#downstrums

[ouroborosorder]

the meanest thing a song can do is ask me to change my strumming rhythm a tiny bit. how dare you. I was in the flow. and now one note is missing and my entire life is fucking ruined

[sevilemar]

First time trying some shuffle strumming, because I got bored with the regular one. You know, the da-da-de-de da-da-de-de they do in Rock'n'Roll? Turns out, it's actually a Blues thing, and it's called shuffle.

I always thought this was something special, but it turns out it's just syncopated, which means the 'and' is jut a bit late: 1 and2 and3 and4 and. That's the Blues part. To give it that Rock'n'Roll feel, you put an accent on the 2 and the 4, like this: 1 and2 and3 and4 and. Then you get really good and do it really fast, which seems to be the general Rock'n'Roll motto^^

I was getting bored with strumming because I've been doing it a lot today. I was experimenting with holding my pick, and let me tell you, it's not fun. I just can't seem to get the angle right; my thumb does not want to stay bend when going up and down, and the pick gets stuck in the strings on the upstrum, and instead of at least three notes I only hear one.

The downstrum is a bit better, but often I miss the first string, especially if it's the A string. E is fine, and for some weird reason D is too, but A? Nightmare.

Also, how are you supposed to grip your pick lightly enough to glide over the strings, but not so lightly that you loose your grip? It's probably one of the greater mysteries of guitar playing.

Still, I had fun today, rocking out with the shuffle.

[sosagely]

@ghostbend liked for a little something !!

it's rare kara gets to exist like this: ever since her mother shoved her into the entertainment industry, every moment has been monitored && monetized―she's more PUPPET than person. but every now and then she gets a reprieve when she sneaks out to shows she actually enjoys. her hair is messy and down, a far cry from the prim && proper image she's usually forced to maintain. between the low lights, the crowd, the change in her hair && wardrobe: she's unrecognizable. it's freeing.

she catches sight of a head of curls, and is quick to slip through the crowd. ❝ hey, you're that guitarist, aren't you? ❞ grin wickedly sharp. ❝ dude, you fucking rock. that downstrum thing you do must be hell on you, but it sounds fucking fantastic. the commitment is incredible. ❞ she laughs, light & airy. ❝ that was one hell of a show. can i buy you a drink, as a thank you? ❞

[guitar-sarasversion]

No body no crime is perfect for my vocal range I sound so good!! Just the confidence boost I needed

Also this song can be played so dramatic I’m obsessed with the little moments I can smirk and sing or the buildup of strumming really muted to loud downstrums ooooooo so fun

[guitarherobocchimaxxer]

04/10/2023

short and fun practice session today. i focused on strumming development by coming up with a fun pattern. maybe this barely counts but i had fun and i like the sound. it’s kind of somber. downstrums on 1, 2, 4, and an upstrum on the “and” between “four and one”

i need to do this more and incorporate the written element.

for you...

[tynedarling]

Blood on the tracks, blood on the strings, blood on the thumb. #downstrums #brokenguitar #carseats XOXO. (at Concrete Cowboy) https://www.instagram.com/p/BvDGoSKn_M-/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=ifr7pszb76if

[lonely-eluret]

ugh strumming patterns are hard

[hotchley]

🐨 Thanks! I’ve been playing since I was 13. I really enjoy it. I actually just got a new guitar! I absolutely adore it. It is my child and my prized possession, and if anyone touches it without my permission, I will break their kneecaps :)

It has all steel strings, so the sound is super crisp and gives this cool smack on downstrums, almost like a chuck on a uke. It’s a really cool effect. Plus it’s an electro-acoustic, which I’ve never had before. Yeah, I could ramble about the thing for hours, but I’ll spare you that.

My go-to 2am angst songs to play in the dark are Already Gone by Sleeping at Last, Twin Sized Mattress by Front Bottoms, and I do this mellowed out version of Losing Face by Wilbur Soot that gives the vibes I want for the fic I’m currently working on. I meant for it to be a oneshot, and now it’s seven chapters long and possibly my favorite thing I’ve written. So. Writing rarely goes according to plan XD

Aahh that's so cool! Yes, totally valid that you would do that

... You can ramble, but it'll basically just be me going: oh that sounds really cool/interesting because I literally won't understand any of it, but like that does sound really cool!

