worship guitar seminar: strumming patterns

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HOW TO CONSTRUCT STRUMMING PATTERNS

Do you end up going back to the same old couple of familiar strumming patterns?

Or are your strumming patterns just a bit random?

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Three key things.

• One - ALWAYS keep your hand moving

• Two – more than one guitar, either play exactly the same rhythm or both play some parts of it

• Three - once you’ve found a strumming pattern that fits, don’t go changing it randomly

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Let’s listen to some music and look at how to find the groove.

grooves are made up of 8th or 16th notes Most worship songs use 16th notes Slow songs or fast songs above 120bpm use 8th notes

• Nothing But the Blood is…. Note groove • Forever is… note groove

Building a Groove

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Finding a strumming pattern

• Pick up on kick and snare drum • Pick up on other rhythmic elements • It all begins with vocal accents

• The key is LISTEN and try to fit in

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How grooves are communicated

8th notes = 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 16th notes = 1 e & a 2e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

Write the 16th note groove across your page

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Understanding the Groove

Grooves are made up of 8th or 16th notes

1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

x x x x x x I’m com-ing backto the

all a-bout you, it’s

x x x x x

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Your space in the groove 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

Kick x x xBass x x x x

Elec 1 x x (x x x x x)Elec 2 x x (x)

Keys 1 x (x x x x)Keys 2 x - - (x) - -Acoust. x x x x x x x x xGroove x x x x x x

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Finding the groove

ExerciseCan you clap the groove?

•Listen to the accents in the melody•Drums set the groove•Other instruments find a space in the groove

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Mighty to Save

Well used 16th note groove Red arrows are optional to add to groove

1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

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Holy is the Lord

1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

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Faithful One

16th note slower groove

1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

Be Careful of the gallop!Keep the groove consistent

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Beautiful One

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

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Consuming Fire If a lot is going on you don’t need to play the down beats

1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

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Hungry

With two guitars co-ordinate strumming for…

empty…

1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

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In Christ Alone

Grooves in 3/4 time Snare on beat 2 or 3

1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a

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Rescuer

Grooves in 6/8 8th note groove Different to 3/4 as Snare on beat 4

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 6 &

The space in the pattern gives emphasis to beats 1 and 4

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Come Let Us Return

Adding to patterns to create dynamics 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

Looks like 8ths but all played with down strokes 16th note possibilities create movement and dynamics

1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

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Pattern One

1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

Pattern Two

1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

Result

1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

What if you don’t coordinate strumming patterns?

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1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

Worse still if everyone’s timing is slightly out your pattern will look like this!!

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1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

Groove is often changed on where you emphasis beat 3 (write and clap this)

1e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

Lets clap some patterns

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1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

16th note Strumming Pattern- your love is amazing

1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

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Two Bar Patterns

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

Two bar pattern - Beautiful One 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

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lessons and more besides!