To increase our ability to play rhythm guitar we need to learn how to strum the guitar in an upward motion as well as a downward motion. The up strokes will sound slightly different to the down strokes as we are going to strike the treble strings first [David strums an up-stroke]. When we strike the guitar in the downward motion we strike the bass strings first [David strums a down-stroke]. If we put these two motions together we get this strum pattern. [David strums pattern.]