How to Strum Guitar Songs

Recap of video:

• To practice, mute the strings with your left hand by lightly touching the strings.
• Use only one finger (not the thumb) to strum.  It sounds better this way and allows to to build on it later.
• Move up and down through the strings from the elbow.
• Count: 12345678-12345678 etc   (Remember: 1 is always a downstroke.)
• Decide on a number, and don’t let that number sound (but still move up or down as usual)
• Switch up numbers so that you are good at all of them.  Start to speed up.
• When you are ready, choose two numbers to take out.  Practice as above.
• 2 and 5 are the most common pair to take out, so be sure to master that one.
• Each pair has it’s own character.  Notice which ones you like.
• As you speed up, you can stop counting and just listen to the pattern.
• Counting is a way to remember and start a strum.  Eventually you will rely on it less and less.
• The biggest pitfall you may encounter is your arm stopping on the silent beats.  Keep moving!
• As you can, play chords with the left hand.  Eventually, switch chords while keeping the strum in time.