school or college their peers are asking "can you play yet?". Without checking, I don't know if Christopher covered strumming as an individual tute in his previous very comprehensive course, but I'd wager a toss of the coin he more than likely did.

Something along the lines of Shane's strumming tutorials certainly couldn't hurt, that's for sure. I suppose it comes down to how much we want our subs to cost and triage of instructional time and resources to producing videos, as everything here costs time and money to produce. On a positive note, there are no copyright expenses or negotiation issues in producing strumming vids.

I love this site. Does what it says on the tin, good earthy meat 'n taters without the flim flam, lots of interesting stuff, great tutors. And a friendly no bitchin' forum if currently still underutilised. But I'm working on that. 😉


# 6

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