As I was working on the Level 1 Strumming section of the Power Up Ukulele site/syllabus, I got curious as to how many combinations of basic ‘down up’ strums are possible in a measure of 4/4. How useful some of these strums may or may not be is up to you to decide, but I’ve already seen a couple that might warrant a closer look.

• 256 Basic Strum Patterns! (PDF)

To get my number of 256, I limited the possibilities by removing thumb strums and assuming that upstrums will happen only on the ‘and’ or second half of a beat. That leaves us with Π V, Π –, – V & – – as possible beats (dashes represent periods where there’s silence or we’re letting the ukulele ring). I entered these into a ‘permutation calculator’ and had it generate the results. Enjoy!

|| Π V Π V Π V Π V ||
|| Π V Π V Π V Π – ||
|| Π V Π V Π V – V ||
|| Π V Π V Π V – – ||
|| Π V Π V Π – Π V || Π V Π V Π – Π – || Π V Π V Π – – V || Π V Π V Π – – – ||
|| Π V Π V – V Π V || Π V Π V – V Π – || Π V Π V – V – V || Π V Π V – V – – ||
|| Π V Π V – – Π V || Π V Π V – – Π – || Π V Π V – – – V || Π V Π V – – – – ||
|| Π V Π – Π V Π V || Π V Π – Π V Π – || Π V Π – Π V – V || Π V Π – Π V – – ||
|| Π V Π – Π – Π V || Π V Π – Π – Π – || Π V Π – Π – – V || Π V Π – Π – – – ||
|| Π V Π – – V Π V || Π V Π – – V Π – || Π V Π – – V – V || Π V Π – – V – – ||
|| Π V Π – – – Π V || Π V Π – – – Π – || Π V Π – – – – V || Π V Π – – – – – ||
|| Π V – V Π V Π V || Π V – V Π V Π – || Π V – V Π V – V || Π V – V Π V – – ||
|| Π V – V Π – Π V || Π V – V Π – Π – || Π V – V Π – – V || Π V – V Π – – – ||
|| Π V – V – V Π V || Π V – V – V Π – || Π V – V – V – V || Π V – V – V – – ||
|| Π V – V – – Π V || Π V – V – – Π – || Π V – V – – – V || Π V – V – – – – ||
|| Π V – – Π V Π V || Π V – – Π V Π – || Π V – – Π V – V || Π V – – Π V – – ||
|| Π V – – Π – Π V || Π V – – Π – Π – || Π V – – Π – – V || Π V – – Π – – – ||
|| Π V – – – V Π V || Π V – – – V Π – || Π V – – – V – V || Π V – – – V – – ||
|| Π V – – – – Π V || Π V – – – – Π – || Π V – – – – – V || Π V – – – – – – ||
|| Π – Π V Π V Π V || Π – Π V Π V Π – || Π – Π V Π V – V || Π – Π V Π V – – ||
|| Π – Π V Π – Π V || Π – Π V Π – Π – || Π – Π V Π – – V || Π – Π V Π – – – ||
|| Π – Π V – V Π V || Π – Π V – V Π – || Π – Π V – V – V || Π – Π V – V – – ||
|| Π – Π V – – Π V || Π – Π V – – Π – || Π – Π V – – – V || Π – Π V – – – – ||
|| Π – Π – Π V Π V || Π – Π – Π V Π – || Π – Π – Π V – V || Π – Π – Π V – – ||
|| Π – Π – Π – Π V || Π – Π – Π – Π – || Π – Π – Π – – V || Π – Π – Π – – – ||
|| Π – Π – – V Π V || Π – Π – – V Π – || Π – Π – – V – V || Π – Π – – V – – ||
|| Π – Π – – – Π V || Π – Π – – – Π – || Π – Π – – – – V || Π – Π – – – – –||
|| Π – – V Π V Π V || Π – – V Π V Π – || Π – – V Π V – V || Π – – V Π V – – ||
|| Π – – V Π – Π V || Π – – V Π – Π – || Π – – V Π – – V || Π – – V Π – – – ||
|| Π – – V – V Π V || Π – – V – V Π – || Π – – V – V – V || Π – – V – V – – ||
|| Π – – V – – Π V || Π – – V – – Π – || Π – – V – – – V || Π – – V – – – – ||
