Grateful Dead Music Forum

can some one please post the different strumming patterns (and an example of some songs they would apply to) I am some trouble figuring them out. I know a few but seeing them in front of me would help a lot

really 45 views but no one can help? WHO"S KIND??!!!

Never thought in terms of 'strumming patterns' before ... sorry KK.

Tennessee Jedi wrote:Never thought in terms of 'strumming patterns' before ... sorry KK.

Same. Don't understand the question.

It's funny when I first started teaching guitar I had a student ask me, "what do I do with my right hand?" I came to the realization that I never thought of it before and I had better so I don't sit there scratching my head. We do a lot of guitar playing automatically (which I don't think is necessarily a good thing when learning or perfecting something) especially right hand technique since it's one of those things that you start developing right from the beginning. There's a lot of ways to strum different rhythms and with the Dead since they aren't generally playing a specific parts that they execute the same way it's a little tough to give you specifics. It would be easier if you had a song to start with. I might be of more help. Jerry's patterns are easier to pick out when he's playing rhythm since he approaches chordal playing in a lot more standard fashion than Bob's parts. Some of the Wier-type players here might be able to help out with that.

Maybe work on Franklins Tower.
It has a pretty "easy-to-hear" strumming pattern.
Your basic choices are either down-stroke, or up-stroke.
It goes from A to D, with a quick G in the middle.

The beginners version might look like this:
A: Down, Up/Down, Down
G: Down, Down (or, Up,Up)
D: Down, Up/Down, Down
G: Down, Down (or, Up,Up)
(back to A and start over).

We really need a song/version/timeframe and a link to it, to be better help.

Pete B. wrote:Maybe work on Franklins Tower.
It has a pretty "easy-to-hear" strumming pattern.
Your basic choices are either down-stroke, or up-stroke.
It goes from A to D, with a quick G in the middle.

The beginners version might look like this:
A: Down, Up/Down, Down
G: Down, Down
D: Down, Up/Down, Down
G: Down, Down
(back to A and start over).

We really need a song/version/timeframe and a link to it, to be better help.

Very nice, Pete, but I had to laugh as I hear up-strokes on the Gs

for different time signatures there is a different rhythm right? I'm just trying to get a better understanding of that, and applying it in a syncopated way

strumminsix wrote:

Pete B. wrote:Maybe work on Franklins Tower.
It has a pretty "easy-to-hear" strumming pattern.
Your basic choices are either down-stroke, or up-stroke.
It goes from A to D, with a quick G in the middle.

The beginners version might look like this:
A: Down, Up/Down, Down
G: Down, Down
D: Down, Up/Down, Down
G: Down, Down
(back to A and start over).

We really need a song/version/timeframe and a link to it, to be better help.

Very nice, Pete, but I had to laugh as I hear up-strokes on the Gs

It can be up-strokes!
I just made it up as a very basic example. I didn't have a guitar in hand.

Basically you want to do all of your strumming in a constant up and down flow. Until it becomes natural, you have to learn to break them apart and figure out where the strums fall in that motion. Some more challenging patterns might require going through them very slow until you can get the mechanics of when to hit and miss the strings.

Edit: double post

Ya gotta throw us a bone!
We'll smoke it... then ask...
What song are you thinking of with respect to time sigs???

For example, You can play a Waltz (3/4 time sig) down-up-up, down-up-up, down-up-up.

some songs I'm working on are beat it on down, black throated, brown eyed, dire wolf, i know you rider, jack strawyour song, turn the page, space oddity, just to name a few

fwiw, The intro strums on Black Throated, Jack Straw, Looks Like Rain, (i'm sure there are a few others), are pretty much identicle for the right hand.
"Listen and imitate" was how I did it at first.

Pete B. wrote:Maybe work on Franklins Tower.
It has a pretty "easy-to-hear" guitar for beginners strumming pattern.
Your basic choices are either down-stroke, or up-stroke.
It goes from A to D, with a quick G in the middle.

The beginners version might look like this:
A: Down, Up/Down, Down
G: Down, Down (or, Up,Up)
D: Down, Up/Down, Down
G: Down, Down (or, Up,Up)
(back to A and start over).

Hey cool man . Thanks for this strumming pattern. I got to admit, strumming is a bit hard to learn for beginners. Again thanks.