Group Playing

It’s not easy to create strumming patterns for ukulele combos, especially when playing skills are limited. Talented players, especially those who are proficient on guitar or mandolin can make the uke both a rhythmic and melodic instrument, but the average group player is better off concentrating on rhythmic and percussive elements.

Here are some practice tracks for songs in our Old Spice rehearsal repertoire.

Rita May

We use two different rhythm strums for this song.

The first is a 1 – 2 – 1-2-3-4 pattern, the same as ‘I’m Blue’. Note the change in the bridge which is 1 – 2 – 3 – 4.

Rhythm 1

 

The second is a – 2  – 4 pattern which only changes slightly for the last bars of the bridge.

Rhythm 2

 

Here’s what they sound like combined :

Combined

 

For Your Love

In this song one uke plays an arpeggio pattern  while rhythm ukes play – 1 – 123 -1 -1 through the chord cycle of C Am Dm G with slight variations at the end of the verse and in the bridge.

Here’s just the rhythm uke :

 

Rhythm only

 

and here it is with the arpeggio :

 

With Arpeggio

 

Right Around The Corner

This is a fast strum at 130bpm with emphasis on the 2nd and 4th beats. There is a variation in the chorus with sharp single strums.

 

Rhythm

 

 

Christmas

This also has two different strum patterns. The first one follows the bass pattern.

 

Rhythm 1

 

The second is slightly different (played here in Baritone tuning)

 

Rhythm 2

 

The resulting mix with a small group sounds like this

 

4 Ukes mixed