|| Π – – – Π V Π V || Π – – – Π V Π – || Π – – – Π V – V || Π – – – Π V – – ||
|| Π – – – Π – Π V || Π – – – Π – Π – || Π – – – Π – – V || Π – – – Π – – – ||
|| Π – – – – V Π V || Π – – – – V Π – || Π – – – – V – V || Π – – – – V – – ||
|| Π – – – – – Π V || Π – – – – – Π – || Π – – – – – – V || Π – – – – – – – ||
|| – V Π V Π V Π V || – V Π V Π V Π – || – V Π V Π V – V || – V Π V Π V – – ||
|| – V Π V Π – Π V || – V Π V Π – Π – || – V Π V Π – – V || – V Π V Π – – – ||
|| – V Π V – V Π V || – V Π V – V Π – || – V Π V – V – V || – V Π V – V – – ||
|| – V Π V – – Π V || – V Π V – – Π – || – V Π V – – – V || – V Π V – – – – ||
|| – V Π – Π V Π V || – V Π – Π V Π – || – V Π – Π V – V || – V Π – Π V – – ||
|| – V Π – Π – Π V || – V Π – Π – Π – || – V Π – Π – – V || – V Π – Π – – – ||
|| – V Π – – V Π V || – V Π – – V Π – || – V Π – – V – V || – V Π – – V – – ||
|| – V Π – – – Π V || – V Π – – – Π – || – V Π – – – – V || – V Π – – – – – ||
|| – V – V Π V Π V || – V – V Π V Π – || – V – V Π V – V || – V – V Π V – – ||
|| – V – V Π – Π V || – V – V Π – Π – || – V – V Π – – V || – V – V Π – – – ||
|| – V – V – V Π V || – V – V – V Π – || – V – V – V – V || – V – V – V – – ||
|| – V – V – – Π V || – V – V – – Π – || – V – V – – – V || – V – V – – – – ||
|| – V – – Π V Π V || – V – – Π V Π – || – V – – Π V – V || – V – – Π V – – ||
|| – V – – Π – Π V || – V – – Π – Π – || – V – – Π – – V || – V – – Π – – – ||
|| – V – – – V Π V || – V – – – V Π – || – V – – – V – V || – V – – – V – – ||
|| – V – – – – Π V || – V – – – – Π – || – V – – – – – V || – V – – – – – – ||
|| – – Π V Π V Π V || – – Π V Π V Π – || – – Π V Π V – V || – – Π V Π V – – ||
|| – – Π V Π – Π V || – – Π V Π – Π – || – – Π V Π – – V || – – Π V Π – – – ||
|| – – Π V – V Π V || – – Π V – V Π – || – – Π V – V – V || – – Π V – V – – ||
|| – – Π V – – Π V || – – Π V – – Π – || – – Π V – – – V || – – Π V – – – – ||
|| – – Π – Π V Π V || – – Π – Π V Π – || – – Π – Π V – V || – – Π – Π V – – ||
|| – – Π – Π – Π V || – – Π – Π – Π – || – – Π – Π – – V || – – Π – Π – – – ||
|| – – Π – – V Π V || – – Π – – V Π – || – – Π – – V – V || – – Π – – V – – ||
|| – – Π – – – Π V || – – Π – – – Π – || – – Π – – – – V || – – Π – – – – – ||
|| – – – V Π V Π V || – – – V Π V Π – || – – – V Π V – V || – – – V Π V – – ||
|| – – – V Π – Π V || – – – V Π – Π – || – – – V Π – – V || – – – V Π – – – ||
|| – – – V – V Π V || – – – V – V Π – || – – – V – V – V || – – – V – V – – ||
|| – – – V – – Π V || – – – V – – Π – || – – – V – – – V || – – – V – – – – ||
|| – – – – Π V Π V || – – – – Π V Π – || – – – – Π V – V || – – – – Π V – – ||
|| – – – – Π – Π V || – – – – Π – Π – || – – – – Π – – V || – – – – Π – – – ||
|| – – – – – V Π V || – – – – – V Π – || – – – – – V – V || – – – – – V – – ||
|| – – – – – – Π V || – – – – – – Π – || – – – – – – – V || – – – – – – – – ||

Post filed under All UkulelePlay! Blog Posts, Ukulele Technique.