Believe it or not, playing simple strumming patterns is actually one of the best ways to develop confidence as a musician. Even if you know a lot of chords, there’s still a little bit of work involved in going from one chord to the next. By repeating a simple strumming pattern over and over again, you can start to develop muscle memory in both your hands. This makes it easier to change chords when you need to, and it’s something that you can practice without having to worry about playing with a metronome or along with a song. Simply pick a key, pick a chord, and start strumming.
We will begin with the simplest strumming pattern first, which is to simply strum down on each beat in a measure. This will give you the sense of rhythm and it will get you playing your guitar, without information overload. With this basic strumming pattern, you only need to concentrate on your right hand moving in a steady rhythm, and your left hand will form the chords. Once you get the feel of the strumming pattern, you will notice that it brings out the emotional content of the chord, and the chord progression begins to sound like music.
When you are comfortable with the down stroke, the down-up combination lets you explore the rhythm and feel that exists in the majority of the music you hear on the radio. Down-up provides a more up-beat feel, and helps loosen your wrist so that it does not get so strained when you play for extended periods. Using this combination, play at slower tempos to get the timing down before increasing your speed, which will help with muscle memory. Some students find it difficult at first to play up strokes, but find that using this stroke helps with fluidity and playing more like a pro.
The value of learning a few patterns is that they can be applied as a sort of “universal template” to countless songs in many styles of music. A down-down-up-up-down-up pattern (the “classic folk strum”) can be applied to acoustic ballads, pop songs, etc., making a plethora of songs available to you. You can mess around with emphasizing certain parts of the pattern, etc., which allows you to express yourself and feel like you are actively listening to the music (not just counting). This freedom allows you to gain confidence, because you can feel like you’re “playing the music” instead of trying to “keep a count”.
Though there are some common problems that can arise (say, that your downstrokes are louder than your upstrokes, or that you’re speeding up), these can be easily corrected with a bit of attention. When I play along with a metronome and record myself, I can hear slight timing problems that I wouldn’t otherwise be aware of. A slight tweak of wrist position or pick hold can take care of that. By keeping my shoulders relaxed and not pressing too hard, I avoid discomfort that would force me to take a break. After a while, all of this results in a smooth, pleasant sound that tempts me to play for the joy of it, rather than because I feel I should.
Ultimately, basic strumming patterns are more than just rhythmic accompaniment — they are the connection between technique and playing from the heart. Once you have your strumming rhythm together with clean chord changes, you will find that the guitar can become a tool for expressing feelings and emotions without relying on more advanced techniques. This core tool will help you develop the skills needed to play songs and sing along, play with your friends, or just relax and enjoy your favorite music.
