Strumming patterns
The most important rule: the strumming hand never stops. If a chord change comes late, keep strumming the open strings until your fingers land. A congregation follows the beat, not the chord.
| Pattern | Count | How to play it | Use for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steady | 1 2 3 4 (or 1 2 3) | One down-strum on every beat | Every song, weeks 1–2 |
| Slow six | 1 . . 4 . . | Two slow down-strums per bar, letting them ring | Silent Night |
| Boom-strum-strum | 1 2 3 | Pick the chord's lowest string on 1, then lightly strum on 2 and 3 | Amazing Grace, Away in a Manger, The First Noel |
| Down, down-up | 1 2 & 3 4 & | Down on 1, down-up on 2 &, down on 3, down-up on 4 & | Go Tell It, Leaning, He's Got the Whole World, Joy to the World |
| Hymn steady | 1 2 3 4 | Down-strums with a stronger strum on 1 | O Come, All Ye Faithful; Hark! the Herald; What a Friend |
Lowest string to pick for the "boom"
- C, Am: the A string
- G, G7, Em: the low E string
- D, F: the D string