WEBVTT

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Hey, how're you doing?

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Justin here with another 
ukulele instalment for you.

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And today we're going to be 
looking at shuffle strumming.

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Now this type of strumming 
is really, really

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common on the ukulele, 
so it's definitely

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something you need 
to do some practice with,

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and we're going to be doing a play along 
so you can get use to the feel of it.

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So, what is a shuffle?

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Normally in music when you have a:

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1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and

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It would be played very evenly, okay?

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Like mathematically as 
perfectly as you could.

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Doing something like:

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1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and

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1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and

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(continues strum pattern)

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Normally, it would be a 
down strum on the beat.

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On the 1, 2, 3, and the 4

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and an up strum on the "ands".

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So, 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and

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Okay?

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That should be something that 
you're working on already,

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but the shuffle is particularly 
common on the ukulele.

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We use it on guitar as well,

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particularly blues used 
a lot of shuffle stuff,

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but on the ukulele there is 
something about that kind of-

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It's got a bit of a groove to it.

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Sounds great on uke.

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So what we are basically doing is 
delaying the up stroke a little bit.

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The "and"

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So instead of going:

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1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and

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We go:

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1- and 2- and 3- and 4

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and 1- and 2- and 3- and 4

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That kind of feeling, 
if it's straight.

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(demonstrates)

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Now with the shuffle again.

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(demonstrates with shuffle)

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Now, if we want to look at it 
mathematically,

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we would divide each beat into 3,

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commonly called "triplets" in music,

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and we would be playing the first
one and the last one.

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If we were counting this 
we'd normally count

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1 trip-let 2 trip-let 
3 trip-let 4 trip-let

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That would be the count for it.

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So it would be strumming
the down on the beat,

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and the up stroke on the "let".

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So if I do it really slowly 
we would be doing:

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1 trip-let 2 trip-let 
3 trip-let 4 trip-let

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1 trip-let 2 trip-let 
3 trip-let 4 trip-let

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It's not quite as 
mathematical as that really

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when it comes to making music out of it.

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It's just got this kind of- It's a 
little bit more dance-y than

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(playing with shuffle)

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♪♪

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Than it would if I played
that same thing straight

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(plays straight)

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It doesn't seem to have 
the same groove as:

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(with shuffle)

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♪♪

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So, to practice, what I would 
recommend you start off with

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is doing the little count thing.

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So, first thing is to practice 
actually saying out loud:

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1 trip-let 2 trip-let 
3 trip-let 4 trip-let

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over and over again.

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Then start playing along with 
the down strum on that beat,

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on the count: the 1, 2, 3, and the 4

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and the up on the "let". So going:

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1 trip-let 2 trip-let 
3 trip-let 4 trip-let

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1 trip-let 2 trip-let 
3 trip-let 4-

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Let's have a little play
along of doing that now

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cause this is how you want to get 
it under your fingers properly.

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Or finger, as you're probably
strumming with your first finger,

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that's what I'd be recommending.

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I'm using a C-chord here 
as it's nice and easy,

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and you don't want to think about chords.

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You just want to think 
about the strumming.

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So if i'm going: 
3 trip-let 4 trip-let

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1 trip-let 2 trip-let 
3 trip-let 4 trip-let

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1 trip-let 2 trip-let 
3 trip-let 4 trip-let

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Keep going.

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1 trip-let 2 trip-let 
3 trip-let 4 trip-let

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down...up, down...up, 
down...up, down...up

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1 trip-let 2 trip-let 
3 trip-let 4 trip-let

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1 trip-let 2 trip-let 
3 trip-let 4 trip-let

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Okay? So, really that's the way to get 
used to the idea of having that kind of

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delayed end, if you like, the shuffle.

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But really what's important is that it 
feels good.

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So once you've actually got it right
the point would be to just play it.

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See if you can get that skip-y 
feeling where it's kind of-

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And I don't mean Skippy
the Bush Kangaroo.

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I mean, like, you know. 
Kinda moving nice.

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That's really where it's at 
with this kind of rhythm thing.

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It's not so much about the 
mathematically perfect version.

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It's kind of getting it to feel nice,

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and that's something 
that you can practice.

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When you're playing it yourself, 
practice trying to make it feel good.

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You'll feel there'll be a certain 
little pocket where it'll be like-

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It'll make you move, 
it'll make you feel different

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and that's really where it's at.

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And this shuffle thing, for playing uke 
songs is a really important part of it

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because playing it straight on 
the uke just never seems to-

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Well sometimes it works better, but
most times you want to try and get

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that shuffle rhythm in there 
cause it just sounds cool.

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Basically, it all boils down 
to what sounds good

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and learning the shuffle, and getting that
groovy feeling when you're playing

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your rhythm guitar is 
totally where it's at.

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So, have a little bit of fun with that

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and I will see you for plenty 
more lessons very soon.

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Take care of yourselves.

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Bye-bye.