LA BAMBA what's your strumming pattern?

hi angelo

I strum it two ways like this (each / divides a beat from another, two measures pattern)

1) D/D/Du/u/U/u/d/D

change from C to D and back on the off-beat (3rd and 6th beat respectively)

2) d-/d-/dd/-d/-d/dd/dd/dd/dd

use all downstrums: when i write -d means to play on the offbeta only

Matteo

Hi Matteo,
thanks for your pattern...Very interesting. I always thought that the originaL CHORDS were C F G (I IV V)... Of ocurse it can be transposed to any other major key. In which key do you play it? In G?

You say each / is one beat. How does it work out you have 8 beats in your 1) pattern and 9 in your 2)?
Could you put a double // to make it more precise where the first measure ends and the second starts? thanks

angelo

hi angelo

I strum it two ways like this (each / divides a beat from another, two measures pattern)

1) D/D/Du/u/U/u/d/D

change from C to D and back on the off-beat (3rd and 6th beat respectively)

2) d-/d-/dd/-d/-d/dd/dd/dd/dd

use all downstrums: when i write -d means to play on the offbeta only

Matteo

Hi Matteo,
thanks for your pattern...Very interesting. I always thought that the originaL CHORDS were C F G (I IV V)... Of ocurse it can be transposed to any other major key. In which key do you play it? In G?

You say each / is one beat. How does it work out you have 8 beats in your 1) pattern and 9 in your 2)?
Could you put a double // to make it more precise where the first measure ends and the second starts? thanks

angelo

ehm it was a mistake sorry. Here are the two patterns, marking the end of a measure with //

1) D/D/Du/u//U/u/d/D//

2) d-/d-/dd/-d//-d/dd/dd/dd//

cheers

Matteo

HI Matteo,

thanks, now it's very clear...

The following pattern has been given me by an online teacher.

---------------A------D------E-------D
------La Bamba:- D---D---DD---D---D D D D D D D
---------------1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

This is how it has been given to me. But I find it difficult to understand, maybe I am thick or something. do you understand it? If you do, would you mind putting it in the same format as your previous patterns for me? Also, if you try it, does this sound as good as yours?

angelo

hi angelo

it's the same pattern that I called pattern 2 (with the song played in the key of A instead of in the key of C or G).

Anyway, when you play La Bamba you have to remember a very important thing:

all chord changes (except for the first from say C to F if you play it in C) are played on the offbeat: that's what it makes its rhythm so driving. It's easier if you at the beginning stick to alternate picking meaning you play a downstrum on the beat and an upstrum on the offbeat.

Do this exercise: play a simple down and up with a metronome, tapping your foot each time you ear the click. If you do it correctly you'd play a downstrum each time you tap your foot (beat) and an upstrum each time you raise your foot (offbeat). When you're fine you can approach La bamba pattern a), at the begging playing the full pattern with the same chord or, better, muting the strings with your left hand

When you'll be fine, start to play it like this (each number is a beat)

1: play C with a downstrum
2: play C with a downstrum
3: play F with a downstrum and G with an upstrum
4: play G with an upstrum
5: play G with an upstrum:
6: play F with an upstrum:
7: play F with a downstrum
8: play F with a dowsntrum

If you go here:

http://www.playguitarmagazine.com/article/7/7,5522,LESSONS-1.asp

go tho the "3 chod-rock" mp3 and you'll find La bamba played with the above pattern

remember that's a lot more difficult to play with the downstrums only (like in pattern two) because you have to learn the ability to play donwstrums on the offbeat which is quite unnatural at the beginning (not forgettig that this way you have to move your right hand at the same speed as if you'd be playing sixteen notes with alternate picking), so approach pattern b) only when you'll be absolutely fine with pattern a)

Cheers

Matteo

Hi Matteo

Wow!... this is awesome teaching... I never seen la bamba better explained anywhere else on the internet. Maybe you should make a video of it as a guitar strum lesson! and post it on utube.com... You'll get millions of hits!...
I let you know soon how I get on, but now at least I know what I am doing...

Many thanks...

Has anyone else who reads this got any other way or personal way of strumming la bamba? I'd love to hear all the other possible ways guitarist strum this rhythm...

angelo

hi angelo

thanks a lot for your kind words, i simply wrote some excellent advices that i found out in some istructional guitar books or in Guitar noise lessons

having said so, it'imprtant to remember that at the end of the day, if you want to play your versione of a song (and not the original note for note version), patterns are up to you. I mean until you play the right chord progression with the right changes you can play a song the way you like, also adapting it to a different musical genre.

I mean say that you're into heavy metal (like myself), you'd probably play La bamba with power chords instead of full chords and using all downstrums (like in pattern b), but of course also you could choose to play it with a constat flur of eight notes downstrums changing on the beat like this:

1: dd C
2: dd C
3: dd F
4. dd G
5: dd G
6: dd G
7: dd F
8: dd F

it will still be La bamba, of course a bit different from the original one

or you could play it coutry with a bass and strum approach,even reggae: it's really up to you and your fantasy

go check the following wonderful David hodge lesson for many suggestions at the regard:

https://www.guitarnoise.com/lessons/do-you-genre-dance/

cheers

Matteo