Why I Can’t Keep a Steady Rhythm - Even When I Count

Master the Motion, Not the Math.

This is part of our “Guitar Challenges Solved” series—real answers for adult beginners who want to play songs for fun without the struggle.

If you’ve ever sat there strumming, counting out loud — “1, 2, 3, 4” — and still felt like the rhythm is all over the place… you’re not alone.

It’s one of the most common frustrations adult beginners face. And here’s what might surprise you: it’s not that you don’t have rhythm — it’s that you’re doing too much thinking, and not enough feeling.

Let’s break it down.

Where It Goes Wrong

I’ve worked with hundreds of adult students over the years at the Gold Coast School of Guitar, and one pattern comes up again and again:

👉 They play too fast.

Even when they’re trying to go slow, they speed up without noticing. Why? Because they’ve tied their rhythm to counting instead of motion — and the body always rushes ahead when the brain gets too involved.

👉 They say the rhythm unevenly — and play it the same way.

Take a pattern like: Down, Down-Up, Up-Down (or 1, 2+, +4).

What I see happen is: the first two beats get counted clearly — but then the rest comes out in a rush: “One… Two-and…andFour!” It sounds rushed, and guess what? That’s exactly how they play it.

Without even knowing it, they’ve programmed in the mistake just by the way they say it. The body follows the voice.

Guitarist placing fretting hand across all six strings to demonstrate muted strumming drill.

So What’s the Fix?

✅ 1. Slow. It. Down.

This cannot be overstated. Most rhythm issues disappear when the tempo is dropped.

Set your metronome or drum beat to something around 60 BPM and stay there. Forget the song tempo. Focus on training your hand.

✅ 2. Scratch the Pattern

This is one of the most powerful rhythm drills I teach inside my free 1-on-1 intro session:

Rest your fretting hand lightly across the strings — no chord, no pitch.

Set a slow beat with a metronome or drum track.

Strum the rhythm pattern using just muted scratches.

Why it works:

With no chord changes, no pitch, and no lyrics — it’s just you and the rhythm. It trains the mechanics of the strumming pattern, not just the mental idea of it.

You’ll be shocked how much more in control you feel after even 5 minutes of this.

Right strumming hand moving steadily in up-and-down motion over guitar strings.

Keep the Motor Running

Here’s the metaphor I use with my students:

Your strumming arm is the motor. And that motor never stops.

Even when you’re not hitting the strings — you’re still moving. Down, up, down, up — like a pendulum. If you stop and start, the rhythm falls apart. But when you keep that motion going, your groove stays alive.

Now, here’s where many adult learners go wrong:

They overthink the when and where of each strum. Instead of letting their hand move in a relaxed, steady way, they try to precisely “land” every stroke — especially when there’s a rhythm pattern involved. It’s almost like they’re aiming at each beat, treating every down or up strum as a separate little task:

“Okay, down... now up... wait… when’s the next one?”

And that kind of micromanaging leads to hesitation, jerky movement, and a stop-start feel that kills the rhythm. The groove gets lost because the strumming is being controlled by the brain instead of the body.

Why does this happen?

Because adults often approach guitar the same way they’ve solved problems their whole lives — with logic. They treat it like a puzzle to figure out. But rhythm isn’t a riddle to solve. It’s a feel to internalize. You can’t think your way into a groove — you have to move your way into it.

And if you're afraid of hitting the wrong string or making a mistake, your strumming becomes overly cautious. You tighten up, try to be precise, and end up choking the flow. That’s the opposite of what needs to happen.

You might notice this in inconsistent timing, missed upstrokes, or even a kind of “paralysis” when trying to strum and change chords at the same time. I’ve seen it on student video replays — their hand literally freezes as they try to “figure out” the next move instead of just letting it flow.

✅ The fix? Stop aiming. Let your strumming hand be the motor.

Move from the elbow, not the wrist. Stay loose. Let your arm swing like you’re brushing crumbs off your pants. That’s how rhythm starts to feel good.

Close-up of metronome and guitar on table to support slow rhythm training.

One Final Tip: Record Yourself

Even just 10 seconds on your phone. You’ll hear right away if you’re rushing, dragging, or nailing it. No judgment — just awareness. Awareness is what turns into progress.

🎸 Strumming isn’t about counting—it’s about feeling.

When your body leads and your brain follows, rhythm becomes natural.

If this is something you’re struggling with, book a free 1-on-1 intro session and I’ll walk you through how we build rhythm into real songs using the CPR Song-Learning System. You’ll leave strumming with way more confidence (and less frustration).

Ready to get started?

Book Your Free 1-on-1 Intro Session

About the author:

Allen Hopgood is the founder of Gold Coast School of Guitar, where he helps adults over 40 play real songs for fun—without the pressure or confusion. His relaxed, song-first approach has helped hundreds of beginners strum with confidence and enjoy the journey. Book a free intro session and see how easy it can be to start playing.