How to Play the "Bo Diddley Beat" Guitar Strum Pattern

The "BO DIDDLEY BEAT" is a classic rhythm guitar strumming pattern that can be found in numerous songs that span the decades of rock and roll history, including "Willie and the Hand Jive", "Not Fade Away", "Faith", "Who Do You Love?", "Black Horse and Cherry Tree" and "Desire". Learning to strum this classic pattern will not only help you find your true Bo Diddley groove, but it will help deepen the groove in all of your strum patterns! 📓 NOTES AND TIME STAMPS 🕑 0:00 - Introduction 0:42- The Golden Rule of Strumming and "Flicking Water" 1:51 - Bo Diddley Beat Measure 1 (D DU UD) 4:12 - Bo Diddley Beat Measure 2 (UD D) 5:34 - Easy example with G and C chords 6:05 - Applying left hand muting to bring out the groove 9:25 - Example: "Black Horse And The Cherry Tree" 10:42 - Example: "Desire" and Eb tuning 13:30 - Thanks and where to find more lessons 🎸 PRO TIP: Try the Bo Diddley Beat with some random chords to practice your chord changes while you work on the guitar strum! ✅ Connect with Jim Bowley on social media!