To keep time while strumming, use a metronome, count out loud, and keep your strumming hand moving in a steady rhythm, even when you miss a strum or change chords. The hand is the clock, and the metronome is the check, and the two together keep the time steady.
How do you keep time while strumming?
To keep time while strumming, use a metronome, count out loud, and keep your strumming hand moving in a steady rhythm, even when you miss a strum or change chords. The hand is the clock, and the metronome is the check, and the two together keep the time steady. A player who stops the hand to change chords will lose the time, because the rhythm is in the movement, and the movement must not stop, even when the chord is changing. The time is kept by the hand, not by the chords, and the hand must move steadily, like a pendulum, through the bar, hitting the strings on the pattern and missing them on the misses, but never stopping. The metronome keeps the beat, and the counting keeps the place, and the hand keeps the rhythm, and the three together make the time steady. A player who counts out loud will know where they are in the bar, and a player who uses a metronome will know if they are speeding up or slowing down, and a player who keeps the hand moving will not lose the time, even when a chord change is late. The metronome and the tap tempo tools keep the beat, and the G major guitar chord is the chord most beginners first keep time with.
How keeping time works
Keeping time works by dividing the bar into beats, and keeping the hand moving through those beats, steadily, without speeding up or slowing down. In 4/4 time, a bar has four beats, and the hand moves down and up, down and up, through the bar, hitting the strings on the pattern, and the beats are the same length, and the hand is the same speed, from the first beat to the last. The metronome gives the beat, and the hand follows it, and the counting gives the place, and the hand knows where it is, and the three together keep the time steady. The chord change is the moment when the time is most likely to be lost, because the fretting hand must move, and the strumming hand wants to stop and wait. The fix is to change the chord early, on the last strum of the bar, so the fretting hand is in place for the first strum of the next bar, and the strumming hand never stops. The change should be practised slowly, with a metronome, until it is smooth, and then the speed can increase, one step at a time. The I–V–vi–IV progression in C major is a good progression to practise the change with, because it changes chords on beat one of each bar.
Worked example — keeping time through a chord change. Play the I–V–vi–IV progression in C major with a metronome at 60 beats per minute, strumming down, down, up, up, down, up, on each chord, and changing chords on beat one of each bar. The change from C major to G major is the hardest, because the fingers must move, and the strumming hand wants to stop. The fix is to start moving the fretting hand on the last strum of the C major bar, so it is in place for the first strum of the G major bar, and the strumming hand never stops, and the time stays steady. Count out loud, one and two and three and four and, and the counting will tell you where you are, and the metronome will tell you if you are speeding up or slowing down.
How to practise keeping time
Practise keeping time slowly, with a metronome, until the hand moves steadily and the chord changes are smooth, and then increase the speed, one step at a time.
- Practise strumming a G major chord with a metronome at 60 beats per minute, counting one and two and three and four and, and keeping the hand moving steadily.
- Practise changing from a C major chord to a G major chord, starting the fretting hand moving on the last strum of the bar, so it is in place for the first strum of the next bar.
- Play the I–V–vi–IV progression in C major with a metronome, and listen for the time staying steady through the chord changes.
- Practise with the metronome at 60 beats per minute, and increase the tempo by 5 beats per minute when the time is steady at the current tempo.
- Practise counting out loud while you strum, and then practise counting in your head, and then practise without counting, letting the hand keep the time on its own.
Common mistakes
- Stopping the hand to change chords — The rhythm is in the movement, and stopping the hand to change chords will break the rhythm and lose the time. Start the fretting hand moving early, and keep the strumming hand moving, and the time will stay steady.
- Speeding up when the song gets exciting — A player who speeds up when the song gets exciting will lose the time, and the band will follow, and the song will rush. Use a metronome, and keep the tempo steady, even when the song gets exciting, and the time will stay.
- Counting only when you get lost — Counting is a habit, not a rescue, and a player who counts only when they get lost will get lost often. Count out loud from the start, and the counting will keep you from getting lost, instead of rescuing you after you are lost.
Quick reference
This table lists the three tools for keeping time, with what each one does and when to use it, so you can see how they work together. The metronome keeps the beat, the counting keeps the place, and the moving hand keeps the rhythm, and the three together make the time steady.
| Tool | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Metronome | Gives a steady beat | Always, when practising |
| Counting out loud | Tells you where you are in the bar | When learning a new pattern |
| Moving hand | Keeps the rhythm flowing | Always, even through misses |
Use the table as a checklist when you lose time: is the metronome on, are you counting, and is your hand moving, and fix the one that is missing. When all three are working, the time will stay steady, and the song will groove.
Frequently asked questions
How do I keep time while strumming?
Use a metronome, count out loud, and keep your strumming hand moving in a steady rhythm, even when you miss a strum or change chords. The hand is the clock, and the metronome is the check, and the two together keep the time steady.
Should I count out loud while I strum?
Yes, at first. Counting out loud tells you where you are in the bar, and it stops you from getting lost, and it keeps the time steady. When the counting is a habit, you can count in your head, and then let the hand keep the time on its own.
Why do I lose time when I change chords?
Because the fretting hand must move, and the strumming hand wants to stop and wait. Start the fretting hand moving on the last strum of the bar, so it is in place for the first strum of the next bar, and the strumming hand never stops.
How do I stop speeding up?
Use a metronome, and keep the tempo steady, even when the song gets exciting. The metronome is the check, and it will tell you if you are speeding up, and the hand must follow the metronome, not the excitement.
Can I keep time without a metronome?
Yes, when the hand is the clock, and the rhythm is a habit, and the counting is in your head. But a metronome is the best way to learn, because it is steady and it does not get excited, and it will tell you if you are speeding up or slowing down.