Strumming & Rhythm Mastery - How To Strum In Time...
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The TAB for the example.This is the TAB for the example in the middle of the video
Isern your rhythm lessons and your counting, which i see now as most important to improving my playing. I have a few of songs marked out as best I could to practice counting. When I played this one, I found out how far I’ve come (still not good but improving) I started using the words you used quarter note etc. and not to long into it I said to myself why aren’t we using numbers, so I started using them and found I finally got it. then griff starting counting and I was on it. Yes, it’s simple in theory, it’s counting Getting your body, mind, arm, voice all in perfect sync is like a runner high. a great simple lesson. thx
great lesson learned more about counting with this lesson then any other one.great example of counting
My favorite comeback…..
“Too late to walk, too proud to crawl”
Griff, thanks for the lesson, but you talk way too much. A good demo is worth a 1000 words. Stop rambling on about this and that and show us examples of how we can play it.
Hi hug griff I really needed to see and know this
I have never watched you teach it like that. I’ve seen many of your rhythm lessons.
Griff ur an awesome teacher!!!
Another great lesson Griff – THANKS!
Timing is a major struggle for me. I appreciate your detailed explanation and demonstration. Now, with some practice, even this engineer should be able to count to 4! 🙂
Thanks Griff –
I loved the idea of counting quar-ter eighth-note. Very helpful for me as I easily get lost within one measure. Sad – huh? Anyway – that’s a big help and thanks again! Awesome lesson. – Mike
Thank you for your guitar lessons,
But I’m playing Tejano music right now, And this style really doesn’t help me but thank you once again.
https://youtu.be/rUpZwW4C_NY?si=1I3tRQsqufWfRj45
Esay to count, uptempo three quarter time.
Nothing magical about Tejano music and its rhythms.
https://ramonlandia.com/tejano-music/
Hi Griff!
This lesson is great..its like Physical Therapy. I was in a car accident recently and PT was needed to help me move more freely..and correctly..So this strumming course is like that..playing on time it corrects bad and lazy habits. and puts our playing more in line with the steady beat, so..it is PT for us guitar players
Note to HarryD. Hate to disagree with you but not all guitar “Gods” are kickass rhythm players. BB King was a horrible comp and admitted in many interviews. BB went on to say that he was not even good with chords. Sorry HarryD but I believe I must agree with Mark Hermanson and JIm. No need to be snarky; just delete the lesson and wait for the next! Great stuff Griff!
foot balls was the only referance to what you were doing as far as notes . Further if the player doesnt use this very often then why bother .I know timing is important I always tell my band poeple that. Do you think it would be better to show how these notes line up on a scale . some may want to know how to read music YA THINK ! SORRY JUST VAGUE REFERANCES.
MY BAD THERE IS A TAB
So I have great rhythm when it comes to dancing and I can keep a beat but the strumming part of guitar playing and the transitions have been an obstacle – this was a great lesson and the “word counting” “quarter” eight note – really helped clarify in my mind so that the counting made sense and now I just count but this was great. I’ve been told that women have a harder time strumming – maybe so – regardless, this was GREAT! Thanks Griff
Right now we are working on Bob Dylan’s “Knocking on Heaven’s Door.” Hank Williams “I Saw the Light” Some Merle Haggard songs. Very interesting. The videos from here are a real help to me. (The other members of the class had never heard of BGU)
I am talking about “Guitars for Vets.
Yes, it is a basic lesson but it is (as Griff alludes to) a building block of solid playing. The problem some beginners have ( and some not so beginners) is not “counting to four” that is an oversimplification, it is making those chord changes on time, and being able to alter your strumming pattern and still make the change. since 95 percent of the song is rhythm it should receive a fair amount of your practice time! Don’t overlook the contribution of the rhythm player like Malcolm Young of AC/DC or Rudolph Schenker of the Scorpions! Great rhythm playing is an art unto itself.
Thanks for the refresher Griff!
