Strumming.  Here are a few key points to remember about strumming:

• Keep the pick perpendicular to the strings. Beginners tend to tilt the pick up on downstrokes and down on upstrokes to keep the pick from getting caught in the strings. First, a tilted pick tends to slap the string, resulting in a less clear sound. Second, tilting the pick creates unnecessary wrist movements that will be more difficult to keep up as you increase your strumming speed.
• Strum from the elbow. The majority of the strumming motion should come from your elbow. Keep your wrist relaxed, but not moving very much.
• Strum through the strings. Beginners tend to shorten their strum motion to just barely pass the last string of the strum, resulting in a choppy strum. Making sure you have a good follow through when strumming increases the speed that your pick as it passes over the strings and allows you to strum through the strings. You want to hear all the strings being struck almost simultaneously, in a burst of sound.
• Keep your strumming arm in constant motion. By keeping your arm moving in a constant up and down motion, whether or not you are hitting the strings, your arm acts as a metronome, helping you to stay in the rhythm of the song.

Developing a smooth, effective strum takes time – that only comes with practice. The important thing is to not just know how to strum, but learn it will enough so that it becomes second nature.

Now, let’s practice these principles by learning the basic strum pattern – the quarter strum. The quarter strum is simply strumming all downstrokes, one strum per beat. In a 3/4-time song, this would be three beats per measure. In a 4/4-time song, there would be four beats per measure. But, before we start, let’s take a look at how we write strum patterns:

In the upper line, labeled “Strum,” the vertical lines (“|”) indicate the beginning and ending of a measure; the colon symbol (“:”) are repeat signs; and the diagonal lines (“/”) indicate where to strum. The lower line, labeled “Beats,” count out the beats of the measure. The numbers represent the beats or downstrokes, and the plus signs (“+”) represent upbeats or upstrokes. So, when strumming, move your arm down on the numbers and up on the “and’s”.

In 4/4-time, you would count along by saying “one-and-two-and-three-and-four-and,” as you strum; only, make sure you strum the strings on the downstrokes and miss the strings on the upstrokes. When you get to the end of the measure (four beats), the “:” tells you to start over at the beginning of the measure and play the measure once more, without missing a beat.

Strumming Chords. There are four buttons on the Chord Buddy. Each button plays a different chord.

Blue = G chord                      Green = C chord

Red = D chord                       Yellow = E minor chord

Now, pick up your guitar and let’s see what you got!

• Press the blue button on the chord buddy with your pinky finger (P) and strum all six strings of the guitar to play a G chord,
• Press the red button with your ring finger (R) and strum the bottom four strings to play a D chord
• Press the green button with your middle finger (M) and strum the bottom five strings to play a C chord
• Press the yellow button with your index finger and strum all six strings to play an E-minor chord.

Warm-up Exercises

We have outlined a warm-up exercise program below that we recommend you do every time you pick up your guitar. The exercise is designed to help you work on developing both your right -and left-hand coordination.

It is important to remember that this is not a race to see who can strum the fastest. Start off slow to make sure (1) you are strumming correctly; (2) your transition from one chord to the next is smooth; and (3) your rhythm is consistent throughout the entire exercise. As you coordination improves, you can start to increase the speed.

The first exercise is a simple four beat, basic strum exercise that plays each of the four chords.

Warm-up Exercise 1

Warm-up Exercise 2 builds on the first exercise. Strum a four-beat measure for the G, D, C, and E-minor chords, and then work your way back down from E-minor to G. Play this through at least twice.

Warm-up Exercise 3 mixes things up a little bit. Strum a four-beat measure for G, then C, then D, and then E-minor, using the designated fingers, and then work your way back down with E-minor, then D, then C, and finish with G. Play this through at least twice.

Practice these everyday until you are comfortable with your ability to strum and change chords, without missing a beat. To add interest and keep challenging yourself, you can reduce the strums to two and, eventually, one strum per chord. You can also change from the basic strum to the pick strum, alternating pick strum, and pop strum (which we will learn later).

