Dave's Strumming!

NJPearce22 · Post by **NJPearce22** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 9:58 pm

I'm still in shock of how Dave can strum constantly with his right hand...maybe not touching the strings at times...but hitting the single strings he needs. i've been watching the DVD versions of songs like Ants, and I've been trying to play it without sopping my hand from strumming to hit the A and D strings. I don't think it's possible for any normal person to do. Can any of you do it? Can you share some pointers w/ me?

DMBFan63 · Post by **DMBFan63** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 10:03 pm

If you mean like.. actually hitting the strings for the slide in ants, it's quite easy. Just mute the bottom strings by laying your fingers across them..it's fairly easy for me atleast to keep my right hand constantly strumming.. just practice.. mute a lot with your left hand.. good luck

dmb_tatertot · Post by **dmb_tatertot** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 10:06 pm

left handed muting is the key to making it all go well. its tough, but keep practicing!

You_Enjoy_Myself · Post by **You_Enjoy_Myself** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 10:09 pm

dmb_tatertot wrote:left handed muting is the key to making it all go well. its tough, but keep practicing!

It is the key, and the best part is that after a while of practicing and listening, you do it without even thinking.

NJPearce22 · Post by **NJPearce22** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 10:25 pm

I think it's the muting that makes Dave...well Dave! I probably should've learned the songs w/ constant strumming in the first place.

everydayDMBfan_18 · Post by **everydayDMBfan_18** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 10:26 pm

NJPearce22 wrote:w/ constant strumming

One of the most important things

NJPearce22 · Post by **NJPearce22** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 10:57 pm

Ok...I think I got it, but it doesn't sound as crisp and clear as when I just focus on playing the strings i need to! It sounds kinda dead and dull. I can mute w/ my fretting hand pretty good, but I'm thinking that most of the strum is centered on the strings that are being played.

Trying that out...

Ok...it now sounds somewhat better, but still not right. I think I may be in line for some new strings anyways. That may help a bit. this is the only song that I'm having trouble keeping a steady rythem going w/ my picking hand. I mean I can do BOWA, LIOG, Billies and such, but Ants is giving me troubles at this. It's kinda bugging me, 'cause I can play it fine w/o strumming it, but it doesn't sound as full solo acoustically!

WalkingOnGreyStreet · Wed Jul 14, 2004 10:59 am

Like everyone says it takes practice i started out playing dave so that how i thought you played so thats how i play and when i play a show everyone it like wow...and its no big deal to me

Macht · Post by **Macht** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 11:01 am

WalkingOnGreyStreet wrote:Like everyone says it takes practice i started out playing dave so that how i thought you played so thats how i play and when i play a show everyone it like wow...and its no big deal to me

Dave uses pretty complicated strumming patterns/techniques. For some people, it's easy to catch on, other's it's a bit hard. It was fairly easy to me becuase of my brothers

NJPearce22 · Post by **NJPearce22** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 9:57 pm

These videos we have need to show the actual strumming from the right hand! The fingering on Dave songs are fairly easy ('cept for some of the muting), but I'd like to watch some strumming patterns!

Buck23 · Post by **Buck23** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 10:26 pm

I can play JTR, the stone, SMTS, and LIOG perfectly, but I still can NOT for the life of me play ants...

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 11:22 pm

Macht wrote:
WalkingOnGreyStreet wrote:Like everyone says it takes practice i started out playing dave so that how i thought you played so thats how i play and when i play a show everyone it like wow...and its no big deal to me
Dave uses pretty complicated strumming patterns/techniques. For some people, it's easy to catch on, other's it's a bit hard. It was fairly easy to me becuase of my brothers

actually, dave's strumming isn't that complicated at all.

check out this thread for complicated strumming patterns:

http://www.dmbtabs.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=13360

Dave is pretty straightforward with his strumming, it's his left hand muting technique that throws people off and makes it seem like he's doing something more complicated than he really is.

NJPearce22 · Post by **NJPearce22** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 12:08 am

Buck23 wrote:I can play JTR, the stone, SMTS, and LIOG perfectly, but I still can NOT for the life of me play ants...

That's how I'm feeling now! I got BOWA, LIOG, SMTS, WWYS, Billies, Warehouse, etc., but Ants is killing me!

tjmac66pc · Post by **tjmac66pc** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 10:46 am

NJPearce22 wrote:
Buck23 wrote:I can play JTR, the stone, SMTS, and LIOG perfectly, but I still can NOT for the life of me play ants...
That's how I'm feeling now! I got BOWA, LIOG, SMTS, WWYS, Billies, Warehouse, etc., but Ants is killing me!

just slowin' it down, getting the motor skills refreshed and then playing along with L@LC version is like the best medicine for this... it's tough to spend a lot of time on just one song, but spend a little bit of time on it each day for like a week or two, and ants probably won't be a problem for you again...on top of that, i find if you get better at one dave song, you actually get better at a few others at the same time (muting, timing, picking patterns)...at least from my experience

DT · Post by DT » Thu Jul 15, 2004 11:28 am

you can do the muting for warehouse but not ants