I love Guitar Noise. I learnt my first song (Horse with No Name) through the lessons and have now learnt several others. I also listen to the podcasts and have read many of the articles online... I feel I'm still making progress but something has me stumped...
I know the answer to the question "What strumming pattern do I use for this song?" is "Whatever one feels good for you." And I agree with that, but I also like being able to replicate the strumming patterns of other people in order to see what does and doesn't work for me...
I am much better at hearing strumming patterns now than when I started playing guitar 6 months ago, but I still occassionally get stumped...hence this post
In this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSHxFkoYYWY
I can't work out whether the player is using triplets or 16th notes...especially on the D chord (examples at 23 and 30 seconds)... I also think he is playing an upstroke on the first beat of each new chord, but don't know whether that is a push or a pattern that starts with an upstroke...if that makes sense...
Can anyone give me their opinion...?
Many thanks - and to David himself - WOW! What a fantastic site.
Rc
Rcadian
I count myself still as a beginner and should steer clear of giving advice but I think he is throwing in a couple of sixteenth notes towards the end of some of the bars. The count would be 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and a 1. The and would be a down stroke, the a would be an upstroke, the 1 of the next bar would be a down stroke. It gives it that du da du sound. A couple of songs I use this in is Thats Entertainmet by The Jam and Just like Heaven by The Cure. Both of those songs use it as "anticipation" see Davids recent podcast on this.
Thats just my take on it if I was trying to replicate what I hear, I'm sure someone can give you a definate answer.
Your take on this is a good one, Jase. It's definitely sixteenth notes being played on the last half of the fourth beat of the measure. This technique is covered in our fourth Guitar Noise Podcast, which you can find here:
https://www.guitarnoise.com/blog/2008/03/10/podcast-partial-chord-strumming/
This sort of accent on the last half of the fourth beat is something you'll hear in a lot of songs, so it's good to get a feel for it. Sorting out sixteenth notes and triplets can be tricky, but you'll get better at it with practice. One thing that helps a lot of people is to count out loud. Remember that triplets and sixteenth notes divide beats evenly. So if you'r counting "one and two and three and four" and the notes only fit on the beat itself, it probably be a triplet. Here, if you counted out loud, you'd hear the first strum in question coming in right on the "and" of "four and," pretty much giving away that it was a pair of sixteenth notes.
Good work, Jase!
And Rcadian, welcome to Guitar Noise (not to mention a hearty "thank you" for your kind words)! Glad you've found our little community and I look forward to seeing you around on the boards.
Peace
The count would be 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and a 1. The and would be a down stroke, the a would be an upstroke, the 1 of the next bar would be a down stroke.
Thanks for the reply...and to David too! I think I see what you mean - and thanks for sorting it out as being 16ths rather than triplets... Can I just therefore confirm, Jase (or David), that the "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and a 1" would be played therefore as D U D U D U D D U D with that last D being the first downstroke of the next bar...
I will listen to Podcast four as well as The Jam song...good advice.
Many thanks,
Rc
Can I just therefore confirm, Jase (or David), that the "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and a 1" would be played therefore as D U D U D U D D U D with that last D being the first downstroke of the next bar
No I just wrote it out like that to highlight the change to the sixteenth notes and wasnt suggesting a strum pattern. I think its wise to remember that its just the guitarist off Utubes cover and thats his take on the song (must say I like the intro). Im sure he mixes it up with quater and eightth as well as sixteenth notes. You could try 1,2, 3 and 4 or 1 and 2, 3 and 4 or 1,2,3 and 4 and or other variations and add in quater and sixteenth notes to break it up a bit.
edit
Can I just therefore confirm, Jase (or David), that the "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and a 1" would be played therefore as D U D U D U D D U D with that last D being the first downstroke of the next bar
Ive just reread what you wrote above and yes thats how you would play it (maybe not for this song), the only trouble writing just strum directions is that it doesnt really show note lengths.
Many thanks...I think I am a bit closer to working out his stum pattern on the intro and the D chord...and I have watched a lesson on YouTube on That's Entertainment and that has helped too... I play Maggie May with a different pattern altogether, but I just want to be able to play this specific one to see how it's done...
Many thanks,
Rc
