Blog - Guitar Lessons by Genaaron Diamente

How to Strum With Dynamics

Varying dynamics is another ‘secondary variable’ of strumming. Much like string selection, it can be a great tool of expression when strumming, yet an awareness of it is not necessarily required to strum effectively. Again, just like string selection, use of dynamics often occurs naturally to the guitarist and its subtleties vary in a similar, unpredictably expressive fashion.

Dynamics, in a nut shell refers to the volume of the strumming. Loud and soft and everything in between. While dynamic variation occurs in every strumming pattern that you ever hear (intentionally or otherwise) it is almost never annotated. Doing so would be an almost ridiculous task. Accents can often be used to emphasize a certain strum, or beat of the bar, but it is almost impossible to go through every strum of a song and accurately describe its velocity or volume. So why write about it here? Because although it doesn’t always get a mention on the sheet music, it is a very prominent and important characteristic of strumming and it is important to experiment with dynamics, or at the very least be aware of its presence when learning to strum. Think of it like altering the pitch of the voice in speech. You don’t necessarily think about how you are modulating pitch, but to not change pitch would result in a very weird, robot like voice. As well as that, altering the pitch in an unusual or forced way sounds strange and uncomfortable.

How To Strum While Striking Different Strings

by Genaaron Diamente

So far, in the series of lessons on how to strum, we have looked at the fundamentals of rhythm and how they apply to right hand movement. Those two elements of strumming are what could be defined as the primary elements. Without them, strumming just doesn’t work.

There are other, more secondary elements to strumming as well, which might not be as obvious as the first two but are still very important elements of strumming like a pro.

In this lesson, we are going to look at string selection with the right hand. We know that when it comes to strumming, the right hand’s main function is to move up and down, connecting with the strings at certain points to create rhythm. What we are looking at with string selection, is which strings to hit when strumming. While it is possible to strum all six strings for every down and up strum that you perform, in reality, it is very common and musically appropriate to vary the strings that are struck.

Right Hand Movement and Strumming

by Genaaron Diamente

Right hand movement is the physical action that actually equates to strumming. In its most simple form, there are two ways to strum the strings with your right hand – down and up. There of course are other variables which we will look at in other lessons (such as string selection and dynamics) but essentially you can strum the strings in a downwards direction and an upwards direction with your right hand (I’m assuming for the sake of simplicity that everyone reading this is right handed).

A good exercise to do is to pick up a guitar and finger a chord with your left hand. I would recommend playing a chord that uses all 6 strings, such as an open E chord. Once you have the chord ready, simply strum down, then up, then down, then up etc. Try to be as consistent and even with your timing as possible. This is the basic action of strumming. If you can’t do this, you need to keep practicing it until you can, before moving on. Don’t worry if the sound is a little inconstant or sluggish. Of course, we ultimately want evenness and groove, but this will come.

G Flat Phrygian

by Genaaron Diamente

‘G Flat Phrygian’ is an impractical mode. In theory, it would conceptually be a mode of Ebb.

To learn what an impractical mode is, read the post on the impractical mode.

Guitar Modes Explained – A Complete Guide in Theory and Practice to Understanding Modes

by Genaaron Diamente

One of the things I find hardest to teach to guitar students is modes. The concept of modes is actually not hard to understand, but it is a hard thing to explain in person. There are a few key concepts in modes theory that seem at first to contradict each other, or at least ‘get in the way’ of each other when trying to explain it in conversation.

In written format, or more specifically blog-style written format, the task of explanation becomes quite simple and easy. For example, I can quite easily mention the Ab major scale, or the Lydian mode, or mention that F Dorian and Bb Mixolydian are both derived from the same major scale (Eb major, that is) and provide linked text that allows the reader to explore further, without digressing to far from the main point, whereas in conversation, I probably would have lost the listener a few sentences in.

I have always thought that a written guide to understanding modes was needed and I finally got round to putting it all together. Here it is…

Locrian Mode Explained – Theory, CAGED Positions and Diagrams

by Genaaron Diamente

The Locrian mode is the 7th mode of the major scale. The locrian mode contains the following ‘lowered’ or ‘flattened’ notes:

2, 3, 5, 6, 7

The locrian mode is quite a dark sounding mode. It is used often over half diminished chords, because it contains a flat 3, flat 5 and flat 7. We are not going to go into too much detail in this post regarding its sound and its use in musical contexts. What we will explore here is what the mode is and how to construct it.