Newbie question here, but you guys always seem to have good info and helpful suggestions.

What is the best way to go about picking up the strumming patterns used for songs? Case in point, I have been trying to pickup the song Black by Pearl Jam (but this question can apply to any song).

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/p/p ... ic_crd.htm

I know these chords, they are simple, but I just can't seem to get the rhythm. I feel pretty close to having the prechorus and chorus, but just can't nail it. And I know this song, it's been my fav of theirs since the first time I heard it on the MTV unplugged.

Any suggestions for picking up the strumming patterns/rhythm for songs? Do you literally just have to work through it until you have it or do you look for a definite pattern (D-D-D-U-D-U)? Thanks in advance, because I have the chords to like 10 songs where I know the chords and lyrics and song by heart, but can't seem to catch on with the rhythm.

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I got a black cat bone, I got a mojo too.

I mastered this rather successfully by strumming along with the melody. I'd go by the syllables and if I wound up being in a too cluttered strum, I'd back off as necessary. This made me 'feel' the groove of the song. I then found in a Common Time situation, that one down strum for the first beat and then a two strum of down, up for the second, third and fourth beats respectively worked amazingly well for most situations. Accordingly, I used these principles for many other timings too.

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You dig?

Thanks Martian, I will try what you said about the time situation, that makes sense. I have been able to teach myself a few songs by just having the chords and working my way through it but I find it's getting tougher lately. Thanks!

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I got a black cat bone, I got a mojo too.

dbr, that you know these songs is a great step, if you can keep the rhythm strumming downward do that and vice versa eventually you will do both together because you will have to in order to play certain songs, as far as the singing part, when I have an issue because concentration on a guitar part makes it difficult for me to sing at the same time I only sing during the not so difficult guitar parts that may only be a word or two but again eventually you will do both because you have played the song so much you just start doing it naturally, I am not trying to make it sound harder than it is, it is only a bit difficult in the beginning but worth putting in the extra time. ( even though you are only singing a few words here and there while learning the song try to think of the lyrics when training to get the guitar parts together) Have fun Bro!

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

So you say really incorporate the singing AFTER having perfected the chord progressions? Case in point, one of my fav songs to play right now is Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out from Eric Clapton unplugged. I remember the first time I heard the song like it was yesterday and knew if I ever learned to play guitar I would learn this one.

Used this video to learn it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwNoworUBvI

I know this is probably the most basic way to play the song but I tried the other versions on ultimate-guitar and could keep up so I used this one.

For whatever reason I just can't get the timing down when i try to sing with it and I can play it straight through with no issues. Might be because I'm not playing the same chords he plays on the unplugged album and instead playing the simple version. I guess I will just have to keep working through it and being patient. But thanks for all the advice guys!

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I got a black cat bone, I got a mojo too.

dbr, I tried to watch that vid, thanks, that was harder than it should be. If you know the words sing the song and hit a chord whenever you can, barre chords to make it a little easier, it may seem sloppy at first but it'll clean up later, main thing for now is sing it all the way through every time and follow along with guitar hitting what and when you can, you can sing Happy Birthday if you are semi conscious and you will do the same with this song. I would run through it first thing every day with or without guitar so its like breathing. You are gonna be good at this stuff, play it with barre chords to keep it simple, if you want to do all of the seventh chords the guy in the vid talked about cool, I want you to sing it out though.

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

dude, i gotta admit, i can't even play one barre chord yet i am trying but they are super difficult for me. i play my F in a cheat way and just can't get them, but i've been working on em.. thanks for the words of encouragement, i'm gonna crash now but will keep on pickin tomorrow!

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I got a black cat bone, I got a mojo too.

Glad to help.

Make sure that you CLEANLY hit and sound each of the strings with your strums too.

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You dig?

As suggested before play the barre chords nice and clean and than be your own drummer (barre chords are nice for this technique).

Get in the groove of the song by playing bass-treble pattern as drummer would do using your upper three strings as treble and lower three as bass. Mute the strings with your fretting hand and you will see after time you will get into the struming pattern without realising now press the strings . Don't sweat [D-U-D-D-U] it will come to you automatically.

If incorporating singing down strum 1/4 note patterns slowly until you get the singing down. After that fancy it up.