I LOVE SLEEPING AT LAST!! Saturn is my favourite planet because that was the first song i heard (my phone case has saturn on it as well), and Light always makes me cry...

The others sound cool!

That's also very exciting! I know. I had my entire novel planned out. When you look at that original plan, nothing stayed the same. Not even the names...

[rick-e-cheddar-official]

Ummm okay let’s do this…

I can’t teach you everything about the guitar in one tumblr post but I can give you some tips so you start in the right foot:

Don’t worry about gear right now. Whether you want to play acoustic, electric, whatever, having the right guitar will matter later on. You can start on some crappy thing you found in a dumpster and it’ll be fine.

LEARN THE PARTS OF A GUITAR. Seriously, every intro lesson is like “play your first song in five minutes!” But actually having the right terminology and orientation will help you so much down the road. Headstock, sound hole, fingerings… it’s actually so important.

On that note: assuming you’re right handed, you finger with your left hand and strum with your right. On your left hand: starting with your pointer finger, count 1 2 3 4. On your right, starting with your thumb, count 1 2 3 4 5. This will be important, trust me.

Having trouble remembering standard tuning? Starting from the string closest to you, it’s EADGBE. Just remember “Ed Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Ed.” You’ll never forget it.

Learning chords? Great! Here’s how you practice them: first, put your fingers in the right position. Strum a few times, then take your hand off, shake it out, and quickly get back into position again. This trains the skill you really need: the muscle memory of finding chords quickly.

Then, when you’ve got a few chords down, practice the transitions between chords. I always recommend learning a C, G, and D chord, and then one by one moving between them. This is another valuable skill that you want to get muscle memory for right away.

What’s next? STRUMMING PATTERNS. Don’t skimp out on this. If you get bad strumming technique early on, your playing will be much worse later. This is where I have beef with most intro guitar tutorials, because they always teach this wrong. Here’s the thing to remember: your hand is a pendulum. No matter what, your motion should be “down-up-down-up”, and so on. There’s your first pattern, in fact: DUDUDUDU. Count this to 1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and.

Then, when your ready for more complicated patterns, KEEP this pendulum motion but, when you have a rest, strum just ABOVE the strings. For instance, if your pattern is D-DU-UDU, you should be thinking DUDUDUDU, but on the first upstrum and third downstrum, play just above the strings so you don’t hear it. It seems complicated, but it’ll mean you can play so much smoother and faster. NEVER play to downstrums or two upstrums in a row- it’ll be awkward and inhibit your playing.

Remember: practice doesn’t make perfect, practice makes PERMANENT. If your practicing something and you make a mistake, don’t just fumble through it. Play it again slower, until you get it right. You’re building muscle memory, and you want to get the right techniques into your muscles. Honestly, the most important thing a musician can learn is how to practice well.

Have fun! Learning the guitar is an amazing, and valuable, and incredible experience. Be patient, and remember- it’s not about the end result, but enjoying the process :)

Hope that helps!

I broke my reed

i play in thirty minutes

shit

[rhinkthreeways]

Sunset (Fluffy version)

Link stood before the bar cart, methodically pouring his drink as he listened to the silence. Everyone was off doing their own thing and, rather than bother anyone, Link decided it was a beautiful evening to watch the sunset. Grabbing his drink and his phone, he went out into the backyard. 

He pulled a chair around to face the setting sun, plopping down as soon as he was happy with the placement. Settling his drink between his legs, he scrolled through his Spotify profile for just the right playlist and hit shuffle play. The guitar intro started playing as he pulled the player up, a soft chuckle escaping as he took in the man on the album cover with the guitar in his hands. He stared at the artwork for a moment longer, his thoughts wandering. Shaking off the melancholy that started creeping in, he set his phone down, picked his glass back up and, taking a small sip, relished in the burn of the whiskey as it went down his throat grounding him back into the moment. Leaning his head back, feeling the waning sun warm on his face, he took a deep breath letting the fresh California air fill his lungs. 

He didn’t hear the back gate open, or the footsteps that made their way toward him.

