@jestme

Chris, thank you so much for your encouraging words.

It’s crazy, I had never thought that learning rhythm guitar could be so higly enjoyable (Robert and Clayton are to blame for this 😉).

Rhythm playing creates a certain amount of tension, so that I’m very awake and have a lot of energy during playing.

But there is sooooo! much work to do until it will sound good to some degree. Nevertheless, I’m looking forward to the long journey 😊. 

Birgit

I like this very much Birgit!
I hear the progression, great to see how you learn this all! 👍 

I think you are improving. I would love to see you do this in a video, to see your technique.

It sounds to me like I can help tighten up your technique a bit. 

Can you try with one of these tracks I made for you? Focus on locking in with the rhythm. 

@robert

Robert, I’ve just made the recording with the 80 bpm backing track. I was a little bit nervous with the red light button on but I have to get through this, because I’m glad if you could help me.

Birgit

Thanks Birgit, it is sounding better with the jam track. I think you should work on your right hand to be moving more with your whole arm. The arm is a pendulum, like one of those old school metronomes that go back and forth. I'll make a video.

You are definitely making progress on this funk rhythm action!  Pretty cool to hear you start up and then slip into the beat scratch comfort zone.

OK, since I got mention for being a rhythm instigator 😎, I'll give Robert's advice some amplification.  Seeing that video is very helpful in understanding your mechanics.  Move your hand like you are trying to shake water off your hand.  Like you just washed your hands and there's no towel to dry them.  Ok, not quite as vigorous but you get the idea.  Your forearm should be rotating back to get the hand motion- you have some of that in the video. Hmmm, maybe I should just get off my @$$ and post a video...

Just last night we converted funky drummer practice to hard rock night.  Lots of galloping driving rhythms for the backing guitar that I played and looped.  But the interesting part was how much more I played a rhythmic focused solo rather than my default to a melodic style. I used the solo sections to build little repetitive rhythm motifs (3-4 notes) that contrasted and complimented the hard rock backing track.  Hmmm, lemme see if I can get my drummer to share some of the DAW recordings.

Nice Work, Birgit!

Robert and Clayton, thank you so much for giving me proposals for improvement 👍. I appreciate it very much.

Looking at the video I really can see that I have to work on getting a big up and down motion with my right arm.

And I have to focus on a more loose wrist rotation. Seems that there is too much tension. It may also be due to the fact that I focus on holding the pick too strongly for preventing him flying from my fingers.

I will take all this into account during my 16th note strumming practice.

Thanks a lot,

Birgit

Practice log 06-08-2021

I did a lot of practice, as Robert recommended, focusing on the up and down motion of my right arm during my hits and scratches. But watching my video I can see that the up and down motion is still not big enough. Needs a lot more practice.

I used the riffs of Robert’s « Funk Riff James Brown Style“. But to make it much easier! for me, I played the C9 with the root on the 3rd fret and the single notes on the 5th and 7th fret without double stops.

It’s the first time that I tried to play single notes between chords. That’s a big challenge but it’s a beginning and I’ll try to improve myself.

And it’s the first time that I’m standing while I’m playing the guitar, phew! It’s something I need to get used to.

PS: Yesterday I used the "box" for uploading the videos because it didn't work with inserting via "My Media".

But because of the fact that the backing track was too quiet during recording, I made a revision today and used now my video editor to add the backing track to the videos.

Birgit

It's getting better. You need a distinct motion with your wrist. It's like quickly brushing dust off your clothes. 

It looks like the way you hold the pick could be holding you back. Have you tried this - https://www.masterguitaracademy.com/course/how-to-hold-the-guitar-pick/

I have a new video coming soon on funk strumming. I am working on editing it.

I had to disable video uploads, because it makes me go over my quota for bandwith. 🙁 You can use YouTube for videos. If you don't want the world to see them, set them to "unlisted". 

EDIT: I see you just changed to YouTube as I was typing this. 🙂 Great!

I see better feel on the first video.  Of course the single notes between rhythm strokes will be a challenge- Keep It Up!

I will agree with Robert on expanding the motion.  

I suggest "Playing" with the guitar.  Just try a lot of different ways to swing and you discover some sounds.  Don't worry about performing a set of notes, Let the notes fly and, when you find the right tones, then try to turn the swing to specific timing.  It's Rock, It's Funk, it's time to just play like children and discover.  

And Congratulations on Standing- now swing your shoulders, head and hips to the groove!

Regards,

Robert and Clayton, I'm always grateful for your input 👍.  Gives me lot of food for improving my playing.

 I have to work on

having a relaxed right arm and expanding the motion.

getting a better pick grip: bending the index finger and putting the thumb on top instead of using the finger tip

keeping the 16th note strumming going when changing from chords to single notes and vice versa.

I promise that I‘ll keep trying.  

I’m working now with Robert’s course „How to hold the guitar pick“. Very good explanation. I should have worked with it much much earlier!!!

Robert, thank you that you are working on a new video on funk strumming. I appreciate your effort very much.

And, according to Clayton's recommendations, I need a course on swinging my shoulders, head and hips 😉.

Birgit

Posted by: @bluesiline

And, according to Clayton's recommendations, I need a course on swinging my shoulders, head and hips .

Internalize the Groove and let it fill your soul!  

Get the music in every part of you.  

Posted by: @clayton

Just try a lot of different ways to swing and you discover some sounds.  Don't worry about performing a set of notes, Let the notes fly and, when you find the right tones, then try to turn the swing to specific timing. 

Clayton, I'll try to internalize the groove. Yes!

And what you said in the quote, helps me a lot too. I’m already trying it out 👍.

Thanks a lot,

Birgit  

After watching your video of your strumming, what caught my attention is the position of your thumb. If you watch many of the popular guitar players, you'll notice that they too have the same thumb position pointing up. Look at your video and you'll see what I mean. 

I try pointing my thumb up, but it doesn't come natural. But when I do, I really feel a different movement of my rhythm playing.

@hillbilly_joe 

Joe, so far, I didn’t spend much time on thinking about the position of my thumb and index finger in terms of a good pick control. I did it more intuitively.

But when I began strumming 16th notes I saw that my pick tends to move sideways when I’m strumming too fast and that I’m losing control.

I didn't realize this at first, but Robert recognized this and now I’m working with his lesson „How to hold the guitar pick“. Helps a lot!

I haven’t been practicing that long, but I can feel even two changes:

Firstly, bending my index finger and putting the thumb on top, I can feel that the grip is now stronger and the pick doesn’t move sideways during 16th note strumming.

Secondly, I’m trying to change the angle of the pick by turning the pick a little bit down. The result is that my thumb is now pointing a little bit down and the pick is gliding much better over the strings.

It’s hard to change habits and it needs a lot of time, but I think it really makes sense.

After a lot more practice I’ll share another video.

Birgit