Pick technique while strumming?

[dansouth]

Do you hold the pick firmly while strumming, or do you hold it loosely enough that it points a little bit upward on downward strums and downward on upward strums? Do you use the point or the edge? Any suggestions on how to develop the technique of strumming on a subset of the strings, i.e. leaving one or more strings unplayed?

 

Thanks!!!!

[DC]

Originally posted by dansouth@yahoo.com:

Do you hold the pick firmly while strumming, or do you hold it loosely enough that it points a little bit upward on downward strums and downward on upward strums?

 

If you're strumming lightly, then the pick is floppy. When you bear down to strum loudly, then you hold it firmly.

 

Do you use the point or the edge?

 

Point

 

Any suggestions on how to develop the technique of strumming on a subset of the strings, i.e. leaving one or more strings unplayed?

 

With practice you learn to strum in small arks to include only the strings you want to hit. I've also held on to the 1st or rested my palm on the top strings so they won't ring. You can mute with the left hand (for us right handers) as well.

[DC]

Originally posted by dansouth@yahoo.com:

Do you hold the pick firmly while strumming, or do you hold it loosely enough that it points a little bit upward on downward strums and downward on upward strums?

 

If you're strumming lightly, then the pick is floppy. When you bear down to strum loudly, then you hold it firmly.

 

Do you use the point or the edge?

 

Point

 

Any suggestions on how to develop the technique of strumming on a subset of the strings, i.e. leaving one or more strings unplayed?

 

With practice you learn to strum in small arks to include only the strings you want to hit. I've also held on to the 1st or rested my palm on the top strings so they won't ring. You can mute with the left hand (for us right handers) as well.

[strat0124]

I might be the strange one here, but I alternate between pick and fingers, doing banjo rolls in a blues kinda way, if you catch what I mean. I use the pick in alot of ways that are somewhat hard to describe, its more of a feel to me. Depending on how I hold it and where I strum, I may skip strings, mute this and that, coax harmonics, or curl my pick in my palm and fingerpick this and that. I also move toward the bridge to get that bright tone, or toward the neck to sweeten a passage. Probably one of the guitar teachers can explain it better, but thats my cut.

[GuitarMan]

Originally posted by strat0124:

I might be the strange one here, but I alternate between pick and fingers, doing banjo rolls in a blues kinda way, if you catch what I mean. I use the pick in alot of ways that are somewhat hard to describe, its more of a feel to me. Depending on how I hold it and where I strum, I may skip strings, mute this and that, coax harmonics, or curl my pick in my palm and fingerpick this and that. I also move toward the bridge to get that bright tone, or toward the neck to sweeten a passage. Probably one of the guitar teachers can explain it better, but thats my cut.

 

That's pretty much it(in a nutshell) "What he said"

[stratman_dup1]

*Any suggestions on how to develop the technique of strumming on a subset of the strings, i.e. leaving one or more strings unplayed?*

 

One suggestion that I would add for this question is that in my experience when you are strumming all the strings a lot of the action tends to come from the elbow of the strumming arm, as well as the wrist. But when strumming just a few strings I tend to use my wrist a lot more and my elbow stays almost stationary.

 

Works for me anyway.