I've been playing two years and I just cannot strum. With a pick, with my hands, whatever.
It's not a rhythm thing. I 'get' strumming patterns etc but it's the mechanical, physical act of it. I can't hold a pick (fine for single note lead stuff but flies around all over the shop if I try to strum) , can't get consistent volume, sometimes miss altogether, you name it.
I've watched hundreds of videos on the correct way to hold picks, etc. I've tried thin picks, thick picks, grippy picks. Thin nylon ones are ever so slightly better than the rest but sound horrible and still it's not good or natural.
I expect a lot of it is tension related. I just can't seem to loosen up, but most barriers that I've hit I've made gradual progress in overcoming but I seem to make no progress on strumming.
Anyone else have this issue? Any tips?
Comments
Warning, a rare vocal performance from me in here, watch at your own risk!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iwjzmbDb0E
There are a few different styles of strumming, some strum from the elbow, others seem to strum from the fingers. The method I have had success with is to strum from the wrist. You keep the elbow angle constant; not locked per se - you keep it loose and relaxed - but the arm rests gently on the guitar and the elbow angle doesn't need to move. All the motion comes from the wrist which needs to remain incredibly relaxed. The palm can be rested on the bridge or unattached depending on the effect you want. But very importantly, you don't actually concentrate on the rotation of the wrist - that will lock you up. You close your eyes and concentrate on the strike of plectrum against string. The wrist will do the rotating for you.
The plectrum is held relatively firmly but not so your knuckles are white! But enough so it doesn't slip out. You angle the plectrum so that it doesn't attack the strings flat on, and doesn't exactly glance off them, but somewhere in between. And not too much of it protruding from the finger and thumb.
You can simulate the relaxed wrist motion you need without a plectrum, just by sitting down and rotating your wrist back and forth, hand unclenched, brushing your thumb against the outside of your right knee. Try and get it oscillating like a hummingbird's wings.
A great exercise is to try and strum down down ups in quick triplets, and also up up downs. Once you master them you'll have no problem with normal strumming. There's a great video of Al di Meola talking about strumming somewhere and demonstrating that.
Also look at EVH doing his hummingbird effect on the top E string. Although you probably don't need that effect on any actual song, it's a great technique to build as it really helps you loosen that wrist.
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
i reckon being able to strum properly and evenly is an art. I've always found it difficult to overcome.
@BRISTOL86 what kind of stuff are you playing/learning with regards to strumming? If I've understood your initial post properly, I'm I right in thinking you're happy using a pick when doing single note melodic playing, but it goes wrong when you try to strum things? Are you happy with the other areas of your playing - changing chords etc?
It seems you're getting pretty stressed about it if you've been watching hundreds of videos about how to hold a pick. Really try and relax your mindset first and foremost. You can't be relaxed physically and technically if you're not relaxed mentally about it (easier said than done I know...). Over thinking things really throws up barriers to progress.
Analyse where all your tension is coming from. It was pointed out to me once that I had a lot of tension in my shoulders even though I thought I was pretty relaxed. It's surprising where we hold tension without realising it!
I'm merely speculating as I've no idea of where you're at with your playing, but it could be the case that you're trying to do stuff you're not quite ready for yet. Take a simple song or chord progression, something where each chord lasts for one or two bars and just strum on each beat of the bar with a down stroke. Make sure you breath with it as you do it. Try and strum as gently as you can for a while and gradually increase the dynamic intensity and then back again. Try not to grip the pick harder if you're using one. Just close your eyes and try and enjoy this process, it becomes almost meditative after a while. Then gradually add layers of complexity over time.
Don't force it, some things just take more time than we'd want them to but you'll get there.
Dont think that just because most players use a pick that you should too. Mark Knopfler, Jeff Beck, Wilko Johnson, Hubert Sumlin are just a few that manage perfectly well without.
My my main issue is definitely around actually holding the pick rather than the act of strumming. I struggle to keep the pick from slipping and sliding in my fingers and thus changing the angle of attack.
I've gone back to flimsy nylon picks with dimples on until I get a bit more comfortable. The only way I can stop it sliding about more than I'd like is to hold it right between thumb and finger tip which is going against everything I read or watch which says it should be coming out at a 90 degree angle to the thumb.