Strumming Mechanics

@AndyBringhurst

Have you checked out this lesson How To Strum Without A Pick | JustinGuitar.com

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@AndyBringhurst Welcome to the forum Andy.

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Dipping my toe into the module 2 material… really focusing on this lesson this week! Adjusting my pick angle, rather than strumming it flat against the strings like I was, definitely makes each string ring out more clearly. (Installing a new set of strings helped too… I’ve had the factory set on my nicer Stratocaster this whole time!) I also dialed it back to a .60 pick from a .73 pick, and I’m definitely able to feel the strings much better. That was difficult with the thicker pick.

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I recall another online teacher imagining your strumming hand as if there was sticky honey and to avoid the bees you want to flick it away with your hand.

Maybe this can provide future beginners with another way to strum if they have wrist pain.

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Is there a difference in the angle of the pick between strumming down or up?

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Hi Thomas,

I do. Remember that there is more than one axis of rotation on “angle”.

  • I strike the string with a slightly leading edge on the pick. This comes from the angle I am gripping with fingers. Striking perfectly flat will brighten the sound a bit with a slap, and feels a little like my fingers are straining to maintain the position.
  • I rotate my forearm a bit to get it to slide across without catching under a string between up and down strums
  • I try to keep the pointy part generally aimed directly toward the body of the guitar.
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Hello @ThomasDirkse and welcome to the Community and JustinGuitar.

The short answer is yes.
The long answer includes some of the good advice and comment from @sequences. Your fingers, hand, wrist and forearm are all making micro adjustments as you swing in the strumming arc.

Justin recommends strumming from the forearm and elbow in the very early stages, and not so much from a relaxed and loose wrist. This is because he wants beginners to develop the essential habit of keeping a constant Down-Up motion. Only when learning faster strumming does he recommend allowing the wrist to get involved. The forearm is still required to move up and down but the wrist is better able to move at a more rapid rate in a controlled way. The size of swinging arc that the forearm will move through is reduced and the wrist and hand use their muscles and tendons and ability to make micro- rotational adjustments becomes important.

I tend to be a little less strict in my thinking of use of the wrist for absolute beginners. But that could be due to my own playing style. I tend to be more flicky - whippy - wristy in my strumming action.

Here are some graphics showing a type of wrist rotation - albeit these show extreme movement with a lot of rotation (as they are taken from sites for physiotherapy) compared to the degree and extent of wrist rotation needed for strumming.

Why is this an issue?
The curvature of the arc with which your pick approaches, strikes then moves away from the strings is best when it is shallow and across a span about double the width of your strings. Like this:

Too much rotation of the wrist on a fairly static forearm means that the arc takes a much more pronounced curvature. The attack on the strings can be choppy, the pick can dig in between strings making for a less smooth movement and there is a bit less overall pick control. Like this.

To develop a good habit, I recommend that anyone do some plain and simple rhythm strumming, Down Up Down Up Down Up Down Up eighths, and speak out loud in the strum too. Say what you play.
Say out loud:
Down Up Down Up Down Up Down Up

Be conscious of your forearm and wrist working together.

I hope that helps. Cheers :smiley: | Richard | JustinGuitar Approved Teacher, Official Guide & Moderator

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What about strumming with fingers?

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Welcome to the community Gloria :slightly_smiling_face: It’s a very big question you are asking…

Finger strumming is lots of fun, often sounds more intimate than playing with a pick and there is a quite wide range of techniques to learn and discover. Justin even has a Strumming SOS Course dedicated to finger strumming.

You are asking this question in module 2 of Grade 1, so I guess you are at the very beginning of your guitar journey? Let’s see if I can find some links to get you started…

Have you seen this lesson?

This video is also very useful around min 11.40 Justin addresses finger strumming.

I hope this helps a bit :slightly_smiling_face:

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Now im little confusedwhat to do ? I didn’t understand what is shown here

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They are taken from online physiotherapy help guides. They are not guitar practice diagrams. I was using them to illustrate that the wrist has motion in multiple ways, up / down / laft / right / clockwise / anticlockwise. Its ability to flex and move in 3d is a wonder of nature. And it can do so with mere micro movements, not big pendulum swings.
Strumming with a flexible, relaxed wrist, involves allowing it to move and rotate a little as the arm moves up and down a little.

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Understood but for now i will use My arm as Justin sir said :thought_balloon:

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@matimusic Check out my Club session next week. Details here. It may be helpful. https://www.justinguitar.com/clubs

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@Richard_close2u


Is it for grade 3 ?

No.
That is an oversight being updated asap.

It is for Grade 1 or above.

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Holding pick becomes difficult, and pick becomes slippery if i hold it lose in thumb and finger @Richard_close2u @judi and i feel little bit scared to drop it

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Hi Mati, lots of us beginners (and some who have played for a long time) struggle with this! Here are a couple discussion threads you can review: Pick Manipulation, Guitar Pick Issues, Pick Slipping Tips. (I searched using the terms “Pick slip”.) You’ll see folks talking about fancy picks - as a fellow beginner I encourage you to stay with the thinner picks Justin recommends. If you do choose to explore picks, I’d suggest starting with a variety pack like this one from Dunlop. If you can’t find the variety pack, you can use the contents as a guide for what picks to try.

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@judi Can i use Dunlop .88 because its only available on store others are so cheap then this and not that good

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@matimusic Mati, when I was doing Grade 1 I used Dunlop Nylon .46 (thin white pick with some roughness on the surface) and Dunlop Celluloid Shell Light and Medium (I like how they look :rofl:). Now I use various picks, but usually no more than .60mm thickness. I understand that you may not have a lot of selection available, but if you can find some thinner picks it would probably help you! For us beginners, thicker picks tend to get caught in the strings. That can make it harder to hold on to the pick while we learn.

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I find that the pick you use depends on what sound you prefer, and what ever suits you personally.
As for slippy picks, try licking your fingers, or persevere with it until the pick makes friend with your fingers.
Hope this helps :blush:

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