Published:
2013-04-06
Updated:
2020-04-10
Learning Ukulele with Curt
Quarter Note Strum
Chords and music are organized into bars or measures with the most common number of beats per bar or measure being four. One of the most basic strumming patterns and the foundation for ALL future strumming is the "Quarter Note Strum". As the name implies this strumming pattern is one quarter note per beat.
Author(s): Curt Sheller Publisher: Curt Sheller Publications Code: UL126-LI4
Main Category: Strums Main Instrument: Ukulele
Categories: Chords
2026-08-23
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Number of Pages: 4
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Chords and music are organized into bars or measures with the most common number of beats per bar or measure being four. One of the most basic strumming patterns and the foundation for ALL future strumming is the "Quarter Note Strum". As the name implies this strumming pattern is one quarter note per beat.
As the name implies this strumming pattern is one quarter note per beat. For songs in common "4/4" time where there are four beats per measure or bar. This is one down stroke per beat.
Level I Modular Phonetic Quarter Note Rhythmic Syllable with its count.
Instrument Specific Considerations
Music
The is the Rhythmic (Rhythm) part that can be applied to ANY instrument.
More Quarter Note Strum
content below, continue exploring...
More Quarter Note Strum
Ukulele
Checkout the video demonstration of the quarter note strum using a ukulele.
Guitar
For the guitar the only difference might be using a pick vs your thumb or fingers. A pick sounds great on the guitar with the typically metal strings. For ukulele a plastic pick sounds a little to bright and you tend to hear the clicking of the pick against the strings. Pick control on a ukulele takes a lot of work to sound OK.
Piano
Here is a C Major chord to fool with. It can be plaed in either hand and played melodically as single notes or harmonically to simulate a strum.
Bass Guitar
The Bass Guitar or UBass typically plays single notes. For the Quarter Note pattern simply the bass line as four single quarter notes.
Here are a few examples using outlining a C Major chord in open position using the Root, Third, and Fifth of the chord.
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