

You can use this pattern in the song “High Hopes” by Paolo Nutini. This makes it seem a little harder however, once you start using it, it may seem even more natural to do. This second pattern is very similar to strumming pattern 1, although it has another “up” strum at the end to really connect the repetitions. Strumming Pattern 1: D – D U – U D – Pattern Two Lastly, play it at a faster tempo so that it sounds like music! This pattern is very common and can even be used in the song “Hey Ya!” by Outkast. Once you feel comfortable with the finger motion, try repeating it but keeping it at a slow tempo. Do it once, and then stop the strings, and then do it again the same way. My suggestion to learning this pattern is to try to play it slow. This first pattern is a very common one and is very easy to do once you have the feel for it. This means that, in one bar of music, you can count “1, 2, 3, 4,” and it fits right into one complete strum pattern. The most common time in all music is the 4/4 (“four-four”) time signature. A “-” means that there is a pause or a missed strum. To help notate these patterns, I will use a “D” indicating a down strum and a “U” indicating an up strum. Now that you have the basics in strumming technique, let’s take a look at some basic strum patterns which you can use to play your favorite Hawaiian ukulele songs! Using your entire hand and arm to strum can get tiring quickly and you will loose control much more easily. In any case, it is always important to strum with your wrist and not your whole hand when strumming. That way you strum down with the nail of your index finger and up with the nail of your thumb. When you strum up, just bring your index finger back up into the palm of your hand, and the strings will make contact with the flesh of your finger.Īnother popular strumming method is to put your thumb and index finger together to form a semi-two-sided pick. With your right hand just over the sound hole of the instrument, strum down with the index finger, hitting the strings with your nail. The most common and traditional way of strumming the ukulele is by using your index finger. Strumming Techniqueįirst, start off with a simple chord (for example, a C chord), and practice your strumming technique with just that chord. To get you started, here are my suggestions to begin learning the common techniques and practices of strumming the ukulele. Eventually, with proper practice, you will take suggestions and patterns and develop your own techniques and styles, as well. You will also see that, by looking at other ukulele players, everybody has their own style. There are many different ways to start learning basic strumming on the ukulele.
