How to Strum a Guitar Like a Pro

One of the most rewarding things as a musician is being able to turn on the radio and strum along to the song. It’s great to just play along and allow yourself to be taken away by the music.

This is why it’s very important that all guitarists understand the basics of how to strum a guitar. We’re going to discuss some ways in which you can practice your strumming and become a more consistent and well-rounded strummer.

Strumming to me is a lot like dancing. The golden rule of strumming is to never stop moving. You have to feel the rhythm throughout your entire body and your arm should be constantly swinging to it. It takes lots of practice to get it 100% but it’s worth every ounce of effort.

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If you’ve been stuck on developing your rhythm like many other guitarists when learning how to strum a guitar then consider playing with a metronome. Keep a steady rhythm with a metronome. Start off by playing one down stroke on every beat, and then add in an upstroke in between. Keep splitting up the beats until you can’t keep a steady rhythm anymore. Practising this will help you syncopate yourself with the music.

Something that really helped me improve my strumming when I was learning how to strum a guitar was buying a small hand held drum. I think it’s important that you practice just general rhythm even if it’s sitting down and tapping your foot to a song. Playing the drum led me to a greater understanding of rhythm and helped me overcome my lack of strumming.

Try making up your own strumming patterns. Just hold a chord and focus on creating an interesting and emotional strum pattern. Try going fast or slow and skipping a strum or adding an extra one in. The possibilities are endless and there’s tons of ground for self-exploration when you learning how to strum a guitar.

If you know the chords to a song but are unable to get the rhythm down perfect don’t worry about it. Play it how it sounds and feels right to you. It’s completely normal to learn a song and put your own spin on it.

As with all guitar-related activities practice cannot be overlooked. You have to become comfortable playing your guitar before you’ll become a steady strummer. You have to learn to feel the music and let it take you away. When you see musicians on stage doing a jam they’re letting the music express itself. Most of the time they aren’t even thinking about what they’re playing. They are feeling it and that allows them to give it freshness, personality and emotion.

Don’t let your lack of strumming get you down. Go learn some songs and start off by strumming every down stroke. Keep on adding in strums until you’ve established a regular pattern then start to mix things up and see what works best. It takes time to get your strumming down but with practice, dedication and time you will see those results. Keep practising and good luck!

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