Listen to this rhythm (I count four beats before I start):
Rhythm 1:
Sing the rythm back to yourself
Try to sing the rhythm along with the recording
Try and recreate the rhythm by hitting a piece of paper like it's the strings of a ukulele. I like this exercise because students don't have to worry about creating a pleasant sound. Just give the piece of paper a wack.
You can wack the paper on the way down with your right hand. Also you can wack the paper on the way up.
Go ahead and try to play Rhythm 1 on your paper ukulele.
You might play it with all "down strokes".
That looks like this:
video 1:
http://www.musiclessonsvancouver.com/mp3/strum2.mov
If you choose to play the rhythm with all down strokes then you have to bring your hand back to the up position again to give the paper a wack with the down stroke. It is worth noting that you do not hit the strings on the upstroke when you play the rhythm this way. The hand "misses" the strings on the way up.
Many styles demand this kind of strumming because it tends to create a driving beat.
However, using all down strokes to express Rhythm 1 is not the most efficient way to play it. If you hit the strings on up strokes as well as down strokes, you make half as many trips up and down.
That looks like this:
video 2:
http://www.musiclessonsvancouver.com/mp3/strum1.mov
All of the following rhythms can be played within the same efficient steady down up down up motion of the right hand as seen in video 2. You simply choose to hit or not hit the paper as you pass depending on whether you want a sound at that moment.
So here is the first rhythm again. Play it with a steady down up down up motion. I count four beats and then I sing the rhythm.
rhythm one:
http://www.musiclessonsvancouver.com/mp3/rhythm1.mp3
The motion of the right hand will be identical in playing these next rhythms. The only thing that will change is the number of times you contact the paper.
In rhythm 2-5 I leave out one of the "hits" or sounds but the rhythms can be played with the identical right hand movement as rhythm one. IMPORTANT: Make sure you really get the sound of the rhythms in your head before you try to play them.
rhythm two:
http://www.musiclessonsvancouver.com/mp3/rhythm2.mp3
rhythm three:
http://www.musiclessonsvancouver.com/mp3/rhythm3.mp3
rhythm four:
http://www.musiclessonsvancouver.com/mp3/rhythm4.mp3
rhythm five:
http://www.musiclessonsvancouver.com/mp3/rhythm5.mp3
Another good way to practice is to say the rhythm as you move you hand in the air in an identical fashion to rhythm one.
like this:
video 3 (I am practicing rhythm 2)
http://www.musiclessonsvancouver.com/mp3/rhythm-2-movie.mov
SYNCOPATIONS
Now these examples are a little more challenging but they can all be played with the identical movement to rhythm 1-5. The steady up/down movement of the right hand does not change. Just the misses and hits are in different places depending on the rhythm.
rhythm six:
rhythm seven:
rhythm eight:
http://www.musiclessonsvancouver.com/mp3/rhythm8.mp3
Rhythm eight is the strumming rhythm to Jamaican Farewell!
Rhythm eight is the strumming rhythm to Jamaican Farewell!
