A Guide to Ukulele Strums
A strum is the execution of a rhythmic pattern — in a specific style
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A Guide to Ukulele Strums (UKESTRUM1.shtml) | Updated: 09-Oct-2008 - 13:35
Uke Scales
"C" Tuning
"D" Tuning
"G" Tuning
Uke Chords
A Guide to...
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Progressions...
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Basic Chords...
"C" Tuning
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Arpeggios
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"C" Tuning
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Arpeggios
4-Part
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"G" Tuning
Uke Misc
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Reading Primer
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Harmonic Analysis
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A Guide to Ukulele Strums
Author: Curt Sheller
Publisher: Curt Sheller Publications - (28 pages)
Published: July 2008
ISBN-13: 978-1-60321-019-5
ISBN-10: 1-60321-019-9
Product Code: UKESTRUM1
Size: 8.5 x 11 inches (coil binding)
Press Release: www.CurtSheller.com/UKESTRUM1/PR_UKESTRUM1.shtml
Book Information Sheet
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Introduction
One of the first skills a ukulele player learns is the art and craft of strumming, playing rhythm. This refers to an accompaniment technique suitable for the singer, singer - songwriter or someone who plays a support role for another instrument.
Strumming requires a specific set of skills. They are: 1) Memorization of chords 2) The ability to switch chords smoothly and 3) The ability to choose and execute a suitable rhythmic strum. It is this 3rd skill that is our focus in “A Guide to Ukulele Strums & Rhythmic Patterns”.
Though strumming looks natural to the casual observer, it is anything but natural to the beginning ukulele player. Even experienced players have difficulty in identifying and executing certain strums. Though this is one of those topics that is typically taken for granted, there is much to learn about rhythmic feels, accents, dynamics, strum direction, feel, percussive accents, idiomatic styles and tempo variation.
First and foremost, the subject of strumming is inseparably linked to rhythm. Though an ability to read rhythm is helpful, it’s not necessary to profit from this material.
“A strum is the execution of a rhythmic pattern — in a specific style”
Each strum is identified with a term that differentiates it from every other strum. This term is typically called a “feel”. Drummers learn these terms early in their studies so learning this language is not only helpful to learning the strums, it’s also helpful with communications among musicians in general and drummers in particular.
Strumming can be executed with fingers or with a pick. Regardless of your own style of strumming, it ultimately involves combinations of down strokes and up strokes. In the finger style, down strokes can played with the thumb or the nail side of your fingers. Up strokes can be played with the thumb or fingers. Any technique is usable as long as you can differentiate between down and up strokes.
A metronome is helpful to these studies but not mandatory. The purpose of a metronome is to help develop a steady sense of rhythm and to help increase your awareness of tempo in a beats per minute format. Terms like medium or fast tempo are approximate. An expression like “quarter note equals 120” is exact. We’ll discuss strumming with and without the aid of a metronome.
All strums can be executed at any tempo.
One strum is different from another based on the stroke direction, the stroke density, the subdivision of the beat and the accent pattern.
Guide to Ukulele Strums by Curt Sheller
Review By Alan Johnson, 4th Peg
Ok.. a bit overdue (hey, I’ve got a library book from 1974) but a wonderful addition to Curt Sheller’s marvelous ukulele lesson books is the Guide to Ukulele Strums. This is the one (and only, in my opinion) book to get to work on your right-hand technique and put some pizazz into your playing.
Curt starts with the basics such as what is a strum and some practice exercises. He proceeds with important items such as what do the symbols in the book mean. Curt moves straight on to the strum patterns showing how the strum are accomplished and gives a brief explanation of each. Strum patterns include basic rock strums, ska and reggae strums and many others. Curt also explains how to use single notes (such as bass notes) along with strums to liven things up. These are invaluable for those who truly want to take their playing to the next level. By the way, on page 21 is a Cut Time Strum. This strum is a staple of Cliff Edwards (Ukulele Ike) and no Cliffy fan should pass this one up.
This is a great learning resource, a bargain of a price and I salute you, Curt! You rock (and reggae.. and waltz.. and mambo..)! Surf on over to Curt’s ukulele home on the web and check out his other offerings too.
