Lord_Westwood

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Westwoodo

Celestus

Angle your pick towards the direction of the strum. That means if you're up-strumming then the tip of your pick should be slightly behind your fingers, and the back of your pick should be the closest to your face (that isnt really clear but I hope you get the idea). If you can do a decent downstrum, just angle your pick in the opposite direction. I'm not sure if that is the correct way, but it works for me.

KonaNuNu

PRACTICE!!!!

Sorry dude. That is the only correct answer.

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Right, my parents are done. At last. My mum went to the toilet, went back in her room and i heard my dad fart really loudly then i heard the hiss of a beer can. What a man.
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GuitarQ33r0

When I first started out my strumming sounded horrible. I stayed away from open chords for just the reason lol. I found that just lose the pick for a while and just strum with your thumb. It will feel more natural and when you get used to it bring back the pick. I always slightly angle my pick when I strum, but their is no right or wrong way, just whatever your comfortable with.

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J_W

Try using a thinner pick. I'm going to guess you are using one that is pretty thick.

Lord_Westwood

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Westwoodo

Zaphod_Beeblebr

It's not the pick, you're just not very good at it that's all. Also, the strings aren't going to snap, you can really beat the shit out of a decent set of strings and they won't break unless they were going to anyway.

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Lord_Westwood

THanks for your input, how would you suggest I practice, I have been searching for a video showing how to do it right and just cannot seem to find one?

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Westwoodo

Zaphod_Beeblebr

I would suggest that you just practice. Strumming up on multiple strings isn't a hard thing you just need to get used to the feeling. Unless you're doing something absolutely horrific I really think it's hard to get this wrong.

Unless you're doing something a little more demanding than you're letting on like trying to play Emperor or something...

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J_W

Nobody should be "beating the shit out of the strings" strumming. If it feels like you're going to break the strings, you're obviously strumming way too hard.

Zaphod_Beeblebr

I didn't say you should, I said you could.

Besides, if you've never beaten the crap out of the strings you've never been on stage

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demonhellcat

As someone else said a thinner pick MIGHT help. I use Jazz 3's which have no give but I do hold the pick somewhat loosely when strumming (especially open chords and acoustic). There's a natural balance between holding the pick like a vice grip and dropping the pick every other stroke. You just have to find it. It also sounds like you may be using "too much pick", you really only need a few mm sticking out from your finger and thumb.

The other thing I do is keep my three other fingers curled in like a loose fist or just like you hold a pencil. It's not completely unique but I know a lot of people hold those three fingers out straight.

Lord_Westwood

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Westwoodo

mdc

I'm slightly confused here, cuz you mentioned alternate picking and strumming in that paragraph as if they were related. Are you trying to alternate pick across 2 or more strings?

Or is it literally an upward strum across all 6 strings that you're having trouble with?

Review the position of your forearm down to your wrist to see how it lies in relation to the guitar body.

Also, how tightly or loosely are you gripping the pick?

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