Down and up
A strum is a sweep across the strings. Down strums go from the thick strings to the thin strings. Up strums go the other way.
Strum from your elbow and wrist, like shaking water off your hand. Keep your hand moving all the time, even when you miss the strings.
Downs only
Play four down strums on one chord, counting 1, 2, 3, 4. Keep it steady.
Add the ups
Count “1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and.” Down on the numbers, up on the “and.”
A pattern that works everywhere
Most songs use a pattern like this one. D means down, U means up, and a dash means your hand moves but you miss the strings.
| Count | 1 | 2 | & | 3 | & | 4 | & |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strum | D | D | U | – | U | D | U |