Yeah, basically I had done most of the old beginners course a few years ago and I was not doing too bad, I felt I was getting somewhere, could hold my pick well and strum more or less consistently in 2 or 3 strumming patterns, including “old faithful”. Then I had a lot going on and wasn’t too consistent, but kept practising those things on and off, and for a while now I’ve been trying to get back into it but it’s going worse than ever, specially strumming. I can’t even get that pick to stay put and not turn in my hand or drop it, I’m catching strings, it sounds horrible and everyday it goes worse instead of better. I just don’t get it. I’m getting very discouraged and bored and can’t play anything decently. I can change chords fine, I can even play the F chord most of the time and if I go slowly, change from other chords to F chord and get it not too bad. But what does it matter when my strumming is so terrible? I have the old strumming course from Justin. It’s not the patterns, or rhythm etc that I struggle with, it’s dropping the pick, catching strings, strumming to soft then too loud… I could do it before. I don’t know what’s changed. Help!
Hi Laura,
One thing I can suggest is to go back to using a very thin pick as it is far more forgiving when you strike the strings hard or dig in to certain strings. When I started out I could almost bend my pick in half. I slowly increased the thickness over time until I settled on what I play now which is a 0.5 or 0.6. You also might try picks that have grips on, which should help with dropping it. Good luck and stick with it and you will get there.
@Eddie_09 Any suggestions on where to find really thin picks online? I have a 0.6 one. Funny thing, I was using a thicker one when I was doing well a few years ago, but obviously I need to try something else now. 
I am not sure where you live Laura but Amazon would have a good selection. Worth checking out. You could also find some grips on there as well.
Laura
Jim Dunlop 0.38 nylon picks can be bought via strings direct and amazon and probably many other sources. I use those because I’m still very new to using a pick. Justin shows how to use your thumb and forefinger to create a pick like effect using just your hand. If you look at the online lessons in module 0 (zero) there are lessons on how to hold a pick and how to strum without a pick.
Another posibility with regards to problems strummimg is that your posture and/or the position of the guitar is not right. It may be well worth looking again at the lessons from the very beginning: if you’re getting it right you’ll fly through some useful reminders; if something isn’t right you’ll see what needs to be practiced to correct things.
Good to hear you’re having the chance to play more regularly again.
Brian
Thank you. Yeah, I might have to look back to some of the very early lessons. Maybe my position isn’t quite right as you suggest. I’ll have a look at those picks.
Laura, if you are using the 0.60 Tortex pick, then you might also consider getting a pack of 0.60 Jim Dunlop Nylon picks. They are much more flexible than the Tortex picks and have a better grip. That is the pick I used after practicing with the 0.38 JD Nylon pick.
It’s always highly recommended to go through the new beginners course when starting again after a period of absense from playing guitar. You’ll work your way through quite quickly and pick up lots of new goodies that wasn’t in the old course.
Thank you for the suggestion. I have a Jim Dunlop 0.6 It has a bit of texture, maybe to help grip but I still struggle. One thing I forgot to mention is that my strumming hand is always a little cold, perhaps that adds to the problem, but can’t do much to change that, it’s my body being weird.
Hi Laura, I’ve struggled with holding a pick well too. One habit I slip into is holding the pick too tightly. I know it’s counterintuitive to suggest loosening your grip when the pick is sliding or spinning, but it seems to work, and it’s a good habit to develop. (Picks with textured surfaces help as you’re developing this habit.) I’ve had pain in my thumb in the past (and still some lingering, sadly), and the pain is definitely less since I’ve been paying attention to this. For me, it became a significant issue when I started picking individual strings.
Oh - and this Dunlop Variety Pack has a good range picks, starting at .38mm. Keep us posted on your progress!
Bottom Left to Right
Pink
Dunlop
0.60mm
Fat mike nylon
From NOFX 
White 0.46mm
Dunlop
Nylon
Red #46
Dunlop
Not sure i think its Nylon it has extra texture on its for grippyness.
