
Hold a guitar pick with the center gripped, the tip at 90 degrees, 2–3 millimetres above strings, raised to avoid burying, and keep a loose grip so it can move.
Learn to count in four-time common time using a metronome, and sync each beat with a click to develop accurate strumming.
Learn to count correctly to four and align your strumming with a metronome or click track, using warmups, foot tapping, and rhythm counting before playing chords.
Now we have worked the essential theory of strumming lets put all that into practice. You can download the Pdf for all the lessons covered in the course here.
Reinforce timing with a metronome around 60–70 bpm, play along to a click with a steady down-stroke and parallel thumb for clean strumming.
Master the open stroke and up stroke by keeping the wrist motion steady while catching strings on the way back, with slow metronome practice for clean strumming.
Master the foundational strumming motions by refining rest, timing, and a smooth, even 1-2-3 rhythm; focus on light touch, relaxed grip, and consistent motion before exploring more patterns.
Master the down stroke in exercise three for guitar by maintaining a continuous 1/8th-note strum on each chord, using a light grip and a windscreen-wiper motion, with metronome guidance.
Master the We Will Rock You strong strumming pattern, based on the Queen song, using a down-up-down-down-down-down-down sequence. Keep a continuous motion in a loop and experiment with familiar chords.
Combine two rhythm elements in a focused exercise, strumming through the one two three four counts with steady down strokes and occasional up strokes, keeping the hand motion continuous.
Master guitar strumming by focusing on up strokes and the down motion, practicing a steady four-beat count with arm movement.
Learn to work with rests in guitar strumming by counting through the silence and keeping the strumming hand moving, playing through the rest rather than stopping.
Master a very popular strumming rhythm from exercise nine you can use when stuck, with a step-by-step breakdown of the one and three pattern.
Practice exercise ten to master a crossover strumming pattern, counting one, two, three, four, and coordinating down and up strokes for a steady rhythm.
Practice exercise 11 to build constant movement and rhythm, counting one, two, three, and learning to strum into the upbeat.
Practice a simple, easy four-beat strumming pattern—down, up, down—counting one, two, three, four to build a versatile rhythm for many songs.
Exercise 15 trains rhythm and counting by avoiding the one count, playing through to the end, and drilling accuracy to build strength in strumming.
Learn to play 16th notes as a faster version of eighths, with precise counting and a metronome. Master downstrokes and upstrokes, adjust sweep, and select the right pick for clear rhythm.
Practice counting from one to four while shifting through quarter, eighth, and sixteenth patterns with a metronome to master changing strumming across bars.
Combine the first poll, the Gallup gallop, with the second part of the bar using normal sixteenths to build a confident, flowing strumming rhythm.
Explore popular rhythm with 16th notes, moving between 8th and 16th subdivisions to refine strumming patterns. Maintain a steady, continuous motion and practice adapting the groove as it evolves.
Mix up gallop strum by reversing the pattern and subdividing into 16th notes to time changes. Use G, C, D, and D minor, changing on beat one or three.
Explore a well-known Tequila Sunrise strumming pattern from the Eagles and master chords like G5, G6, D7, and A minor, progressing from down-stroke rhythms to a more intricate pattern.
Welcome to my course simply entitled how to master the art of strumming the guitar.
Learning to strum the guitar can be extremely challenging for the beginner.
Using my proven techniques that I have developed over the years as a professional guitar teacher, I am going to take you from a beginner to a confident player of the guitar.
Using these methods, I have helped countless students achieve their goal of playing the guitar.
The course has over 30 lessons that are easy to follow and they progress in logical steps that are simple to understand.
In the early stages of the course, special attention is made to the basic technique required to strum the guitar. Unfortunately, many aspiring guitarists are so eager to play the instrument that they develop bad techniques that can spoil both the sound and their enjoyment of playing the guitar. So please do pay particular attention to the opening chapters on the course.
I have designed the course in such a way that strumming is the focus and not chords. In fact the whole course can be worked through with only using 2 easy to play chords.
We will look at initial techniques, correct position of the guitar, holding the pick, counting, and working with a metronome.
Each lesson contains on screen tablature and no music theory is required.
The lessons will feel more like a workshop as you play through each lesson and do be prepared to play the guitar with me in some of the lessons.
Please work through the first 4 lessons and pay special attention the methods I describe to correctly hold the guitar, and pick and the method of moving the arm and wrist through the strumming motion.
Always try and work with a metronome to ensure the correct tempo and timing.
If you would like me to critic your playing and give any advise then do not hesitate to send me a link or upload a short video of you playing.
I have attached a PDF that gives you all the patterns used in the course plus a whole bunch more for you to have a go at.
Have fun and the main thing is to enjoy yourself!
Geoff Sinker