The basic strumming patterns for beginners are the steady downstroke on every beat, the down-up pattern with eight eighth-note strums per bar, and the island strum, down, down, up, up, down, up, which is the most common pattern in pop and folk music.
What are the basic strumming patterns for beginners?
The basic strumming patterns for beginners are the steady downstroke on every beat, the down-up pattern with eight eighth-note strums per bar, and the island strum, down, down, up, up, down, up, which is the most common pattern in pop and folk music. The downstroke pattern is the simplest: strum down on every beat, four strums per bar in 4/4 time, and the rhythm is steady and clear. The down-up pattern adds the upstroke on the offbeat, eight strums per bar, and the rhythm is flowing and even. The island strum misses two strums, and the rhythm is syncopated and groovy, which is why it is so popular. The patterns are written with D for downstroke and U for upstroke, and a dash for a missed strum, so the island strum is written as D, D, U, U, D, U, with the hand moving through eight positions and hitting six of them. The patterns work in any key, and they work with any chords, because the pattern is the rhythm and the chords are the harmony, and the two are independent. The G major guitar chord and the C major guitar chord are the chords most beginners first strum with, and the metronome keeps the beat steady.
How strumming patterns work
A strumming pattern works by dividing the bar into eighth notes, and choosing which eighth notes to hit and which to miss, while the hand keeps moving through all of them. In 4/4 time, a bar has eight eighth notes, and a pattern is a choice of downstrokes and upstrokes on those eight positions. The downstroke is on the beat, and the upstroke is on the offbeat, and the hand moves down and up, down and up, through the bar, hitting the strings on the positions the pattern chooses, and missing them on the positions it does not choose. The missed strums are as important as the hits, because they create the space and the groove of the pattern. The island strum, down, down, up, up, down, up, is the pattern that misses the upstroke after beat one and the downstroke on beat three, and the misses create a syncopated feel, with the accent on the offbeat. The pattern is written as D, D, U, U, D, U, and the hand moves down, up, down, up, down, up, down, up, hitting the first, third, fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth positions, and missing the second and sixth. The D major guitar chord and the A major guitar chord are the chords the patterns are built on, and the I–V–vi–IV progression in G major is a good progression to practise them with.
Worked example — the island strum. Hold a G major chord, and count one and two and three and four and, moving your hand down and up through all eight positions. Hit the strings on one, on two, on the and after two, on three, on four, and on the and after four, and miss the and after one and the and after three, keeping the hand moving through the misses. The pattern is down, down, up, up, down, up, and the rhythm is groovy and syncopated, with the accent on the offbeat. Now try the same pattern on a C major chord, and then on a D major chord, and play the I–V–vi–IV progression in G major with the island strum, changing chords on beat one of each bar.
How to practise strumming patterns
Practise strumming patterns slowly, with a metronome, until the pattern is smooth and the rhythm is steady, and then increase the speed, one step at a time.
- Practise the downstroke pattern on a G major chord, strumming down on every beat, four strums per bar, counting one, two, three, four.
- Practise the down-up pattern on a C major chord, strumming down on the beat and up on the offbeat, eight strums per bar, counting one and two and three and four and.
- Practise the island strum on a D major chord, down, down, up, up, down, up, keeping the hand moving through the missed strums.
- Play the I–V–vi–IV progression in C major with the island strum, changing chords on beat one of each bar.
- Practise with the metronome at 60 beats per minute, and increase the tempo by 5 beats per minute when the pattern is steady at the current tempo.
Common mistakes
- Stopping the hand when you miss a strum — The rhythm comes from the movement, not from the hits, so stopping the hand when you miss a strum will break the rhythm. Keep the hand moving, even through the missed strums, and the rhythm will stay steady.
- Learning too many patterns at once — A beginner who learns five patterns at once will learn none of them well, because the hand needs time to learn each pattern. Learn one pattern until it is smooth, and then learn the next, and the patterns will build on each other.
- Playing the pattern too fast — A pattern played too fast will be uneven and sloppy, because the hand cannot keep up, and the rhythm will break. Practise slowly, with a metronome, until the pattern is smooth, and then increase the speed, one step at a time.
Quick reference
This table lists the three basic strumming patterns, with the strums for each one and the feel it gives, so you can see the patterns side by side and choose the one that fits the song. The downstroke pattern is steady and clear, the down-up pattern is flowing and even, and the island strum is groovy and syncopated.
| Pattern | Strums | Feel |
|---|---|---|
| Downstroke | D – D – D – D | Steady and clear |
| Down-up | D – U – D – U – D – U – D – U | Flowing and even |
| Island strum | D – D – U – U – D – U | Groovy and syncopated |
Use the table to practise the three patterns, one at a time, until each one is smooth, and then play a song with each pattern, noticing how the feel changes. When you can play all three patterns cleanly, you can accompany most songs, and the patterns will be yours.
Frequently asked questions
What are the basic strumming patterns for beginners?
The steady downstroke on every beat, the down-up pattern with eight eighth-note strums per bar, and the island strum, down, down, up, up, down, up, which is the most common pattern in pop and folk music.
What is the island strum?
The island strum is the pattern down, down, up, up, down, up, which is six strums in a bar, with two strums missed, and the hand keeps moving through the missed strums, so the rhythm is groovy and syncopated.
How do I read a strumming pattern?
A strumming pattern is written with D for downstroke and U for upstroke, and a dash for a missed strum, so the island strum is written as D, D, U, U, D, U, with the hand moving through eight positions and hitting six of them.
How many strumming patterns should I learn?
Start with three: the downstroke pattern, the down-up pattern, and the island strum, and learn each one until it is smooth, before learning the next. Three patterns will cover most songs, and the rest can be learned later.
Can I use the same strumming pattern for every song?
You can, but the song will sound better with a pattern that fits its rhythm and its feel. A slow song needs a slow pattern, and a fast song needs a fast pattern, and the pattern should match the song, not the other way round.