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So you now have a couple of idea to use when strumming
on a ballad, but strumming isn't the only solution. One common
way to play a ballad is to pick out some individual notes on each
chord.
Pick down on 4 notes of the chord (starting
on the lowest note that you would normally strum). Then
pick up on 4 notes (most of the time starting with the
1st string. When using 16th notes, each group of 4 is
one beat.
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For a chord that you would normally strum
4 strings, like D, use the following pattern. This way
you avoid playing the 1st string 2 times in a row (which
can sound a little funny)
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If your ballad requires a little slower feel to it, try using
8th notes instead of 16th notes. Each group of four 8th notes
will equal 2 beats.
It is important to know how many beats a particular pattern
uses. For instance, if the chords in a song are changing every
2 beats, you can't use the entire 8th note pattern above which
is 4 beats. The solution is to use only the first 2 beats of the
pattern (just picking down 4 times)
Once you have the hang of the basic patterns above.
Try to make up some of you own. At first try to make sure that
you are picking the root of the chord first (the letter name A,B
etc...) Then just pick out some other notes in the chord that
sound good to you. You could play a steady rhythmic pattern like
all 8th notes or 16th notes, or you could mix up the rhythm a
little.
Listen to the example below in which I am just picking
out some different notes in the chord. I start with the basic
pattern and then just start to pick notes freely (always playing
the root for the 1st note of the chord change. The chords are
on G to C for 1 measure each (4/4 time).
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Another possibility when playing a ballad is to
fingerpick, but that is another story.
Beyond the beat, adding more to your ballad guitar strum.
Back to the beginning of ballad basics for guitar
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