How To: Play Triplet Strums (Rasgueado) at Song Endings on a Ukulele

This article is about how to play triplet strums like Spanish tocaores (guitar players) on a ukulele. This technique is commonly used among flamenco guitar players, and it is portable to the ukulele. This technique is also portable to all kinds of music, and it's a nice way to end a song with some kind of drumming fireworks.

The basics of this technique is to play three strums per tick (quarter, eighths, sixteenth). This is achieved with an upstroke of the thumb which should emphasize the first beat of the triplet, followed by a downstroke with any finger, finalized by a downstroke with the thumb. Most important is that your hand movement comes from your wrist and not by an up and down movement of the forearm.

Take your time for practicing. You need some to get it. And stop playing when your arm or hand starts hurting!