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Getting my strumming down
Hi Tony and TAC family,
I’ve been a member for a couple weeks now. I’ve got through 30 days to play, 5 days challenge and on week 2 of the fret board challenge. It’s been quite a ride.
I’m playing at least 3 hours a day, helps to be semi-retired.
My biggest challenge is that I am still having a challenge with my rhythm, especially the upstrokes. I am left handed but always played right handed, my right arm is fairly weak.
Do you have any recommendation for the pick thickness I should use to help with this or any other suggestions?
I am currently playing an old Yamaha FC-4235-BL which a friend gave me many years ago. In order to progress and help my journey should I get a new Guitar?
Currently looking at my Dream Guitar a Taylor 814CE Builder’s Edition.
Thanks,
Patrick
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10 Replies
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You’ve only been playing for a couple weeks. I’m 6 months in and still struggle with strumming and rhythms. So don’t worry too much about it, have patience, it will come.
A thin pick will definitely help in the beginning. Something around .45, you should be able to almost bend it in half without much effort.
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Thanks so much for the feedback.
It is greatly appreciated. I will persist till it get it.
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PHC-
Welcome to TAC!
I have a couple of thoughts and suggestions for ya……
First off- Read, and re-read, and re-read again- the last sentence in Moose’s first paragraph- (about being patient with yourself). He nailed it.
ESPECIALLY— (being a natural “leftie-playing-righty”)…….. Make sure to do at least SOME stretching/warmup exercises before EACH session. You can find a course for these in the “Skills Courses” area.
(Don’t know “where you are” in your guitar-journey)- but I’ll maybe suggest this— what gauge are your strings(?). Maybe/possibly, it will seem “easier” to play with a set of “light” or even “extra-light” strings(?)…..
Maybe(?) also have your guitar “looked at” to see if the “action” is too high. This can make a HUGE difference in the instrument’s playability– and your enjoyment of it😀.
Alright, now, go back and re-read Moose’s post- (yes– again).
Remember-
“Progress over perfection”
“Expectation is where fun goes to die”- (my all-time favorite quote/saying)
“It’s about the journey- not the destination”
Don’t be a stranger here in this Forum….. There is an incredible group of people in here!
theoldcoach
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Thanks for your Feedback. I am using 12-53 strings
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@PHC60 I agree with the other comments. Strumming is really hard, and it simply takes a lot, and I do mean a lot of practice. I’ve found that using a thinner pick when starting is the easiest way to learn. My go to is between a .6 to .71
I spent a lot of time watching videos on YouTube of other guitarists strumming. Don’t grip the pick with a death grip, don’t kill the strings – strive to barely touch the strings. Keep your wrist as loose as possible. Angle the pick when going down and turn to.angle it on the upstroke. Practice a lot of different strum patterns. Try playing with the band on youtube or spotify, etc. as much as possible. The biggest tool is a metronome. Make it your best friend. Strum in time with it, and your strumming will become more fluid.
I’ve been playing 3 years, and just now do I feel as if my strumming has become more fluid.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by Loraine.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by
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Reading Loraine’s excellent post here made me think of something along the lines of this thread that someone mentioned earlier- (maybe a couple of years ago?).
The “jist” of it was…. to allow yourself to “get lost in the music”.
Now– learning is learning. Exactness is needed when LEARNING. That’s easy to see.
But, I believe there’s a big difference between learning and PLAYING. So, when your “learning” is done for the day or whatever……. go PLAY.
Pay attention to the chords themselves, of course, but beyond that…… deliberately DON’T focus on all the eye-confusing diagram-y stuff that tells you exactly when to strum- (and how.. either up or down). Dial it out.
And just…. PLAY…. within the music…. from your ears and heart…… just for the FUN of it. Play it the way that SOUNDS great to YOU, regardless of how “technically correct” it is. You will gravitate towards what SOUNDS good to your ears! If it isn’t exactly like the lesson’s version– oh well. You have played YOUR version of it!
Hope this perspective doesn’t sound tooooooo dumb. And I hope you get the “jist” of what I said.
(Note- I hate using all these “caps”- but sometimes if I want to “bold” or “italicize” something- it turns out showing all these weird characters in the post’s text once it is posted in the thread). Promise– I’m NOT shouting…..)😀
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@the-old-coach This is so spot on. I trust doing this more now than ever. The best example I have is when I picked up Puff the Magic Dragon for thr first time and just played how it felt, and it is one of my best strumming songs. It is oth, flows with the chord transitions and just sounds right; natural; not forced, -just felt. I’ll post a taping later today or tomorrow to show what I mean.
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Loraine, I would love to see a video of you playing puff the magic dragon and maybe sharing the tabs so I can practice it if it’s a good strumming song. I definitely need that work too. Thanks, Bill
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Thank you everyone for your insight and sharing.
I now feel like I have truly joined the right Guitar community to aid in my lifelong journey of learning to play the Guitar
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Maybe check out some videos about “playing in the “zone” ” or “playing in the “flow” “.
(youtube)- Classical Guitar Shed/ Allen Mathews may be a good place to start.
Stuff like this is great- it reminds us to see things right under our noses all along!
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