Strumming Advice Options

[buttmonk]

Yo guys,

Ever since I started playing few years ago I have not really got the hang (or even started to get the hang for that matter) of proper strumming i.e. getting a nice smooth and even action and sound. That has not been much of an issue since it is not required for the kinda music I play which is more of a heavy metally type stuff.

Anyhooo, today I started to learn Holiday by Green Day and that doesn't go too well if u can't strum I use dunlop Jazz III picks, .88 and 1mm, but have also tried with normal dunlops of various thickness but they were worse if anthing. I am trying to use both wrist and forearm and am trying not to grip the pick too hard, but that just ends up in the pick twisting in my fingers. My main problem is digging into the strings too much. I developed a new technique with which I managed to get fairly good results: resting my arm near the elbow on the top of the guitar, using arm and wrist with quite a wide motion (starting and stopping the strum well clear of low and high Es), turning the pick sideways and angling down a bit, and strumming nearer the bridge. I turn the pick sideways so that 1 of the big blunt corners (the corners Mr Jim did not intend u to pick with) strike the strings and this seems to prevent dig-in compared to using the proper point (Jazz picks are really pointy) and I think I prefer the sound too. Strumming nearer the bridge also seems to help with dig-in cos the strings are more taught there.

Anyone got any comments on this technique? Advice on how to practice? I know I am supposed to try to strike with only the lightest of touches, and then alot of these measures I mention above would not be needed perhaps, but at the moment that light touch eludes me and I am either digging in or missing altogether... At least the above technique seems to allow me to be fairly heavy handed and still get a reasonably flowing and rhthymic action.

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[Ramiro Delforte]

I agree with Ivan, your hand must be relaxed all the way. And the movement has to come from your wrist.

Here I've found a video that shows the good way to play a strummed chord and then the wrong way to play it.

First the wrong way:



Now the correct manner:




There there is another video with more information:



And now just for fun I leave you this one:

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