The strumming pattern sets the groove to any great song, just like the drummer does. But whether you find an arrangement online or in a songbook, you’re rarely told which strumming or picking pattern to use. You’ll see plenty about what the fretting hand should be doing, but what about the strumming hand? In this article, I’ll offer a few suggestions for how to choose a strumming pattern. Then, I’ll teach you four patterns that you can add to your “musical toolkit.” With these as a foundation, you’ll be on your way to finding that perfect groove.
Now let’s try to play some patterns. Playing these strumming patterns correctly doesn’t require that you read music, but matching the pattern to the right rhythm is critical. The patterns are counted with each of the four beats broken in half. Count each beat evenly and equally: ONE AND TWO AND THREE AND FOUR AND (1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &). Notice where each of the strums fall against the beats. You strum “Down” on 1, 2, 3 and 4, and you strum “Up” on all of the “ands.” In the examples, the bracket facing down is the down stroke and the “V” is the upstroke.
After you learn these 4 patterns you can experiment to create your own strums. Down strums are usually on the down beat (1 2 3 4) and the up strums are on the up beats (“and” or “&” of each beat). If you stay within the time signature, there are countless combinations that will fit with the music. Soon, you won’t even have to think about choosing a strumming pattern. You’ll hear a tune and your strumming hand will just fall into the groove. If you’d like to see me demonstrating some patterns in video, check it out here.
