Rhythm guitar 101: Pendulum strumming

While it may be true that there are no "right" or "wrong" ways to strum the guitar I will highly recommend learning the pendulum strumming technique for accompaniment.  Pendulum strumming is simpler and can be used in a variety of situations.  It encourages counting and can allow a beginner to sound more solid once the basic techniques are learned.  Even better, Pendulum strumming is a technique that is also used by top level professionals as part of their skill set.  You can see pendulum strumming used all over Youtube by beginners and pros alike.  We will examine pendulum strumming by learning the technique, seeing where it is applied and applying it ourselves, and then noticing where it does not apply and where players opt for a different approach.  In other words, we will learn where to use it and where not to.  It is very important that you make it work for YOU.  It is to be an ingredient in your style, a tool that you can use as you see fit, not a requirement.   As you learn and listen the applications will be apparent.

The basic idea behind pendulum strumming is to you to keep your motion constant, even when you are not striking the strings, which requires intentionally missing the strings on beats that don't need a a strum.  This will help you lock with a drummer when one is present by giving a simple consistent movement and will help establish a beat to help the listener feel the groove when there is no drummer present.  With only one continuous motion to remember (down then up then down then up...) it will be easier to find and keep the beat, especially while singing or focusing on chords.  Our jobs as rhythm players is even more important when there isn't a drummer, sometimes we are the sole practitioners of percussion and are thus counted on to make our audience move. 



Here is what the pendulum strum looks like in action:

The excellent John Mayer performs 'Daughters':



Cracker rocks their song 'Low' back in the day.  Notice how the singer's right (strumming) hand moves with the drummer.





The immortal Led Zeppelin.  Here virtuoso guitarist Jimmy Page mixes different rhythm techniques to great effect.  Notice the pendulum strum when the band kicks in on the chorus.



Here is singer/guitarist Chris Cornell (of Soundgarden fame) with a very moving performance of his latter day band Audioslave's song 'I Am the Highway'.  In this performance his pendulum strum works both by himself and with the band when they kick in at 2:13.




Here is Taylor Swift, pendulum strumming the first four chords many students learn (with a little variation or two) with a full band in front of a packed house of excited fans who know all the words.   Can you name the chords?  I have eight, nine and ten year old students who are learning them!




Yours truly, practicing what I preach by myself on 'Things I Can't Say' off my album Mr Adams' Blues.