Long and Short Strums

Lesson 3/52 | Study Time: 5 Min

Course: Rock Guitar Method

Long and Short Strums

Using long and short strums is a handy way of getting used to a triplet rhythm. A long strum is a normal down-strum. striking across all or most of the strings. Using a short strum only requires the right hand to strum the middle two or three strings of the guitar. The photos below show approximately which strings are strummed using long and short strums.

Long Strums

Short Strums

Applying this principal to a triplet rhythm will help achieve the correct "feel" for triplet rhythm. A long strum is used on every beat and a short sturm is used on the "and" and "ahs". Long and short strums are illustrated by the use of a long arrow and a short arrow as shown below.

New Chord: B Seventh

Three O’Clock Blues is an eight bar blues progression with a distinctive "blues" sound. The triplet rhythm shown in Example 25 is played throughout the progression. The symbol C means repeat the previous rhythm patterns. The new chord B7 will also be used.

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1- Major Seventh Chords 2- Rhythm Patterns 3- Minor Chords 4- Seventh Chords 5- More Seventh Chords 6- Syncopated Rhythm 7- Triplet Rhythm 8- Minor Seventh Chords 9- Suspended Chords 10- LESSON ONE 11- Major Sixth Chords 12- Sixteenth Note Rhythm 13- Fifth Chords 14- Shuffle Rhythm 15- Combining Notes and Chords 16- Tuning to the Cassette or CD 17- The Staff 18- Notes in the Open Position 19- Rhythm and Lead Guitar 20- INTRODUCTION 21- LESSON TWO 22- LESSON FOUR 23- Basic Rock Progressions 24- The Up-Strum 25- Chord Diagrams 26- Sharps and Flats 27- Notes 28- The Parts of the Guitar 29- Electronic Guitar Tuner 30- Right Hand Damping 31- Right Hand Technique 32- Swing Rhythm 33- Two Bar Rhythms 34- Changing Chords on Up-Strums 35- Long and Short Strums 36- Notation 37- Right Hand Movement 38- Two Bar Rhythms 39- Tablature 40- The Chromatic Scale 41- Note Values 42- Tuning the Guitar to Itself 43- Strumming 44- Holding the Guitar 45- Three Quarter Time 46- Left Hand Fingering 47- Right Hand Technique 48- The Tie 49- Chord Progressions 50- Left Hand Technique 51- Time Signatures 52- Pick Motion: Down-Stroke

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Long and Short Strums