A strum is the act of brushing one's fingers over (strumming) the strings of a string instrument such as a guitar. A string is a vibrating element used on many musical instruments, such as the violin, guitar, harp, and piano. ... A string instrument (or stringed instrument) is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

A strumming pattern is a preset pattern used by a rhythm guitar. Compare with pattern picking. Strumming patterns may be indicated through notation, tablature, up and down arrows, or slashes. For example, a pattern in common time or 4/4 consisting of alternating down and up eighth note strokes may be written: Rhythm guitar is a kind of guitar playing that provides accompaniment for a singer or other instruments. ... Pattern picking is the use of preset right-hand pattern[s] while fingerpicking on a guitar (the left hand voicing traditional chords). ... The time signature (also known as meter signature) is a notational device used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each bar and which note value (minim, crotchet, eighth note and so on) constitutes one beat. ...

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The pattern most typical of rock and related styles would be written:

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Further reading

• Dix, Bruce (1993). You Can Teach Yourself Country Guitar. ISBN 1-56222-456-5.