What is your most used strumming pattern?

RLM3121

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I am amazed by the number of different strumming patterns. I got to wondering if there is one pattern that fits most songs. What is your favorite? If I had to master one what would it be? -Ray
 
I have found d-d-u-u-d-u to be a pretty good all-rounder. It seems able to handle a range of tempos and is fairly genre-neutral. Obviously, it's not going to suit every song but it's a good one to learn early on I reckon.
 
What jollyboy said. I also tend to use d-u-d-d-u quite often, with a swing on the second d, or d-d-u-d-u-d.
 
freestyle, I can't even tell you what I play most of the time, people ask me what I'm doing and I can't tell them.
 
freestyle, I can't even tell you what I play most of the time, people ask me what I'm doing and I can't tell them.

Pretty much the same for me. I also try to throw in a bit of picked out melody line in certain songs(e.g playing the chorus of Lou Reeds' Satellite of Love) or playing a syncopation (e.g. when playing the chorus of the Doors' People are Strange).
 
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I agree with jollyboy…d-d-u-u-d-u for 4/4 time and I like d-d-u-d-u or d-d-u-d for 3/4 time.
 
My favorite's strumming away down-up-down-up-down-up-down-up-down-up-down-up-etc. with a solid tempo and letting volume rise and fall to get my feelings across. Ahh... down-up-down-up-down-up-down-up-down-up-down-up-...
 
It's the one I'm trying to avoid now, dduudu.

That one is so good that I used it so much that I now frequently fall back into it when practicing other patterns. It's like a reflex. :)
 
DDUUD. I've been in an awful rut for a loooong time, so I've been making a very conscious effort to find other strums that suit particular songs and practice them with that song until they become ingrained.
 
Wait there are strumming patterns? :)

I pluck and tweak mostly, strumming is a weak point for me.

~peace~
 
Ive never been a fan of structured strumming, play by feel or mood changes.
Of course learn some initial technique and go from there..
 
Structured strum patterns a good as practice techniques but, for myself, I prefer to go with the flow depending on the tune or song. It is a good idea to practice certain rhythms ie. Bossa Nova, Waltz, Cha Cha Cha, Reggae etc. As long as timing and phrasing are kept tight you can throw in Double Strums, Split Strokes and Fan Strokes providing these embellishments are not over-used.
 
Most often.........I'd have to say du du du du, however, I vary the amount of energy when I hit the strings so that the beat varies, often with the drum or bass beats.
 
There's a down stroke and there's an up stroke and I use both of them. Sometimes I leave one or the other out as the mood takes me. :eek:ld:

On a more serious note, there's also dum chuck. Pick the G string then downstrum with your [first] finger. Sounds great with low G, not so good with high G imo. You could pick the C string instead but that's a little (but not much) trickier.
 
freestyle, I can't even tell you what I play most of the time, people ask me what I'm doing and I can't tell them.

Yup, me too. Each song seems to demand it's own strum, and if asked what I'm doing, I usually give a blank stare....
 
I'm freestyle too. When I first started strumming, I learned some strums, but my memory is mostly worthless, so little by little I learned to "Just Do It".

I recently bought a How To Strum Your Ukulele book, and, though I play the songs, the strums go unlearned. :eek:ld:
 
Freestyle here also. Early on I watched a video by Aaron of HMS where he emphatically stated "Don't learn strumming patterns..go with the music." Or something like that. I sing with my strumming, and freestyle works well for that, for me.
 
This thread makes me feel really good. I sometimes thought that I was a fumbling old dummy for not using all those strums in the books. Now I'm free! free! free! :eek:ld:
 
In 4/4, basic pattern is d d d d.
Guitar and ukulele have down and up strum. Hence the basic strum is du du du du.

We often give accents on down beat.
Then it becomes swing shuffle. du du du du

But it is bit noisy even by guitar. Ukulele has relatively soft tention strings. I don't prefer noisy strum. We skip some beats in this pattern.

Country strum (Church lick) is often used in country songs and folk songs. We skip up beat of odd numbers. It is d du d du. And it gives natural accent of first and third down beat because of skipping down beats. I like this strum because it is very simple and not too noisy for me on my soprano.

They all have accents on down beats. When we have a accent on up beats it is called syncopation and it is cool. We give an accent on the up beat on second one. It is d du u du. The third down beat is disappeared in order to stress the back beat of the second beat. It is called calypso strum. As jollyboy and strummtheory said, I like this pattern best.
 
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