up ? That ’ s good , because you can probably guess the next level . 16 th notes ( e ).
Because it can be really easy to get off track with where the beats are , I like to accent each beat just a bit so you hear the four quarters even amidst all the 16 th notes .
Up until this point we ’ ve been strumming a lot of notes . That ’ s fine . We ’ re loosening up our strumming hand and arm . But where does the artistry come in ? You know it – when we ’ re not strumming . Much like a sculptor who takes a solid block of marble and removes what ’ s not needed to reveal a beautiful sculpture , we are now going to take some of the strums away to provide rhythmic contours .
With this in mind I ’ d like to back off the 16 th notes for a moment and try a couple strumming patterns with just quarters and 8ths . I ’ ll demonstrate them ( on the video ) with chords .
But before we do this , remember one important rule : keep your hand moving all the time , like the pendulum of a clock . If it stops moving , it falls out of consistent rhythm .
For this first pattern , we are going to tie some note values together . This pattern is a beginner level strumming pattern I affectionately call the “ Camp Strum ” ( f ), because I ’ ve heard it a lot at camps . It has found its way into worship songs from multiple eras .
Ready for another beginner level strumming pattern ? I call this one the “ Folk / Pop Strum ” ( g ). This is a bit more folky , as the name implies , but it also finds a way into worship songs , especially of a more organic texture .
Ok , our last strumming pattern today is an intermediate strumming pattern I call the “ Triple Down ” strum ( h ), because it starts with 3 down strums at the beginning . It incorporates 8 th notes and 16 th notes . This one will make your drummer really happy . The feature of this pattern that is so appealing to drummers is the consistent accent on beats 2 and 4 . Friends don ’ t let friends clap on beats 1 and 3 right ?
As you might imagine , the video will really bring these patterns to life , even more than the diagrams will .
By the way , if you want to discover the 6 main things your drummer needs from you , I highly recommend my article / video “ 6 Ways to Serve Your Drummer ” from the October 2024 issue of Worship Musician . https :// joom . ag / UUud / p62
The final step , as you ’ d expect in a strumming workout , is to cool down with quarter notes ( a ).
Good work today . Hopefully , you ’ ve noticed some increase of accuracy and stamina as you strum . Also , one of the things you may notice in the video is that I can talk while I strum without slipping into rhythmic talking . If this is a skill you want to develop , please check out May 2023 of Worship Musician for my article / video called “ Can You Strum and Speak ?” https :// joom . ag / x6Pd / p60
There ’ s always more to learn , but today , we embarked on a significant exposition of
rhythm with the strumming workout you ’ ve just completed . Good for you . I encourage you to come back to this again and strum along with the video . Repeating this process will lead to progress .
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David Harsh David Harsh is a nationally touring worship leader , songwriter and performing artist . He is passionate about equipping guitarists to discover their potential . Learn more and join now at www . GuitarSuccess4U . com
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