Rocker Strum Pattern

There are many patterns in the process of playing a guitar. There are chord patterns, melodic patterns, chord progressions, picking patterns etc. Two strum patterns that a guitarist might want to learn are indicated in the graphic. These patterns were intended to be played using a flat pick, but many patterns like these can be played with the fingers and many Spanish or Flamingo strum patterns sound better using the fingers of the right hand.

The first pattern is a slight variation of a normal up and down strum. If you were playing a chord progression for example an E, A, and B7 set of chords you could strum the first chord with pattern 1 and at some point change to the second chord and play pattern 1 again etc. Don't change in the middle of the pattern for this particular pattern, especially as you are beginning to learn the pattern. Play full patterns before you change chords. The pattern is a down, up, down, up which is then followed by an up, then down, then up stroke. Notice the two up strokes in a row in part of this pattern.

Because it takes just a little extra time to get into position to do the second in a row up stroke, it gives the whole strum pattern a different feel. This strum pattern was used in a lot of folk music during the 60's. You may not hear this pattern as much today in modern music, but it can still be a nice pattern to learn.

The second pattern is called a rocker pattern, but not because it is related to rock music. This pattern that looks at the guitar as two areas of strumming. The first three strings represents one area and the lower three (bass) strings represent the second area of the guitar. Essentially the first down up pattern is on the bass strings, the second down up is on the treble strings. This pattern continues quite quickly back and forth between the bass strings and the treble strings. (It rocks between the bass and treble strings.) You might be surprised at how difficult this pattern can be to do non-stop while changing chords and singing.

This pattern works best with very balanced chord forms. A chord progression such as the C, Am, Dm, and G7 chords is a pretty well balance set of chords for the "rocker pattern" because you want to get as much of a full chord on the bass and treble strings as you strum. Chords that have deadened or muffled strings tend not to work as well for this strum pattern. This pattern can even work much better on a 12 string guitar because you get so many extra strings with each part of the strum.

It may help to very slightly lift your chord fingers after the treble part of the rocker pattern to reduce the ringing of strings as you move back to the beginning of the pattern again. You can even slightly use your chord fingers to help muffle strings that may have been open strings.