Lesson 5 - Sit Back, Relax, and Let Your Fingers Do the Strumming

Strumming has always been my favorite part of playing the guitar. When you strum those strings, there is just this sense of calmness and ease that comes over you, and any bad thoughts or stress you had throughout the day just slowly fly away with each strum you take. Strumming can either be as simple as taking two or three chords and making a complete hit, a catchy tune. Or it can be complicated, using more and more chords and more sophisticated strumming patterns.

The first thing you need to do is get comfortable, sit in a chair with no arms, place the guitar securely in your lap, and sit up straight. Next, get hold of a guitar pick. If you are just starting it out, it is best to use a thin guitar pick, rather than a hard pick. Using a thin pick will allow you to get more at ease with strumming and will enable your wrist to move more freely. If you start out with a hard pick, you are more likely to get frustrated or have your fingers sore and blistered from strumming. Plus, if you do not know your strings, you could end up snapping a couple of them in the process.

Keep your rhythm when you play. A useful trick is to tap your toe in sync with your strumming pattern. If you need to, feel free to use a metronome, or have a friend clap their hands. If you learn to keep your rhythm, you should have no problem coming up with your own strumming patterns and eventually playing your favorite songs in you own rhythm! Start out by playing a couple of chords, maybe one or two, and just play around with the strumming. Strum slow and then gradually increase your pace faster and faster, whatever you become comfortable with. Try switching back and forth between those same chords, and just keep looping while you experiment with your strumming.

The more comfortable you get with strumming, the more confident you will get with playing in general. If you come home from a hard day, pick up your guitar and just play around. Strum --- it is one of the best forms of practice. Just go at your own pace and do what works for you. Like stretching your fingers to play better, mastering the art of strumming and studying different strumming patterns will help you play like a pro in time. I found that when I got tired of playing the same pattern or could not come up with any other strumming patterns, I just plucked around at the strings, or listened to my favorite song, to get some ideas from what others are doing. Watch videos of your favorite bands, look and what they are doing, and just sit down and try it out. Practice. From there, you could end up investing your own excellent strumming patterns. You might just be surprised at what you are capable of.