Session 13: Strumming Mastery

Duration: 50 minutes

Break: Put the guitar down for 5 minutes at the end of Segment 3. No stretch of playing is then longer than 30 minutes.

Welcome to Phase 3 — Rhythm and Melody. You have seven open chords, two power chords, palm muting, and a growing repertoire. Phase 3 pushes your technique further with syncopated strumming, fingerpicking, scales, and your first barre chord. Today’s focus is strumming — specifically, the rhythmic tricks that make the difference between a beginner who plays chords and a guitarist who makes music. You will learn syncopation, muted strums (the “chuck”) and dynamic accents and apply them to the G–Em–C–D progression, then finish with the palm-muted verse riff of “Paranoid” by Black Sabbath.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session you will be able to:

1. Play a syncopated strumming pattern with offbeat accents
2. Play a muted strum (chk) on an open chord, using the edge of your strumming-hand palm
3. Control strumming dynamics — loud accents and soft ghost strums in the same pattern
4. Play the verse riff of “Paranoid” in steady palm-muted eighth notes (slowly today; the end-of-week check is at 70 BPM)
5. Apply the new strumming pattern to the G–Em–C–D progression

Materials Needed

• Your Saga SF-600C-BK guitar
• A guitar pick
• A clip-on tuner or phone tuner app
• A metronome
• A phone or other recorder, and a way to play the recording of “Paranoid”
• Handout for this session: Weekly Plans Phase 3 4 (the end-of-week check for Week 13)
• Handout for this session: Metal Rhythms And Techniques (optional “Go further” reading, after the session)
• Glossary

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Segment 1 — Warm-Up and Stretch (5 minutes)

Hand Warm-Up

Open and close both hands loosely five times. Circle each wrist five times each way. Touch your thumb to each fingertip in turn. Shake the hands out.

Tune Your Guitar

Tune all six strings (EADGBE). Before you look at the tuner, guess: too low, too high or right? Then look.

Phase 2 Review Warm-Up

Play the G–Em–C–D pop progression (Session 11) at 70 BPM, D D U U D U pattern, 2 measures per chord, 8 measures total. Then play E5 → A5 with palm muting at 70 BPM, eighth notes, 4 measures. This activates both your open chord and power chord skills.

Spider crawl: frets 3-6, one finger at a time, all six strings, up and down. Stop if it pulls or aches.

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Segment 2 — Technique Focus: Syncopation and the Muted Strum (10 minutes)

What Is Syncopation?

Syncopation is when you emphasise the “off” beats — the “ands” — instead of the main beats (1, 2, 3, 4). It makes a rhythm feel energetic, bouncy, and unpredictable. Nearly all rock, funk, pop, and Hindi film music uses syncopation.

Play both and compare:

Straight (no syncopation):

Count:  1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
Accent: >       >       >       >
Strum:  D   U   D   U   D   U   D   U

Syncopated:

Count:  1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
Accent:     >       >       >       >
Strum:  D   U   D   U   D   U   D   U

An accent mark (>) over a stroke means play that stroke louder. Play each version four times on Em. In the syncopated version, the accents land on the “ands” (upstrokes) instead of the beats (downstrokes). This creates a lifted, driving feel.

The Muted Strum (chk)

A muted strum is a strum on strings that are being held still, so you hear a dry ‘chk’ with no notes. With open chords, relaxing your fretting fingers cannot do this, because the open strings carry on ringing. The strumming hand does it. You will also hear it called a “chuck”.

How to do it

1. No chord yet. Rest the edge of your strumming-hand palm (the fleshy side below the little finger) across all six strings, two or three centimetres in front of the saddle, towards the soundhole. This is further forward and firmer than palm muting.
2. Keeping the palm there, strum down with the pick. You should hear ‘chk’ and no note. If a string rings, your palm is not touching it: flatten the hand until all six are covered. If you hear a note with a dull thud, move the palm a little further from the saddle.
3. Now make it one movement: start with the hand above the strings, and let the palm land on the strings at the same moment as the pick goes through them. Lift the palm as the hand comes back up.
4. Hold Em. Strum it normally (it rings). Then play a muted strum (chk). Your fretting hand does not move at all.

Practice: Alternate between a full chord strum and a muted strum on Em at 60 BPM, one strum per click:

Count:  1   2   3   4
Strum:  D   chk D   chk

Hold Em throughout: the chord rings on beats 1 and 3, and the chk falls on beats 2 and 4. Do this 8 times.

Check: record four measures. On playback, every chk is a click with no note you could hum.

If the chk will not come this week, play a soft downstroke in its place. The rhythm is still right, and you can add the chk later.