Top same same
Orange 0.60mm
Tortex
Dunlop
Yellow 0.75mm
Tortex
Dunlop
I started with the white ones and went to the orange. I wanted something a bit more thin. Then I saw the pink Fat Mike picks. They are a bit more flexible than the Tortex, and they have a nice bit of texture whereas the Tortex do not, they sell a regular nylon which I think is grey. I am a big NOFX fan so pink it is.
Good luck,
I think people tend to underestimate how much time you need to invest to get to a moderate level in guitar.
Practice what you find hard every day. Isolate it. You’ll get better at it. The good thing about strumming is that beginner songs tend to be strummy ones.
I wouldn’t overanalyse the pick situation either. Just go something like Orange Tortex and stick with it. Changing picks all the time is just going to make it harder.
Hi Laura,
when I felt stuck in guitar after I had tried too long and felt I didn’t get further like I should, I switched to something else. For me, it worked fine.
In this case, I would probably have tried to look at a simple fingerstyle song, or tried strumming without a pick. Maybe you did this before starting with a pick?
So, concentrating on something else, if you choose something that you find fun and worth achieving, that could help,
With the picks, I’d leave them for a week or two, or four, and then restart working with the pick, trying to analyse what wasn’t working.
At least for me, after such a pause, I felt more motivated and curious again and funnily, some things were even better than before after a vacation in a different field.
But that’s just an alternative take.
Hopefully the things suggested above will work for you.
All the best, Dominique
Hi Laura.
First of all, it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. This will take it’s time, with it’s ups and downs, that’s just the way it goes.
What’s most important though, is that you don’t stop, even now, when it’s difficult. And having fun while doing so ofcourse. Otherwise, there’s no point in continuing.
So what you could try, is to approach the things that went well, like strumming, but go slowly and securely, before speeding things (back) up.
Get that F chord from “most of the time” to all of the time. Again, begin slowly, taking note of where your fingers land. Speed always comes afterward.
Same for chord changes, slowly but surely.
In time you’ll see that your muscle memory will start to come back /learn new things.
Again, this will take some time, but don’t give up.
Just never give up…
Lots and lots of good advice here, Laura, so I will only add. take a deep breath and have a little break think deeply about the situation relax and set your mind to going back and sorting this little problem out then smile and carry on cheers Hec
Hi Laura–self doubt is a perfidious thing–it begets more of same.
My “simple” suggestion is to dabble in an area with success better assured.
I bought a JustinGuitar “bundle” of products, and it included an E-book 101 Children’s’ Songs.
(It’s but $10 to buy separately) You already know many of the songs. The chords are easy, and it is a great way to practice whatever challenge you’re working on. “This Old Man, He played”, “Happy Birthday”. You get to learn a riff quickly, everybody needs to know the dirge “Happy Birthday”… (as a personal plus, it does not include “Baby Beluga”, which, if I never hear that song again, that wouldn’t be too soon–it was a favorite, nay a mandatory, song play in my family for a (too long) period of time).
Hurry, hurry. Get your dopamine hits here. Fast, affordable, smile inducing…
(click the link below)
copy of the index of songs
Hi Laura, as a few others have mentioned, it would be worthwhile to go back through the courses from the beginning. I fell off the wagon a couple times since I started and each time I went back to the beginning. Some areas I blew through very quickly while others I spent more time on. Each time I picked up something I missed in past attempts. When you hit the course on strumming, spend a little more time in it.
One thing more thing to consider. Practice strumming muted strings vs. trying to play a song. This isolates your thought process to just the strumming so you can concentrate on what is working and what isn’t?
A final thought - you mentioned your strumming hand is cold all the time. Is this just when you play the guitar or really all the time. If just when you play the guitar, change your positioning/posture to see if that helps. If that doesn’t help you may want to consider a different guitar that may fit your body better. If your hand really is cold all the time and not just when playing guitar, if you haven’t done so already you may want to get it checked out. You could have a pinched nerve or something.
Best of luck in your journey. Enjoy the ride.
Thank you. I’m thinking of a “practice plan” that will include going back to basics with strumming and keeping it interesting with some other aspect.
Hand, and body kind of cold most of the time. Had it checked. It seems I’m just made that way, lol. But it definitely gets worse when I play and I find my guitar a bit big for me. But I can’t afford anything else at the moment so I have to make it work somehow.
whats your guitar ?