Essential Strumming Patterns

Strumming is what brings chords to life! Let's learn patterns that will work with almost any song.

What You'll Learn

• Basic down-strum patterns
• Down-up strumming combinations
• Rhythm and timing
• Adding dynamics to your playing

Pattern 1: All Downs

The simplest pattern - all downstrokes on each beat:

DOWN DOWN DOWN DOWN
1    2    3    4

Use this for slower songs or when you want a strong, driving rhythm.

Pattern 2: Down-Up

Add upstrokes between the beats:

DOWN  up  DOWN  up  DOWN  up  DOWN  up
1    and  2    and  3    and  4    and

This creates movement and energy in your playing.

Pattern 3: The Folk Pattern

A classic pattern used in countless songs:

DOWN  DOWN  up  up  DOWN  up
1     2     and and  4    and

Practice this slowly with a metronome until it feels natural.

Tips for Better Strumming

1. Keep Your Arm Moving: Even when not strumming, maintain the motion
2. Relax Your Wrist: Let your wrist do the work, not your whole arm
3. Start Slow: Master the pattern at 60 BPM before speeding up
4. Use Dynamics: Vary your volume for more musical playing

Practice Exercise

Play through these chords with Pattern 2:

• G (4 measures)
• D (4 measures)
• Em (4 measures)
• C (4 measures)

Repeat this loop until the transitions feel smooth.

Next Lesson

In our next lesson, we'll explore fingerpicking patterns and how to add melody while playing chords!