Strumming pattern · Styles · 4/4
Swing (shuffle) strum
Down-up eighth notes with a long-short bounce: each downstrum lasts a little longer than the upstrum after it. That lilt is the shuffle feel of blues, swing and a lot of classic rock ’n’ roll.
1↓
&↑
2↓
&↑
3↓
&↑
4↓
&↑
D U D U D U D U · down, up, down, up, down, up, down, up
ChordG
Chords (guitar)
Change chord every
How to play it
- Think “DOO-da DOO-da” rather than even “1 & 2 &”.
- The upstrum lands late — about two thirds of the way through each beat.
- Try it on a 12-bar blues in A or E.
- Start slowly — around 60 BPM — and only speed up once the pattern feels automatic. Use the chord loop to practice changing chords without breaking the rhythm.