The Secret of the Strum?

Hey Loch,

Welcome to GN.

Just like anything else a good strum takes practice and more practice.

Here are some "Borrowed" tips: ;)
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you play the above pattern:

* If you are playing an acoustic guitar, make sure to strum directly over the sound hole
* On electric guitar, strum over the body (different locations will give you different sounds), not over the neck
* Make sure all strings are ringing clearly
* Make sure the volume of your downstrums and upstrums are equal
* Be careful not to strum too hard, as this often causes strings to rattle, and produces an undesirable sound
* Be careful not to strum too softly, as this will produce a "wimpy" sound. Your pick should be striking the strings with a relatively firm, even stroke
* Think of your elbow as being the top of a pendulum; your arm should swing up and down from it in a steady motion, never pausing at any time.
* Having said that, the bulk of the picking motion should come from a rotation of the wrist, rather than from the forearm. Be sure not to keep your wrist stiff when playing.

Alot has to do with how you hold the pick too. Don't hold it too tightly or rigid.

RELAX :)

Here's another site that might help.
http://www.heartwoodguitar.com/WordPressBlog/?p=10

Only two weeks? Be patient. It'll come. I remember when I was first starting out. Same thing. I could not do what I wanted, etc. Someday, you'll get the feel and it will all click.

i know you said you like strumming with your fingers, but have you tried out different kinds of picks? i've found that when strumming an acoustic i like a very thin pick, for instance.

Like pearl said, I think you may be suited for a thinner pick. Personally, I like dunlops. I've also heard it said that you should picture that you're swatting a fly with your pick when you strum. The flicking of the wrist keeps things smooth and loose.

Thin picks are a good idea. I switched to those when I couldn't figure out strumming and they worked well. Now that I'm a bit better, I've switched to medium picks. (Been playing for 3 months.)

Also, thanks to Dagwood and nirvgas for the tips on keeping the wrist loose - I think I just began to solve a long-standing problem with my strumming...

You'll need a second person for this experiment.

Get a golf ball or a tennis ball. Now stand about four feet from the other person and gently toss the ball back and forth. Do this for a while until you get in a nice slow even rhythm. Now speed up a little bit and keep it there. Slow back down and keep it there. Throw it in a little higher arc. Keep on going and think for a second. Are you going through some mental calculation every time you throw the ball to figure out how hard, how far, what height you have to throw it to be successful? When you catch it do you have to think about when to close your fingers or where to move your hand? Not likely. You make an initial choice on speed or height and then you relax into the rhythm of the motions involved. It is practically automatic. You think it, it happens. Your hand will move the same way every time like a metronome.

Now if you change the object thrown to an egg and you change the location of this exercise to over a really nice rug, those variables tense you up and you get a much more erratic pattern. You haven't changed the distance, the motion, the person but I guarantee you you are much more likely to drop the egg even though you are being so much more careful. The focus ceases to be on the throw and catch and changes to protecting the rug.

That is what you are doing now when you strum. You need to strum like the first example. What is happening now is your desire for an end result is your egg and your your frustration at not progressing fast enough is your rug. Change your location.

Get yourself a metronome, either buy one or use one of the online freebies. The metronome will be your partner. Start with a nice slow pattern of any strum you like and go til you've got a nice groove. Speed the metronome up and change your pattern or maybe keep it the same if it isn't too complex. Relax into it like throwing a ball back and forth. Forget the egg, forget the rug, just strum.

Forget the egg, forget the rug, just strum.
Wow, Nick.
Very Zen.
I have a similar problem when practicing speeding up chord changes.
I tense up and that just makes it worse.
I'll keep your advice in mind. "Screw the rug"

-Grasshopper

Sorry Grasshopper, it's the new medication. I should be back to surly and sarcastic and done with Zen as soon as I get the milligrams right. :D

For chord changes I have a slightly different exercise. Change between two chords super, super, slowly. Try to make your fingers change to the new chord shape right before they hit the strings. You won't have to do this one very long before you'll be making the changes at lightning speed.

I am confused Master Nick, is the lesson that we should endeavor not to strum on a rug, or that we should "be" the egg or ball, and give in to the karma and flow with the chi?

Ah, TL....you may strum upon the most beautiful hand woven rug, but the beauty only distracts from the music.

The strumming is it's own reward, the rug simply a manifestation of your desire to impress others.

There is always risk, so you are the egg. You must strive to be the ball and without fear.

Once the egg is thrown, can fear or worry alter it's path?

Likewise, if your path is true and launched without fear of failure, then fear can change neither the arc nor rhythm, nor success of your path.

:D

The strumming is it's own reward, the rug simply a manifestation of your desire to impress others.

So this is why I don't have any rugs in my house.... :shock: or does carpet count? :roll:

That depends, is it either shag or berber? Do you have ScotchGuard applied?

Nope, guess that means I don't feel I have much to prove.....but my guitars are individually lit. :mrgreen:

Thanks for the advice I appreciate it :) I like the back and forth, shows a healthy community, thumbs up

I'll try the pick, I need to get friendly with my local guitar shop/music store anyways.

Thanks again

Lochnivar