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Contents
- Introduction 7
- Some Fundamentals 8
- Preliminary Exercises 8
- Symbols 9
- Quarter Note Strum 13
- Sustain Strum 13
- Rock Strum 14
- Light Rock Strum 15
- 12/8 Strum 15
- Shuffle Strum 16
- Power Shuffle Strum 16
- Double Time Strum 16
- Gallop Strum 17
- Flowing 3/4 Strum 17
- Ska Strum 18
- Bass Note Strum Patterns 19
- 3/4 Strum 20
- Reggae Strum 22
- Broken Patterns 23
- Variations 25
- Modular Phonetic Rhythm 26
- Conclusion 27
Book Changes & Errata file
(on www.CurtSheller.com)
Testimonials
(Regarding QUICKSTART Scale Fingerings for Ukulele) ... I was looking for blues chording info but your site came up as jazz chords. I figured soon or later I would need jazzer chords so here I am. Plus nobody else is offering more indepth info on the uke, I liked the scale one the best so far. Thank you RDGauthier
(Regarding QUICKSTART Scale Fingerings for Ukulele) The ukulele book arrived, it must have been chatting with some Christmas cards somewhere.
The books are great!! I am very happy to wrap the books up, and put them under the tree.
My husband and I are both learning to play ukulele and he is also playing a little bit of guitar. Thanks also for sending the full catalogue. These look like some of the best materials that I have found so far! Thanks, Laura C.
Regarding the Ukulele Chord and Scale books
... I was looking for blues chording info but your site came up as jazz chords. I figured soon or later I would need jazzer chords so here I am. Plus nobody else is offering more indepth info on the uke, I liked the scale one the best so far. Thank you RDGauthier
I can highly recommend Curt's Uke books -- I have four of them and they are excelent. fatveg - Portland (4th Peg Ukulele forum)
If you ask, "When I'm playing a solo over a jazz song, how do I know which notes work at any point in the song?" then you may want to have a look at this book (Harmonic Anaylsis for Scale Selection and Chord Substitution)
You can glean this information from many sources, but this is a pithy, direct approach to the heart of the answer you're looking for. I would also suggest, for a broad, comprehensive, and beautifully written "Bible" on understanding jazz, Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book."
James K. Kroger, Ph.D. Department of Psychology, New Mexico State University
I wanted to pay you a compliment. (Now don’t get a big head!). I have purchased many books over the past 15 years I have been playing and none of them come even close to having the detailed and easy to understand information yours have. I really got a chance to get some practicing in and am finding your books to be such a great learning tool. I also purchased a timer like you suggested and my practice sessions the past 4 days have been my best in years. Take care,
Nick (Matty) Matyszczak
JazzGuitarLife.com
(A review of The Advanced Guide to Guitar Chords Vol.1
by Lyle Robinson of JazzGuitarLife)
...When I received this instructional book for review my first question
was, “where was Curt Sheller when I needed him twenty years ago?” If I
had access to this book early on I would have most likely progressed
quicker than I did, especially when faced with a lead sheet from a fake
book with all those “weird” chord names and alterations.
Sheller’s “The Advanced Guide to Guitar Chords Vol.1”
provides the beginner and intermediate jazz guitar player with the most
common and great sounding chord voicings of all the major, minor,
dominant, augmented and diminished chords plus their alterations: 9, 11,
and 13ths. As well, he discusses the sus, add, and slash theory of such
chord formations.
This is a text that is beautifully laid out and very easy to work
through. What little chord theory there is throughout the book is
clearly explained and doesn’t bog the student down with too much
theoretical discourse. The chord diagrams are clearly defined and there
is no confusion about where fingers should be placed. This is definitely
a book that you can begin utilizing in a practical playing situation
almost immediately. And it’s great for teachers to get their
beginning Jazz guitar students to start hearing and playing those
wonderful voicings that excited us all early on in our development as
Jazz guitar players.
“The Advanced Guide to Guitar Chords Vol.1” is a great
beginning for any aspiring Jazz guitarist and I can't wait to check out
Volumes two and three.
Thank you Lyle Robinson
(Regarding QUICKSTART Scale Fingerings for Ukulele) ... I was looking for blues chording info but your site came up as jazz chords. I figured soon or later I would need jazzer chords so here I am. Plus nobody else is offering more indepth info on the uke, I liked the scale one the best so far.
Thank you RDGauthier
(Regarding QUICKSTART Scale Fingerings for Ukulele) The ukulele book arrived, it must have been chatting with some Christmas cards somewhere.
The books are great!! I am very happy to wrap the books up, and put them under the tree.
My husband and I are both learning to play ukulele and he is also playing a little bit of guitar. Thanks also for sending the full catalogue. These look like some of the best materials that I have found so far!
Thanks, Laura C.
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Related Book Info
Information related to the topics principles and information in the book.
Here is a web site I created dedicated to Ukulele Strums: www.UkuleleStrums.com.
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