Grateful Dead Music Forum

I've only been playing guitar for 4 months or so. I'm really stumped on the strumming of this song.

I'm trying to develop on ear more, as it seems I use tabs way too much. I must say that it is a lot harder than I thought, heh.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Y7C7_Va2Z8w
Just trying to see how it looks so far.

JDarks has a couple of Ripple videos on Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbYmGEIayD8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbYmGEIayD8

Check them out, it might just help your strumming and such.

I've only been playing for about a year, and his videos help very much.

Keep at it!

JDarks plays the intro a little different than it's tabbed on this site, so keep that in mind when you watch that video.

Here's ebick's video for the intro:
http://bickslicks.rukind.org/ripple/index.html

As far as strumming Ripple, JDark's video tells that pretty well. Hit the low note of the chord and go down up. I'm pretty new at guitar myself and I'm working on this right now. It's hit or miss.

Stick w/it. Rome wasn't built in a day, neither can rhythm feel be learned overnight. The more you play, the better you play!

Start with more basic folk songs and build up to other songs.

You are trying to add the lead notes without the rhythm first. Get the rhythm then the lead.

Also a metronome is a wonderful thing.

There was something to overcome with Ripple that I did years back so it's not like it's a straight forward chug along song but I can't remember what it is anymore since it's now natural.

IIRC try playing these single notes in time: Very much a left hand / right hand piano thing.

Six stole my thunder. Get the rhythm down first. And a personal suggestion: to start with, blues is a great place to get a good foot in the theory door, and technically it is pretty straightforward.

i agree with strummin to, but it sounded okk, just timing was off, at where u left off in the intro strum C again, then your one chord further... this was a tough one for me but after a day or 2, its pie.... good luck

Thanks for looking the video everyone, and thanks for the advice/ideas.

Think I should keep knocking at this song, or try something a little easier?

I do have a metronome at the house, and I do need to start using it. My rhythm is something terrible.

When you guys are saying get the rhythm down first should I try to use ebick's tabs and just strum on the chord changes?

I guess I'm confused on this a little.

Side note to prephippie: I notice you live in AL, ever heard of Earthbound?

yeah, just listen to the song, get it in your head, and strum the chords as you go through the song with the sound of it in your head. You should try to get an idea of what you want it to sound like, rythm wise, with the words and all, and keep trying, it'll come out right. Save the individual notes for later, those will be easier once you get a good idea of the sound and rhythm.

work on other stuff too but LEARN RIPPLE!!

dont give up on it...its kinda like guitar playing 101..just learn it in phases, get the rhythm and timing down...then try adding alternate bass and bass runs, then start picking out the melody along with it all then start singing along...

ripple was the first song i "learned"

but im still adding to it after a year and half...its a wonderful song to work on

Its definitely gonna take some time to learn rhythm but dont get discouraged. It WILL come. As for easier songs one of my favorite slow easy songs is Candyman. There really isnt a whole lot to know for strummin it. Just strum in time up down up down and so on. When you get used to that fool around with alternating bass lines like C G C G while playing the C chord. Sounds technical maybe but it really isnt. Your just at that stage where everything will take some time and lots of fine tuning. But itll all start to happen dont worry.

yeah the rhythm is straight forward but those Bb and F barres are tough on the hands for beginers

jkeith wrote:When you guys are saying get the rhythm down first should I try to use ebick's tabs and just strum on the chord changes?

I think they mean don't worry about the intro right now. Use the chords posted at rukind and strum along with the rhythm of the song. Strum throughout the song and change chords on the changes. Sit in front of the computer/stereo with your guitar and strum along with it. Get used to keeping the rhythm going and then throw in the lead stuff.

If you're looking to play Grateful Dead stuff (and who isn't?), I've found that It Must Have Been the Roses is a great song to learn on. Only one barre chord and F#m isn't too hard.

jkeith wrote:Side note to prephippie: I notice you live in AL, ever heard of Earthbound?

I don't think so, but I'm kind of out of the loop these days. I graduated and got all old.

jkeith wrote:I've only been playing guitar for 4 months or so. I'm really stumped on the strumming of this song.

I'm trying to develop on ear more, as it seems I use tabs way too much. I must say that it is a lot harder than I thought, heh.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Y7C7_Va2Z8w
Just trying to see how it looks so far.

hey im not trying to be too critical but before you get too far you may want to take a few lessons...or maybe get together with some friends if u know any good pickers already...your right hand is kind of a mess and u might just want a quick overview and some things to pay attention to...you dont want to develop that stuff into habbits...

try not to press your fingers down on your guitar and strum more from your wrist not with your whole arm..also work on your down up picking...it may seem wierd at first and less accurate but just practice...a good right hand technique is the difference between doc watson and a parking lot picker

IamDocWatson wrote:yeah the rhythm is straight forward but those Bb and F barres are tough on the hands for beginers

Yeah but for the F and Bb he doesnt need to do the full bar

E|--0---------
B|--1------3--
G|--2------3--
D|--3------3--
A|------------
E|------------

There's the F and the Bb without having to barre any full chords. Either way its a really slow song with not alot to know if you just wanna strum through it.