More Strumming

Guitar Crash Course: Adding Upstrokes & Creating Rhythms

In this lesson, we’re taking a big step forward with your strumming. So far, you’ve mastered the basics of playing downstrokes on the beat (1-2-3-4). Now, it’s time to unlock a whole new world of rhythm by adding upstrokes! This is fundamental to playing countless songs and developing a smooth, musical strumming style.

From Downstrokes to Down-Up: The Alternating Strum

Remember when we practiced using a pick, gently brushing down and up across the strings? We’re going to apply that same motion but give it a steady rhythm. The goal is to create a continuous down-up-down-up motion.

Key Technique Tips:

1. Stay Loose: This is crucial! Avoid tensing up your wrist, arm, or grip. A tight grip makes the strumming sound harsh and abrasive, and it’s much harder to maintain smoothly. Think soft and gentle.
2. Light Grip: Don’t clench your pick. Hold it securely but lightly.
3. Angle the Pick: A slight angle helps the pick glide over the strings more easily, both on the downstroke and the upstroke.
4. Slow and Steady: Start slowly. Focus on a consistent, even rhythm: Down – Up – Down – Up.

Counting Your Strums: Introducing the “And”

To keep time accurately, we move beyond counting “1, 2, 3, 4”. When we add upstrokes, we subdivide the beat. The easiest way is to count:

1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and

• Downstrokes happen on the numbers (1, 2, 3, 4).
• Upstrokes happen on the “ands” (&).

Practice this slowly at first, just saying the count while mimicking the strumming motion. Then, try it on your guitar, focusing on that steady, relaxed down-up movement:

(Play) 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

This might seem simple, but mastering this continuous alternating strum is the absolute foundation for all more complex strumming patterns. If you feel shaky here, learning specific patterns will be much harder. Get this smooth, and the rest becomes so much easier! Take your time with it.

Creating Your First Strumming Pattern

Once you’re comfortable with the continuous “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &” strum, we can create our first real pattern by simply removing a couple of those strokes.

Let’s try this popular and useful pattern: Down, Down, Down-Up, Down-Up

Look at how it fits the count:

• Beat 1: Down (on “1”)
• Beat 2: Down (on “2”)
• Beat 3: Down-Up (on “3 &”)
• Beat 4: Down-Up (on “4 &”)

How to Practice This Pattern:

1. Say It: Before touching the guitar, internalize the rhythm. Snap your fingers or tap your foot and say the pattern out loud: “Down, Down, Down-Up, Down-Up”. Repeat it until it feels natural.
2. Play Slowly: Now, try it on your guitar. Don’t worry about speed, just focus on playing the correct strokes on the right beats. Tell your hand what to do: Down… Down… Down-Up… Down-Up…
3. Build Steadiness: Once you can play it slowly without thinking too hard, gradually increase the tempo until you can play it smoothly and consistently: 1 – 2 – 3 & 4 & | 1 – 2 – 3 & 4 & … Loop it!

Think of the “Down-Up” on beats 3 and 4 as single rhythmic units.

Go through these steps as many times as you need. Find where you are in the process and really work on that step before moving on. The goal is to loop the pattern comfortably and musically.

Your Turn to Experiment!

That’s the core concept! By adding upstrokes and strategically placing them (or sometimes omitting strokes), you can create countless interesting strumming patterns. It all starts with mastering that basic “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &” alternating strum.

Focus on getting comfortable with the main pattern (D D DU DU) first. Once you have that down, feel free to experiment with the other examples or even try creating your own variations. Have fun with it, be patient, and keep practicing! This foundational skill will serve you throughout your entire guitar journey.