I came across this a while back on an Italian blog and it has given me great entertainment once I figured out the secret. It is deceptively simple, and gives the appearance of being simple, but the ears hear a lot more than the eyes see.
This was coined the ‘index and pinky strum’. I hear a triplet in there so I am lumping it in with my triplet strums category. DISCLAIMER: I usually don’t like to put something out there that has already been done but I think my slant might help simplify it some.
Well, how do you do it?
As you see in the video, it really is a triplet. Index down, index up, pinky up. Repeat.
POINTERS: I only strum the top two strings with my index and the bottom two with my pinky. This can vary and by all means, don’t try too hard to do that. It will work itself out. Those are the basic mechanics of the strum.
THE SECRET: Don’t try to be accurate with the index down, index up, pinky up, etc, etc. Instead… be sloppy. The technique or concept I used to get better at this is pretending I spilled hot water on my hand and I’m wringing it furiously in pain and trying to get the water off.
This means the right hand is going up and down in an effortless and RELAXED manner. And fast.
Thanks to Bob Guz for showing me the chord progression I use to demonstrate. He played in the Shorty Long band and said this was the basis for tin pan alley sound. It’s fun, too.
D, B7, E7, A7 — or — 1, Dominant 6, Dominant 2, Dominant 5
Here ya go..
ukulelesecrets 
June 9th, 2011 at 6:07 am
Thanks… I’m fairly new to the uke and the fast strum (like this) looks to be an impossible accomplishment. But not trying too hard sounds within reach, so I’ll give it a try! Practice, practice right?
(I like this blog, BTW)
June 9th, 2011 at 5:53 pm
Thanks, James.
The key to this one is that it sounds crappy for a while and then it finally clicks in. Then it sounds crappy again. Then…
So don’t get discouraged!
June 11th, 2011 at 6:27 am
Really nice! The sloppy hand seems to be the key to a lot of strums eh?
July 13th, 2011 at 7:41 pm
Thanks for this! I have been using a triplet i learnt which is effectively the same – index down, thumb down, index up… I find this works really well for Formby style playing, but yours is better for a spanish-y twang?!
July 13th, 2011 at 7:59 pm
@samtgarson – It’s nice to have an extra triplet technique or two laying around!
May 3rd, 2012 at 12:25 pm
Like.
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