How to incorporate a strum pattern into sheet music!

I'm working thorough Hal Leonards Intro Ukulele book and I'm learning several different strum patterns. I am trying to use some of these patterns to play chords, as I follow along with the sheet music. I am struggling to make it work rhythmically - it's sounding off right now.

It sounds wrong if I just keep doing the same strum for each measure, regardless of the notes. It works if it's four quarter notes, but not so much when when there are whole and half notes in the mix, or when there is more than one chord change per measure.

Gah! Really confused right now. If I am making sense it's a miracle! Basically how do you work various strum patters into sheet music, when all that is provided is chords and the music notes.

Thanks guys!

Whistle said:

I'm working thorough Hal Leonards Intro Ukulele book and I'm learning several different strum patterns. I am trying to use some of these patterns to play chords, as I follow along with the sheet music. I am struggling to make it work rhythmically - it's sounding off right now.

It sounds wrong if I just keep doing the same strum for each measure, regardless of the notes. It works if it's four quarter notes, but not so much when when there are whole and half notes in the mix, or when there is more than one chord change per measure.

Gah! Really confused right now. If I am making sense it's a miracle! Basically how do you work various strum patters into sheet music, when all that is provided is chords and the music notes.



Thanks guys!

Click to expand...

That is a bit of a tricky one. I end up doing the same strum most of the time DDUUDu. It works with a lot of songs you have to experiment start of with easy ones like DDDD 4 beats to the measure. In some songs you have to change the strum half way through a chord that is where I get stuck. It also helps to listen to song carefully just tapping out rythm on back of Uke. Another tip is to use drums in track as a guide to strumming pattern.

You will find that if you are strumming say 4 beats to a bar you would just play the melody notes on top of that which would tie into the tune.

"Strum patterns" are the bane of the ukulele players existence. People get themselves wrapped around the axle over them unnecessarily.

Your playing will quickly improve if you discard the concept of strum patterns, and recognize them for what they are... Rhythms. Play a rhythm that feels and sounds right to you and dispense with the down, up, down, down nonsense.

i have struggled with strum patterns, what i have been doing is singing song and making strums fit words, it is maybe bad pratice but it seems to work,
i have learned a couple of songs and a particular pattern was the only way i could do the song, on you tube, in the new year i am joining uke club so hopefully should learn heaps
atb wallyboy

wallyboy said:

i have struggled with strum patterns, what i have been doing is singing song and making strums fit words

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Wally, that is actually an excellent means of playing an appropriate rhythm. Many recognizable rhythm patterns from around the world are actually based on speech patterns (particularly from poetry). A good example of this can be found in Anglo-Celtic tunes that will have a pulse based on 2 or 4, but a rhythm based on three. The same pattern can be found in their poetry…. Just look at the limerick form:

“There once was a man from Nantucket….”

Repeating words to yourself can also be useful when dealing with unusual time signatures. (i.e. repeating “hippopotamus” to keep a 5/4 pulse.)

As wonderful as rhythms make songs sound I would place them in the Intermediate to Advanced section on the scale of Beginner-Intermediate-Advanced. This is because of the ear-hand-eye coordination that's needed to pull it off!

Many 'seasoned' ukulele players really only use a handful (3+) of different strum patterns/rhythms for most of the songs they play and sing. This is generally true for 'Strummers' as 'Pickers' have their own ways of accommodating to the rhythms they're covering.

I have a general strum for 4/4 songs that incorporates a roll, then I have a 'latin'-rhythm strum for Feliz Navidad, Sway, Besame Mucho, La Cucaracha, etc. I have a 3/4 Waltz strum and a 2/2 March-tempo beat, etc. On slower songs I generally do mostly down strums with my thumb. That's about it.

I do occasionally do triples (example - By the Light of the Silvery Moon) or just 'choppy' down strums (example - We need a little Christmas Now!), and rarely a 'modified' Formby strum.

Give me several 4/4 songs and my strum pattern will probably be the same for each one even though the melodies and the rhythms might be/or seem to be completely different.

I hope this helps... a bit.

keep uke'in',

I like your idea, Wicked. I quit worrying about the strumming pattern and just play what I think sounds right. I'm not really doing any interesting strumming, but I am having fun. When I was worrying about the beats and the strums, I couldn't sing or hum to the tune at the same time.

Wicked said:

Wally, that is actually an excellent means of playing an appropriate rhythm. Many recognizable rhythm patterns from around the world are actually based on speech patterns (particularly from poetry). A good example of this can be found in Anglo-Celtic tunes that will have a pulse based on 2 or 4, but a rhythm based on three. The same pattern can be found in their poetry…. Just look at the limerick form:

“There once was a man from Nantucket….”

Repeating words to yourself can also be useful when dealing with unusual time signatures. (i.e. repeating “hippopotamus” to keep a 5/4 pulse.)

Click to expand...

thanks only just started with uke and you have made me feel two inces taller, LOL

I have never particularly worried about strum patterns but simply did what seemed to suit the natural rhythm of the song. As Uncle Rod above said, most of the time I use one of two or three regular strum patterns but sometimes the song requires something a little different so I experiment a bit till I find something that works.

Varying the strum in a song to emphasis a particular line or part of a line can be effective and will provide variety.