Strumming.  Here are a few key points to remember about strumming:

• Keep the pick perpendicular to the strings. Beginners tend to tilt the pick up on downstrokes and down on upstrokes to keep the pick from getting caught in the strings. First, a tilted pick tends to slap the string, resulting in a less clear sound. Second, tilting the pick creates unnecessary wrist movements that will be more difficult to keep up as you increase your strumming speed.
• Strum from the elbow. The majority of the strumming motion should come from your elbow. Keep your wrist relaxed, but not moving very much.
• Strum through the strings. Beginners tend to shorten their strum motion to just barely pass the last string of the strum, resulting in a choppy strum. Making sure you have a good follow through when strumming increases the speed that your pick as it passes over the strings and allows you to strum through the strings. You want to hear all the strings being struck almost simultaneously, in a burst of sound.
• Keep your strumming arm in constant motion. By keeping your arm moving in a constant up and down motion, whether or not you are hitting the strings, your arm acts as a metronome, helping you to stay in the rhythm of the song.

Developing a smooth, effective strum takes time – that only comes with practice. The important thing is to not just know how to strum, but learn it will enough so that it becomes second nature.

Now, let’s practice these principles by learning the basic strum pattern – the quarter strum. The quarter strum is simply strumming all downstrokes, one strum per beat. In a 3/4-time song, this would be three beats per measure. In a 4/4-time song, there would be four beats per measure. But, before we start, let’s take a look at how we write strum patterns:

In the upper line, labeled “Strum,” the vertical lines (“|”) indicate the beginning and ending of a measure; the colon symbol (“:”) are repeat signs; and the diagonal lines (“/”) indicate where to strum. The lower line, labeled “Beats,” count out the beats of the measure. The numbers represent the beats or downstrokes, and the plus signs (“+”) represent upbeats or upstrokes. So, when strumming, move your arm down on the numbers and up on the “and’s”.

In 4/4-time, you would count along by saying “one-and-two-and-three-and-four-and,” as you strum; only, make sure you strum the strings on the downstrokes and miss the strings on the upstrokes. When you get to the end of the measure (four beats), the “:” tells you to start over at the beginning of the measure and play the measure once more, without missing a beat.

Strumming Chords. There are four buttons on the Chord Buddy. Each button plays a different chord.

Blue = G chord                      Green = C chord

Red = D chord                       Yellow = E minor chord

Now, pick up your guitar and let’s see what you got!

• Press the blue button on the chord buddy with your pinky finger (P) and strum all six strings of the guitar to play a G chord,
• Press the red button with your ring finger (R) and strum the bottom four strings to play a D chord
• Press the green button with your middle finger (M) and strum the bottom five strings to play a C chord
• Press the yellow button with your index finger and strum all six strings to play an E-minor chord.

Warm-up Exercises

We have outlined a warm-up exercise program below that we recommend you do every time you pick up your guitar through Lesson 6. The exercise is designed to help you work on developing both your right -and left-hand coordination.

It is important to remember that this is not a race to see who can strum the fastest. Start off slow to make sure (1) you are strumming correctly; (2) your transition from one chord to the next is smooth; and (3) your rhythm is consistent throughout the entire exercise. As you coordination improves, you can start to increase the speed.

The first exercise is a simple four beat, basic strum exercise that plays each of the four chords.

Warm-up Exercise 1

Warm-up Exercise 2 builds on the first exercise. Strum a four-beat measure for the G, D, C, and E-minor chords, and then work your way back down from E-minor to G. Play this through at least twice.

Warm-up Exercise 3 mixes things up a little bit. Strum a four-beat measure for G, then C, then D, and then E-minor, using the designated fingers, and then work your way back down with E-minor, then D, then C, and finish with G. Play this through at least twice.

Practice these everyday until you are comfortable with your ability to strum and change chords, without missing a beat. To add interest and keep challenging yourself, you can reduce the strums to two and, eventually, one strum per chord. You can also change from the basic strum to the pick strum, alternating pick strum, and pop strum (which we will learn later).

