# How to Play Guitar in 3/4 Time: Waltz Strumming and Rhythm Patterns > Learn how to play guitar in 3/4 time with waltz strumming patterns, fingerpicking rhythms, and exercises. Perfect for guitarists who want to move beyond 4/4 time. Source: https://guitarwiz.app/articles/guitar-in-3-4-time Almost every beginner guitar lesson focuses on 4/4 time - four beats per bar, a natural fit for rock, pop, and blues. But once you start exploring folk, classical, jazz ballads, or country, you'll encounter 3/4 time constantly. Three beats per bar creates a fundamentally different rhythmic feel - a rolling, circular motion that's immediately recognizable as a waltz. Understanding 3/4 time opens up an enormous repertoire and makes you a more complete guitarist. The good news: if you can feel 4/4, you can learn to feel 3/4 with a bit of focused practice. ## What Is 3/4 Time? In 3/4 time (also called triple time), each measure contains three quarter-note beats. You count: **1, 2, 3 | 1, 2, 3 | 1, 2, 3...** The emphasis lands on beat 1, with beats 2 and 3 being lighter. This "STRONG-weak-weak" pattern is what creates the characteristic waltz lilt. Compare this to 4/4, where the emphasis is "STRONG-weak-medium-weak" (1-2-3-4). Removing beat 4 completely changes the musical character. **Famous songs in 3/4 time:** - "The House of the Rising Sun" (The Animals) - "Scarborough Fair" (traditional, Simon and Garfunkel) - "What a Wonderful World" (Louis Armstrong) - "America" (Simon and Garfunkel) - "Norwegian Wood" (The Beatles) - "My Favorite Things" (Rodgers and Hammerstein) - "Happy Birthday to You" (traditional) ## Feeling 3/4: The First Exercise Before picking up your guitar, count out loud: "1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3." Clap on the 1. Snap on 2 and 3. Feel how the 1 acts as an anchor that the 2 and 3 swing around and return to. Now pick up your guitar and try this: - Strum down on beat 1 (strong) - Strum down on beat 2 (light) - Strum down on beat 3 (light) That's the most basic 3/4 pattern. Three downstrokes per bar. Count aloud while you do it. This is the first thing to lock in before any pattern variations. ## Essential 3/4 Strumming Patterns ### Pattern 1: The Basic Waltz (Down-Down-Down) ``` Beat: 1 2 3 D D D ``` Use this to establish the feel. All downstrokes, with emphasis on 1. ### Pattern 2: Classic Waltz (Down-Down-Up) ``` Beat: 1 2 3 + D D U ``` The upstroke on the "and" of beat 3 creates forward motion. This is the most commonly taught waltz pattern and works for a huge range of songs. ### Pattern 3: Folk Waltz (Down-Up-Down-Up-Down-Up) ``` Beat: 1 + 2 + 3 + D U D U D U ``` Six strokes per bar - alternating down-up on every beat. This creates a flowing, even feel appropriate for folk ballads. Keep the motion loose and the upstrokes light. ### Pattern 4: Bass Note + Strum ``` Beat: 1 2 3 Bass Strum Strum ``` On beat 1, pick the root note of the chord with your thumb or pick (bass string only). On beats 2 and 3, strum the remaining strings. This is the classic country and folk waltz accompaniment. It separates the bass note from the treble strings, creating a fuller, more arranged sound. ### Pattern 5: Syncopated Waltz ``` Beat: 1 + 2 + 3 + D . U D . U ``` This introduces syncopation - hitting on the "and" of 2 and the "and" of 3 for a more modern, less formal feel. Good for contemporary folk and indie arrangements. ## Fingerpicking Patterns in 3/4 Fingerpicking naturally suits 3/4 time because each finger can represent one beat. ### Thumb-Index-Middle (T-I-M) ``` Beat: 1 2 3 Thumb Index Middle (bass) (B string) (E string) ``` Your thumb plays the root note on beat 1. Index finger plays the second string on beat 2. Middle finger plays the first string on beat 3. Simple, beautiful, effective. ### Arpeggiated Waltz ``` Beat: 1 2 3 Root 5th 3rd (low string) (mid) (high) ``` Arpeggiate the chord by plucking one note per beat, starting with the lowest note and moving upward. This is the foundation of classical guitar accompaniment in triple time. ## Practicing 3/4: Common Exercises ### Exercise 1: Simple Chord Changes in 3/4 Take a two-chord progression - G and C. Hold G for one full bar (3 beats), then C for one full bar. Use basic downstrokes. Count out loud: "1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3." When this is comfortable, switch to Pattern 2. ### Exercise 2: Counting Mixed Bars Play two bars of G, one bar of D, one bar of G. This is 3/4 in action across a simple progression. Focus on feeling the 1 as an anchor every time. ### Exercise 3: Bass Note + Strum Over a Progression Choose a progression: G - C - D - G. Practice Pattern 4 (bass note + two strums) throughout. This will immediately sound like a waltz. ### Exercise 4: Clap Then Play Set a metronome to 80 BPM in 3/4 if possible, or simply count and clap: 1-2-3-1-2-3. After 8 bars of clapping, pick up your guitar and continue the count while playing. Clapping the rhythm first grounds the feel in your body before your hands need to execute it. ## Common Mistakes **1. Rushing beat 3.