• From: Boynton Beach, Florida
  • Registered: 2016-12-04
  • Posts: 1

Topic: Acoustic Strumming

I am new here and beginner guitar player. I'm having difficulty with strumming and pick placement for strumming. Any suggestions? Thanks

Jt
  • From: Probably Somewhere
  • Registered: 2010-12-09
  • Posts: 2,446

Re: Acoustic Strumming

What do you mean pick placement? What specific issues are you having with strumming? Keeping time, sounding notes, etc?

  • dino48
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  • From: los banos,california
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 6,801

Re: Acoustic Strumming

I think maybe you should check out utube or get a few lessions first.

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  • Zurf
  • Zurf
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  • From: Virginia, USA
  • Registered: 2007-06-27
  • Posts: 7,522

Re: Acoustic Strumming

If you are a beginner, don't worry about strumming patterns yet.  Everything is D D D D.  Just play a down stroke on each beat.  That's all you're trying to do at that stage is keep a beat while making the chord changes. 

As for pick placement, I'm not sure whether you mean placement in your fingers, or placement on the right bass string to start the stroke, or what exactly - but I'll tell you this.  There are some excellent absolute beginner videos that cover those things on Youguitarsage's Youtube channel.  He's got a crazy look and a quirky delivery, but his lessons are very good - especially his early beginner lessons.  I recommend checking him out.  Also good is Justinguitar.com's Beginner Series.  He has lesons to take in order at your own speed.  I think if you go to those two internet resources that you'll learn what you need. 

Good luck.  Keep us informed as you learn, because it helps us to think about these things and try to help you.

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  • From: WASHINGTON ST
  • Registered: 2006-07-29
  • Posts: 2,811

Re: Acoustic Strumming

check out Marty Schwartz  and Pappastasch also, along with all the above.
And welcome! this is the best site on the net for honest advice with out the BS of other sites.

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  • From: U.S.
  • Registered: 2007-01-24
  • Posts: 269

Re: Acoustic Strumming

Practice, practice , practice. That was my learning method.

  • From: LA
  • Registered: 2017-04-26
  • Posts: 11

Re: Acoustic Strumming

I found using a soft plectrum helped with strumming when I was first learning then as you get more confident you can use a more rigid one

  • From: Virginia, USA
  • Registered: 2016-02-07
  • Posts: 923

Re: Acoustic Strumming

jcellini wrote:

Practice, practice , practice. That was my learning method.

I completely agree with you. Most days I practice 2 to 3 hours. The only time I do not is I stop 3 days before a concert to rest my hands. The older I get the more I practice so I will not loose what I gained from years of playing. I have always played with calluses rather than finger nails. The one time I grew my nails longer nails they went flying off as I played.  The founding fathers of modern day classical guitar players all played without using nails.

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Music is life, that why our hearts have beats.