strumming

being a noob on the uke, the problem i come up with most often is the strumming rhythm and pattern. the down up down up stuff etc. for some reason i have a hard time hearing the pattern, let alone strumming it. any advice on this?

anything would be greatly appreciated. maybe some songs that have simple strumming patterns

The best way to practice this is to not worry about the left hand first. Mute the strings with your left hand so that you can concentrate more on your strumming technique. Then you can listen to songs and such just working on the strum parts. Experiment with different patterns and see which one fits. THEN you can add the chords. One step at a time.

Knowing WHAT to practice and HOW to practice is the key.

Perfect practice makes perfect.

Strum Thanks

Your tip on How to work on the Strum is very good. One often gets wrapped up in learning all the details of a song and forgets to isolate and work on the problem areas. As you have said "Knowing what to Practice" does make a difference.

I am a big fan of Aldrine, his style, and tutorials. It certainly makes me want to stay active on your website.

Aldrine, thanks for the lessons here and at iamhawaii. From a strumming rhythm and pattern impaired person your technique mentioned above really has helped. The combination of strumming motion, hearing the percussive sound of the strings for feedback without being distracted by the sound of notes is what I needed.