Strumming Pattern For Knocking On Heaven's Door

Although Musen is the sort of official greeter I don't think I'll get in trouble if I say "Welcome to The Asylum!" on behalf of all of us. Unfortunately I cant' help you myself, I love this song but I know the way I play it is not quite right... I've changed it to be more ot my liking. however I'm sure someone on here can. Good Luck!

Hi!

There are two lessons here on that song:

https://www.guitarnoise.com/article.php?id=21
https://www.guitarnoise.com/article.php?id=22

You are going to find a lot more than just a strumming pattern.

Hope it helped

Thanks for the details about the lesson. That will definitely help!

Jason

I checked out the lessons, but still no strumming pattern. Lots of great information on hammer-on, pull-offs etc., but no strumming.

Help!

As with most songs, there are a lot of different ways to strum this. I find this pattern works well -

Beat

 1            -      downstroke on G chord (quarter note)
 2            -      downstroke on G chord (sixteenth note)
                      upstroke on G chord (sixteenth note)
                       sixteenth note rest
                      upstroke on G chord (sixteenth note)
 3            -      downstroke on D chord (quarter note)
 4            -      downstroke on D chord (sixteenth note)
                      upstroke on D chord (sixteenth note)
                       sixteenth note rest
                      upstroke on D chord (sixteenth note)

 1            -      downstroke on Am chord (quarter note)
 2            -      downstroke on Am chord (sixteenth note)
                      upstroke on Am chord (sixteenth note)
                       sixteenth note rest
                      upstroke on Am chord (sixteenth note)
 3            -      downstroke on Am chord (quarter note)
 4            -      downstroke on Am chord (sixteenth note)
                      upstroke on Am chord (sixteenth note)
                       sixteenth note rest
                      upstroke on Am chord (sixteenth note)

You then repeat it, using a C chord instead of Am in the alternating measure.

Another thing that you can do is, on the first beat, play a chord (eighth note) followed by a bass note (also an eighth note), like this:  

Beat

 1            -      downstroke on G chord (eighth note)
                      downstroke of G note (eighth note)
 2            -      downstroke on G chord (sixteenth note)
                      upstroke on G chord (sixteenth note)
                       sixteenth note rest
                      upstroke on G chord (sixteenth note)
 3            -      downstroke on D chord (eighth note)
                      downstroke of D note (eighth note)
 4            -      downstroke on D chord (sixteenth note)
                      upstroke on D chord (sixteenth note)
                       sixteenth note rest
                      upstroke on D chord (sixteenth note)

 1            -      downstroke on Am chord (eighth note)
                      downstroke of A note (eighth note)
 2            -      downstroke on Am chord (sixteenth note)
                      upstroke on Am chord (sixteenth note)
                       sixteenth note rest
                      upstroke on Am chord (sixteenth note)
 3            -      downstroke on Am chord (eighth note)
                       downstroke of Anote (eighth note)
 4            -      downstroke on Am chord (sixteenth note)
                      upstroke on Am chord (sixteenth note)
                       sixteenth note rest
                     upstroke on Am chord (sixteenth note)

But, and again I can't stress this enough, there are many many other ways to play it as well.

Hope this helps.

Peace

Thanks for the help Dave. This site has been a great help for a beginner like me. The instructions are very well laid out, and have helped me learn much quicker than if I tried on my own.

Bye for now,

Jason

This is a simple format that I have.
-Bull

Knockin' On Heaven's Door

Simple Strumming Pattern

G      D      Am7
DD      DD      DDDD

G      D      C
DD      DD      DDDD

G    D   Am7
Oooooooooh

G    D   C
Oooooooooh

[G] Ma take this [D] badge off of [Am7] me

[G] I can't [D] use it [C] anymore

[G] It's getting [D] dark, too dark [Am7] to see

[G] And I feel like [D] I'm knocking on [C] heaven's door

[G] Knock, knock, [D] knocking on [Am7] heaven's door

[G] Ma take these [D] guns from [Am7] me

[G] I just can't [D] shoot them [C] anymore

[G] There's a long [D] black cloud [Am7] a-followin' me

[G] And I feel like [D] I'm knocking on [C] heaven's door

[G] Knock, knock, [D] knocking on [Am7] heaven's door        

Disclaimer:

These files are the author's own work and represents his
interpretation of the song. It is intended solely for private
study, scholarship or research.

This song was submitted by Bull from GuitarNoise.com.

For more help
https://www.guitarnoise.com/article.php?id=21
https://www.guitarnoise.com/article.php?id=22

This one is also up for review.  Thread to be removed in a couple of days.

That's all till next weekend.  There were 5.  I added 7 songs, so we now have 12.  Whoo Hoo!

Mark :)

Does anyone have a good intro for Knocking on Heavens Door? Do you think one of those riffs shown in the exercises above would make a good intro?

SUre one of the riffs from the lessons would probably work well. ALternately to keep it simple You can Play G with a  quick change to  D then to C.

Then go into the song....

Hi!

I have recorded a track that includes a drum machine playing a simple 4x4 on top of David's Tricks of the Trade lesson, which sounds from a powertab file that I'd also be willing to share.

I can play along with it if I slow it down. I am getting faster and think I will be playing it at normal speed after the weekend or even sooner.

I think it would be a good idea to add it to the lesson.
I don't care if I'm mentioned or not. It's just that I read the lesson a year ago and only now have the chops to start playing it properly. It could make someone's learning easier

I've also started a piece for beginners that deals with reading notation from a relatively easy stand point.
It's going to use examples from the "horse with no name" lesson. Contact me if you are interested.

I've got two or three other powertabs that are interesting learnerwise because they sound exactly like the notation and leave (almost) no room for interpretation which is definitely better for starters (i.e. if you don't have a clue to what that notation should sound like).

It would be my response for the many things I've learned here and a contribution for others to have it easier.