“Oh, I like this song,” a voice said, shaking Link out of his focus. His breath hitched, the sound of the voice one he heard every day, but to hear it in person once more made his heart clench. He sat up, turning his head slowly to see Rhett giving a small wave. Even with the mask on, it was evident Rhett was beaming. Link caught his wife out of the corner of his eye on the balcony leading to their room, a small smile on her face. His attention turned back to Rhett.

“What are you doing here?” Link asked. His eyes rested on Rhett’s mask and he was jolted into grabbing his bandanna out of his pocket, quickly creating a makeshift mask. As he did that, Rhett pulled a chair over, maintaining the appropriate amount of distance. 

“Oh, you know. Was in the neighborhood. Thought I’d stop in.” Rhett sat, making himself comfortable. He nodded his head at Link. “Mind if I get one of those?”

Link shook his head as he got up and walked back into the house. He kept looking over, almost afraid this was all a dream. He gave himself a splash more in his glass as he prepared Rhett’s usual. Grabbing both glasses, he finally felt a smile grow. 

Rhett was here.

He walked out, placing Rhett’s drink on the small table next to him. Sitting back down, they each pulled their masks down since they weren’t facing one another. He breathed deeply once more, but this breath felt different. It was only after a moment that even though Rhett was six feet away, Link could still smell everything that felt quintessentially Rhett. His pomade, his deodorant, even his natural musk seemed to flood his senses. He knew he had missed Rhett, but being back in the same proximity as him, he was feeling more intoxicated at how content Rhett’s presence made him feel than by the alcohol he was sipping.

“Can you replay that song?” Rhett asked. 

“Sure,” Link said, reaching for his phone and finding the song within the playlist. Hitting play, he turned the volume all the way up.

The calming guitar chords with hard downstrumming filled the air again once more as the soft voice drifted through the air. 

“You ever listen to the lyrics for this song?” Rhett said after a moment. Link looked over and saw Rhett staring at him, a small smile on his face. Link shook his head, a small smile urging him to continue. Rhett said nothing, but rather held up his finger and took a breath as if to say something. Link listened.

“...Where the time of our lives is all we have

And we get a chance to say

Before we ease away

For all the love you’ve left behind

You can have mine…”

As the song continued, Link smiled. He’d heard this song more than a dozen times before but hadn’t really listened to it. 

“It feels like one of those songs that’s telling you not to be afraid,” Link finally said. “Seize the day even though it can hurt.”

Rhett nodded. “‘The pain and the beauty of being human’ was what he said in some interview.”

Link hummed as he took another sip of his drink. “Hard to imagine having that mindset right now.”

A small silence settled between the two men. Finally, Rhett spoke.

“I’ve missed the hell out of you.”

“I know. I’ve missed you.”

Rhett smiled, but suddenly his eyes went wide and he gasped. “Oh, you won’t believe what happened the other day.”

“Wait, do you want to save it for Ear Biscuits?”

“No. I think, for tonight, this time and what we share is just for us.”

Link smiled. “I like the sound of that.”

Both men talked well through the sunset and into the night, drinking in the time they had together once more.

[algaenotwar]

( mini ) monty playlists: by season

season one:

i should be allowed to think by they might be giants dreaming by smallpools

season two:

jump on my shoulders by awolnation dangerous by big data

season three:

the judge by twenty one pilots fun by troye sivan

season four:

the run and go by twenty one pilots losing my religion by r.e.m. winter of our youth by bastille

season five:

26 by paramore painkillers by rainbow kitten surprise truth hurts by lizzo

post season five:

downstrum by carry hatchet heavn by jamila woods genesis 30:03 by the mountain goats laughter lines by bastille kill your heroes by awolnation

[leggomylino]

An update for today’s lesson (I write these for myself so feel free to ignore lol):

I got a slightly better understanding of the four chords I learned, and practiced transitioning between them. I got slightly faster but I’m still very slow. Discovered my official hatred of the G chord. :)) Learned how to play You Are My Sunshine on downstrums but got bored and leapt to the other end of the spectrum to learn IU’s Blueming instead. Since there isn’t an official tutorial, I wrote my own on paper from a version on YT I really like using the four basic chords and though I understand the mechanics in theory, I’m having trouble getting the strumming right. Again, reveled in my frustration over the G chord that comes out muted or off half the time bc the position is hard to nail quickly, transitioning to it is a pain in the neck... 😭 Still, I’m really proud of the progress I’ve made for only day three!!!

