Strumming Chord Progressions

Strum It


Strumming is the first way you should learn how to play rhythmically on the guitar. Once you have it, its fairly easy to play backup for a good number of songs.

Tap out time with your foot. Each tap is a downbeat. Now think of your strumming arm as a pendulum going back and forth. It should go down towards the floor on every beat and back up between the beats. The motion should be even. Keep your arm relaxed. Grip the pick firmly, but strive to have as little tension in your arm and hand as possible.

Slide your pick across the strings on each down beat in a repeating "1, 2, 3, 4,/1, 2, 3, 4" rhythm. You should hear a strum on each beat. Try to move your pick quickly through the strings, striking each one. Keep a steady and slow pace. You can always build up speed later.

Now try sliding the pick across the top few strings between the beats. The difference in sound should be the same as counting "1, 2, 3, 4/1, 2, 3, 4", then switching to "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and/1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and". The numbers still sound at the same tempo, only now you will have added the "ands", called the upbeats.

This pattern is made of 8th notes, because between the numbers and the ands, there are eight notes played in a row before you begin to repeat yourself. You can also play 16th notes with the pendulum method, only now there are 16 strums in a row.

It sounds like this "1 ee and uh 2 ee and uh 3 ee and uh 4 ee and uh".  

Its best to start this out at slow tempos, as you have to strum quite fast at brisker tempos.

Progressions


One famous progression is the 12 bar blues. Many classic songs use this progression or a variation of it. This version shows chords for the key of G. This form or written guitar music is called tablature, or just tab.

    Notice how there are 12 total bars in the progression? Also, notice how this tablature calls for 4 strums in each bar, one for every down beat. Try mixing it up by adding in some upbeats using the pendulum method. You will begin to hear the "ands" between the numbered downbeats.