** Beat 3 is where many players unconsciously rush because the bar is "ending" and they want to get back to the 1. Use a metronome and deliberately emphasize the space between beat 3 and the next bar's beat 1. **2. Making every beat equally strong.** In 4/4, many beginners treat beats 1 and 3 similarly. In 3/4, beat 1 is the only strong beat. Beats 2 and 3 should be lighter in attack. **3. Losing the count.** 3/4 is easy to drift into 4/4 if you're not actively counting. Count aloud or silently on every beat until the feel is internalized. **4. Skipping the bass-strum technique.** Once you go beyond basic downstrokes, the bass-note-plus-strum pattern is one of the most versatile and musical approaches. Practice it early. ## Songs to Practice With These songs are great for developing 3/4 feel at various difficulty levels: - **"Happy Birthday"** - Simple, familiar, and perfect for establishing the basic feel - **"Scarborough Fair"** - Fingerpicking in 3/4 at moderate tempo - **"The House of the Rising Sun"** - Arpeggiated 3/4 with chord changes - **"Amazing Grace"** - Classic hymn with simple chord movement in 3/4 - **"Norwegian Wood"** - Beatles song with a slightly more complex feel ## 3/4 vs 6/8: What's the Difference? You may encounter 6/8 time, which can sound similar to 3/4. The key difference: - **3/4:** Three beats per bar, each beat is a quarter note (1-2-3) - **6/8:** Six beats per bar, but grouped in twos of three (1-2-3-4-5-6, felt as TWO strong beats) 6/8 feels like two big beats, each divided into three. 3/4 feels like three beats, each divided into two. "House of the Rising Sun" is often written in 6/8 but most guitarists feel it as 3/4. Don't overthink the distinction at this stage - feel the music first. ## Try This in Guitar Wiz Use Guitar Wiz's **Metronome** set to 3/4 time to practice waltz patterns. Start at a slow tempo (60-70 BPM) and practice your chosen strumming pattern while listening to the click on beat 1. Build a simple waltz chord progression in the **Song Maker** - try G - C - D - G - and loop it while you develop the feel. The **Chord Library** is great for finding the voicings you need for songs you're learning, especially for open chord shapes that work naturally with waltz strumming. [Download Guitar Wiz on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6740015002?pt=643962&ct=article-guitar-3-4-time&mt=8) · [Practice with the Metronome →](/guitar-chords) ## FAQ ### Is 3/4 time hard to learn on guitar? Not particularly, especially if you already play in 4/4. The main adjustment is internalizing the three-beat grouping. Counting aloud and using a metronome set to 3/4 makes it straightforward. ### What is the most common 3/4 guitar strumming pattern? Down-Down-Down (three downstrokes) is the simplest. The most widely used pattern that sounds musical is Down-Down-Up (the last beat gets an upstroke). The bass-note-plus-strum pattern is the most versatile for accompaniment. ### What songs can I practice in 3/4 time? "Scarborough Fair," "The House of the Rising Sun," "Norwegian Wood," "Amazing Grace," and "Happy Birthday" are all in 3/4. They range from beginner to intermediate difficulty. ### Can I use any chord progression in 3/4 time? Yes - any chord progression that works in 4/4 also works in 3/4. The time signature changes the rhythm, not the harmony. ### People Also Ask **What is the difference between 3/4 and 4/4 time on guitar?** In 4/4 time there are four beats per bar; in 3/4 there are three. The rhythmic feel changes completely - 4/4 is the standard rock/pop feel, while 3/4 creates the rolling waltz sensation. **How do you count 3/4 time?** Count "1, 2, 3 - 1, 2, 3 - 1, 2, 3" with a slight emphasis on the 1. Think of it as a continuous three-beat loop where the 1 is the anchor. **What genre uses 3/4 time most?** Waltz (classical and country), folk ballads, and some jazz standards use 3/4 most commonly. You'll also find it in gospel, Celtic music, and many Beatles songs.