Hey Griff,
Great lesson and a refresher. I still count in most of your courses even though I have great timing being and Ex semi -Pro -drummer in the past. Also I always had an Acoustic guitar playing simple songs like Hey Jude etc. But strumming in different styles makes the day.
Michael-Sydney-Australia -May 2016
This comment for HarryD.
Your comment was “snarky” as hell.
If you found value on this lesson, Great!
If you didn’t because you’re a fantastic player and this is way too simple, just keep quiet and move on.
Yup.
Ditto
Hey, great refresher on timing and rhythm. I’ve been counting like this since I was 7 (now 65, piano lessons) never hurts to be reminded. thanks
Not to be snarky, but I didn’t realize that so many people have a hard time counting to four.
I would still like to see you emphasize how essential it is to be an A1 rhythm guitar player to all those noodlers out there that only attempt to solo with no grounding or desire in learning how to kill it while a vocalist is singing or how to back up another soloist. They don’t seem to realize that every guitar ‘god’ that they idolize is a crackerjack kickass rhythm guitarist.
Well Harry, let me explain it another way. Have you ever driven a stick shift, or if you prefer a manual transmission ?
I know plenty of people who cant get clutch, gas and shift rhythm down, which was easy for me
I personally have a very hard time holding proper time, so yes…..1…2..3…4 is very rudimentary, but some of us need it, and some of us benefit from it, and some of us arn’t ashamed to admit it.
When dealing with left hand fingering, foot movement, and right hand strum and mute, the counting can get messed up……………these videos are helpful for those of us
you don’t have a lot a friends?
i appreciate a lot. You’re a professionnal. i’m a Bassist but you’ve shown me the importance of the rythim i’ve download this video ,,, it is very well done. if you have any for BASS,,, i’d like it. Thanks.
Well if you don’t get use to it your Rhythm playing is going to Hold you Back
If I really did what feels comfortable, I’d ditch my Epiphone DR100 acoustic. I can’t play that guitar more than 10 minutes at a time without pain in both hands. But then that would mean flushing $100 down the toilet!
You could probably sell it for 100.00. Why play a guitar that you can’t get on top of for more than 10 minutes at a time?
I NEVER continue to play a guitar that impedes my playing.
I only buy ones that immediately inspire better playing as my fingers and heart explore the instrument. If I don’t find new sounds and ideas that come easily to me I ditch the instrument. It wasn’t made for me.
If I pick up a guitar and it doesn’t immediately show me how to play better I don’t buy it. Also I’ve never played a 100.00 guitar that I liked.
With the quality of cheap but well made Chinese guitars that are available in the last 10 years or so there may be some in the under 200.00 range that I’d like.
But those are still at the bottom of the barrel. If you can’t spend at least 300.00 on a guitar it’s going to be harder to find ones that you’ll really like.
The cheaper the guitar you try to buy the more work you have to do to find one you like. Don’t be completely fooled by price. I’ve picked up lots of 2000.00 to 3000.00 acoustic guitars that didn’t do a thing for me either.
I have a dr 100, its my take to the coffee shop, beach, park guitar, I actually love the thing.
Dumb question, and I mean this with respect, was it ever set up and do you know how to set it up ?
The action was high originally……I was terrified to adjust the tension and string height myself at first, I mean, what if I screwed up the guitar ?
But then I studied, and went for it, now I love the guitar and enjoy playing it.
If you need some help with adjustments, hit me up, will be happy to walk you through it
Great stuff, I always resisted doing the timing thing but now I realize how much I need it, makes it much easier to play with others. Thanks
I am taking a “Guitars for Veterans” class at the local VA. Instructor looked at my DR100 and did some tweeking to it and now it works much better. He said it is a good practice guitar but it needed a little work!
A good setup is worth it’s weight in gold. My DR100, after a setup, plays wonderfully and sounds great. It’s a real shame that we have to set up even expensive guitars, after all, you wouldn’t expect to pay for a tune up on your new BMW would you? But, if we bite the bullet and have the setup done, or learn to do it ourselves, man, what a difference it makes!