6/8 Strumming Pattern (D U D U)

161 strumming patterns from beginner to funk and Bollywood, played with real chords, with slow motion and a moving strum hand.

A down on each beat and an up on the last eighth of each group of three: the gentle rocking strum of 6/8 ballads. Written in arrows it is DU DU, in 6/8.

The player above plays it at 60 BPM over the chords D – A – Bm – G. Press Start to hear it, or slow it down to see each stroke.

How to count 6/8 D U D U

Count	1	2	3	4	5	6
Strum	↓	·	↑	↓	·	↑
Hand	↓	↓	↑	↓	↓	↑

Say the count out loud and strum only on the bold words: 1 2 3 4 5 6

↓ down · ↑ up · ✕ chuck (muted) · B bass note · b second bass note · bold: accent · dashed: palm-muted · underlined: short. The last row is the strumming hand, which keeps moving even where nothing sounds.

DU DU uses four of the six eighth-note slots in the bar: two down and two up, with the hand swinging past the strings twice. Two strokes fall on the group starts and two between them. The bar ends with an up strum on eighth note 6: many players let go of the chord there and change while the open strings ring.

Playing it

Feel two big beats, not six small ones. Down on 1 and 4, up on 3 and 6, and let the hand float through 2 and 5 without touching the strings.

Silent swings

On eighth note 2 of every group the hand moves without touching the strings. Keep it moving there, in the same down-down-up rhythm.

Up strums

On eighth note 3 of every group, brush the top three or four strings, a little softer than the downs.

Practise it step by step

Rhythm only: mute the strings with your fretting hand and play it while saying “1 2 3 4 5 6”, or in dotted beats “1 la li 2 la li”.
Hold D, set slow motion to ×0.5 (30 BPM) and play along until four bars in a row are even.
Loop the trickiest moment on its own: the silent swing on eighth note 2 into the up strum on eighth note 3.
Normal speed at 40 BPM, with the click on if you want the beat under you.
Chord changes: D – A – Bm – G, one a bar (or every 2 bars until the changes are clean).
Up 4 BPM at a time to 60 BPM, then toward 80 BPM for faster songs.

At 60 BPM a bar lasts 2.00 seconds and you play 120 strokes a minute. Slow motion at ×0.5 brings that down to 60.

Chords to try

D – A – Bm – G Am – Dm – E G – C – D

Waltzes, 6/8 and 12/8 all group the pulse in threes. In 3/4 there are three beats, strong-weak-weak. In 6/8 and 12/8 there are two or four big beats, each split into three eighth notes, which gives ballads their rocking, swaying motion.

One step away

Accent the down on eighth note 1 and you have 6/8 sway (DU DU).
Make the down on eighth note 1 a bass note and you have 6/8: bass, U, D, U (BU DU).
Leave out the up on eighth note 3, and leave out the up on eighth note 6 and you have 6/8: two strums (D D).
Add a down on eighth note 2, and add a down on eighth note 5 and you have 6/8: D D U D D U (DDU DDU).
Accent the down on eighth note 1, and make the down on eighth note 4 an accented chuck and you have Dadra strum (6/8) (DU XU).

Change it in the pattern builder

Common questions

How do you count the 6/8 D U D U strumming pattern?

Count “1 2 3 4 5 6”, or in dotted beats “1 la li 2 la li”, and play down on eighth note 1, up on eighth note 3, down on eighth note 4 and up on eighth note 6.

What tempo is 6/8 D U D U played at?

60 BPM here, 120 strokes a minute. Learn it near 40 BPM; songs with this feel usually sit between 45 and 80 BPM (counting the dotted beat).

Is 6/8 D U D U good for beginners?

Yes, once four downs and chord changes feel easy. The one moment to watch is the silent swing on eighth note 2 into the up strum on eighth note 3; start it at ×0.5, 30 BPM.

Which chords go with 6/8 D U D U?

Any chords. Try D – A – Bm – G, or Am – Dm – E, or G – C – D, or type your own in Advanced.

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