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May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | For your consideration:
When strumming, generally, I strum down on the down beats, the 1, 2, 3, 4 of the measure, and up on the "ands". When there's a note not to be strummed, the hand still goes up or down but I don't touch the strings. I find keeping the hand moving makes things musical.
Anyone else have any strumming tips? |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 3664
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Someone told me to do a "figure-eight" to loosen up my stiff wrist, and use less arm in the motion. Decided long ago to play right-handed, being a natural lefty. Too late to turn back now...... |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | ". . Anyone else have any strumming tips? . ."
Yeah.
Don't drop the pick. |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | For good or bad, I don't even think of strummin' technique. I do what feels right. |
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January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | I seldom strum at all, and when I do, it is to emphasize the chord structure behind my arpeggio picking style, can be either up or down, and is done completely with the wrist. My forearm remains firmly locked against the face of the guitar and my little finger is generally touching the pick guard or guitar top just below the strings. I'm not sure if the technique is good, bad or indifferent, but I've done it for so long that it probably can't be changed. |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | I'm not much of a strummer anymore, but the technique varies a bit, depending on the sound. I never put the little finger down. I read somewhere that it is poor technique to do so when finger picking.
Some songs accent a strum. Eagles stuff, which I used to do a lot of, accents the strum on the on the downstroke, sometimes skipping the upstroke. I just do whatever it takes to sound like the strumming pattern on the song. |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Usually better when you use your right hand. |
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April 2006
Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Very short fingernails on both hands,strings no less than 12-54,practice,practice...practice :)
Vic |
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Joined:
November 2005
Posts: 1126
Location: Omaha, NE | Strumming is fine, but I think its important to do something interesting with it so it doesn't sound like a church lady playing an autoharp.
That's going to vary depending on the song, but here\'s a good example . |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | Originally posted by cwk2:
Usually better when you use your right hand. That guy was right. Beal is a smartass. |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Unless you're a lefty. |
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Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | ..Oh polleeze..come.. |
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Basic Strumming Tips.