Feel the Groove: How to Strum Without Memorizing Patterns
Discover how to strum by feel instead of memorizing patterns using Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.” Learn the secret to natural-sounding rhythm and unlock expressive guitar playing.
Learn to Strum by Feel (Not Memorization) – Inspired by Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
A couple of weeks ago, I was out driving with my kids when Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door by Bob Dylan came on the radio. My daughter asked, “Daddy, what instruments are they playing?” So I started pointing them out – acoustic guitar, bass, vocals… a few measures later, the drums kicked in.
As we kept listening, I noticed something peculiar about the strumming. You might already know the chords. You might have learned the pattern someone told you to follow. But in this song, the strumming pattern changes almost every single measure. There’s no strict pattern – and yet, it still grooves beautifully.
That got me thinking: if the strumming pattern itself isn’t consistent, what is creating that feel?
Today, we’re going to explore that. I’ll show you how to feel the rhythm of a song – so you can strum naturally, without having to memorize every little down-up-down. It’s a method I teach in my online course Strumming Made Simple and it works across every style.
Step 1: Start with a Chord Shape
Grab an E chord.
(You can mute the strings if you’re just working on rhythm, but for this exercise, I want you to hear the chord ring out.)
Now start strumming down-up-down-up, nice and even. It should feel a bit like playing a shaker – a smooth, soft sound, not stiff or forced. Keep your grip on the pick light and let the movement come from your forearm and elbow.
(1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + … keep going steady…)
Step 2: Add the Dynamic Wave
Now imagine a wave. Each time you hit beat 1, the wave crashes down, then tapers off until the next beat 1.
Switch to a G chord. Let’s try it again – nice big beat on one… then soft strums afterward. Ride that wave.
This dynamic movement gives your strumming life. It’s not robotic – it breathes with the song.
Step 3: Build a Two-Measure Groove
We’re going to expand that feel over two bars. Emphasize beat 1, then beat 3 in the next bar, and beat 1 again.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + | 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Feel those accents? It’s like your arm is painting waves across the rhythm. Do it a few more times and let your ears and hands sink into it.
Step 4: Bring in the Offbeats
Here’s where it gets cool: we’re going to pop out an offbeat by skipping a downstroke.
Let’s say you want to emphasize the & after 2 – you just miss beat 3.
Try it with a D chord now. Strum steadily, but skip the strings on beat 3. That offbeat will shine through, even without extra volume.
Combine this with the earlier groove: 1, 3, 1, and a pop on the & of 2. It starts sounding a lot like what’s going on in Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door – not exact, but close in feel.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + | 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Step 5: Take It Beyond This Song
So how do you get good at this with any song?
- Just listen. You don’t need your guitar at first.
- Make percussion sounds with your mouth. Da-da, ba-ba – anything. Feel the rhythm.
- Move your arm down and up along with the beat.
- Wherever you emphasize a sound, that’s where you add strumming dynamics later.
This is how you stop relying on strict strumming patterns and start playing with feel. And it opens up so much creativity – especially when you’re jamming, improvising, or accompanying someone else.
If you enjoyed this lesson, please take a moment to like the video and subscribe to my channel. And if this resonated with you, you’ll get even more out of my full course, Strumming Made Simple, where we dive into playing by ear, adding groove and expression, and even singing while strumming.
Have fun practicing – and I’ll see you next time!
