Learning to play guitar can be an easy thing. Or, even if it's not, it can be a delightful trip, if you allow it. It can also be a monstrous, overwhelming experience that causes a lot of beginners to simply quit and throw the guitar out the window.
But what determines where you end up? Surely it can't be that it's so boring to play guitar? Maybe in a few cases, but I think not in general. What I do think is that one huge reason for people to quit after just a few weeks is that the teacher's put too much weight on their shoulders.
What I mean by that is: Teachers are sometimes stuck with the "Doing it the right way"-filosofy. And they say "you must do this, do that yada yada...."
So what? you ask.
The fun of playing
Well, I'm glad you're asking, because the answer to that question is that it simply takes away the fun of it! It leaves me, the student, with the feeling of "oh dear...I'm a bad person if I can't learn this anytime soon...."
Learning the "proper" strumming patterns for guitar is just not that essential for me as a guitarist. I have played the guitar for 35 years now, and I cant's say that I know the strumming pattern for any song at all.
Of course I use them. But I never study them.It doesn't bother me if this song's verse 1 should be played in the up up down up down down... pattern. When I play it, I kind of "breathe" in the rhythm of it. If the original strum is up or down - who cares?
When I play a song I use strumming patterns that sound about the same as the original. I try to give it the same "feeling". But actually I don't think I play the exact same pattern twice.
I think it is a huge mistake to stare yourself blind at the strumming patterns. For guitar players who want to play a song with true passion, I believe it's instead important to feel the song and the rhythm. You can compare this to how Michael Jackson danced. He once said that he never writes down the steps or counts them. He just danced.
He was the dance.
The soul of music
The chords and the rhythm is the soul of just about all songs. And the strumming is of course a part of that rhythm. But I don't wish to ruin it all by counting "One and Two and Three and Twelve and..." Well, you get the point.
But!
If you still are so stubbornish and want to learn strumming patterns for guitar playing - do yourself a favor and learn it in a way that's fun. And so far the funniest guy I ever saw teaching guitar is a guy named Marty Schwartz. The man with the hat.And hear what he has to say about strumming patterns... Watch this video of Marty: http://pellesguitarstuff.com/articles/how-to-play-bad-moon-rising-on-guitar
So get back to your wooden sound thingy. And be the music! Don't count it. Dont patternize it.
If you are just beginning to play guitar, you will find more tips for beginners at Pelle's Guitar Stuff. Welcome!
But what determines where you end up? Surely it can't be that it's so boring to play guitar? Maybe in a few cases, but I think not in general. What I do think is that one huge reason for people to quit after just a few weeks is that the teacher's put too much weight on their shoulders.
What I mean by that is: Teachers are sometimes stuck with the "Doing it the right way"-filosofy. And they say "you must do this, do that yada yada...."
So what? you ask.
The fun of playing
Well, I'm glad you're asking, because the answer to that question is that it simply takes away the fun of it! It leaves me, the student, with the feeling of "oh dear...I'm a bad person if I can't learn this anytime soon...."
Learning the "proper" strumming patterns for guitar is just not that essential for me as a guitarist. I have played the guitar for 35 years now, and I cant's say that I know the strumming pattern for any song at all.
Of course I use them. But I never study them.It doesn't bother me if this song's verse 1 should be played in the up up down up down down... pattern. When I play it, I kind of "breathe" in the rhythm of it. If the original strum is up or down - who cares?
When I play a song I use strumming patterns that sound about the same as the original. I try to give it the same "feeling". But actually I don't think I play the exact same pattern twice.
I think it is a huge mistake to stare yourself blind at the strumming patterns. For guitar players who want to play a song with true passion, I believe it's instead important to feel the song and the rhythm. You can compare this to how Michael Jackson danced. He once said that he never writes down the steps or counts them. He just danced.
He was the dance.
The soul of music
The chords and the rhythm is the soul of just about all songs. And the strumming is of course a part of that rhythm. But I don't wish to ruin it all by counting "One and Two and Three and Twelve and..." Well, you get the point.
But!
If you still are so stubbornish and want to learn strumming patterns for guitar playing - do yourself a favor and learn it in a way that's fun. And so far the funniest guy I ever saw teaching guitar is a guy named Marty Schwartz. The man with the hat.And hear what he has to say about strumming patterns... Watch this video of Marty: http://pellesguitarstuff.com/articles/how-to-play-bad-moon-rising-on-guitar
So get back to your wooden sound thingy. And be the music! Don't count it. Dont patternize it.
If you are just beginning to play guitar, you will find more tips for beginners at Pelle's Guitar Stuff. Welcome!