Ukulele Tricks Online Ukulele Lessons
  • Lessons
    • How to Play Ukulele
    • Free Lessons
    • Books
  • Courses
  • Songs
  • Tools
    • Online Ukulele Tuner
    • Ukulele Chord Library
    • Baritone Chord Library
  • Blog
  • More
    • About
    • Ukulele Buying Guide
    • Contact
  • Log In
  • Log In
  • Sign Up

3 Strumming Exercises to Improve Your Feel For Rhythm

by Brett McQueen

How do you “feel” the rhythm?

Finding the groove when strumming your ukulele can be difficult but there is a way to improve.

It starts with building what I like to call a “Strumming Vocabulary” where you practice simple strumming rhythm exercises – trust me, any level ukulele player can learn these with a little effort and improve their rhythm!

With that vocab, you acquire the muscle memory to be able to just “feel” the beat.

It all starts with playing some fun strumming pattern exercises.

In this video lesson, I teach you three exercises to play on your ukulele that will help you:

  • Get the feeling for common note lengths
  • Figure out how to feel the offbeat
  • Know how to feel the beat without strumming the beat

I break everything down in the following video lesson!

To save these 3 exercises and use them in your own practice, grab the 1-page PDF worksheet.

3 Strumming Pattern Rhythm Exercises Worksheet

I recommend practicing these exercises for 5-10 minutes a day to level up your rhythm on ukulele!

Bonus Challenge: Write out a chord progression of 2-3 chords to practice chord changes while playing any of these rhythms.

And for the most complete and comprehensive way to build your Strumming Vocabulary, join me in the full Strumming Tricks course where I teach you how to apply rhythms like these to playing actual songs.

Join Strumming Tricks Today

Not sure where to go next? Grab the free ukulele lesson book.

Your First Ukulele Lesson And Then Some Book

Join over 50,000 people and get our free ukulele lesson book Your First Ukulele Lesson and Then Some. Learn new tricks like:

  • How to properly tune, hold, and strum your ukulele
  • The most essential "must-know" ukulele chords
  • How to play 3 extremely versatile strumming patterns
  • How to play "I've Been Working On the Railroad"

To get a free copy of the digital lesson book delivered to your inbox, enter your email below:

    Start Here

    Join over 50,000 people and get the free ukulele lesson book

    Your First Ukulele Lesson And Then Some

      100% privacy. We promise to keep your
      email safe. Learn more.

      Courses

      Strumming Tricks course

      Perfect for beginners. Become proficient in strumming, rhythm and chord changes on the ukulele, improving your skills while learning actual songs.

      Fingerpicking Tricks course

      For players beyond the basics. Take your fingerpicking skills to the next level on the ukulele, learning fingerpicking pieces in four distinct styles.

      View More Courses →

      Books

      Ukulele Exercises For Dummies by Brett McQueen

      Written by Brett McQueen, founder of UkuleleTricks.com.

      Learn More

      View More Books →

      Popular

      • Ukulele Sizes: Soprano, Concert, Tenor & Baritone
      • How to Play Ukulele: The Ultimate Guide to Learn to Play Ukulele Today
      • Somewhere Over the Rainbow Ukulele Chords & Lesson
      • 3 Best Ways to Play the E Major Chord on Ukulele
      • Tuning Your Ukulele to Low G
      • 5 Effective Strumming Patterns for Beginners
      • Ukulele vs. Guitar: Complete Guide to Decide Which to Learn
      • My Free Ukulele Lesson Book is Finished!
      • How to Play the E Major Chord on Ukulele the Easy Way
      • Ukulele Blues Fingerpicking Lesson for Beginners: Pattern #1
      • Ukulele Tuning: The Ultimate Guide For How to Tune Your Ukulele
      • 5 Different Ways to Play a C Major Chord on Ukulele
      • How to Play a C Major Scale on Ukulele
      • 5 Best Ukuleles to Buy for Beginners
      • How to Play the 12-Bar Blues On Ukulele

      About

      Brett McQueen
      Brett McQueen is the founder of Ukulele Tricks and author of the internationally-published book Ukulele Exercises For Dummies. He teaches thousands of people from around the world to play ukulele in a non-intimidating, easy-to-follow style. Read more.

      Copyright © 2025 Ukulele Tricks – a McQueen Machine, LLC website.
      Privacy Policy · Terms of Service · Links