In this first tutorial we're gonna break down and practice one of the simplest strumming patterns out there, and in this first lesson we'll look at the mechanics of it all.
Now let's practice this with a metronome. A metronome is a device that creates a series of clicks with a steady rhythm. You can adjust the tempo and it's an invaluable practice tool. You can find a virtual metronome for free online, download a cheap app or buy one at a music store. For this lesson I've picked a tempo that should be manageable, but if it's too fast or slow for you, you can repeat the exercise on your own. We'll just do 8 bars with the strumming pattern on our E minor chord, and then we'll end on a strum of the chord that we let ring. Try to focus all your attention on being really tight with the metronome.
Now let's practice this with a metronome. A metronome is a device that creates a series of clicks with a steady rhythm. You can adjust the tempo and it's an invaluable practice tool. You can find a virtual metronome for free online, download a cheap app or buy one at a music store. For this lesson I've picked a tempo that should be manageable, but if it's too fast or slow for you, you can repeat the exercise on your own. We'll just do 8 bars with the strumming pattern on our E minor chord, and then we'll end on a strum of the chord that we let ring. Try to focus all your attention on being really tight with the metronome.
Difficulty:



focus:
Rhythm Guitar
style:

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1: It All Starts At The Campfire!
Down Stroke Strumming Pattern
- Introduction
- Guitar Talk
- All Downstrokes
- Adding Feel
- Adding An Upstroke
- Downstroke Practice Tune Breakdown
- Downstroke Practice Tune Play Through
Embellishing The Cowboy Chords
- Digging For Left Hand Gold
- Embellishing The C Chord
- Embellishing The A Minor Chord
- Embellishing The E Minor Chord
- Embellishing The D Chord
- Embellishing The G Chord
- Embellishment Practice Tune Breakdown
- Embellishment Practice Tune Play Through
Strumming Pattern Tried-and-True
- Intro
- Getting The Right Hand Moving
- Adding The Chord
- Muting Strings
- Strumming A Progression
- Practice Tune Breakdown
- Practice Tune Playthrough
Classic Chords With Common Tones
- Intro
- G chord
- C add Chord
- D sus 4
- E minor 7
- F 6/9
- Practice Tune Breakdown
- Practice Tune Play Through
Strumming With a Waltz Feel
- Intro
- Understanding The Math
- Building A Strumming Pattern
- Adding Chords With All 6 Strings
- Adding Chords With Muted Strings
- Practice Tune Breakdown
- Practice Tune Play Through
The Chords We Love and Hate
2: Finger Picking: Poor Man's Piano
Intro To Finger Picking
- Intro To Fingerpicking: Intro
- The Mechanics
- The Pattern
- Adding a Chord: Finding The Root Note
- Changing Chords: Same Bass String
- Changing Chords: Different Bass Strings
- Optional Practice Tune Breakdown
- Optional Practice Tune Performance
Next Level Finger Picking
- Your Next Finger Picking Pattern
- Inside Vs. Outside
- Piecing Together The Pattern
- Changing The Up Strings
- Changing The Bass Notes
- Loose Approach To String Choice
- Optional Practice Tune Breakdown
- Optional Practice Tune Play Through
Working In a Simple Melody Embellishments
- Intro
- Piano-Style Left and Right Hand
- The Simplest Melody
- Adding Two Notes On the High E-String
- Combining The Melody Notes
- Exploring The G Chord
- Exploring The D Minor Chord
- Practice Tune Breakdown
- Practice Tune Performance
Finger Strumming
- Intro
- The Ghost Pick
- The Thumb Strum
- The Index Finger Strum
- Hybrid Pattern
- Practice Tune Breakdown
- Practice Tune Play Through
Introducing Alternating Bass Notes
- Intro
