How Songs Come Together

Progressions & Patterns

The same chords can feel completely different depending on the rhythm. Use the explorer below to hear and see that change.

Chord path + strum pattern + beat emphasis = song feel.

1. Pick a chord progression.
2. Choose a strumming pattern and press Play Chords.
3. Adjust tempo until it feels right, then try it yourself

Or, load a song and see how the patterns apply.

Strumming pattern

Pattern

dotBeat Animator

Think of dots like a clapping pattern. Follow them in time. Two dots between the vertical white lines count for one beat. In 4/4 time, we count one and, two and, three and, four and. Dense sixteen-note patterns add the usual sixteenth syllables under each slot (1 e & a 2 e & a …) while the track uses a tighter layout.

80
Hear the groove at a fixed practice tempo before you play it yourself.
Downstroke
Upstroke
Chuck (muted)
Song Example
Choose a song to see this groove in a real example.
Pattern notation

D = downstroke, U = upstroke, X = muted strum, - = hold/rest, and D>, U>, X> = accented strokes.

Open printable strumming pattern sheet

In These Songs

Looking for a pattern?