how to learn alternate strumming...

**eachann** · Joined: 09 May 2006 Posts: 1340 Location: Michigan

I need some tips from some of you experts out there who have gotten good at alternate strumming. I've gotten through hard far enough that I've passed all of the licensed songs (haven't really worked on the bonus tracks) and I've 5 starred about 22-23 of them... but I can see I'm not going to get much further without learning how to strum both up and down because I just can't strum fast enough to keep up with the note/chords. BATM and CFH are the most extreme examples of this, though it would help a ton on some of the other songs as well.

I can't seem to figure out how to do it though... whatever rhythem I have just seems to go out the window when I start strumming both directions. Alternate strumming did get me through CFH but it got me through very badly. It allowed me to hit enough of the notes to pass, but I can't actually hit most of the notes or maintain any kind of streak. On BATM I can't do alternate strumming at all.. it just screws me up too much, but it is WAY too fast for me to hit most of the notes without it. Once I get past the intro part I can kind of hold my own... it becomes pretty similar to "medium" when you are in the middle of the song, but that opening riff is so fast, I usually fail at 13% into the song. If I get past there I can beat the song.

Any tips on how to learn how to do this? Do you have any special techniques you use to alternate strum properly? Did you do anything in particular to help you learn how to do it?

Thanks!
Mr. Green

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

The only song I use it on is The Breaking Wheel, and it's giving me trouble. Basically, one mathematical way to think about it is like this: The rate that you move your hand to simply down-strum every other note is the rate you chould move your hand to alternate strum every note, if that makes sense (I just had wisdom teeth pulled, and I'm more than a bit drugged).

Oh, yeah, I alternate strum BATM in the quick sequence before he goes "BARK at the moon!"
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**Genga** · Joined: 19 Apr 2006 Posts: 2474 Location: Glasgow, Scotland

i alternate strum on that too, the first riff is a pain in the arse, but after a couple bars i adjust to it, then come the next time it comes on im all over the place again

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**ImaCarrot** · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 2687

I usually just down strum BATM, I've only been able to 4 start it on hard and 3 star it on expert though. I had to learn alternate strumming for Decontrol to 5 star it on hard. The only way I've been able to even 4 start Breaking Wheel is with alternate strumming, that ones harder than BATM in my opinion, I just can't get the rythem down.

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

Moved to Technique, Style and Gameplay.
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**rabies** · Posted: Wed May 31, 2006 6:27 pm Post subject:

Just like with the real guitar, the last thing you want to try to do is learn alternate strumming on a song you can't downpick on...like CFH or BaTM...this will only end in frustration, as you are trying to learn a technique at too high a level. Much like trying to swim when you don't yet even know how to float.

My suggestion would be to pick an easy song, where you don't have a lot of chord changes, and one you normally down pick on..and try alternate strumming it.....prime examples would be I wanna be sedated..or unsung.

Once you get comfortable with it on easier songs, you can gradually increase speed, and throw in more complex left hand work..until it becomes second nature..and you alternate pick everything..like me..just because it is less strain on the right hand.

Also, understand that just because you are alternate strumming..does not mean everything has to go down and up all the time...there are plenty of passages where you mix all downpicking with alternate strumming. Tip #1 is to always start an alternate pick passage with a downpick...if there is a pause in the alternate picking (and there almost always is), and your last picking action was a downpick, you would resume out of the pause with another downpick..rather than an up-pick..this should help keep your rhythm.

much like everything else in the game..practice practice..but practice smart. Practice a slow song you can nail easy with downpicks first.
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**Echelar** · Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 1246 Location: Fort Wayne, IN

I think Decontrol is a great practice song for alt strumming. A lot of very constant rythym, yet not insanely-fast strumming. It'll teach you how to understand the beat with the alt strumming, and also a bit of how-to-switch-notes, which is actually just as hard.

After decontrol... I learned Ace of spades (the 5 fast greens), bark at the moon (main riff), and breaking wheel... though I could see how the fast greens in higher ground would make good practice.

Basically, you want to learn it like this:

1. Reasonable, constant speed, constant note parts, occasionally switching notes (decontrol)
2. Faster, short parts (ace of spades, BATM riff)
3. Everything else (CBfH riff, breaking wheel)
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**Hellion42** · Posted: Wed May 31, 2006 10:25 pm Post subject:

**MaximusDM** · Posted: Wed May 31, 2006 10:32 pm Post subject:

As Rabies said, you usually find yourself picking down as you would be tapping your foot, anything in between that would be alternative strumming.
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**JCirri** · Joined: 04 Feb 2006 Posts: 4576

**Hellion42** · Posted: Wed May 31, 2006 11:22 pm Post subject:

**shutendoji** · Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 658 Location: Earth

my friend does that...then i yell at him because normally picking down is easier, but then he just goes right back to upwards...silly upwards nerds...

**Echelar** · Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 1246 Location: Fort Wayne, IN

**Hellion42** · Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 10:45 am Post subject: