Strumming up and down

How much of your pick is showing between your finger and thumb? Sounds like you need to move a little further up the pick, leaving as little of it showing as is comfortably possible, and that you need to strum with authority. Don't hesitate on either the downstroke or the upstroke. A firmer hand will not allow the pick to "hang" on a string. Hope that helps!

Try a thinner pick, but, as you progress, move to the thicker pick (middle. etc.).

I'm still using a thin pick but when I try to do some flatpicking (individual strings - not strumming) it isn't the right thickness.

Bob Jessie

yes. and also experiement with finger pressure on holding the pick. you would be amazed by the various sounds you achieve.
a light grip and feathering the strings to a tight grip and what you experience.

Maybe you are "digging" into them too forcefully; I suggest trying a lighter touch, "brushing" lightly across the strings to see if that is the issue here. A lot of folks are "heavy-handed" & do not realize it; I have come across this occasionally when teaching Steel Guitar; New players will have a tendency to "claw" into the strings with the finger picks instead of "plucking" them.

Good Luck! :)

+1 to all the comments:

Just like everything else related to playing, it takes practice. Keep at it and soon you'll have the feel for it.

Oh and don't watch the MTV/VH1 videos as the way to play your favorite songs. They're kinda like Pro Wrestling, they're not really playing in those. Instead watch the LIVE Vids... you'll see most of your guitar heroes don't play as 'hard' as they do in the 'music video' types.

I agree with the lighter touch, like mentioned above try just "brushing the strings" also on your upstrokes it's not always neccesary to strum all the strings sometime the bottom two or three will do. see if that helps.

Best of luck.

How much of your pick is showing between your finger and thumb? Sounds like you need to move a little further up the pick, leaving as little of it showing as is comfortably possible, and that you need to strum with authority. Don't hesitate on either the downstroke or the upstroke. A firmer hand will not allow the pick to "hang" on a string. Hope that helps!

+1 on experimenting on holding the pick.

The one thing I would add to everyone's comments is that you really need to experiment with strumming. It is almost an art form within itself. A few nights back, I spent the entire night (about 4 hours) just working on different strumming techniques. I listened to how strumming affects the music. I listened to the different moods it can bring to the same chord progressions. It takes time to get good at it. Music is a reflection of the mood of the musician. Learning how and when to attack the strings or gently brush them will help you add to your music vocabulary. But, like anything else, its going to take some time to learn.