Acoustic Guitar Masterclass: Strumming patterns, capo placements, and transposing chord charts into easy keys

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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?


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


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


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


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


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 back to the

all a-bout you it’s

x x x x x


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


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


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


Holy is the Lord

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


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


Beautiful One

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

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


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


Hungry

With two guitars co-ordinate strumming for…

empty…

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


In Christ Alone

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

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


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


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


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?


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!!


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


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


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 &

Finding the right capo position

1 Find the root note of the chord shapes you want to play on the lowest string (e.g. G)

2 On that same string count the number of frets between the that root and the root note of the new key you want to play in (e.g. Bb = 3, C = 5, Db = 6,, Eb = 8 etc)

3 Put your capo on the fret of the number you’ve just counted

4 This works for all substitute chord shapes (G, C, D, E, A etc)

G shapes C shapes D shapes E shapes

Song Key Capo fret # Capo fret # Capo fret # Capo fret #

A 2 9 7 5

A#/Bb 3 10 8 6

B 4 11 9 7

C 5 Open 10 8

C#/Db 6 1 11 9

D 7 2 Open 10

D#/Eb 8 3 1 11

E 9 4 2 Open

F 10 5 3 1

F#/Gb 11 6 4 2

G Open 7 5 3

G#/Ab 1 8 6 4

Recommended and Alternative Capo PositionsGreen RecommendedTo provide a strong lead and sense of percussive bass rhythm with an acoustic guitar, we generally recommend you try to play the song low down on the guitar neck unless you specifically want to play high. Playing up high towards the sound hole can create a nice mandolin style effect but make sure that another instrument is carrying the bass otherwise the song could sound ‘thin’ BlackOk to play in this position but could sound fuller using another set of shapes and capo position.RedNot recommended Unless you want to create a high sounding guitar part perhaps for a gentle song, a mandolin style part or for doubling a part with another acoustic already playing low

you may find the chord positions difficult to get to with this key/capo combination especially if your guitar does not have a cutaway.

These recommendations are taken from a video lesson on Musicademy’s

Intermediate Acoustic Worship Guitar Course DVDs. The course also

covers substitute chord shapes in many keys, strumming technique,

finger style skills, Travis picking ideas for use in worship and much more. www.musicademy.co.uk

G shapes C shapes D shapes E shapesSong Key Capo fret # Capo fret # Capo fret # Capo fret #A 2 9 7 5

A#/Bb 3 10 8 6B 4 11 9 7C 5 Open 10 8

C#/Db 6 1 11 9D 7 2 Open 10D#/Eb 8 3 1 11E 9 4 2 Open

F 10 5 3 1F#/Gb 11 6 4 2G Open 7 5 3

G#/Ab 1 8 6 4

Recommended and Alternative Capo Positions

These recommendations are taken from a video lesson on Musicademy’s Intermediate Acoustic Worship Guitar Course DVDs. The course also covers substitute chord shapes in many keys, strumming technique, finger style skills, Travis picking ideas for use in worship and much more.

www.musicademy.co.uk


Why bands sound bad

• Too many conflicting rhythms• Wrong rhythms for the song• Ad hoc strumming pattern changes


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


Grooves are made up of 8th or 16th notes

Understanding the Groove

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

x x x x x x I’m com -ing back to the

all a -bout you it’s

x x x x x


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

Transposing

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (1)

Transposing

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (1)

key Bb C D E etc

shape G A B etc

Substitute chords in the key of G

G

Am7

A7sus4

x o

Bm7

G/B

Cadd9

Dsus

Dadd9

Em7

D/F# x x

D

Fret 3

These chord shapes are taken from a video lesson on Musicademy’s

Intermediate Acoustic Worship Guitar Course DVDs. The course also

covers substitute chord shapes in many other keys, strumming

technique, alternative capo positioning, finger style skills, Travis picking ideas

for use in worship and much more. www.musicademy.co.uk

Substitute chords in the key of C

Dm7

Em7

C/Eo

Fadd9

x

G5

x

Fret 3G5

x

Am7

G/B

These chord shapes are taken from a video lesson on Musicademy’s Intermediate

Acoustic Worship Guitar Course DVDs. www.musicademy.co.uk

Transposing E F G etc1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1/3 5/7

|E |C#m |G#m |B ||A F#m |B/D# |F# |E |

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Transposing E F G etc1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1/3 5/7

|E |C#m |G#m |B ||A F#m |B/D# |F# |E |

|E 1 |C#m 6 |G#m 3 |B 5 ||A 4 F#m 2 |B/D# 5/7 |F# 2maj |E 1 |


Transposing C D E etc1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1/3 5/7

|E 1 |C#m 6 |G#m 3 |B 5 ||A 4 F#m 2 |B/D# 5/7 |F# 2maj |E 1 |

|C |Am |Em |G ||F Dm |G/B |E |C |



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Acoustic Guitar Masterclass: Strumming patterns, capo placements, and transposing chord charts into easy keys

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