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6 Strumming Patterns Every Beginner Should Know

Knowing the chords is only half of playing a song – the strumming pattern gives it its rhythm and feel. These six patterns cover most pop, rock and folk songs. Practise each one on a single chord before you use it in a song.

How strumming notation works

D means a downstroke (towards the floor) and U means an upstroke. Most songs are in 4/4 time, with four beats per bar, counted 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &. Downstrokes fall on the numbers and upstrokes fall on the "&".

The most important rule: keep your hand moving down and up all the time, like a pendulum, even when you don't hit the strings. Skipping a strum while the hand keeps moving is what keeps you in time.

The six patterns

1. All downs        D   D   D   D
                    1   2   3   4

2. Down-up          D U D U D U D U
                    1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

3. Folk pattern     D   D U   U D U
                    1   2 &   & 4 &

4. Pop ballad       D   D U D   D U
                    1   2 & 3   4 &

5. Rock push        D   D   D U D U
                    1   2   3 & 4 &

6. Waltz (3/4)      D   D U D U
                    1   2 & 3 &
  • Pattern 1 is perfect for your first songs and for slow changes.
  • Pattern 2 builds the constant down-up motion. Play it softly and evenly.
  • Pattern 3 (D – D U – U D U) is the most useful pattern in acoustic pop and folk. The missing strum on beat 3 gives it its bounce.
  • Pattern 4 fits slow and mid-tempo ballads.
  • Pattern 5 adds energy to rock songs; accent the downstrokes.
  • Pattern 6 is for songs in 3/4 time, counted 1 2 3.

How to practise

  1. Mute the strings with your fretting hand and practise the pattern as pure rhythm.
  2. Set the metronome to 60–70 BPM and count out loud.
  3. Play the pattern on one chord for a whole minute without stopping.
  4. Add a chord change every two bars, then every bar.
  5. Raise the tempo by 5 BPM only when the pattern feels effortless.

Choosing a pattern for a song

Listen to the drums in the recording: the snare usually hits on beats 2 and 4, and your strongest strums should match it. When a song page lists a strumming pattern, start with that one; otherwise try pattern 3 for acoustic songs and pattern 5 for rock. Simplifying is fine – a steady simple pattern always sounds better than a complex one that breaks the rhythm.

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