Ukulele · Chapter 9 of 24
Strumming Down and Up
Down on the beat, up in between. Once your hand swings like a pendulum, every strum pattern is just a matter of which strings you hit.
So far you’ve strummed once per beat. Now split each beat in two: a down strum on the beat and an up strum halfway to the next one. Count “1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and.”
The pendulum
Let the strumming hand swing down and up from the wrist, steadily, like a pendulum: down on every number, up on every “and.” The up strum is usually lighter; it often catches only the top two or three strings, and that’s fine.
D = down strum, U = up strum. Watch the arrows light up as it plays.
The miss
Here is the idea that makes every pattern easy: the hand never stops. To leave a strum out, keep the motion going but miss the strings, moving just above them. In a pattern, a missed strum is shown as a gap. Because the hand keeps swinging, the strums you do play always land in the right place.
Down, (miss), down-up, down, (miss), down-up. After the first down strum of each pair your hand still comes up; it just misses the strings.
Keep it relaxed
A tight hand makes a harsh, uneven sound. Hold the strumming hand loosely, let the nail brush the strings rather than dig in, and keep the motion small. If your forearm tires, stop and rest it for a minute.
Remember
- Down on the numbers, up on the “ands.”
- The hand never stops; a missed strum is a swing that clears the strings.
- Loose hand, small motion, lighter up strums.