Looking for help on the strum to NEW HORIZONS

[neverfoundthetime]

Help!

EDIT: I deleted the original video and have replaced it with the final version here after all the help and editing. 22.02.15

I have played this before but not in the original alternate tuning which Justin Hayward actually uses. This time I am using the DADFAC tuning (and I am back to standard reference of A=440 Hz here). I am making progress on my strumming with a pick, which is fun. Singing is a bit wonky as I am focussing on the playing .

Maybe someone can help me, this is driving me CRAZY! I cannot work out exactly what Justin is doing on this strum. By the 3rd or 4th bar, I am already out of sync! I have an approximation which seems to work well enough but I know it isn't right and I really would like to get it exactly right. Maybe its just the hammer on which is throwing me because on the run and coming out of the run I seem to be in time. But I am also throwing in the odd stroke or two for no good reason. This comes from me learning by ear and trying to get what I am hearing without counting beats (which completely throws me... especially when trying to sing at the same time). The result is, it looks like I can play this song but I am incapable of playing this along with Justin in his video (below) or with a "gnome". I would so much like to get beyond this and finally feel like I am in real control. Can anyone tell me exactly what it is Justin is doing... if you can work out just the first few bars, it will help!

Also below is the video I learned this song from (hope its ok to post, he's not just a fellow Youtuber not a competing teacher/website).

Chris

[sandysue]

Really nice Chris. It sounds like you have the strum down..I can't tell that you are out of sync. Im sure Neil's trained ear will pick it up, but It sounds great. to me. That's a pretty song. Your guitar sounds really good.

Sandy

[Lavallee]

Hi Chris, nice song. Being no expert in timing, I can only look at both videos to compare. I can see that Justin' s strumming is more ample than your's. You can see his hand going from the top to below the bottom as your hand travel a much shorter distance (and the amplitude seem to vary) during your strumming. It also gives more power to the sound with when strumming with more amplitude.

Since it seems to be same strumming throughout if you target his strumming amplitude, you might get what you want.

You might try to muffle your strings while you strum and concentrate on the strumming only rather than try to play along

Have fun

Looking forward to see it again once you are happy with it. It looks very good already.

Marc

[willem]

When I listen to the third video then I hear an accent on beat one and then a lot of strums.

I think the tempo from the quarter notes is not that fast so you can do a lot of strums in a measer,,

I could count with that vid in 8 notes but counted 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 and could keep track.

There is also a video from Justin were he starts of with counting the tempo.

Goodluck.

Willem

[willem]

slow 50% the first 1.21 minute




hope it works for you


edit: I think he is not hitting every beat in 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

[wrench]

Hi Chris,

I think you already anwered your own question. The pattern is D-D-U-D-D-D-U-D, then the hammer on occurs on the and of the 7th beat, and either miss all the strings, or just catch the 1st string on that upstroke. If you hit the first string, don't hammer on until after you hit the string. I made a 40 or second video of this, and I'll try to post it here. I haven't posted a video in so long I have no clue how to do it anymore.

Dan

[daryl]

Hey Willem, Could you use your Video Surgeon on the 2nd video in Chris's initial post (the Justin Hayward video) and zoom in on Justin's fretting hand between 0:41 and 0:50? I think Justin is playing different chords than what Chris is playing and what Chris's 3rd video is "teaching". I may be wrong but I hope the Video Surgeon can help. Thanks!

Chris, I think you have the strum down very well. As well as the 1st finger hammer. Perhaps others will see/hear it differently. The only suggestion I would make (along the same lines as Marc's) is that you need to be less tentative in your strumming. I think you need to "let go" more and forget about being a "reserve/demure gentleman" while you play.

[willem]

daryl wrote:

Hey Willem, Could you use your Video Surgeon on the 2nd video in Chris's initial post (the Justin Hayward video) and zoom in on Justin's fretting hand between 0:41 and 0:50? I think Justin is playing different chords than what Chris is playing and what Chris's 3rd video is "teaching". I may be wrong but I hope the Video Surgeon can help. Thanks!

Chris, I think you have the strum down very well. As well as the 1st finger hammer. Perhaps others will see/hear it differently. The only suggestion I would make (along the same lines as Marc's) is that you need to be less tentative in your strumming. I think you need to "let go" more and forget about being a "reserve/demure gentleman" while you play.

I could try but not every video is downloadeble,, do you mean Justins thumb grip? Chris makes a barchord.

Willem

[daryl]

Not Justin's thumb-grip (or Chris's barred chord) but the 2 or 3 chords just before that one.

[TGNeil]

Hi Chris,

Justin is using an 8-beat pattern broken up into 2 groups of three beats and 1 group of 2 beats. 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2, accenting 1 each time. The hammer on follows the second beat 1.

Neil