Oh, and my Luna ukulele came in, so I got to practice with it! It both looks and sounds/plays beautifully, and the size/fit is a much better improvement, so I’m certain Concert is the size for me ^^

[foodlong]

Classical guitar shed block chord

#Classical guitar shed block chord skin

So which strings should you be hitting? A good rule of thumb is to hit either all of the strings or just the lower (thicker) strings on every downstrum. You might think we need to hit all the notes in a chord with every strum, but very often we hit just three or four strings. Don’t hit all the strings with every strum As you progress, try thicker picks too though, as they’ll give you a bit more control over your sound. If you’re not used to playing with a pick, it can really help to practice with a thin pick that’s nice and bendy. By holding your pick with a light grip, you allow it to glide over the strings easily. Also: it’s really hard to keep your wrist nice and loose when your gripping your pick tightly. But by gripping it too tight, you make it hard for the pick to move past the strings smoothly and it might get caught up in there somewhere. It’s totally normal to want to hold on to the pick tightly, because you don’t want it to move and you don’t want to drop it. You might be tempted to make the up and down movement with your lower part of your arm (your forearm), but though your lower arm will be moving up and down a little bit as well, that’s only a small part of the movement. (Funk guitarist Ross Bolton calls this a ‘drunken wrist’. Most of the movement will come from rotating your lower arm (you could also say: twisting your wrist) and letting your hand and wrist hang loose and follow that motion. Make sure you're not locking your wrist: you need to keep it nice and loose. We’ll take a closer look at how this works later in this guide. Constantly moving your hand also makes it much easier to keep time. By doing this, you don’t have to think about when you need to move your strumming hand: it’s moving all the time. And we identify and practice bar chords up and down the entire instrument.Keep your strumming hand moving at all times, even when you’re not hitting any strings for a couple of beats. We explore the main chord “shapes” that use bar chords. In it, we discuss the how of bar chords, as well as the why. This video was taken from the CGS course, All About Bar Chords. We can keep some strings actively pressed, while ignoring others. Over time, we can become more sensitive to the different areas in a bar chord shape, and can use selective pressure to reduce work. We do this by pressing gripping with the tip joint, pressing the middle joint in, or pressing at the base of the finger. Then, we can adjust the pressure of the bar to sound those strings, even if other strings would buzz if played. When this is the case, we can notice which strings need to sound. Often in classical guitar pieces, we don’t play every note within a bar chord. On the guitar neck, this creates a torquing motion that can help press the strings. This is the motion of turning the palm downwards. We can also use a forearm twist to help play a bar chord. Instead of “lobster clawing” every bar chord, we can use the weight of our arm to partially press the strings. This can work, but it takes a lot of energy, and can hurt. When we first learn bar chords, we’re tempted to squeeze as hard as is necessary to sound all the strings. This harder finger surface will hold down the strings with less effort.

#Classical guitar shed block chord skin

This action tightens the skin on the index finger and makes the surface harder (or at least less pillowy). Then, keeping pressure, push or roll your index finger back to behind the fret. To begin, place your index finger on top of a fret (not behind the fret as usual). Start With the Right Position on the Fret Depending on the music, we may hold down all six strings, or as little as two. We usually bar with the first (index) finger. The bar, or barre, is a guitar technique whereby guitar players hold down multiple strings with one finger. If we use our bodies well, bar chords can be, if not comfortable, at least doable. They are hard to get right and easy to get wrong.īut there are ways to make them more likely to work.

[luuurien]

carter c - the things i love and why i love them

(Noise Pop, Indie Rock, Twee Pop)

Though they play it relatively straight on their third full-length, carter c's latest album is still a fun time all around. While the extra level of polish put on their noisy, energetic indie rock can be a bit hit-or-miss, the things i love and why i love them is still one solid listen.