Strumming.  Here are a few key points to remember about strumming:

• Keep the pick perpendicular to the strings. Beginners tend to tilt the pick up on downstrokes and down on upstrokes to keep the pick from getting caught in the strings. First, a tilted pick tends to slap the string, resulting in a less clear sound. Second, tilting the pick creates unnecessary wrist movements that will be more difficult to keep up as you increase your strumming speed.
• Strum from the elbow. The majority of the strumming motion should come from your elbow. Keep your wrist relaxed, but not moving very much.
• Strum through the strings. Beginners tend to shorten their strum motion to just barely pass the last string of the strum, resulting in a choppy strum. Making sure you have a good follow through when strumming increases the speed that your pick as it passes over the strings and allows you to strum through the strings. You want to hear all the strings being struck almost simultaneously, in a burst of sound.
• Keep your strumming arm in constant motion. By keeping your arm moving in a constant up and down motion, whether or not you are hitting the strings, your arm acts as a metronome, helping you to stay in the rhythm of the song.

Developing a smooth, effective strum takes time – that only comes with practice. The important thing is to not just know how to strum, but learn it will enough so that it becomes second nature.

Now, let’s practice these principles by learning the basic strum pattern – the quarter strum. The quarter strum is simply strumming all downstrokes, one strum per beat. In a 3/4-time song, this would be three beats per measure. In a 4/4-time song, there would be four beats per measure. But, before we start, let’s take a look at how we write strum patterns:

In the upper line, labeled “Strum,” the vertical lines (“|”) indicate the beginning and ending of a measure; the colon symbol (“:”) are repeat signs; and the diagonal lines (“/”) indicate where to strum. The lower line, labeled “Beats,” count out the beats of the measure. The numbers represent the beats or downstrokes, and the plus signs (“+”) represent upbeats or upstrokes. So, when strumming, move your arm down on the numbers and up on the “and’s”.

In 4/4-time, you would count along by saying “one-and-two-and-three-and-four-and,” as you strum; only, make sure you strum the strings on the downstrokes and miss the strings on the upstrokes. When you get to the end of the measure (four beats), the “:” tells you to start over at the beginning of the measure and play the measure once more, without missing a beat.

Strumming Chords. There are four buttons on the Chord Buddy. Each button plays a different chord.

Blue = G chord                      Green = C chord

Red = D chord                       Yellow = E minor chord

Now, pick up your guitar and let’s see what you got!

• Press the blue button on the chord buddy with your pinky finger (P) and strum all six strings of the guitar to play a G chord,
• Press the red button with your ring finger (R) and strum the bottom four strings to play a D chord
• Press the green button with your middle finger (M) and strum the bottom five strings to play a C chord
• Press the yellow button with your index finger and strum all six strings to play an E-minor chord.

Warm-up Exercises

We have outlined a warm-up exercise program below that we recommend you do every time you pick up your guitar through Lesson 6. The exercise is designed to help you work on developing both your right -and left-hand coordination.

It is important to remember that this is not a race to see who can strum the fastest. Start off slow to make sure (1) you are strumming correctly; (2) your transition from one chord to the next is smooth; and (3) your rhythm is consistent throughout the entire exercise. As you coordination improves, you can start to increase the speed.

The first exercise is a simple four beat, basic strum exercise that plays each of the four chords.

Warm-up Exercise 1

Warm-up Exercise 2 builds on the first exercise. Strum a four-beat measure for the G, D, C, and E-minor chords, and then work your way back down from E-minor to G. Play this through at least twice.

Warm-up Exercise 3 mixes things up a little bit. Strum a four-beat measure for G, then C, then D, and then E-minor, using the designated fingers, and then work your way back down with E-minor, then D, then C, and finish with G. Play this through at least twice.

Practice these everyday until you are comfortable with your ability to strum and change chords, without missing a beat. To add interest and keep challenging yourself, you can reduce the strums to two and, eventually, one strum per chord. You can also change from the basic strum to the pick strum, alternating pick strum, and pop strum (which we will learn later).

