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→Mutes and Rests
== Mutes and Rests ==
''Mutes'' and ''rests'' become quite important to get a good rhythmic feel to strumming chords. ''Muted strums'' are very percussive, moreso than any other variety. Rests are also useful to contrast against all other types of playing. For any beat, we can play a strum, sustain a chord strummed on a prior beat, play a muted strum, or rest. The way to perform a rest is incidentally by muting the strings, using both the left and right hands, as described [[Basic Technique|previously]]. '''This is not to be confused by a muted strum''', which uses a left hand mute while strumming with the right hand, which is unfortunately often called just a "mute". So, I use the classical term ''rest'' to describe it here to avoid confusion. Muted strums' percussive nature allows them to have clarity while strumming quickly. They are also easier to play than most chords, as they require less precision. When alternating between barre chords and muted strums, it's often simple enough to simply reduce left hand pressure on the strings so they come off the frets but are still pressed against the fingers. If barring on a strong harmonic placement, such as on the 5th, 7th, or 12th frets, you may need to shift position slightly when muting to avoid getting a natural harmonic instead of a strong muted strum. F# E F# B e--2----2----x-x-x-x-2----2----x-x-x-x-0----------2----------2--------- b--2----2----x-x-x-x-2----2----x-x-x-x-0-----r----2-----r----4--------- g--3----3----x-x-x-x-3----3----x-x-x-x-1-----e----3-----e----4--------- d--4----4----x-x-x-x-4----4----x-x-x-x-2-----s----4-----s----4--------- a--4----4----x-x-x-x-4----4----x-x-x-x-2-----t----4-----t----2--------- e--2----2----x-x-x-x-2----2----x-x-x-x-0----------2--------------------
== Simple Strumming Patterns ==