Ukulele · Chapter 20 of 24

The Chunk and More Strums

Once the down-up swing is automatic, you can shape it: mute some strums, lean on others, and swing the eighth notes.

All four strums in this chapter use the same steady down-up motion. What changes is what the hand does when it meets the strings.

The chunk

A chunk is a strum with the strings muted, so you hear a short percussive click instead of a chord, like a snare drum. To play one, strum down and, at the same moment, let the heel or side of your strumming hand land on the strings to stop them. (Another way: loosen the fretting fingers so they touch the strings without pressing.) In patterns it’s marked X.

Down-up, CHUNK-up, down-up, CHUNK-up: the chunks fall on beats 2 and 4, where a drummer plays the snare.

Accents

An accent (>) means play that strum a little louder. Accenting beats 2 and 4 gives a song a light, bouncing feel without any chunks at all.

Swing

In swing, each pair of eighth notes is played long-short, like “DUM-da DUM-da,” instead of evenly. Ragtime-era and jazz-age ukulele players strummed this way. The hand still goes down on the beat and up in between; the up strum just comes a little late.

The 6/8 lilt

In 6/8 there are six eighth notes per bar, felt as two big beats: ONE-two-three FOUR-five-six. A gentle strum for it: down on 1, up on 3, down on 4, up on 6.

Practice. Play the chunk pattern on C until the mute is crisp, then add a chord change every bar. Then strum the swing pattern along with it, and finally try Ragtime Ramble, which uses swung strums with accents on 2 and 4.

Remember

  • Chunk (X): strum while the hand mutes the strings, usually on beats 2 and 4.
  • Accents (>) on 2 and 4 make a light bounce.
  • Swing: eighth notes long-short. 6/8: two big beats of three.

Songs that use this

@teddyrookbook GitHub