12 Essential Guitar Strumming Patterns (With Diagrams)
These twelve patterns cover the vast majority of songs you will want to play. Learn them in order: each builds on the one before.
How to read these diagrams
↓ orange = down-strum, ↑ teal = up-strum, · = a "ghost" stroke: your hand keeps moving but misses the strings. The count underneath shows where each stroke falls in the bar.
Your hand moves down on the numbers (1, 2, 3, 4) and up on the "ands" — all the time, like a pendulum. Patterns are made by choosing which strokes hit the strings. Never stop the pendulum.
1. Quarter-note down-strums
The starting point. One down-strum per beat. Use it to practise chord changes with a metronome at 60–80 BPM.
2. Eighth-note down-strums
Driving and powerful — classic punk and rock rhythm, especially with power chords and palm muting.
3. Down-up eighth notes
The pendulum made audible. Strum the up-strokes lighter, hitting only the thinner strings.
4. The "everyday" pattern (D – DU – UDU)
If you learn only one pattern, learn this one. It fits a huge number of pop, rock and folk songs in 4/4. Say it out loud: "down, down-up, up-down-up".
5. Down, down-up, down, down-up
A lighter, bouncy alternative that works well for country and upbeat folk.
6. Accented backbeat
Same as pattern 3, but strum beats 2 and 4 harder, like a snare drum. This instantly makes your playing sound more like a band.
7. Folk "bass-strum"
Pick the chord's bass note on beat 1, strum on beat 2, pick another bass note on 3, strum on 4. On a C chord, alternate between the 5th and 4th strings for the bass. The classic country and folk accompaniment.
(B = single bass note)
8. Reggae / ska offbeat
Short, choppy strums on the "ands" only. Mute the strings immediately after each strum by relaxing your fretting fingers. Works best with barre chords or partial chords on the top strings.
9. Waltz (3/4 time)
Three beats per bar. Accent beat 1. Simpler version: bass note on 1, then two down-strums on 2 and 3.
10. 6/8 ballad
Six beats grouped in two sets of three, giving a rolling, swaying feel. Accent beats 1 and 4.
11. Shuffle / swing
Use pattern 3, but make each down-stroke longer and each up-stroke shorter — "DAA-da DAA-da". This triplet feel is the basis of blues and many rock-and-roll songs.
12. Sixteenth-note funk
Your hand moves twice as fast, counting "1 e & a". Lightly lift your fretting fingers to create percussive "chk" sounds on most strokes, letting only a few ring out. Start at 60 BPM.
How to practise a new pattern
- Mute the strings with your fretting hand and practise the pattern on dead strings — focus only on the rhythm.
- Add a single chord you know well (Em or G).
- Turn on a metronome at a slow tempo (60 BPM).
- Add a second chord and change on beat 1 of each bar.
- Only speed up when you can play it perfectly four times in a row.
Choosing a pattern for a song
- Listen to the drums: the snare usually falls on beats 2 and 4 — accent them.
- Slow ballads: fewer strums (patterns 1, 7 or 10).
- Mid-tempo pop/rock: pattern 4.
- Fast punk/rock: pattern 2 with palm muting.
- If the song "sways" in threes, it is in 3/4 or 6/8.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common guitar strumming pattern?
Down, down-up, up-down-up (D – DU – UDU). It fits a huge number of songs in 4/4 time at moderate tempos.
Should I strum all six strings?
Only strum the strings that belong to the chord. For D, strum four strings; for A and C, five. Up-strums usually hit only the thinner strings.
How do I stop missing strings on up-strums?
Relax your grip and wrist, and don't aim for all six strings on the up-strum — two to four of the thinnest strings is normal.
