[Berck]

Hi,

I have a question about changing chords within a strumming patterns.

Say for a 4/4 beats per measure, we need not have to change chord on the beat, right?

For example is it ok to do this?

D___D__u_ud__udu where I change chord at the first small d??

I'm not sure if this is the thing to do adding a link, if it is not ok I'll remove it.

I saw this and I was trying to figure out the time signature, chord change and patterns.

link removed.

Thanks in advance.

[starsailor]

What song are you playing Berck, there are no hard and fast rules, it's just a question of how it sounds to you, if you want to do that up up stroke the best way to keep the flow going is to do a down stroke without hitting the strings between the 2 ups, hope that makes sense.

[Matty22]

Listening to the drums will often help find the strumming pattern
And listen to the bass for when to change chords...

I agree with starsailor, whats the song?

[Berck]

Hi,

I chance upon this youtube video by 'wayslinn' and the song is 'complicated' by avril lavigne.

I have been learning 16 notes strumming pattern with 4 beats to a measure ie :-

D duD du uduDudu

kind of patterns but the sound is quite predictable, so I have been wondering how to vary the strum patterns and still stay within the 4 beats per measure rule?

Can you understand what I'm getting at??? Is it alright to play an upstroke on the even count of the pattern, that kind of thing?

Could you explain more about following the drums. I know that the 2 and 4 beats are snare drum so it is a downstroke?

What other drum beats are there and how to simulate these beats on the guitar? Thanks in advance!!

[Matty22]

Heres an accoustic version of that song
YouTube - Complicated (Acoustic)

that shows the strumming pattern clearer than the studio version.

You can vary the stum patterns in any way you like. As long as you keep in time... Try experiementing with different patterns. Try a mix of half strums (only strumming the bass strings, then the highs etc)

-matty

[AX7221]

The strumming pattern strickly refers to your right hand (strumming hand for any lefties out there). You can do whatever you want with your fretting hand. I made an mp3 where I did the full pattern twice with C then did it two more times, once with Am and Dm, and the second with Am and F. But first I wanna talk about the notation, you have:
D___D__u_ud__udu

In 4/4 time that might mean:

1_-_2_-_3_-_4_-_1_-_2_-_3_-_4_-_1_-_2_-_3_-_4_-_
D___D__u_ud__uduD___D__u_ud__uduD___D__u_ud__udu


But when I played it repeatly, the second D sounded strong to me, so I notated it this way (with respect to when I change chords).


____1_-_2_-_3_-_4_-_1_-_2_-_3_-_4_-_1_-_2_-_3_-_
D___D__u_ud__uduD___D__u_ud__uduD___D__u_ud__udu



So now the 1 of each measure is the strongest note of the measure, and I was able to play it much more easily.

To show you what I mean I made an mp3 of just a C chord and faded it in to make the beginning of the pattern impossible to hear.

What I did here is i put in a pickup note before it starts, I have 1 beat for pickup notes, and a measure at the end with 3 beats, so 1+3=4 so that checks out. I played it twice through on C, then Am and I switched midway through and played Dm, but I didn't swich on a beat, I switched after the second beat of the measure, why? for entirely unacademic reasons, taste. Same switch for the other one, meaning its just a matter of preference.

Also, I stuck to the be strumming pattern, but I don't like to do that, I do that when I learn a new one, but once I start using it I like to mix it up and try out different variations and play how I feel, like I'll varry the strumming to create more tension, to accentuate certain stuff, and practice playing with feeling.