Alternate Strumming 101

**JCirri** · Joined: 04 Feb 2006 Posts: 4576

I can alternate strum patterns after I learn to play them. But I still have trouble alternate strumming everything naturally. For example, if I start strumming a part of batm in the wrong direction it feels weird and I'll break combo 90% of the time. So I still need work on my alternate strumming, even though it hasn't been limiting my scores since I've learned all the required alt strumming patterns in the game. But it'd still be nice to alt strum naturally so I could play fast solos and such without as much dependence on HO/POs.
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**Azuarc** · Joined: 18 Jul 2006 Posts: 1389 Location: Philadelphia

**filmguy4** · Joined: 04 May 2006 Posts: 51

My technique for alt. strumming is a lot like JHetfield's in that I don't let the strum bar return to the middle. I also do a technique I call "Reset" which helps to keep from strumming in a direction that feels awkward. I use it a lot on "I Wanna Be Sedated" on the chorus when it has the string of chords then goes to a short sustain and returns to the chords. After you strum the last note in the sequence, take your hand off the strum bar just slightly (letting it return to the middle), then get your hand back on the strum and downstroke the first note in the next sequence. I know sometimes by starting the next sequence with an upstroke it can throw off your rhythm. "Reset" works mainly when there's small pauses between strings of notes or on sustains between notes.

**popemobile** · Joined: 03 Jun 2006 Posts: 3879

Reseting the strum bar is essential for me for CFH, otherwise i miss the main riff every other time

**Cliff** · Joined: 06 May 2006 Posts: 3002 Location: Springfield, IL

I went as far as I could without alt strumming (expert 5* except TBW/BATM 4* and CFH 3*), and then realized I had to learn it. I just started hardcore yesterday with CFH, and I can finally get the rhythm (sp?) of the GRGRYRYRBRYRYBO parts.

I hear GH2 is tweaking HO/PO, which better make it suck less.

P.S. I never alt. strum AoS because I'm totally BA [/sarcasm]

**darksidegohan** · Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2006 6:05 am Post subject:

I never alt. strummed until i had every song passed but CFH. Then I used alt. strumming to do the main riff.

But learning to alt. strum has definitely made me better. So I strongly recommend it. and just like everyone else said, go back one difficulty from the one you're currently on, and just play through every song, and by the time you're done, you should have a competent understanding of alt. strumming.

But having success with downstrumming is certainly possible. My friend, who is not currently on scorehero, exclusively downstrums, and he has 4*'d BatM on expert, and his high score on CFH is about equal to mine.

**kriller** · Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2006 10:33 pm Post subject:

alt stumming is too complicated
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**Shadow** · Joined: 22 Jul 2006 Posts: 329

I downstrummed everything until the I was at the "end" of Expert (basically when I hadn't yet passed CfH and BatM). I still do on the "slow" stuff, meaning about every song that's at slower than the CfH's intro is, but... Well, that being a bad bridge for me saying that CfH on hard is an excellent song to practice alternate strumming - If you're like me, you tend to strum too fast at first, but eventually it just clicks. You could also try using the multiplayer-mode as "practice" since you won't fail the songs, though there are breaks when the other player should play... But that's how I learned CfH on Expert. :p

I still can't alt. strum BatM and Ace of Spades for example, since they have pauses in before/after the fast G-note parts that are essentially too short for me to alt. strum, I'd just lose the rhythm if I tried... >:|

**Azuarc** · Joined: 18 Jul 2006 Posts: 1389 Location: Philadelphia

**COBW3BB** · Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 4:09 am Post subject:

**Sephi** · Joined: 09 Jun 2006 Posts: 454 Location: Albuquerque, NM

I never alt. strum. In my opinion, I like the downstrum because you can hear the rhythm of your strumming better. I'm in the top 100 on ScoreHero so it obviously is a viable technique. But, I can say that the Breaking Wheel is near impossible without it. If you have a very, very long stream of continuous notes, alt. strum can be beneficial, but if you look at my scores, downstruming is not a terrible way to play.

P.S. - I'll be downstrumming all through GH2.....

**Kachie** · Joined: 02 Aug 2006 Posts: 561 Location: Long Island, NY

I've had the same problem with straying from the down strum. And yeah, can't 4 star bark at the moon or ace of spades because of it. I've tried practicing on the slower songs, but i'm so used to the down strumming that my hand will just spazz out on me. The only one i was semi comfortable with was Breaking Wheel.

Once I get my game back (i'm in japan) I plan on really tackling the alt. strum and hopefully my scores will get a nice little boost and be worth posting. :-P
All the advise on here is great though!
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