8Introducing Strumming and Developing Chord Changes

Essential Guitar SkillsLesson 008 IGS IS

67Lesson eIGHTIntroducing Strumming and Developing Chord Changes

Lesson Objectives

•Introducethetechnique

ofstrumming.

•Developcontrolof

rhythmicpatternsby

introducingUp strokes.

•Developtheabilityto

changechordsmore

fluentlywithinrhythms.

•Buildourlibraryof

chordsbyintroducing

thechordsofD,AandE.

Introducing Strumming

InthepreviouslessonwelearnthowtoplaytheChordsofG,Eminor,A

minorandD7.

InthislessonwewilllearnthenewchordsofD,AandE.Furthermore

though,wewilllearnhowtostrumtheguitarcreatingmoreinteresting

rhythmswhilstdevelopingtheabilitytochangebetweenthemanynew

chordswearelearning.

Togetusedtothemotionofstrummingitisusefultoplaythefollowing

exerciseusingalternatedownandupstrokes.(Down strokesgofrom

thelowestpitchedstringtothehighestpitchedstringandUp strokesgo

fromthehighestpitchedstringtothelowest.)

Exercise 1 Strumming using Up and Down Strokes lesson008.igsis.techstore.01

Keepthestrumminghandrelaxedandgentlyplayupanddownstrokeson

therhythmbelow.InthevideoDavidisplayingthechordofG.

D U D U D U D U D U D U D U D U

Playtheaboveexerciseat100beatsperminute,noslower.Iftherhythmis

playedanyslowerit’sdifficulttobuildupanymomentum.

Onthedownstrokesallowtheweightofthearmtofallthroughtheguitar.

Youwillhearhowtheupstrokessoundslightlydifferenttothedownstrokes

asthetreblestringsarebeinghitbeforethebassstrings.Onthedown

strumswearehittingthebassstringsfirst.

68 Lesson eIGHT Introducing Strumming and Developing Chord Changes

Applying Strumming to the Chord of E minor

Onceyouarecomfortablewiththeupanddownstrokes,placeachordofE

minorontheguitarneck.

WearenowgoingtopractiseacommonrockrhythmonthechordofE

minor.Thestrumswhichlandonthebeataredownstrumsandthebeats

whichareoffthebeatareupstrums.

Inthisexamplethiscreatesthepattern:Down,Down,Down-Up,Down-Up.

Playtheexerciseat100beatsperminute,noslower.Iftherhythmisplayed

anyslowerit’sdifficulttobuildupanymomentum.

Onthedownstrokesallowtheweightofthearmtofallthroughtheguitar.

Youwillhearhowtheupstrokessoundslightlydifferenttothedownstrokes

asthetreblestringsarebeinghitbeforethebassstrings.Onthedown

strumswearehittingthebassstringsfirst.

Exercise 2: Lesson008.igsis.01

D D D U D U D D D U D U

Applying Strumming to Changing Chords

Wearenowgoingtomoveontoapplyingthissamestrumpatternovera

chordchange.ProbablytheeasiestchordchangeontheguitarisGtoEm

sowewillstartwiththis.

Exercise 3: Lesson008.igsis.02

D D D U D U D D D U D U D D D U D U D D D U D U

69Lesson eIGHTIntroducing Strumming and Developing Chord Changes

Changing the chords (one chord every two bars)

AswiththeexercisesinLesson Seven,itisessentialthatthestrumming

continuesintimeandun-interrupted,regardlessofhowwellthechordsare

beingchanged.Thechordchangeswillcatchupwiththestrumming.

Nowthatthereislesstimetochangechordsbecausethestrumpatternis

busierthaninLesson SevenmakesurethatwhenchangingfromGtoEm

thattheGchordcomesofftheguitaronthefinalupstrokepriortotheEm.

Thisallowsenoughtimeforthenewchordshapetobeformedandplaced

ontheguitaronthefirstbeatofthenextbar.Leavingthepreviouschordon

fortoolong,rightuptothebarlinewillnotleaveenoughtimetoexecute

thechordchangesmoothly.Thisruleappliesnomatterwhatchordsare

involved.

Withcertainchangesitmaybepossibletoleavethefirstchordonlonger

butthistechniquewillensurethatallchordchangesaresmooth.Oncethis

chordchangecanbeexecutedcorrectlymoveontothefollowingexercises

wheretherhythmisplayedoverthefourchordslearntsofar.

