How do I properly strum with my hand? (no pick)

160 WPM thats insane....

I'd gladly trade it to be a guitar pro ;)

And i actually just tested it, its only arround 105. The 160 was the fastest i've ever clocked it. And it wasn't 100% accurate.

I'd gladly trade it to be a guitar pro ;)

And i actually just tested it, its only arround 105. The 160 was the fastest i've ever clocked it. And it wasn't 100% accurate.

Heh, I'm in the same pit as you, I type around 130 WPM on average.

I actually pick with a pick a lot fasther than I do with my fingers, and I think this is just because I've practiced pretty much only with a pick. Anyway, if I were strumming with my fingers, I'd probably try to run the nails of them down the strings emulating the hardness of a pick. It gives the same crisp clean sound as a pick, and you'll probablyu be able to do it just as fast.

I down strum with my thumb and up strum with my index finger.

Since I'm basically a fingerpicker, I'm more comfortable without a pick, too. I feel like I have more "freedom" playing with my fingers than with a pick. When I strum, though, sometimes I use my thumb (P) for the downstrokes (and definitely for incorporating a bass pattern into my strumming pattern), but sometimes I use the backs of my fingernails (I,M & A - & sometimes even C (the pinkie) if I'm not holding a pick in the crook of that finger for those times that I need to switch from fingerpicking to flatpicking and back in the course of a song). For the upstrokes it's usually always I, M & A. I like to use more than one finger for strumming because it gives a fuller sound, IMHO.

I do the opposite, using the backs of my nails.

I do the opposite, using the backs of my nails.

I use the backs of my nails for the downstrokes, but the inside of my nails for the upstrokes........................ Don't think I put that last part in!

So you use all your fingers for the strum? I like to use just one, my index or middle to go down, and the thumb to go up.

I use i m a to strum without a pick by shooting my fingers out

Sometyimes I use my pads for a "SOFTER" sound.

I type around 130 WPM

with me its more like 130 minutes per word!
I can spell any word but cant type for s***

As you can see there are a lot of ways to strum with your hand. I like to use only my thumb. In fact I strum and pick with only my thumb at times. No matter what finger or combination there of, you strum just like you would with a pick, brushing across the strings lightly. It might help to plant you pinkie on the top below the sound hole for balance and accuracy if your using just your thumb.

I recommend everyone learn both with and without a pick, both methods have their advantages, both will come in handy in virtually any style.

You can't be TOO diverse.

As you can see there are a lot of ways to strum with your hand. I like to use only my thumb. In fact I strum and pick with only my thumb at times. No matter what finger or combination there of, you strum just like you would with a pick, brushing across the strings lightly. It might help to plant you pinkie on the top below the sound hole for balance and accuracy if your using just your thumb.

I used to anchor my pinkie because when I first started fingerpicking it helped me to stay "in place". Without anchoring my fingers tended to "travel" a bit and I didn't always hit the string I intended to. Anchoring helped me learn to stay put. BUT, after a while I stopped doing it mostly because I began to learn to use my pinkie (C) to pick with as well.

There are a couple of schools of thought on anchoring. Some will say "Don't ever do it", "It's bad form"..... however, there are equally as many people who will say "If it works for you, then do it". I fall into the second category.