Strumming.  Here are a few key points to remember about strumming:

• Keep the pick perpendicular to the strings. Beginners tend to tilt the pick up on downstrokes and down on upstrokes to keep the pick from getting caught in the strings. First, a tilted pick tends to slap the string, resulting in a less clear sound. Second, tilting the pick creates unnecessary wrist movements that will be more difficult to keep up as you increase your strumming speed.
• Strum from the elbow. The majority of the strumming motion should come from your elbow. Keep your wrist relaxed, but not moving very much.
• Strum through the strings. Beginners tend to shorten their strum motion to just barely pass the last string of the strum, resulting in a choppy strum. Making sure you have a good follow through when strumming increases the speed that your pick as it passes over the strings and allows you to strum through the strings. You want to hear all the strings being struck almost simultaneously, in a burst of sound.
• Keep your strumming arm in constant motion. By keeping your arm moving in a constant up and down motion, whether or not you are hitting the strings, your arm acts as a metronome, helping you to stay in the rhythm of the song.

Developing a smooth, effective strum takes time – that only comes with practice. The important thing is to not just know how to strum, but learn it will enough so that it becomes second nature.

Now, let’s practice these principles by learning the basic strum pattern – the quarter strum. The quarter strum is simply strumming all downstrokes, one strum per beat. In a 3/4-time song, this would be three beats per measure. In a 4/4-time song, there would be four beats per measure. But, before we start, let’s take a look at how we write strum patterns:

In the upper line, labeled “Strum,” the vertical lines (“|”) indicate the beginning and ending of a measure; the colon symbol (“:”) are repeat signs; and the diagonal lines (“/”) indicate where to strum. The lower line, labeled “Beats,” count out the beats of the measure. The numbers represent the beats or downstrokes, and the plus signs (“+”) represent upbeats or upstrokes. So, when strumming, move your arm down on the numbers and up on the “and’s”.

In 4/4-time, you would count along by saying “one-and-two-and-three-and-four-and,” as you strum; only, make sure you strum the strings on the downstrokes and miss the strings on the upstrokes. When you get to the end of the measure (four beats), the “:” tells you to start over at the beginning of the measure and play the measure once more, without missing a beat.

Strumming Chords. There are four buttons on the Chord Buddy. Each button plays a different chord.

Blue = G chord                      Green = C chord

Red = D chord                       Yellow = E minor chord

Now, pick up your guitar and let’s see what you got!

• Press the blue button on the chord buddy with your pinky finger (P) and strum all six strings of the guitar to play a G chord,
• Press the red button with your ring finger (R) and strum the bottom four strings to play a D chord
• Press the green button with your middle finger (M) and strum the bottom five strings to play a C chord
• Press the yellow button with your index finger and strum all six strings to play an E-minor chord.

Warm-up Exercises

We have outlined a warm-up exercise program below that we recommend you do every time you pick up your guitar through Lesson 6. The exercise is designed to help you work on developing both your right -and left-hand coordination.

It is important to remember that this is not a race to see who can strum the fastest. Start off slow to make sure (1) you are strumming correctly; (2) your transition from one chord to the next is smooth; and (3) your rhythm is consistent throughout the entire exercise. As you coordination improves, you can start to increase the speed.

The first exercise is a simple four beat, basic strum exercise that plays each of the four chords.

Warm-up Exercise 1

Warm-up Exercise 2 builds on the first exercise. Strum a four-beat measure for the G, D, C, and E-minor chords, and then work your way back down from E-minor to G. Play this through at least twice.

Warm-up Exercise 3 mixes things up a little bit. Strum a four-beat measure for G, then C, then D, and then E-minor, using the designated fingers, and then work your way back down with E-minor, then D, then C, and finish with G. Play this through at least twice.

Practice these everyday until you are comfortable with your ability to strum and change chords, without missing a beat. To add interest and keep challenging yourself, you can reduce the strums to two and, eventually, one strum per chord. You can also change from the basic strum to the pick strum, alternating pick strum, and pop strum (which we will learn later).