Guitar strumming patterns
A strumming pattern is the rhythm of your strumming hand: which way the hand moves (down ↓ or up ↑), on which part of the beat it hits the strings and which strums are louder. Every pattern below has its grid drawn out, plays with a moving cursor and comes with a step-by-step mode: downstrokes only, then with the upstrokes, then the full pattern and, finally, faster.
The patterns
- Beginner ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ — one downstroke on every beat.
- Pop ↓ ↓↑ ↑↓↑ — the pattern that fits almost anything in 4/4.
- Rock ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ — all-down eighth notes on the low strings.
- Reggae – ↓ – ↓ — a short strum on 2 and 4, the offbeat.
- 6/8 ballad ↓ ↓ ↑ ↓ ↓ ↑ — six strums, accents on 1 and 4.
- Waltz (3/4) B ↓ ↓ — bass on 1, chord on 2 and 3.
- Country (boom-chicka) B ↓↑ B′ ↓↑ — alternating bass and a down-up strum.
- Samba p, pinch, ·, pinch — thumb on the beats, fingers in between.
- Bossa nova Thumb on every beat, fingers on a two-bar syncopation.
- Baião ↓ . . ↑ . . ↓ . — the zabumba cell, in 2/4.
- Funk (16th notes) Muted sixteenths with the chord on a few strums.
- Basic fingerpicking (p-i-m-a) p i m a m i m a — thumb on the bass, fingers on the top strings.
- Travis picking p i p′ m — the thumb alternates the bass, fingers in between.
How to read the grid
Each box is a part of the beat. Count "1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &": the numbers are the beats and the "&" is the offbeat, halfway through each beat. When the beat is split in four, count "1 e & a".
- downstroke
- upstroke
- > accent (louder)
- muted strum: a dry, percussive sound
- – rest: mute the strings
- · the hand moves in the air without strumming
- B bass note of the chord only
- B′ the other bass note (the fifth)
- p i m a thumb, index, middle, ring; the number is the string (1 = high E)
The secret: your hand is a pendulum
In strummed patterns the hand moves down on every beat and up on every "&", whether it hits the strings or not. When the grid shows no strum, the hand goes past in the air without touching the strings. That keeps the rhythm steady: every strum always lands in the same place.
How to practise a pattern
- Start slowly with the metronome on: 60 BPM or less.
- Follow the steps: downstrokes only, then down and up, then the full pattern.
- Stay on one chord (Repeat one bar) until the strumming hand is automatic, then change chords.
- Raise the tempo little by little: the Faster button adds 10%.
- Play along with the backing track at the same tempo.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest guitar strumming pattern?
Four downstrokes per bar, one on each beat. After that comes the pop pattern (↓ ↓↑ ↑↓↑), which fits most songs in 4/4.
Do I need a pick to strum?
No. Strummed patterns (pop, rock, reggae, funk, country) work with a pick or with the fingers together. Samba, bossa nova, fingerpicking and Travis are played with the thumb and fingers separately (p-i-m-a).
How do I know which strumming pattern to use for a song?
Listen to the style and count the beats. Mid-tempo songs in 4/4 work with the pop pattern; songs in three use the waltz; songs with two beats split in three (6/8) use the 6/8 pattern. Brazilian styles such as samba, bossa nova and baião have their own patterns. Start with the simplest one and add strums.
Why do I keep moving my hand when I am not strumming?
Because the hand is the clock. If it keeps going down on the beats and up on the offbeats, every upstroke lands on time; if it stops, the next strum comes late.