Below is the lesson for the Theme to “Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker Jr.

Helpful Tips

Learn the theme song to one of the most popular movies from the 80s! This arrangement is perfect for those of you who want to work on rhythm and strumming skills.

As you jump into this tune, keep in mind the golden rule: That you strum down on a downbeat and up on an upbeat. So for this song, think of the rhythm as being based out of an 8th note strum pattern.

To help visualize this concept, take a look at the measure below:

Click the image to enlarge it.

You’ll notice that there’s only one chord: C Major. For every downbeat (1, 2, 3, 4), you’ll strum down. And on the contrary, for every upbeat (the &’s), you’ll strum up.

This ‘golden rule’ is the secret to fluid rhythm playing and steady timing. Which leads to the question of how and why? And the answer is really simple, it keeps your right hand in a constant down/up motion. So if you go back and watch Matt’s playing, you’ll notice that his right hand is in perpetual down/up motion tied to an eighth note rhythmic value.

Part 1 – Performance & Free Lesson

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