Exercise 4: Lesson008.igsis.03

D D D U D U D D D U D U D D D U D U D D D U D U

5

D D D U D U D D D U D U D D D U D U D D D U D U

70 Introducing Strumming and Developing Chord ChangesLesson eIGHT

Chord of D

Changing chords (one chord every bar)

Itmaybenecessarytopracticeeachoftheindividualchangeswiththis

rhythmaswaspracticedinthechangesfromGtoEm.Forexample,Em

toAm,AmtoD7etc.

Oncetheaboveexercisecanbeexecutedcorrectlyproceedtothe

followingexercisewherethechordschangeeverybar.

Exercise 5: Lesson008.igsis.04

D D D U D U D D D U D U D D D U D U D D D U D U

Introducing the Chords of D, A and E

Thenextthreechordsthatwewilllearnare;D,AandE.Thechordboxes

forthesenewchordsareshownbelow,togetherwiththeirmultimediafiles.

Exercise 6: Chord of D lesson008.igsis.techstore.02

Technique Tips

Noticewhichbassnoteis

playedineachchord…

Thethirdloweststringisthe

Dstring(4thstring)andsowe

strumthechordofDfromthe

openDstring.

71Introducing Strumming and Developing Chord Changes Lesson eIGHT

Chord of A

Exercise 7: Chord of A lesson008.igsis.techstore.03

Thesecondloweststringon

theguitaristheAstring(5th

string)andsowestrumthe

chordofAfromtheopenA

string.

Chord of E

Exercise 8: Chord of E lesson008.igsis.techstore.04

Theloweststringontheguitar

istheEstring(6thstring)and

sowestrumthechordofE

fromtheopenEstring.

Tolearnthese3chordsthoroughlyweneedtoagainpracticestrummingthe

chordslowlymakingsurethateachnoteplaysclearlywithoutbuzzes.

Rememberthatanopen stringissonamedasitdoesnothaveafingeron

itandisthereforeleftopento‘ring’.

72 Lesson eIGHT Introducing Strumming and Developing Chord Changes

AswiththefourchordslearntinLesson Seven,ensurethateachfingerin

eachchordisnottouchinganotherstring.Thisisthemostcommonreason

forstringsnotsoundingclearly.Onceyoufeelcomfortablewiththeform

ofthesechordsletspractisethem.Playalongwiththemediafilestohelp

fluency,timekeepingandaccuracyofsound.

Exercise 9: Lesson008.igsis.05

Exercise 10: Lesson008.igsis.06

Exercise 11: Lesson008.igsis.07

73

Developing Chord Changes (every bar)

Inthefollowingexerciseswewillchangechordsatthebeginningof

eachbarratherthaneverytwobars,focusingonourabilitytodevelop

fluencyinchangingchords.

Forthemomentwearekeepingtherhythmsimpleandonceweare

secureinthechangeswewilllookatintegratingmorerhythmbyusing

theskillswedevelopedinstrummingearlieronthislesson.

Exercise 12: Lesson008.igsis.08

Exercise 13: Lesson008.igsis.09

Exercise 14: Lesson008.igsis.10

Introducing strumming and Developing Chord Changes Lesson eIGHT

74

Developing our rhythmic playing using our new chords

Nowthatwehavebecomemoresecurewiththenewchords,let’stry

changingthechordsoverthestrumpatternwelearntearlierinthislesson.

Asusualplayalongwiththemediafilestohelpfluencyandcontrol.

Exercise 15: Lesson008.igsis.11

5

Developing greater fluency by combining all chord changes

Bytheendofthislessonyouwillnotonlybeabletoplay2positionsofeach

powerchordbutalsoplay7newchords,ofboththeMajorandMinorvariety.

Itis,however,veryimportantthatyoucanchangefromeachoneofthese

chordstoanyotherofthe7chords.TherearenumerouscombinationsandI

havelistedafewherewhichyoushouldtrywiththestrumpattern.

Thisisfarfromanexhaustivelistofcombinationsbutprovidesyouwith

theideaofwhatneedstobedevelopedtoenableyoutobecomeafluent

guitarist.

Exercise 16: Lesson008.igsis.12

Introducing strumming and Developing Chord ChangesLesson eIGHT

75

Exercise 17: Lesson008.igsis.13

Introducing strumming and Developing Chord Changes Lesson eIGHT