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Somewhere Over The Rainbow Strumming Pattern Worksheet

The document provides instructions for strumming patterns used in Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" played on ukulele. It begins with a basic island strum and then introduces variations including thumb strumming, accented strums, swing time, percussive strums, and ghost picking techniques. The document emphasizes practicing each technique slowly before combining them and stresses relaxation over technical perfection to emulate the feeling in Iz's playing.

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347 views6 pages

Somewhere Over The Rainbow Strumming Pattern Worksheet

The document provides instructions for strumming patterns used in Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" played on ukulele. It begins with a basic island strum and then introduces variations including thumb strumming, accented strums, swing time, percussive strums, and ghost picking techniques. The document emphasizes practicing each technique slowly before combining them and stresses relaxation over technical perfection to emulate the feeling in Iz's playing.

Uploaded by

abdolu531
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW

STRUM PATTERN WORKSHEET

Somewhere Over the Rainbow


Strum Pattern Worksheet
As you discovered in the video, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s ukulele hit Somewhere Over
The Rainbow contains masterful strumming, technique, and feel.

For the best results learning this strum pattern, practice each rhythm and technique in
sequence before moving on to the next.

And remember a big part of the magic to this song is the Low G Tuning.

Basic Island Strum

This basic strum pattern is the foundation for Iz’s Over The Rainbow rhythm.

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SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW
STRUM PATTERN WORKSHEET

Thumb ’n Strum

Replace down strums on beats 1 and 3 with a pluck of the thumb on the top low G-
string. Strum down and up with the index finger leaving the remaining fingers in a
relaxed open hand position.

Accented Strum

Israel creates feeling in his strumming rhythm by strumming the “and” of the beat
louder than the other strums, known as an accent.

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SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW
STRUM PATTERN WORKSHEET

Adding Swing

To better create that island feeling, play the strumming pattern in Swing Time, where
you hold down strums for roughly twice as long as up strums, creating a feeling of
“shuffle” or “hesitation” between beats.

Pro tip: The feeling of swing time is better “caught” than taught. Listen to the
Straight vs. Swing Time examples in the video at 5:32 to hear the difference.

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SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW
STRUM PATTERN WORKSHEET

Percussive Strum

Denoted by an “X”, on beats 2 and 4, tap the top of the ukulele with the middle and
ring fingers to create a percussive effect. You may play around with how loud you tap
to achieve the desired effect!

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SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW
STRUM PATTERN WORKSHEET

“Ghost Pick” Technique

At the very beginning of the song, on beat 3, Iz begins to pluck the C-string with the
index finger on the “ee” of the beat after he plucks with the thumb. He’s a master at
this hybrid strumming and fingerpicking rhythmic style. These index finger plucks are
subtle but drive the rhythm along, almost like they are ghost plucks.

Some Tips That Will Really Help

I can’t overstate how important it is to go slow and count out loud.

Oh, and for goodness sake, have fun!

Your fingers need time and repetition to build muscle coordination. Remember that
this is an advanced strumming pattern rhythm where Iz combines multiple strumming
techniques and ideas into one rhythm. But once you have the coordination you can
speed it up and bring your playing up to tempo.

The other thing to keep in mind is that the reason Iz’s strumming is enjoyable to
listen to is because of how relaxed his playing is, so prioritize a relaxed strum over a
technically “proper” strum.

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SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW
STRUM PATTERN WORKSHEET

Learning from our ukulele heroes can feel intimidating but it should be fun!

“How will I ever sound like Iz?”

You won’t sound like him at first.

None of us can really!

He’s truly one-of-a-kind and unique.

But there’s so much we can learn from his playing. Use these lessons as a way to
improve your skills and to find your own strumming style on your ukulele!

And for the most complete step-by-step way to improve your strumming on ukulele,
join me in the full Strumming Tricks course where I take you from complete beginner
to proficient ukulele player strumming 20 songs in 7 distinct styles.

As always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to send me an email.

Your teacher,

Brett McQueen
https://ukuleletricks.com

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