Strumming is essentially just down and up, down and up. Those are the only two directions you can go! Creating strum patterns is simply a matter of keeping a consistent downward and upward motion, and then purposefully missing a down or an up strum.
In music notation, you would see this as a rest or a tie, but you don’t have to know all that just yet, just try this little exercise:
Strum down and up on your guitar strings as if to a ticking clock. Tick (down) Tock (up).
Keep this going, down, up, down up, evenly, like a clock. Congratulations, you’re strumming. Ok, now try this pattern:
Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock
Down Miss(up) Down Up Miss(down) Up Down Up
It will help to memorize it, but as you get it into your muscle memory (so you’re not thinking about it as hard), gradually speed up. Remember a miss is where you purposefully miss the strings. You still make the motion, but you just miss instead.
Perfect Practice Makes Perfect.
Much respect,
The Musician’s Toolbox
