Ukulele Lesson: Ralph Shaw Teaches You How to Play George Formby’s Legendary Split Stroke

Full lesson at https://www.ukulelemag.com/lessons/ra...

The thrilling strum that George Formby used in his ukulele solos is known as the split stroke. Also known as the syncopated strum, its roots go back to ragtime music. This is a demanding strum to do well but, once you get it, it’s an exciting ukulele technique to know and add to many styles of music.

Ukulele songs in 4/4 time are usually strummed with strong down beats on the 1, 2, 3, and 4, and lighter up strums on the and beats. What makes the split stroke different is that it breaks the rules of normal strumming, interspersing single notes with full strums and, more important, shifting the emphasis of certain beats. The usual heavy strum on 2 is displaced to the and of that beat. This is followed by a light single note on beat 2, which is normally a heavy downbeat.