Improve Your Ukulele Strumming Part 1

If you can't count "them", how can you keep "it"? Whether you're playing solo, or in a group, a strong sense of timing and rhythm is of the utmost importance.

COUNTING BEATS Start with the C chord. Stick out the index finger on your strumming hand like a record player stylus. Strum across the strings down toward the ground and count "ONE". Do this three more times counting "TWO", "THREE" AND "FOUR". Strumming down toward the ground is called a downstroke and always falls on a number. A number is a beat. Strumming down four times = strumming four beats = one full measure (phrase) of 4/4 time. We call the numbers "Beat One", "Beat Two", "Beat Three" and "Beat Four". Can you think of any songs that consist of nothing but downstrokes on beats 1, 2, 3, and 4? Play the Am chord, strum down on each beat, then listen to "Sandman" by America. Now play the G chord in the same manner and listen to the intro to "Bennie and the Jets" by Elton John.

ACCENTING BEATS The first step toward emulating certain songs or the feel of different music genres like country, reggae, etc, is understanding accents. Starting with those same 4 downstrokes, strum softly on beats 1 and 3, and strum beats 2 and 4 with a heavier hand. You should aim for hitting only the bottom one or two strings (G and C strings) on beats 1 and 3 by strumming slightly away from the ukulele, thereby avoiding the other strings.

Accenting beats 2 and 4 (one TWO three FOUR) emulates a drummer hitting a snare drum and at a medium to fast tempo sounds a lot like a Country or Bluegrass song. Use this pattern for songs like "This Land Is Your Land", "You Are My Sunshine", and "Keep On The Sunny Side". It also works great for "When The Saints Go Marching In".

Obviously, to strum on beats 1, 2, 3, and 4, your finger has to come up in between each number. We call these in-between beats "AND". Strum the C chord down toward the ground and count "ONE". Now move your finger across the strings toward the ceiling and say "AND". On the next downward strum count "TWO", followed by an "AND" on the way back up. Repeat with "THREE AND FOUR AND" for one full measure (phrase) of 4/4 time, this time with both upstrokes and downstrokes. Be sure to give equal volume to both up and downstrokes.

Accenting different beats produces familiar grooves to songs. Examples:

one and TWO and three and FOUR and ("Banana Pancakes" by Jack Johnson)

ONE and two AND three and FOUR and one and TWO and THREE and four and ("Faith" by George Michael)

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