The Secret of the Strum?

...... and let the groove dictate without any thought to up or down stroke or whatever.

Well said.

+ 1 to what Twisty says. Way too many people get caught up in the "down / up" aspect of strumming and don't realize that both down and up have to be aspects of the overall rhythm of a song. If you can get yourself to count the rhythm as well as feel it, then the down and up will almost always sort itself out. At least for the very basic stuff and most of the fancier strumming.

Peace

When I'm concentrating on strumming (learning a tricky pattern/practicing changing between rhythms/just noodling in rhythm rather than melody) - I don't fret a chord, I just mute all the strings with my left hand. Less distraction from what I'm supposed to be concentrating on that way, which helps me immensly. YMMV! ;)

As a second side, I really like the Zen Nick.. Can we KEEP him MOM?? Huh Can WE?
Jim
I too like the dosage he's on.
I think you got the right milligrams, Master Nick.
Save those settings and let the Doc know you've found your correct dosage.
Anyone whose advise is to enjoy what they're doing, not to "fret" is striking the right "chord".
Strumming merrily as . . .

-Grasshopper

I have a similar problem when practicing speeding up chord changes.
I tense up and that just makes it worse. -Grasshopper

Kenrogers2 - this will improve. And, I hope I can explain this in a way that makes sense, but, to speed up the chord changes -slow it down or do it in a relaxed manner - practice changing the chords without strumming.

Bob Jessie

I have so many people telling me different things of strumming. The worship leader at my church is teaching me the tecnical stuff so i can play in the worship band, but when im writing my own stuff with my mates or my band, i play it as it comes, and if it dosent sound good i just keep playing until it does. I gave the technical strumming pattern before to make me sound like i know what i was talking about, and i still most likely got it wrong, but the best ive ever played is just playing as it comes.

David

PS: Oh yeah, sorry for bringing it back on topic! :P

Just going back to what Lefty said for a moment, about getting with the groove - I think of it as feeling the music. Or to put it in Nick's terms, being as one with the music. And that to me is what music's about - it's got to make you feel, it's got to make you think, it's got to make you laugh, or cry, or at least make you move your feet or tap your fingers!

I've been playing guitar for long enough now to have a fairly relaxed attitude to it - so what if I'm not technically perfect? If I missed a downstrum on the 11th beat? All I'm concerned about is whether it sounds good. I don't think about strumming patterns these days - I just play. Maybe that's experience, maybe I'm finally getting to be a decent guitarist (it's about time!) or maybe it's just that I've been playing so long it's becoming as natural to me as writing or throwing a ball. Or an egg, if you insist, Nick. At least I haven't had any eggs thrown at me lately!

Others have said it before - just relax, enjoy the music. Music may not be as vital as oxygen, or food, or water, but it does make life just that little bit more bearable. That's my feelings on the subject, anyway!

:D :D :D

Vic

As long as we're off topic (Hey, if I get yelled at, I'm married so I'm used to that), I thought I would share a song that I thought y'all might like.
Earl Scruggs (and sons), Joan Baez and a Dog (the dog just contributes contentment)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=NCWff1aHIbg

These days I don't even think about the stumming pattern. I listen to a song and see what my right hand feels like doing. Right or wrong, it does what it does.

I think it depends on what sound you are striving for. If you are playing covers then how you strum WILL make a difference.

I know people who just "let it go" and just go with the music but alot of times what ends up happening is they strum the same way for every song and they all start sounding alike. I think you become comfortable strumming a certain way and you tend to use that strumming pattern unconciously all the time.

A lot of the rhythm to a song is in the strumming so if your not concerned with sounding like the original recording do what ever you feel.

I know people who just "let it go" and just go with the music but alot of times what ends up happening is they strum the same way for every song and they all start sounding alike. I think you become comfortable strumming a certain way and you tend to use that strumming pattern unconciously all the time.

That is a danger and something I strive to eliminate. Still, every once in a while.... :oops:

I had the same problem and I figured out how to fix it in a weird way.
When strumming my acoustic with a pick, it just seemed to sound soooo loud and I felt like the whole neighborhood could hear me hacking away badly at this guitar. The tension thing that Zen Nick was talking about definitely came into play. I tried different picks, and like Pearl said, I prefer using a thin pick because it doesn't seem as loud and harsh. Then, I bought an electric and found that strumming it while it isn't plugged in helped me a lot. I could strum away hard and concentrate on the song without worrying about who could hear me. Then I would try it on the acoustic and use the same strumming intensity. It didn't seem as bad this way because I was already used to the rhythm and "feel" of the song and I could tweak it then. Not suggesting you buy an electric for this and it probably isn't the best way to learn but it helped me because a big source of my tension was the thought that anyone in a 1 mile radius could hear how horrible of a noob I am.

Also, try learning songs that you really like and that make you feel something. That way you are focused on the song and what you are feeling and not so much on the mechanics of strumming.

...very interesting thread, on what is a weak area for many of us. Good tip, Urbancowgirl, I have exactly the same problem, I just can't bear to hear myself play with a pick, and I never thought to use the electric like you said, so thanks for that :wink: .

I think cnev hit on something when he says that sometimes you fall into the same patterns if you don't consciously make an effort not to.. I really do find this, which is why i like to learn specific patterns for certain songs, it opens the horizons somewhat to learn new ways of keeping the rhythm.. it probably comes naturally after a while but definitely starting off I find it an issue. I think it helps when learning the song first to do whatever pattern comes naturally just til I learn the song and the beat,then I like to try to find out the specific pattern for the song.. with varying degrees of success, luckily for me the good people on here are helpful sorts! :P

I loved the video of joan baez, kenrogers, man what a talent.. I saw her play maybe 10 years ago, incredible voice and seems such a great person as well, thoroughly brilliant.

I started on bass, plucking with my fingers, and completely eschewed the pick (still do today mostly, on bass) so a year or so later when I started picking up my brother's acoustic guitar, I had similar issues with strumming. But after, as usual, try, try, trying again and again, there was the breakthrough moment (on "do you realize" by the flaming lips). I don't think too much about it nowadays. Its just a fluid wrist movement. When I taught my roommate to play, thats what I always told him was just to get all the motion from the wrist and use the elbow joint for positioning.

Don't give up and it will come. Thats the best thing I've learned from practicing guitar.