Strumming Basics
Down strums, keeping time, counting beats
Your Strumming Hand
Up to now you've been picking individual strings. Strumming means dragging the pick across multiple strings in a single motion to play chords. This is how most rhythm guitar works — the backbone of nearly every song.
Your strumming motion comes from the wrist, not the elbow or shoulder. Think of it like flicking water off your fingers. The movement is small, relaxed, and controlled. If your whole arm is swinging, you'll tire quickly and lose control.
The Downstroke
A downstroke moves the pick from the thickest strings (top, low E) toward the thinnest strings (bottom, high E). In strumming notation, this is shown with a downward arrow ↓.
Hold a chord — let's use Em since you know it well. Now strum down across all six strings with a single smooth motion. The pick should glide across the strings, not dig in. If it catches or feels rough, you're pressing the pick into the strings too hard or holding it at the wrong angle.
Tilt the pick very slightly in the direction of the strum — about 10-15 degrees. This lets it slice through the strings rather than fighting them.
Strumming in Time
Set a metronome to 60 BPM (one click per second). Strum one downstroke per click. Count along: "1, 2, 3, 4" — that's one bar of 4/4 time.
This is the most basic strumming pattern and it works for many slow songs. The goal right now isn't speed — it's consistency. Every strum should sound the same: same volume, same tone, same timing.
Once you're comfortable at 60 BPM, increase to 80, then 100. When you can strum clean, even downstrokes at 100 BPM without thinking about it, you're ready for upstrokes.
Strumming Different Chords
Remember that not all chords use all six strings:
- Em, E, G: strum all 6 strings
- Am, A, C: strum from string 5 (skip string 6)
- D: strum from string 4 (skip strings 5 and 6)
When strumming a chord that doesn't use all strings, you either start your strum from the correct string, or you can lightly rest your thumb or palm against the strings you want to mute. At this stage, just focus on starting from the right string.
Tab Examples
Basic downstroke pattern (Em)
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ e--0-------0-------0-------0------- B--0-------0-------0-------0------- G--0-------0-------0-------0------- D--2-------2-------2-------2------- A--2-------2-------2-------2------- E--0-------0-------0-------0-------
Downstrokes with chord changes (Em → Am)
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ e--0---0---0---0------0---0---0---0--- B--0---0---0---0------1---1---1---1--- G--0---0---0---0------2---2---2---2--- D--2---2---2---2------2---2---2---2--- A--2---2---2---2------0---0---0---0--- E--0---0---0---0----------------------
Tips
- Strum from the wrist, not the elbow — keep the motion small and relaxed
- Tilt the pick slightly in the direction of the strum
- If it sounds harsh, you're pressing too hard — let the pick glide
- A metronome is your best friend here — use one every time you practise strumming
Practice Exercises
- Strum Em with downstrokes at 60 BPM for 2 minutes straight — focus on consistency
- Repeat with G, C, D, and Am — notice the different starting strings
- Switch between Em and Am every bar (4 strums each) at 70 BPM
- Play G-C-D-C with 4 downstrokes per chord, looping continuously