Essential `Ukulele Strums - A Guide to `Ukulele Strums

One of the first skills a ukulele player learns is the art and craft of strumming, playing rhythm. This refers to an accompaniment technique suitable for the singer - songwriter or someone who plays a support role for another instrument.

Though strumming looks natural to the casual observer, it’s anything but natural to the beginning ukulele player. Even experienced players have difficulty in identifying and executing certain strums. Though this is one of those topics that is typically taken for granted, there is much to learn about rhythmic feels, accents, dynamics, strum direction, feel, percussive accents, idiomatic styles and tempo variation. Though strumming looks natural to the casual observer, it’s anything but natural to the beginning ukulele player. Even experienced players have difficulty in identifying and executing certain strums. Though this is one of those topics that is typically taken for granted, there is much to learn about rhythmic feels, accents, dynamics, strum direction, feel, percussive accents, idiomatic styles and tempo variation.

“A strum is the execution of a rhythmic pattern — in a specific style and tempo.” First and foremost, the subject of strumming is inseparably linked to rhythm. Though an ability to read rhythm is helpful, it’s not necessary to pro t from this material. Each strum is identified with a term that differentiates it from every other strum. This term is typically called a “feel”. Drummers learn these terms early in their studies so learning this language is not only helpful to learning the strums, it’s also helpful with communications among musicians in general and drummers in particular.

• Quarter Note Strum
• Sustain Strum
• Rock Strum
• Light Rock Strum
• 12/8 Strum
• Shuffle Strum
• Power Shuffle Strum
• Double Time Strum
• Gallop Strum
• Flowing 3/4 Strum
• Ska Strum
• Bass Note Strum Patterns
• 3/4 Strum
• Reggae Strum
• Broken Patterns