Hi Alan, @alan_almeida
That’s completely normal that it happens in the beginning … we’ve all had that (sometimes I still have it after more than 3 years)…keep practicing. 
Welcome here and I wish you a lot of fun and perseverance 
Greetings,Rogier
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Got it thanks <3
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I am having a problem where the pick is rotating clockwise in my fingers when I do the up/down strumming. Not a problem with just down strokes.
I have to grip the pick REALLY hard to make it not rotate and that throws off my rhythm.
Any suggestions or explanations as to what’s happening?
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Craig @moose408
I am afraid it is a very common problem for beginners, I certainly suffered from it and still do to a certain extent. One option is to use picks with texture, Dunlop maxi grips are one type but I think the thinnest is 0.6 not ideal for beginners.
Justin has a lesson later on on pick manipulation, How to Use a Pick When Strumming - My Own Experience! - YouTube in grade 2, which may help but you will find as time goes on you get better control of the pick and can hold it lighter.
Unfortunately it is a like a lot of things with a guitar, you just have to work through it.
Hope this helps.
Michael
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You could also check this out:
Paradoxically, gripping the pick tightly can make it more likely to spin…I’ve experienced it myself, but I don’t understand why it happens.
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Hello,
First of all, thank you very much for your help and guidance! It’s been a while since I am practicing strumming. Oftentimes, my pick is rotating in an anti-clockwise direction while practicing up/down strumming patterns. If I try to hold the pick more firmly, it makes my arm feel like a robot and messes up my rhythm.
Any guidance on why this may be happening and how I can fix it will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Cheers,
Jay
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Jay
See the comment on pick manipulation I made earlier which is perhaps ahead of where you are as it is in Grade 2
Michael
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That can be a part of the problem. Loosen your grip. It may still rotate a little but will be much easier to rotate back again.
Plus, too much grip = hand tension and hand tension = bad sounding music.
This is tricky for me as I am so used to the island strum from the Bari ukulele. But I’m slowly getting it
Definitely finding strumming the most challenging part of learning guitar, even on the down strums. I just can’t seem to relax my arm (I get a lot of pain in my shoulder, and the strumming arm from leaning on the guitar). I also struggle with the consistency of how hard or soft I am hitting the strings (as in, I can’t seem to keep it consistent - one second it’s too hard, then I miss the strings completely the next). I’m not sure what I am looking for from the group, maybe just reassurance that it will get easier and more natural the more I practice :') - plus any tips.
I have been reassured by how much more natural my one minute chord changes have become, so I hope that one day I will look back on this time and realise how natural strumming feels in comparison.
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Amy, I can promise you that with more practice strumming will get easier. If your shoulder is having pain, I wonder if you are leaning forward to look at your hands. Better posture might help with that. I would suggest that you look again at the module 3 lesson on holding the guitar. You shouldn’t be using your shoulders to strum, since you don’t use your whole arm, just the arm from your elbow to your hand.
You might also take Justin’s advice to practice strumming while muting the strings with the fretting hand. I do that a lot for new strumming patterns. Take a look at Nitsuj Grade 1, module 3, practice 1 to see how Justin is practicing strumming.
You can try to use a lighter nylon pick at first to help with the consistent strumming pressure. See some of the other posts above on choosing the right pick.
I’ve been strumming for almost 50 years and I still have to go back to the basics occasionally to check my strumming technique. I am still trying to sound more like Justin. Strumming is one guitar technique that looks so simple but takes years of practice to get perfect strumming tone, smooth strums exactly on the beat and sounding like it is relaxed. You will have a lot more strumming practice in module 4 and especially module 5. You will learn more about strumming in Grades 2 and 3, so don’t worry. You will have more time to improve your strumming. Justin even have a series of strumming lessons that you can purchase, for improving your strumming and learning new strumming techniques.
Thanks for the reassurance and tips Steve, I better just keep at it. I guess I am leaning forward to look at my hands, but I think I’m also just holding so much tension in the should so I need to relax a bit more. Practiced a bit tonight, and while 80% of sounded terrible, I had a few moments where I thought I had it so that’s progress 
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I just wanted to follow up and say I am already having much more fun with strumming. It’s really up-levelled and revitalised my practice and I am getting better every time. I can even change chords while strumming now. It’s messy, but it’s progress.
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