Elderly Woman Strumming Pattern

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hawkeye8388
hawkeye8388 Posts: 47
edited December 2007 in Musicians and Gearheads
Hello...Can someone help me with the stumming pattern for Elderly Woman. The chords are simple, but it's not quite sounding quite right. This novice probably does not have the strumming pattern correct.

Thanks in advance.
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • sennin
    sennin Posts: 2,146
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bgseny7p-FM&mode=related&search=

    does this help?
  • xtremehardy388
    xtremehardy388 Posts: 2,759
    It's in three so when Ed counts it off, that's the pattern. 1-2 and three, 2-two and three
    Grand Rapids '04, Detroit '06
    JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
    "Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
  • Tom K
    Tom K Posts: 842
    I'm not very good and I don't know if this will help, but It helped me to hum "hearts and thought they fade, fade away" to myself when I was learning the strumming pattern...
    I'm gone ..Long gone..This time I'm letting go of it all...So long...Cause this time I'm gone
  • lucylespian
    lucylespian Posts: 2,403
    If you follow the GTW tab precisely, the strumming pattern is there. It is in waltz, 3/4.

    if d is down and u is up, then it goes

    d (1/4 note), dudu ( each du is 1/4 note) repeated like that, each chord change at the end if the bar.

    I'm gonna have a go at making some short clips to show some of this stuff soon. I'll put it on the list.
    I'm no master, but cos I learn everything the hard way by breaking it down, I should be able to show it OK.
    Music is not a competetion.
  • who's_pearljam?
    who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    It's in 3/4 time which means you count to three over and over, but try thinking of it this way.
    1 strum for the first beat then 4 strums for the next two beats:

    1 1234, 1 1234, 1 1234, 1 1234

    Play it over and over slowly and it'll come to you.

    If it doesn't, I guarantee your money back! :D
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • xtremehardy388
    xtremehardy388 Posts: 2,759
    who's_pearljam? wrote:
    It's in 3/4 time which means you count to three over and over, but try thinking of it this way.
    1 strum for the first beat then 4 strums for the next two beats:

    1 1234, 1 1234, 1 1234, 1 1234

    Play it over and over slowly and it'll come to you.

    If it doesn't, I guarantee your money back! :D
    Explained it better than I could!
    Grand Rapids '04, Detroit '06
    JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
    "Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
  • hawkeye8388
    hawkeye8388 Posts: 47
    who's_pearljam? wrote:
    It's in 3/4 time which means you count to three over and over, but try thinking of it this way.
    1 strum for the first beat then 4 strums for the next two beats:

    1 1234, 1 1234, 1 1234, 1 1234

    Play it over and over slowly and it'll come to you.

    If it doesn't, I guarantee your money back! :D

    Thanks to all. This explanation really helped
  • CornishMan
    CornishMan Cornwall, UK Posts: 455
    I remember when I started it took me ages to get the strum pattern right for this song. It was really frustrating because the chords are so simple... but it was hard to get the song sounding right! I just kept playing around with it and listening to the CD and one day it just clicked, and it sounded perfect!
    London #1 2000, Reading 2006, London 2007, London 2009, London 2010, Manchester #1 2012, Manchester #2 2012, Manchester 2012 (EV), Milton Keynes 2014, London #2 2017 (EV), London #1 2018, London #2 2018, London #1 2022, London #2 2022, Manchester 2024.
  • Pearl Jam and toast
    Pearl Jam and toast Posts: 4,475
    I don't understand how so many people have strumming pattern problems.

    Don't feel bad dude it's like 99% of people who're learning to play guitar. My mind just doesn't work like that. :confused:
    Come on pilgrim you know he loves you..

    http://www.wishlistfoundation.org

    Oh my, they dropped the leash.



    Morgan Freeman/Clint Eastwood 08' for President!

    "Make our day"
  • MichaelMcKevin
    MichaelMcKevin Posts: 1,161
    Pearl Jam and toast wrote:
    I don't understand how so many people have strumming pattern problems.

    Don't feel bad dude it's like 99% of people who're learning to play guitar. My mind just doesn't work like that. :confused:

    I know what you mean. I've always just answered "Just strum it how it feels right" The key is to not overanalyze how it is strummed and let your hand move freely to the rythm
    Camden I '06, Camden II '06, Bonnaroo '08, Camden I '08, Camden II '08, Philly Spectrum II/III/IV '09, MSG I '10, MSG II '10, Made In America '12, Wrigley '13, Brooklyn II '13, Philly I '13, Philly II '13, ...
  • lucylespian
    lucylespian Posts: 2,403
    Or you can learn how to read rhythm and play it right. I have mostly played by the "feel" method, but I often played things inaccurately. Not that there is really any problem with that, but if you want it to sound "correct", then reading rhythm and playing the same pattern of the recording can't be beat.
    It's much more important for some songs than others.
    "Elderly Woman", I learnt the correct strum pattern from tab, "Crazy Mary", I just play by feel.
    "One More Cup of Coffee", I just completely do my own thing.
    What I have found, is that once I have learnt an alternative pattern, going back and learning the original pattern usually feels terribly wrong, until I get it, then it feels terribly right.
    Music is not a competetion.
  • Switch
    Switch Posts: 119
    Tom K wrote:
    I'm not very good and I don't know if this will help, but It helped me to hum "hearts and thought they fade, fade away" to myself when I was learning the strumming pattern...

    That's precisely how i learned. And the only song i can sing to due to that.
  • blackredyellow
    blackredyellow Posts: 5,889
    CornishMan wrote:
    I remember when I started it took me ages to get the strum pattern right for this song. It was really frustrating because the chords are so simple... but it was hard to get the song sounding right! I just kept playing around with it and listening to the CD and one day it just clicked, and it sounded perfect!

    yeah... I think the more that you think about it the more difficult it is. I remember when I was learning Rival, I kept trying and trying to get the strumming right and eventually gave up. A couple of days later, I had the song in my head so just picked up my guitar and played it perfectly before I even realized what I was doing.
    My whole life
    was like a picture
    of a sunny day
    “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
    ― Abraham Lincoln
  • Vandal
    Vandal Posts: 1
    I'm new here and have only been strumming a few months, but this is one of the songs I chose to learn. The January '08 edition of Acoustic Guitar has this song in it along with a strum pattern that sounds great once you get it down. It's a bit deeper and more complex than the standard D DUDU version I've seen and heard others do.
  • Pearl Jam and toast
    Pearl Jam and toast Posts: 4,475
    lucylespian wrote:
    Or you can learn how to read rhythm and play it right.
    I use my ear. If I tried to read a rhythm I'd probably just confuse myself, but I can play anything I hear accurately.

    Damn why'd I jump in this thread, it doesn't look like I'm going to be of any help :p.
    Come on pilgrim you know he loves you..

    http://www.wishlistfoundation.org

    Oh my, they dropped the leash.



    Morgan Freeman/Clint Eastwood 08' for President!

    "Make our day"

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