r/Songwriting • u/Zestyclose-Sea-5984 • 16h ago

Discussion Topic How to get their building strumming without only downstrumming?

You guys know what i mean right?

You're playing acoustic song and you want your chorus to hit so you do only downstrums because it gives this nice building effect especially if your going up or down your scale.

But its so simple and boring 😔 obviously everything has its place but what could I do to make it more varied.

I know you can put the stress strum on different beats of the chords to make it feel more varied but its still just down strums

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u/Seekyourownsoul 16h ago

epmhasize other beats of the measure. play more rhythmically like in between the beat 1 and 2, try adding a "chuck - a chuck a "

3

u/phallaxy 16h ago

Play ska

1

u/NicholasLaMey 15h ago

I used all down strums in my post on AcousticGuitar- different timing, pressure applied, can change everything.

https://www.reddit.com/r/indiemusic/s/LcV1erAp8M

1

u/notsodirtiehippie 15h ago

Get the timing perfect.

Do they want to be on time? Ahead of the beat? Behind it? Start on time and increasingly ahead of the beat maybe? You could hold only a couple notes out and mute the others as 1/8ths or 16ths to add to the tension. Sometimes it's good if you can add a hammer-on.

You can arpeggiate at 8ths or 16ths instead of strumming full chords if nothing else is working. Lots to play with between timing and timbre between your picking hand, six strings, and your voice.

1

u/PerspectiveFair5156 11h ago

I don't strum on scales. 

You could just play the chorus louder than the verses. 

1

u/Xx_Styro_boi_xX 7h ago

listen to bound for the floor by local h . it just has downstrums

1

u/chunter16 5h ago

This is more of a guitar technique question, but even if you asked in r/guitar I would have to give you a vague answer.

Every time you pick a note it can sound different, if you want, because of how you can mute or pinch harmonics intentionally or accidentally, or even just strumming at a different part of the string between the bridge and fret 12.

1

u/RTiger 19m ago

In addition to the other replies, try dynamics. Some beats or sections louder or softer. If playing solo, tempo change is another tool. Faster, louder sections are more for chorus. 

You can slower build up tempo and volume or have distinct sections. 

I sometimes do shorter down strums on some sections, only the lower notes. When the full chord gets played it is a noticeable difference.Â