Introduction to 16th Strumming

Get started with intermediate level 16th strumming, which is the gateway to all intermediate level strumming patterns!

16th strumming is where the rhythm played in a bar is split in 16. This is the gateway to all intermediate strumming patterns. Put simply, 8th strumming is a beginner level skill. Therefore, this section requires a step up in technique and understanding, especially when using it in real songs and with harder chords!

Set your Tempo, Hit Loop, and jam along!

You are more likely to lose the beat with this pattern because we are strumming 16 times in a bar.It is therefore best to accent the beat to make your count more natural and so the beat is clearly heard in your strumming.

Song examples with a 16th strumming pattern include;

• ‘Back For Good’ by Take That
• ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis (Similar 16th strumming pattern)
• ‘Wake Me Up’ by Avicii (again based on a similar 16th rhythm)

There are many variations of 16th strumming, too many to list. They do all have one consistent for all of them, which has been a consistent throughout this strumming book – Keep your hand moving at an even pace.For most improver / intermediate patterns, trying to remember if it’s a down or an up you should use is a common mistake and a sign of a beginner guitarist. Improvers think about the rhythm they need to play, memorise this, and then use whichever downs and ups are appropriate to play this rhythm. They can do this because the hand is moving as a constant and they choose when to catch the strings.