- Alternating Bass Within The D-Chord
- Alternating Bass Within The E-Chord
- Alternating Bass Within The C-Chord
- Alternating Bass Within The G-Chord
- Practice Tune Breakdown
- Practice Tune Performance
Finger Picking Practice Tune
3: Look Right, Then Left, Then Right Again
16th Note Strumming Pattern
- Intro
- Understanding & Feeling The 16th Note Rhythm
- Piecing Together The Pattern
- Adding Chords – All 6 strings
- Adding Chords With Muted Low E-String
- Adding Chords With Top 4 Strings
- Practice Tune Breakdown
- Practice Tune Performance
Basics Of The Blues
- Intro
- 12 Bar Blues in A
- 12 Bar Blues in G
- 12 Bar Blues in E
- The Basic Boogie Pattern
- 12 Bar in A With The Boogie Pattern
- Practice Tune Breakdown
- Practice Tune Performance
Open Drony Strings
- Intro
- The Moving E Major Shape
- The Moving C Major Shape
- The Moving A7 & E7 Shape
- The Moving D Major Shape
- Practice Tune Breakdown
- Practice Tune Performance
Root-Chord & Root-5 Strumming
- Intro
- Root/chord Strumming Basics
- Using Root/Chord Strumming In a Progression
- Root/5 Strumming
- Practice Tune Breakdown
- Practice Tune Performance
Barre Chords With Ghost Notes
- Intro
- Getting Your Fingers In Place - E-major Shaped Barre-Chords
- Getting Your Fingers In Place - A-major Shaped Barre-Chords
- Getting Your Fingers In Place - E-minor Shaped Barre-Chords
- Getting Your Fingers In Place - A-minor Shaped Barre-Chords
- The Cheat!
- Practice Tune Breakdown
- Practice Tune Performance
Arpeggiating
4: Finger Picking Party Tricks
New Combinations
- Intro
- Finger Picking The Moving C Major Shape
- Finger Picking The Moving D Major Shape
- Finger Picking Dominant 7 Chords
- Finger Picking Barre-chords
- Finger Picking Practice Tune
- Finger Picking Play Through
Bass Lines
- Intro
- The Most Classic Lead-in
- Leading To F
- Playing It Backwards
- Other Chords and Keys
- Leading With Chord Tones and Chromatics
- Bass Line Practice Tune
- Bass Line Practice Tune Play Through
Chord Plucking and Back Beat Slapping
- Intro
- How To Make The Sound
- The Most Basic Pattern
- Applying The Pattern To Other Chords/String Sets
- Chord Plucking Practice Tune
- Chord Plucking Play Through
Travis Picking
- Intro
- Thumb
- Adding 'Chicks'
- Adding 'Chicks' on Upbeats
- Combining The Upbeats And Downbeats
- Changing The Chord
- Travis Picking Practice Tune
- Travis Picking Play Through
More Melodies
- Intro
- Almost The Full Major Scale
- Playing A Melody
- Same Notes Different Chord
- Same Notes Different Chord
- Finger Picking Practice Tune
- Finger Picking Play Through
Next Level Finger Picking Practice Tune
5: Music Theory In Action
Chord Anatomy 101
- Accelerate Your Learning
- Learning The Major Scale
- Counting Out The Scale and Understanding The Notes
- Making Chords
- Understanding Why Minor is Minor
- Adding The 7
- Practice Tune Breakdown
- Practice Tune Play Through
I, IV and V
- The Harmonic Family
- Starting From The A Major Scale
- Trying Another Key
- The Dominant 7 Leads To the IV
- The Minor Shortcut
- Practice Tune Breakdown
- Practice Tune Play Through
The Minor Chords - II, III and VI
- Introducing The Harmonic Cousins
- Introducing The VI minor
- Introducing The II minor
- Introducing the III Minor
- Practice Tune Breakdown
- Practice Tune Play Through
Secondary Dominants
6: Songs Without Singers
Pop Rock Practice Tune
- Rhythm Section Practice Tune
- Intro: Rhythmic Hits!
- Verse: Common Tones and Sixteenth Note Strumming
- Chorus: Barre-chords with Ghost Notes
- Bridge: 8th note Arpeggio Breakdown
- Review and Form
- Play Through
Moody Country Pop Practice Tune
Pop Practice Tune
Finger Picking Practice Tune (Final)

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