Acoustic Guitar HELP!

[xCherubimx]

Hey, its the pizza dude-

Before i invest in a new electric guitar i wanted to finish up with my acoustic skill set. I've acquired many skills but one of the most basic continues to ruin me: Strum patterns.

Seems kinda funny right?

Anywho, I got kinda stuck in a rut. I realized I've only got like... 4 strum patterns that I can play. I've been trying but I can't seem to break from the generic D-D-DU-DUD-ish strum pattern or ones used in classic rock tempos or the simple 8th note rhythm.

Anybody have any advice on how to learn new rhythms and escape these old habits?

Thanks for the help.

[Moosicman]

this should help

down - up - down - up - down - up - down - up
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

GET THAT DOWN SO SOLID YOU CAN DO IT IN YOUR SLEEP AND WAKE UP THINKING ABOUT IT.

Then eliminate (but KEEP the direction movement) a number, set of numbers, or and &, or group of &s.

Ex.1
down - up - down - up - down - up - down - up
1 () 2 & 3 () 4 &

() means your hand moves that direction but you don't pluck the strings.

Ex.2
down - up - down - up - down - up - down - up
1 & () & 3 & () &

Keep eliminating a part of the puzzle, BUT YOUR STRUM NEVER CEASES!!!

When you've got that down, then work in 16th note strums keeping the alternating down/up/down/up for every rhythmic tick. That includes the "E-&-A"s between 1 & 2 and 3 & 4 that I didn't include in this:

1 & 2 E-&-A 3 & 4 E-&-A

In other words, you are now strumming up and down completely with 16th note rhythms, your just only strumming the strings on the noted spots above. I may do a video tutorial on this as now that I've gone back and read it, I can see it may be too confusing. Until then, hope it helps!

[Moosicman]

And now that I've actually posted it, the forum is not keeping things spaced the way I typed them. AAARRRGGG!!!

[Moosicman]

down - up - down - up - down - up - down - up
1..........&......2.......&.......3.......&....... 4.......&


Ex.1
down - up - down - up - down - up - down - up
1.........().......2.......&.......3......()...... 4.......&

Ex.2
down - up - down - up - down - up - down - up
...1.......&......()......&........3......&......( ).......&

[xCherubimx]

Yup, i can play it when looking at this, i guess ill just have to play through things REALLY slow first then speed them up on the rhythm... now wishing I would've been learning this while chord changes were still hard.

[EdFuchsMusic]

Practice to a metronome so you can see where you are at, always practice to a click or a drumbeat, but don't take the easy wayout... Maybe speed up and slow down during worship which may be fine if that's what you're going for but when you see Hillsong live it doesn't happen. Keep track of the numbers as you climb high to the click to play faster. Also don't neglect playing to slower tempos (60) it forces you to really have to count... 1 e and a 2 e and a... etc. Listen to a lot of different kinds of music. As the Moosicman said, the strum is constant only the beats you miss you don't hit the strings but you still strum.