Strumming The Ukulele
Generally Ukes are strummed with the fingers. You can use the index finger for both down- and upstrokes or use the thumb for downstrokes and the index finger for up. Mixing up the two will give your strumming different qualities.
If you prefer to use a plectrum, make sure it's a softer felt plectrum and not one of the harder guitar type. You can make your own plectrum really easily; anything that makes the right sound is the right material. I've tried all sorts of things (felt plectrums, making my own with foam shapes and felt, etc) but, as much as my hands will allow, I prefer to strum with my fingers.
There are lots of strums to try and you can always just play around with your Ukulele. In books, strums are noted in a specific way to differentiate between downstrokes and upstrokes. The notation is  for a downstroke and  for an upstroke. For the sake of clarity, though, I'll use D and U on this page.
Some common strums include :
When you can strum, all you need are some chords and you can start making music.
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