The Syncopated Rock Pattern

This is a pattern you will use in many rock songs:

Count:  1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
Strum:  D   U   chk U   D   U   chk U

How it works:

• Beat 1: Downstroke (full chord)
• “And” of 1: Upstroke (lighter)
• Beat 2: Muted strum (chk) — a downstroke with the palm landing on the strings
• “And” of 2: Upstroke with accent (this is the syncopation — the accent lands on an upstroke). The palm has lifted, so the chord rings again
• Beat 3: Downstroke (full chord)
• “And” of 3: Upstroke (lighter)
• Beat 4: Muted strum (chk)
• “And” of 4: Upstroke with accent (syncopation again)

Practice this on Em at 60 BPM:

1. First, just get the strum sequence right without worrying about mutes: D U D U D U D U.
2. Now replace beats 2 and 4 with muted strums: D U chk U D U chk U.
3. Finally, add accents on the “and” of 2 and “and” of 4.

Play 8 measures. Count aloud: “ONE-and-chk-AND-THREE-and-chk-AND.”

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Segment 3 — New Learning: Dynamic Strumming and Application (15 minutes)

Dynamics in Strumming

Dynamics means controlling volume — playing some strums louder and some softer within the same pattern. This is what separates a mechanical strum from a musical one.

The three levels you need:

Level	Symbol	Description	When to use
Loud	D / U (capital letter)	Full, normal strum	The strokes you want to stand out
Softer	d / u (small letter)	Lighter strum	Not used in today’s pattern
Ghost	(d) / (u)	Very light, barely touching the strings	Background strums between the loud ones

A ghost strum keeps your hand moving but adds almost no sound.

Dynamic Strumming Exercise

Play the syncopated pattern on Am with dynamics at 65 BPM:

Count:  1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
Strum:  D   (u) chk U   D   (u) chk U

The ghost strums (u) are so light you can barely hear them. They keep your hand moving in the D/U pendulum but do not contribute much sound. The loud strokes are the downstrokes on beats 1 and 3 and the upstrokes on the “and” of 2 and the “and” of 4; the accented upstrokes create the syncopated feel.

Practice this on a chord cycle at 65 BPM:

Measures 1-2: Am  (syncopated pattern)
Measures 3-4: Em  (syncopated pattern)
Measures 5-6: Am  (syncopated pattern)
Measures 7-8: Em  (syncopated pattern)

Applying the Pattern to the Pop Progression

Now try the syncopated pattern on G–Em–C–D at 60 BPM. One measure per chord:

Chord:  G                                   Em
Count:  1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &   |   1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
Strum:  D   (u) chk U   D   (u) chk U   |   D   (u) chk U   D   (u) chk U

Chord:  C                                   D
Count:  1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &   |   1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
Strum:  D   (u) chk U   D   (u) chk U   |   D   (u) chk U   D   (u) chk U

This is the same G–Em–C–D progression from Session 11, but the syncopated strumming pattern makes it sound completely different — more alive, more professional. Loop it 4 times.

Quiet and loud: Play G, Em, C, D once as quietly as you can, then once loudly, with the same loose strum. Loud means a bigger stroke, not a harder one.

Break: 5 minutes. Guitar down.

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Segment 4 — Song Workshop: “Paranoid” — Black Sabbath (15 minutes)

“Paranoid”: verse riff (simplified)

Credits: Written by Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne and Bill Ward. Recorded by Black Sabbath on the album Paranoid (1970).

Listen first: Find Black Sabbath’s recording of “Paranoid” (Paranoid, 1970) and listen to the opening and the first verse three times before you pick up the guitar. The song opens with a short, fast figure played high on the neck; that is not taught here. When the singing starts, the guitar drops into the riff written here. Listen for: (1) a steady muted chug on one chord for two measures, then the same chug a little lower for a third measure; (2) the fourth measure, where three ringing chord hits lead back to the start of the riff.

About this arrangement: This is a simplified arrangement written for this course. It has not yet been play-tested against the recording. It is in standard tuning and uses the recording’s own pitches: E5, D5 and G sit at the same height as on the recording, but are played near the nut on strings 4 and 3 instead of high up the neck on strings 6 and 5. The recording is about twice as fast as the course target, so you cannot play along with it yet. One transcription notes that the recording runs slightly sharp of concert pitch, so a normally tuned guitar may sound a shade flat against it; this is not confirmed by ear.

What you are learning: The verse riff: two-note power chords, E5 for two measures and D5 for one measure in palm-muted eighth notes, then three ringing hits (G, D5, E5). D5 is new today.

Tempo: Start at 50 BPM (root notes only) and work up to 80 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes). In the session: slowly, without the metronome. End-of-week check: 70 BPM. End-of-week target: 80 BPM. (The check is what you need before you move on; the target is what to aim for.) The recording is about 164 BPM, so 80 BPM is about half speed. Technique: Two-note power chords, palm muting, steady eighth notes

Understanding the Riff

The verse riff sits on E5 for two measures, drops two frets to D5 for a measure, then answers with three hits. Measures 1 to 3 are palm muted; measure 4 rings.