☆☆☆½

Artists like carter c and their contemporaries are the future of indie music, and it's getting to witness their development as artists this early on that is one of the luckiest things I get to do as someone who talks about music. Carter has been a part of the fuzzy, lo-fi indie rock scene for years now, already with two full-length albums behind them, their D.I.Y style of rock outfitted with twee electronic percussion, noisy microphones, and bright guitar work instantly charismatic and full of life, their sound so spirited and eager that you can't help but let it sneak into the pleasure center of your mind. Still in line with that sound, their third full-length album the things i love and why i love them delicately expands on what they've been doing since the start with a greater embrace of production polish and lyrical sensitivity, letting go of the youthful fervor of their previous release in favor of more weary and thoughtful stories of the love they have for people and the things they've gained and lost in relationships. While the extra level of polish put on their noisy, energetic indie rock can be a bit hit-or-miss, the things i love... is still one solid listen. On the positive side of the spectrum, Carter sounds better than they ever have here, the extra attention to detail with things letting the things i love... get bigger and louder than anything they've done in the past. All three of the album's singles - nighttime oracle, lapis and i think of children, i think of you in trouble - did a great job building excitement for the full release, the crunchy video game synths on nighttime oracle that burst into a scuttling electronic drum groove and sunny guitar strums working wonders as the album opener that instantly sets the tone of the record and primes you for the high-octane experience brought on by the rest of the things i love...'s eleven tracks. The album's strongest tracks follow a similar structure, meat-and-potatoes indie rock with a distinct Carter kick, the higher-fidelity microphone and relaxed guitar work on tvcc making for a surprisingly fresh take on things, and sick's rugged downstrummed chords add a delightful tension to things that ensures the back half of the record doesn't feel stale even a bit. And while the things i love... is a relatively standard indie rock listen, what carries the experience forward is Carter's drive and passionate performances, their bubbly singing on jangle pop tune a quick one before you go and the throaty belting they employ throughout nighttime oracle both incredible effective ways for them to deliver these stories with grit and passion. Carter knows what they're doing, and that confidence beams through every moment of the things i love... There are still a few drawbacks to their crunchy, loose D.I.Y. sound that hasn't changed from past releases, the chief issue being that it limits where they're able to take their music when it's all drenched in distortion and feedback. neon sky suffers the most from this aspect of their sound, a nine-minute song that starts to melt about a quarter through because of how condensed the mix is - it's incredibly difficult to hear their singing and the crescendos stop feeling cathartic when they all sound the exact same, there's just not enough open space for them to let things breathe and subsequently explode. Other times, it can be as simple as things getting a little too samey: place wanders in the same midtempo indie pop drawl for a good three minutes, and poindexter's heavier emphasis on bitpop doesn't have as strong a backbone as the rest of the songs do, leading to a sense of mushiness to the track even as it charges forward with a snappy drum 'n' bass fusion at the end. None of it is bad in the slightest, but it doesn't feel particularly engrossing in any way either, songs that don't establish themselves very strongly and fizzle out the second they're over, the things i love... improving on aspects of Carter's sound while not refining its rougher edges. I can easily imagine how all these songs would work great in the high-energy space of a live concert - indie rock as energetic as this is practically built for it - but in the context of an album, the things i love... can start to wear a little thin across its 43 minute runtime. Still, this is Carter's best release yet, a more colorful and varied take on the charming indie pop they've been making since the start that stays true to its core while still moving forward with fresh ideas and a clearer vision. It trades the instant gratification and intense catharsis of Everything I Do Alone I Want to Do With You for a sound that's more relaxed and self-assured, not needing to blow every song up to maximum proportions and letting the little things shine the brightest every so often. Their music resonates because it is so personal and raw, the things i love...'s barebones sound an inherent part of how Carter makes their music and something that makes it such a special listen, a sound that is entirely theirs and that they refine with every new release. the things i love... is a messy album, but it's a wonderful mess, the sound of a young artist further exploring what they can do and making some killer music along the way. It's not perfect, but it doesn't need to be - getting to see Carter continue to revel in what making music means to them is more than enough to make the things i love and why i love them a precious listen.

[algaenotwar-moved]

mini monty & harper s5 finale playlist : 

heavn by jamila woods say you won’t let go by james arthur genesis 30:3 by the mountain goats downstrum by carry hatchet glory by bastille hundred days by the bengsons laughter lines by bastille

[anintelligentoctopus]

Definitely improving on strumming and keeping in time

Now if only I could sing while playing anything other than on-the-beat downstrums