Guitar Strum Lessons – Learn How to Use Music Accents To Add Life To Your Guitar Playing

The most simple way to describe music accents is that they add a sense of movement and direction to your guitar strumming and picking.  Music played without any accents of any beats tends to have a sound that is very similar to a monotone speaking voice:  you can understand what is being said, but the music lacks “life” and sounds very plain.  Today’s guitar strum lessons will focus on helping you learn what music accents are and how to use them in your own guitar playing.

Let’s play a very basic strum pattern using a G major chord.  The pattern has four beats per measure and we are going to use a down strum on each of the four beats.  I realize that this strum pattern is very basic.  Even though it is very simple, you will still be able to fully hear the effect that music accents have on just a simple strum pattern.

Chord:             |G                                          |G                                          | (repeat)
Strum:             |v         v          v          v          |v         v          v          v          |
Count:             |1         2          3          4          |1         2          3          4          |

Play four evenly spaced strums for each measure.  Can you hear how the chords and the strums all sound “ok” but it is difficult to tell where the “1” of each measure is?

Let’s try the same pattern again.  However, on the “1” of each measure, I want you to play the chord strum louder, playing music accents on the number 1 beat of each measure.  The upper case “V” in the diagram below indicates where the accented beat should be played.

Chord:             |G                                          |G                                          | (repeat)
Strum:             |V         v          v          v          |V         v          v          v          |
Count:             |1         2          3          4          |1         2          3          4          |

Can you hear the difference in the feel and “motion” of the chords when you play an accent on the first beat of each measure?  Even though this guitar strum lesson uses a very simple strum pattern and only one chord, you can still hear the motion and drive that music accents create.  I have done this on purpose to show you that accents are very powerful in music.  The difference they create adds life, drive and a sense of movement to your music.

Accents can be played on different beats—they are not restricted to the “1” of each measure.  Placing accents on different beats will give the music a different feel.  For now, experiment with some of the patterns found in other guitar strum lessons and begin to accent and emphasize the first beat of each measure.

You can and should also play accents on the first beat when playing scale or single note patterns as well as guitar strum patterns.  You will find that learning to accent the first beat of the measure will really tighten up your rhythm and your ability to play “in time.”  Accents are like the musical glue that holds your strumming and single not phrasing together—make them a regular part of your guitar practice and playing.

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