Mastering Chords and Strum Patterns for English Songs
When learning to play the guitar, one of the most exciting parts is figuring out the chords and strum patterns for your favorite English songs. This guide will help you to explore some popular chords and strum patterns, as well as guide you on where to find them and how to practice effectively. So, let's dive into the world of chords and strumming patterns!
Popular English Songs with Their Chords and Strum Patterns
Here are a few popular English songs, along with their chords and strum patterns:
Song 1: "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen
Chords:
Verse: Em7, G, Dsus4, A7sus4 Chorus: C, D, Em, GStrum Pattern:
Down, down-up, up down-up, D, D-U, U, D-U
Song 2: "Let It Be" by The Beatles
Chords:
Verse/Chorus: Am, F, C, GStrum Pattern:
Down, down up, up down up, D, D-U, U, D-U
Song 3: "Hotel California" by Eagles
Chords:
Verse: A, E, Fm, D Chorus: A, E, Fm, DStrum Pattern:
Down, down up, up down, D, D-U, U, D
Song 4: "Wonderwall" by Oasis
Chords:
Verse: C, G, Am, F Chorus: C, G, F, CStrum Pattern:
Down, down-up, up down up, D, D-U, U, D-U
Song 5: "Yesterday" by The Beatles
Chords:
Verse: D, Cm, Bm, A Chorus: D, A, Bm, GStrum Pattern:
Down, down up, up down up, D, D-U, U, D-U
Feel free to pick up a guitar, find these chords, and practice the strum patterns! If you need more songs or specific details, don't hesitate to ask.
Where to Find Chords and Strum Patterns
The ultimate site for pretty much any song you’re looking for is Ultimate Guitar. They usually come as #1 in the Google search result if you search for chords for any popular song. While they provide chords, the chord shapes are very generic, and they don't do a very good job describing the strumming pattern. If you're looking for strumming patterns, YouTube is a great resource. You can pick up any song's strumming pattern and chords by watching cover videos on YouTube. Once you master the chords and strumming patterns for a few dozen songs, you'll be able to develop your own strumming pattern for the songs after listening to them.
Strumming Like a Drummer
As a rhythm guitarist, you have to think like a drummer. Listen to what the drummer is playing and try to emulate that in your guitar playing style. It may not be exactly what's played on the record, but if you're locked in with the drum's groove, you're gonna sound good. I teach guitar as well and tell all my students that this is how to play rhythm guitar effectively.
Practice Tips and Resources
For Indian guitar enthusiasts, check out for song video instructions every week. This site provides a structured learning path for beginners and intermediate players alike.
This diagram shows you where to place your fingers on the fret board to make the indicated chords. In English music, we use the letters A-G to represent different chords we commonly use. If you need help determining which fingers to use for each dot, you can look up YouTube videos on how to play the "___" chord. Practice these finger positions and changing between them as much as you can every day until you memorize them. This is the first step to gain the fundamentals to play songs. To maximize practice, do a Google search for the chords of a song you wish to learn. For example, if you wanted to learn "Mary Had A Little Lamb," you would go to Google and search for "Mary Had a Little Lamb Guitar Chords." Here is something that came up on Google Images for that search.
So in application, the Red C on "Mary" indicates that you need to strum a C chord on the guitar and proceed to sing "Mary had a little lamb." The Red G indicates that you need to change to a G chord and strum that while you sing the next phrase "Little Lamb." Then change back to a C chord to sing "Little Lamb." Finally, the next Red C is there to indicate that the next phrase of the song is still being sung over a C chord, so you can continue strumming C until you get to the part in the song where you sing "Whose Fleece was white as" beginning with the G Chord indicator.
Your goal should be to get into the repeating cycle of those changes and strum the chords with rhythmic timing so that someone or yourself can easily sing over it. This takes time and practice. Experts say beginners should practice 30 minutes a day, but at least 60 minutes is best. This is a basic explanation of how we approach simple western music. Other styles of music incorporate more complicated measures which will only make sense with years of experience. In my early days, it took me about 3 months to learn several chords and to develop a decent sense of rhythm. It could be longer for someone if they don't practice as much.
By following these tips, you'll be well on your way to mastering chords and strum patterns for your favorite English songs. Enjoy your musical journey!