adding picking into strumming


Susan_Montgomery
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Susan_Montgomery
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01/25/2021 12:03 am

I'm hoping you can point me in the right direction....

I've been trying to learn how to add some random fingerpicking into my strumming patterns (with a pick). I learned this from somewhere on the web but I'm not sure if I'm doing it right and wanted to know if you could point in the direction of any tutorials on here that cover this.

I want to just pick out individual notes here and there while I'm strumming, based on notes in each particular chord. There's a systematic way you can do it (I think) and but I like doing it at random, hitting the high strings (trying to alternate the picking direction) in this example in my video. (posting so you can get an idea of what I'm talking about.) I'm even trying to add this sort of thing in my ukulele playing.

Am I on the right track at least? Do I want to just pick notes out of each chord, making sure I'm just striking something that's actually in that chord? Thanks for any tips and if you can point me in the direction of any lessons that cover this that would be great, too. I don't know, does it have an actual name?


“Often, what seems like an impossible climb is just a staircase without the steps drawn in.” Robert Brault, American Operatic Tenor

# 1
mjgodin
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mjgodin
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01/25/2021 12:38 am

I think what you are referring to are what's called base runs or walk ups. For instance going from G to C you hit open A string then followed by second fret and third of the same string then strum your chord. If that's what your looking for Lisa and I'm sure Christopher cover that in their libraries of tutorials and some other instructors show them in their individual songs that they teach. Hope that helps. [br][br]

Moe


# 2
Susan_Montgomery
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Susan_Montgomery
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01/25/2021 12:40 am

Thanks Moe, I will scour the lessons some more and see if I can find something.


“Often, what seems like an impossible climb is just a staircase without the steps drawn in.” Robert Brault, American Operatic Tenor

# 3
Carl King
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Carl King
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01/25/2021 8:42 am

Hey Susan! Good to see you again and that you're still strumming away!

You said "add some random fingerpicking into my strumming patterns (with a pick)." So I think you mean just strumming some individual strings or "zones" while strumming chords. It's a good way to vary your strumming so you're not just strumming everything the same every time.

Something else you can do with this one-chord-per-measure pattern you're doing: strum for 2 beats, and then for 2 beats, just pick some individual strings.

For example, on your G chord. Do two beats of strumming. Then, pick the following strings individually in order (single notes) high E string, B string, G string. Try other combinations, too. Go in the opposite order. Mix them up. And you can do this sort of thing with any chord.

This will lead you to being able to ad-lib some arpeggiations and strumming patterns for even more variety.

Any example would be the opening of Paradise City by Guns & Roses.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rbm6GXllBiw

It's a pretty fast example, but you can hear he first strums the full chord, then goes into picking individual strings (and also groups of strings, because it's kind of sloppy).

Does that help?

-Carl.


Carl King[br]GuitarTricks Video Director / Producer

# 4
Susan_Montgomery
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Susan_Montgomery
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01/25/2021 8:57 am
Originally Posted by: Carl King

You said "add some random fingerpicking into my strumming patterns (with a pick)." So I think you mean just strumming some individual strings or "zones" while strumming chords. It's a good way to vary your strumming so you're not just strumming everything the same every time.

[/quote]

yes, exactly! It works well for something like Last Kiss that just has the same chord progression throughout.

[quote=Carl King]

Something else you can do with this one-chord-per-measure pattern you're doing: strum for 2 beats, and then for 2 beats, just pick some individual strings.

For example, on your G chord. Do two beats of strumming. Then, pick the following strings individually in order (single notes) high E string, B string, G string. Try other combinations, too. Go in the opposite order. Mix them up. And you can do this sort of thing with any chord.

This will lead you to being able to ad-lib some arpeggiations and strumming patterns for even more variety.

Any example would be the opening of Paradise City by Guns & Roses.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rbm6GXllBiw

It's a pretty fast example, but you can hear he first strums the full chord, then goes into picking individual strings (and also groups of strings, because it's kind of sloppy).

Does that help?

-Carl.

Ad-lib arpeggios...yes! And thanks for the example video. This does help and I'm glad I'm on the right track in my thinking, now I just need to get my playing there.


“Often, what seems like an impossible climb is just a staircase without the steps drawn in.” Robert Brault, American Operatic Tenor

# 5
Carl King
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Carl King
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01/25/2021 9:29 am

Cool! The trick is that picking and strumming are different muscle groups. Strumming is a lot of forearm and bicep (the bigger motions) and then picking individual strings is much smaller motions of wrist (and even fingers). So alternating between those big and small movements is the key.

-Carl.


Carl King[br]GuitarTricks Video Director / Producer

# 6
Susan_Montgomery
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Susan_Montgomery
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01/25/2021 9:35 am

Thanks so much! I think I recall Mike touching on this briefly during one of the Friday night Facebook Live sessions too, I just can't remember which one.

I'll be doing some "string awareness" exercises today too, with both my ukulele and guitar so I can get better at juding where each string is in relation to the others. Hopefully I can avoid anything sloppy and rather get everything "crisp".


“Often, what seems like an impossible climb is just a staircase without the steps drawn in.” Robert Brault, American Operatic Tenor

# 7
mjgodin
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mjgodin
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01/25/2021 12:45 pm

Looks like we both learned something there Susan. Hope I didn't lead you too far astray. What Carl is saying sounds more appropriate for what you were looking for. I should have read it more carefully. Good luck with it. [br]Moe


# 8
snojones
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snojones
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01/25/2021 3:47 pm

You might want to look for lessons about Hybrid Picking as a long term goal for your consideration.


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# 9
Susan_Montgomery
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Susan_Montgomery
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01/25/2021 4:14 pm

Thanks, sno...I was wondering about hybrid. I will defintiely check that out. I usually am using my acoustic but today I have the electric out for change. Forgot how much fun it is....this is my Ibanez miKro. It is a really good fit for me.


“Often, what seems like an impossible climb is just a staircase without the steps drawn in.” Robert Brault, American Operatic Tenor

# 10
Johnny_stans_Loona
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Johnny_stans_Loona
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01/25/2021 8:31 pm

You might find this helpful/informative:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6hhBqWjdmM&ab_channel=loonatheworld


# 11

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