TAB — “Paranoid” Verse Riff (Simplified)

Measures 1-2

Chord:  E5                                  E5
e|--------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
G|------4---4---4---4---4---4---4---4---|---4---4---4---4---4---4---4---4---|
D|------2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---|---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---|
A|--------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
Count:  1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &       1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
PM:     PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM      PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM

Measures 3-4

Chord:  D5                                  G   D5          E5
e|--------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
G|------2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---|---0---2-----------4---------------|
D|------0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---|-------0-----------2---------------|
A|--------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
Count:  1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &       1   &  (2)      3      (4)
PM:     PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM

PM = palm muted. Measure 4 has no PM: lift your palm and let the three hits ring. A number in brackets in the Count row, such as (2), is a beat where you play nothing new: keep counting and let the chord ring.

Finger guide:

• E5 (measures 1-2 and beat 3 of measure 4): finger 1 (index) on string 4, fret 2 and finger 3 (ring) on string 3, fret 4. Index and ring two frets apart on neighbouring strings is the normal power-chord shape, not a stretch; finger 2 stays relaxed above fret 3 and finger 4 is not used. It is a higher version of the E5 you learned in Session 9.
• D5 (measure 3 and the second hit of measure 4): string 4 open, with finger 1 on string 3, fret 2. This is the A5 shape from Session 9 moved one string across.
• G (first hit of measure 4): the open string 3 on its own. It is one note, not the G chord. Lift finger 1 for that one note.
• Changing E5 to D5: lift finger 3 and move finger 1 across one string at the same fret, the same move as E5 to A5 in Session 9.
• Pick only strings 4 and 3.

Simplified. Not yet play-tested.

Form

The four measures are one cycle. Play the cycle four times (16 measures). The last E5 of the fourth cycle is the ending: let it ring.

How to Learn This Riff

In the session, the goal is Steps 1 to 3, then all four measures slowly, without the metronome. The tempos given in the steps are for your practice days.

Step 1 — Root notes only: string 4 fret 2 for two measures, string 4 open for one measure, all palm-muted eighth notes with downstrokes. Play it without the metronome first, then at 50 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes).

Step 2 — Add the second string: E5 is finger 1 on string 4 fret 2 with finger 3 on string 3 fret 4. D5 is string 4 open with finger 1 on string 3 fret 2. Pick strings 4 and 3 together.

Step 3 — Measure 4 alone, no palm mute: open string 3 on 1, D5 on the “and” of 1 and let it ring through beat 2, E5 on 3 and let it ring through beat 4.

Step 4 — All four measures: slowly without the metronome, then 60 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes), then 65, 70, 75, 80. The recording is about 164 BPM; you are not expected to reach it in this course.

What it should sound like: A tight, even chug that drops in measure 3, then three ringing hits. Three checks:

1. Count check: in measures 1 to 3 you play eight notes in each measure; in measure 4 you play on 1, on the “and” of 1, and on 3.
2. Click check: play the four measures twice with the metronome. You never stop and you finish with the click.
3. Recording check: record 30 seconds and listen once. Is the palm muting the same on every note in measures 1 to 3?

Performance Notes

• Keep the palm muting absolutely consistent — every single note should have the same tight “chunk.” If some notes ring more than others, adjust your palm pressure.
• Pick only strings 4 and 3. If the open string 5 or the open string 2 rings, your stroke is too wide.
• Pick every note of this riff with a downstroke, including the notes on the “ands”. (This is different from the down-up picking you used for palm-muted eighth notes in Session 9.) If your wrist tires, stop and shake it out; if it still tires, pick down on the numbers and up on the “ands” instead: the notes and the rhythm stay the same. Pain rule: tender fingertips are normal. Pain in the wrist, forearm, thumb joint or knuckles, numbness or tingling, any sharp pain, or pain that lasts into the next day means stop. The full rule is in START HERE.

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Segment 5 — Review and Practice Plan (5 minutes)

This session has more new material than most. If your end-of-week check is not all ‘yes’ after one week, take a second week on this session before you move on. The course then takes a week longer, which is normal.

