Nathaniel School of Music

Top 5 Strumming Patterns for Acoustic Guitar You Must Know

Five essential acoustic guitar strumming patterns come from keeping the strumming hand moving down on the beats and up on the 'ands', then choosing which strokes to play, skip, mute or replace with a percussive slap.

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Beginner · 25 min

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Key points

This beginner lesson from Jason Zac covers five strumming patterns he uses most often. They come from country, folk, bluegrass, pop and rock, and they work well for singing along. All of them use open-string chords such as C, G, Am, Em, F and E7, so no barre chords are needed.

The foundation: keep the hand moving

Every pattern divides the beat. Divide it by two and you count 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and. The numbers are the downbeats and the 'ands' are the offbeats. Divide it by four and you count 1 e and a, 2 e and a.

Your strumming hand moves down on the beats and up on the 'ands', all the time, like a pendulum. A pattern comes from choosing which of those strokes actually touch the strings. Only downstrokes sound forceful and tire the wrist. Down-up motion sounds relaxed, and each direction has its own texture.

Two extra sounds add interest:

Pattern 1: down, down-up, up, down

Count in eighth notes. Play down on 1, down-up on 2 and its 'and', skip the downstroke on 3 but play the up on the 'and' of 3, then strum down on 4 and let it ring. The strokes are D, D U, U, D. Try it on C, G and Em. At a moderate tempo it has a country feel.

Pattern 2: adding the slap

This one is still in eighth notes, but now the slap falls on beats 2 and 4, like a snare drum. Strum down on 1, slap on 2, play upstrokes on the 'and' of 2 and the 'and' of 3, and slap again on 4. It is heard in a lot of pop music. You can also play it fingerstyle, plucking three strings with three fingers, and still keep the stops.

Pattern 3: a 3/4 waltz

Count 1 2 3. Strum down on 1 and let it ring through its 'and'. Then play down-up on 2 and down-up on 3: D, D U, D U. Songs such as Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls and Kiss from a Rose by Seal can be played with this feel. For a country sound, swing it and play a little slower. Related 3/4 variations double two of the three beats and put a single hit on the remaining beat, either on the beat or the offbeat.

Pattern 4: Americana and bluegrass drive

This is inspired by Mumford & Sons. Play down on 1, down on 2, skip 3 and play up on its 'and', then down-up on 4: D, D, U, D U. Practise it as eighth notes first. Then play the same pattern twice as fast as sixteenth notes for a driving, four-on-the-floor sound.

Pattern 5: putting it together

The last pattern combines strums, sustain and slaps. Play down-up on 1, a percussive whack on 2, and a strum on the 'and' of 2 that you hold through the 'and' of 3. Then choke the strings on 4. Nothing should ring on beats 2 and 4.

Straight versus swing

Try every pattern straight and then swung. In swing, the offbeat eighth note moves slightly later, like a triplet with the middle note left out. Keep the same tempo for both.

How to practise

  1. Move your body or tap your foot to the pulse, and stay relaxed.
  2. Practise each pattern with all strings muted first.
  3. Add one chord, then change between two chords.
  4. Explore straight and swing versions.
  5. Once all of that feels comfortable, check your timing with a metronome.
  6. Sing your favourite songs over the patterns.

Questions about this lesson

Should I use upstrokes or only downstrokes when strumming?

Use both. Your hand should move down on the beats and up on the offbeats all the time, because only downstrokes sound forceful and strain the wrist. Down-up motion sounds relaxed and natural.

What is a ghost note on guitar?

A ghost note is a muted strum. The fretting hand rests on the strings without pressing them, so you hear a dead, percussive sound instead of a chord. Avoid letting stray harmonics ring.

How do I strum in 3/4 time?

Strum down on beat 1 and let it ring. Then play down-up on beat 2 and down-up on beat 3, giving D, D U, D U for a waltz feel.

Should I practise strumming with a metronome?

First feel the pulse with your body or foot. Practise muted, then with one chord and two chords, and try straight and swing. Use a metronome after that to check your timing.

Practise it

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