Presentation from a Musicademy training day workshop with Andy Chamberlain on guitar strumming patterns. Get over 40 free lessons from Musicademy http://bit.ly/1pQDyUF

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HOW TO CONSTRUCT STRUMMING
PATTERNS
Do you end up going back to the same old
couple of familiar strumming patterns?
Or are your strumming patterns just a bit
random?

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Three key things.
• One - ALWAYS keep your hand moving
• Two – more than one guitar, either play
exactly the same rhythm or both play
some parts of it
• Three - once you’ve found a strumming
pattern that fits, don’t go changing it
randomly

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Let’s listen to some music and look
at how to find the groove.
grooves are made up of 8th or 16th notes
Most worship songs use 16th
notes
Slow songs or fast songs above 120bpm use 8th
notes
• Nothing But the Blood is…. Note groove
• Forever is… note groove
Building a Groove

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Finding a strumming pattern
• Pick up on kick and snare drum
• Pick up on other rhythmic elements
• It all begins with vocal accents
• The key is LISTEN and try to fit in

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How grooves are communicated
8th
notes = 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
16th
notes = 1 e & a 2e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
Write the 16th note groove across your page

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Understanding the Groove
Grooves are made up of 8th or 16th
notes
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
x x x x x x
I’m com-ing backto the
all a-bout you, it’s
x x x x x

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Your space in the groove
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
Kick x x x
Bass x x x x
Elec 1 x x (x x x x x)
Elec 2 x x (x)
Keys 1 x (x x x x)
Keys 2 x - - (x) - -
Acoust. x x x x x x x x x
Groove x x x x x x

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Finding the groove
Exercise
Can you clap the groove?
•Listen to the accents in the melody
•Drums set the groove
•Other instruments find a space in the groove

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Mighty to Save
Well used 16th
note groove
Red arrows are optional to add to groove
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

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Holy is the Lord
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

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Faithful One
16th
note slower groove
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
Be Careful of the gallop!
Keep the groove consistent

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Beautiful One
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

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Consuming Fire
If a lot is going on you don’t need to play the down beats
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

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Hungry
With two guitars co-ordinate strumming
for…
empty…
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

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In Christ Alone
Grooves in 3/4 time
Snare on beat 2 or 3
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a

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Rescuer
Grooves in 6/8
8th
note groove
Different to 3/4 as Snare on beat 4
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 6 &
The space in the pattern gives emphasis to beats 1 and 4

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Come Let Us Return
Adding to patterns to create dynamics
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
Looks like 8ths but all played with down strokes
16th
note possibilities create movement and dynamics
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

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Pattern One
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
Pattern Two
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
Result
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
What if you don’t coordinate strumming patterns?

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1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
Worse still if everyone’s timing is slightly out your pattern will
look like this!!

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1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
Groove is often changed on where you emphasis beat 3 (write and clap this)
1
e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
Lets clap some patterns

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1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
16th
note Strumming Pattern- your love is amazing
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

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Two Bar Patterns
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
Two bar pattern - Beautiful One
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

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