What You Learned Today

• Syncopation — accenting the “off” beats (the “ands”)
• Muted strums (chk) — a dry strum with no notes, made with the edge of the strumming-hand palm
• Dynamic strumming — loud strokes and ghost strums in one pattern
• The syncopated rock strumming pattern: D (u) chk U D (u) chk U
• The verse riff of “Paranoid” by Black Sabbath (simplified) — palm-muted two-note power chords

Common Mistakes

1. Not muting cleanly on the chk — If you hear notes during the muted strum, a string is not under your palm, or the palm is landing after the pick. Go back to step 2. (That is step 2 of “How to do it” in Segment 2.)
2. Losing the “pendulum” — Your strumming hand must keep swinging down on the numbers and up on the “ands” through every strum, ghost strum and chk. The chk is still a downstroke: the palm lands with the pick, then lifts as the hand comes back up for the next upstroke.
3. Accenting the wrong strokes — In today’s pattern the loud strokes are the downstrokes on beats 1 and 3 and the upstrokes on the “and” of 2 and the “and” of 4. The “and” of 1 and the “and” of 3 are ghost strums. Count aloud: “ONE-and-chk-AND-THREE-and-chk-AND.”
4. Palm muting inconsistency on “Paranoid” — Some notes sound muted, others ring. This usually means your palm is shifting during the riff. Rest the edge of your strumming-hand palm lightly on the strings just where they cross the saddle, and keep it in that one place for measures 1 to 3.
5. Tension during fast palm muting — Your forearm swings a short way from the elbow and your wrist stays loose and follows. Your shoulder stays still. Nothing is locked. If your arm stiffens, stop, shake it out and slow the metronome down.

Self-Check Questions

1. Can you play the syncopated pattern (D (u) chk U D (u) chk U) for 8 measures on Em at 60 BPM? Check: you never stop and you finish with the click. If not: go back to the three steps under “The Syncopated Rock Pattern” in Segment 2, starting at step 1, and try again the next day.
2. Record four measures of the chord-and-chk drill on Em. On playback, is every chk a click with no note you could hum? If not: go back to step 2 of “How to do it” in Segment 2, and record the drill again the next day.
3. Can you play the G–Em–C–D progression with the syncopated pattern at 60 BPM, one measure per chord, twice round (8 measures)? Check: you never stop and you finish with the click. If not: keep the Syncopated Pattern row of the practice plan at 60 BPM for two days, then try again.
4. Can you play the four-measure “Paranoid” verse riff twice through at 70 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes), palm muted in measures 1 to 3? Check: you never stop and you finish with the click. If not: go back to 65 BPM (Step 4 in Segment 4) for two days, then try again.
5. Record four measures on Em at 60 BPM, strumming D/U (down on the click, up between clicks), then four measures of the syncopated pattern at the same tempo. On playback, can you hear the difference: in every syncopated measure, a chk on beats 2 and 4 and a louder upstroke straight after each chk? If not: repeat step 3 under “The Syncopated Rock Pattern” in Segment 2, counting aloud “ONE-and-chk-AND-THREE-and-chk-AND”, and record again the next day.

Practice Plan for Week 13 (each practice day, 25 minutes)

Block	Time	Activity
Warm-Up	3 min	The warm-up from this session’s Segment 1, then tune
Muted Strum Drill	3 min	Em: chord on beats 1 and 3, chk on beats 2 and 4, at 60 BPM, one strum per click. 4 measures. Then Am. Then G. Repeat until the time is up
Syncopated Pattern	5 min	The new pattern (D (u) chk U D (u) chk U) on G–Em–C–D at 60 BPM, one measure per chord. When it is steady, move to 65 BPM. Repeat until the time is up
Paranoid Riff	8 min	Four measures = one cycle. Pick every note of this riff with a downstroke, including the notes on the “ands”. Follow the steps in Segment 4: root notes only at 50 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes); then all four measures from 60 BPM toward 80 in steps of 5 (65, 70, 75, 80), moving up after 4 clean cycles. Repeat until the time is up
Song Maintenance	5 min	Choose one from Phase 2: “About a Girl,” “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” or “Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas.” Play with the syncopated pattern if it fits, or the original pattern. Repeat until the time is up
Free Practice	1 min	Play anything that felt hard today — one more try

This is your plan for the whole week. The end-of-week check is in Weekly Plans Phase 3 4, Week 13.

Guitar Tip — Saga SF-600C-BK

Your Saga’s steel strings respond particularly well to muted strums. The brightness of steel strings means the “chuck” sound is crisp and percussive — nylon strings produce a duller muted sound. When playing “Paranoid” with palm muting, the steel strings give each note a sharp, defined attack that cuts through clearly. This is why steel-string acoustics are preferred for rock guitar — even without amplification, the aggressive character is there.

After the session (not part of the 50 minutes)

• Optional: Metal Rhythms And Techniques, the sections “Tight Palm Muting”, “Pattern 2 — The Doom Riff”, “Pattern 3 — The Pedal Tone Riff”, “Arrangement 1 — “Iron Man” Main Riff, Single-Note Version (Simplified)” and “Arrangement 2 — “Paranoid” Verse Riff (Simplified)”. Leave “Pattern 1 — The Metal Gallop (After the course)” until you have finished the course. It is not part of the practice plan. (15 minutes)