Strumming patterns
Build a pattern, hear it on a chord, and learn what the arrows never show: the hand keeps moving. Tap a cell to change it; pick another with Pattern.
Folk workhorse D · DU · UDU
down
up
ghost: the hand moves, the strings are missed
chuck ×
bass note
accent
Tap a cell: down → accent → up → ghost → chuck → bass. The strip is the hand: down, up, down, up, whatever sounds.Why it works: The one in countless folk and pop songs: every down on a beat, every up on an "&". The ghosts on 2 and the "& of 3" are where the hand keeps swinging.
Chords underneath
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training/strumming?p=%3ED-DU-UDU&t=4%2F4&g=2&bpm=92&pr=four-chord&k=G&s=major
Open in Chord chart Every bar strummed with this pattern; change the chords, the comping or the drums there.
Strumming patterns
down
up
ghost: the hand moves, the strings are missed
chuck ×
bass note
accent
Four on the floor D · D · D · D ·
1
accent
&
ghost
2
down
&
ghost
3
down
&
ghost
4
down
&
ghost
Down-up all the way DUDUDUDU
1
accent
&
up
2
down
&
up
3
down
&
up
4
down
&
up
Pop and rock D · DUDUDU
1
accent
&
ghost
2
down
&
up
3
down
&
up
4
down
&
up
Folk workhorse D · DU · UDU
1
accent
&
ghost
2
down
&
up
3
ghost
&
up
4
down
&
up
Rock eighths DDDDDDDD
1
accent
&
down
2
down
&
down
3
accent
&
down
4
down
&
down
Ballad D · D · DUDU
1
accent
&
ghost
2
down
&
ghost
3
down
&
up
4
down
&
up
Country two-beat D · DUD · DU
1
accent
&
ghost
2
down
&
up
3
down
&
ghost
4
down
&
up
Shuffle D · DUD · DU
1
accent
&
ghost
2
down
&
up
3
down
&
ghost
4
down
&
up
Pop ballad D · D · DU · U
1
accent
&
ghost
2
down
&
ghost
3
down
&
up
4
ghost
&
up
Boom-chick B · DUB · DU
1
accent
&
ghost
2
down
&
up
3
bass
&
ghost
4
down
&
up
Island strum D · DU · UDU
1
down
&
ghost
2
accent
&
up
3
ghost
&
up
4
down
&
up
Offbeat skank · U · U · U · U
1
ghost
&
up
2
ghost
&
up
3
ghost
&
up
4
ghost
&
up
Chuck on 2 & 4 D · X · DUX ·
1
accent
&
ghost
2
chuck
&
ghost
3
down
&
up
4
chuck
&
ghost
Waltz D · DUDU · 3/4
1
accent
&
ghost
2
down
&
up
3
down
&
up
6/8 ballad D · DD · D · 6/8
1
accent
2
ghost
3
down
4
down
5
ghost
6
down
6/8 full DDUDDU · 6/8
1
accent
2
down
3
up
4
down
5
down
6
up
Sixteenth funk D · · U · UD · D · · UX · DU · 16ths
1
accent
e
ghost
&
ghost
a
up
2
ghost
e
up
&
down
a
ghost
3
accent
e
ghost
&
ghost
a
up
4
chuck
e
ghost
&
down
a
up
Two-bar folk D · DU · UDU | D · DUDU · U
1
accent
&
ghost
2
down
&
up
3
ghost
&
up
4
down
&
up
1
accent
&
ghost
2
down
&
up
3
down
&
up
4
ghost
&
up
Two-bar country B · DUB · DU | B · DUBUDU
1
accent
&
ghost
2
down
&
up
3
bass
&
ghost
4
down
&
up
1
accent
&
ghost
2
down
&
up
3
bass
&
up
4
down
&
up