Copyright Anna Grace Cannon 2007

STRUMMING EXERCISES

These strumming exercises need to be practised with different strum patterns.  As you proceed through this workbook the chords will become more difficult.  Keep at it and you will become an excellent guitarist.

LEVEL ONE                                                       Tick when achieved

D / / / | A7 / / / | D / / / |                                                  

Em / / / | D / / / | Em / / / |

D / / / | G / / / | D / / / |

D / / / | G / / / | A7 / / / | D / / / |

D / / /| D7 / / / |G / / / | D / / / | A7 / / / | D / / / |

D / / / |Em / / / | G / / / | D / / / |

G / / / |Em / / / |G / / / |

Em / / / |A7 / / / |Em / / /

G / / / |D / / / | G / / / |

LEVEL TWO                                                      Tick when achieved

G / / / |C / / / |G / / / |

G / / / |C / / / |D7 / / / |G / / / |

G / / / |Em / / / |C / / / |D7 / / / G / / / |

Em / / / |Am / / / |Em / / / |

Em / / / |Am / / / |B7 / / / |Em / / / |

Em / / / |B7 / / / |Em / / / |

G / / / |Am / / / |G / / /

C / / / |Am / / / |C / / / |

G / / / | B7 / / / |Em / / / |G / / / |

G / / / |Em / / / |C / / / |Am / / / |G / / / |

Here are some different ways to practise these sequences:

·        3 beat strum

·        Bass strum

·        Folk picking

·        Rock Strum

·        Ballad Strum

·        Bass Pluck

LEVEL THREE                                   Tick when achieved

E / / / |A / / / |E / / / |B7 / / /|E / / /|

E / / / F# min / / / |E / / / |A / / / |E / / / |

Em / / / |A7 / / / |Em / / / |G / / / |B7 / / / |Em / / /

E / E6 /|A / A6 /|E /E6 E /|B7 / / / |E / E6 E/ E6 |E / / / |

E / / / |G / / / |A / / / |E / / / |

Em / / / |D / / / |Em / / / |B7 / / / |Em / / / |

D / / / /|Bm / / / |D / / / |

A / / / |Bm / / / /|C# min / / / |A / / / |

G / / / |Bm / / /  |G / / / |C / / /   |Cm / / / |G / / / |

Em / / /|Bm / / / |Em / / /

E / / / |F#min / / / |A / / / |B7 / / /|E / / / |

Now you are ready for some more difficult chords and bar chords

Great work!!!

LEVEL FOUR                                                Tick when achieved

A / / / |A maj7 / / / |A7 / / /|D / / / |A / / / |

D / / / |Dmaj7 / / / |D7 / / / |D / / |

E / / /|E sus / / / |E / / /|

C / / / /|C maj7 / / / |C / / / C7 / / / /|C / / / |

D / / / /|D sus4 / / / / |G / / / |D / / / |

C / / / |F / / / |C / / / |G7 / / / |C / / / |

C / / / |Am / / / |Dm / / / |G7 / / / |C / / / |

Dm / / /|Gm / / / |Dm / / / |A7 / / / |Dm / / / |

C / / / |F / / / |Fmin / / / |C / / / |

C / / / |C7 / / / |F / / /|G7 / / / |C / / / |Cmaj7  / / / |

Cm / / / |Gm / / / |Cm / / /

F / / / Bb / / / |F / / / |

E / / / |B / / / / |E / / / |A7 / / / |E / / / |

LEVEL FIVE                              Tick when achieved

F                   Bb       C7     F

F                   Gm      C7     F

F                   Bb       F       C7     F

F                   Dm      Gm    F

F                   Am      Dm    Bb     C7     F

F                   F#        G       G#     A       F

F                   G         A       G       F

F                   Ab       F

F                   F7        Bb     C7     F

F7                 Bb7     C7     F7

F                   C         Bb     F

Well done you have mastered your F chords

There are still some more to learn but you have the main chords sorted.!

LEVEL SIX

Bb                 Eb       Bb

Bb                 Gm      Bb

Bb                 Bb7     Eb     Bb

Bb                 F                   Bb

Bb                 F                   Eb     Bb

Bb                 Gm      Cm    Bb

Bb7               Eb7     F7     Bb7

Bb                 C         Bb

Bb                 Bbmin           Bb

Bbmin           Eb min          Bbmin

Bbmin           Eb                 Bbmin

Bb min          F min            Bb min

Bb min          F7        Bbmin

Bbmin           Eb       Bbmin         F7     Bbmin

LEVEL SEVEN

Ab                      Db                 Ab

Ab min               Db min                   Ab min

Ab                      Db                 Eb               Ab

Ab                      Db                 Eb7             Ab

Ab                      Bbmin           Db              Eb7             Ab

Ab                      Cmin             Db              Ab

Ab7                      Eb7             Db7            Ab7

Ab                      Bbmin           Cm             Db              Ab

Abmin                Db min                   Eb7   `        Abmin

Abmin                Ab                 Ab min

Ab                      C         Ab

Ab                      Eb                 Db              Ab

Ab                      G                   F                 G                Ab

LEVEL EIGHT

We are going to add augmented and diminished chords as well as a few jazz chords.  See how you go.  Can you notice the distinctive sounds these chords make?

C                        Caug             F                 C

C                        C6                 C      

C                        C dim            F       G7     C

C                        C9                 G                F                 C9              C

G                       G6                 G

G                       G6                 G7              G

G                       G dim            D7              G

A                        A dim            E                 A

Once you understand how these chords work it is now just a matter of going to your chord chart and looking up chords you are unfamiliar with.

Well done getting to this stage!