In this lesson I’ll teach you the single most helpful strumming exercise there is: the pyramid drill. This is a muted strumming exercise (no chord shapes needed) which helps you coordinate strumming motion & counting, in a manner which mimics real-world strumming scenarios you’ll encounter in countless songs.
This drill is based around four levels, where you start simple → proceed upwards into more complicated strums → and return back to the starting point. All the while, you’re meant to maintain a steady quarter-note beat… which is where the challenge lies.
You can perform this drill with or without a metronome, and likewise with or without out-loud counting. See my video for a handful of practical tips to utilize while learning & practicing this drill. Good luck and enjoy!
Here’s a few extra videos, made in thanks to those supporting me with Premium membership here on my Song Notes website. To those showing your support, you have my true thanks and appreciation — and I hope you find these additional videos helpful!
Here’s a short, zoomed-in video where I play through the complete pyramid drill twice in a row. I’m playing over a metronome (80bpm), while counting the beats out loud. Graphics are shown for each of the four levels, with no talking or instruction. Use this to reference the exercise, if you need a reminder how it sounds to move up the pyramid and back down again.
Is this pyramid drill possible in 6/8 time? In a way, yes! We have to adjust a few things with counting and the number of steps, but it is indeed possible to start simple and amp up the complexity — before returning to level 1. See page 4 of my PDF for additional notes & diagrams, mapping to this video.
If you really want to make progress with this exercise, try playing along with a metronome. Here’s a handful of different speeds for you to try. Start slow! Begin by establishing your quarter note count (“ONE two three four”), and start the drill when you’re ready.
Slowest Tempo (60bpm):
Semi-Slow Tempo (70bpm):
Moderate Tempo (80bpm):
Semi-Fast Tempo (90bpm):
Fast Tempo (100bpm):
The pyramid drill is especially helpful when strumming 16th notes, which are a bit tricky to get the hang of. My best introduction to 16th notes is this video looking at Van Morrison’s Into the Mystic:
If you’re after some song tutorials that feature 16th notes, here’s a bunch from my lesson library:
Premium
VIP
Beta Tester
