How to Strum an Acoustic Guitar

The acoustic guitar should sit comfortably in your lap.

Knowing how to properly strum a guitar is an absolute necessity for any guitarist. If you don't understand the basics of guitar strumming, your music may sound stinted and awkward. Once you get the hang of it, guitar strumming is quite simple and can even be the most enjoyable part of playing your acoustic guitar.

Things You'll Need

• Guitar pick

Instructions

1. Sit the acoustic guitar comfortably in your lap. Try to use a guitar strap, which will help hold the guitar securely in place. If you are just learning, the guitar may seem a little big and awkward at first. You will get used to it if you practice.

2. 

   Use you chord hand to create a chord before you strum your guitar.

   Use your chord hand to create any chord on the fret board. When looking at your chord chart, you'll notice some chords have an "x" over the string. That means that the string should not be strummed when the chord is played. Playing those notes will alter the chord structure and make it sound bad.

3. 

   Hold the guitar pick between your thumb and forefinger.

   Strum the guitar stings in a downward motion, using a guitar pick. Hold the pick between your thumb and forefinger. Your wrist should be slightly relaxed and your elbow bent. Make sure to strum over the sound hole. Where you strum makes a big difference in the sound. Strumming near the neck or the bridge will stunt the sound, while strumming over the hole makes the sound resonate.

4. Strum in an upward motion. You will notice a different sound because the notes have been played backward. Most songs are played with a combination of downward and upward strokes.

5. Try strumming two strokes downward, then one upward. Repeat. Two downward strokes and one upward, repeated over and over again, is a common rhythm. Once you master your strumming techniques, you will be able to create your own strumming order.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a guitar pick made for acoustic guitars. The picks should be lighter than picks used for electric guitars or solos.

• Hold the pick firmly enough so it does not fall out or your hand, but not so hard that there is absolutely no movement. Giving the pick a tiny bit of room to move will keep the pick from making loud clicking noises on your strings.

• Many of the guitar tabs found online will have chord strumming symbols in the form of "˄" for up strokes and "..." for down strokes.

• The harder you strum, the louder the sound will be. Strumming too hard will make the guitar rattle, which is not ideal when playing your music.

• Strumming with your thumb and forefinger will give you a softer, warmer sound than strumming with a pick.

• Guitar picks are cheap and can usually be purchased individually at guitar stores. Buy a few picks of different gauges and materials. Try them out until you find one most comfortable. Thinner picks are easier to use, but make a loud noise when used. Thick picks might be hard on your strings, especially when just beginning. Try picking out a few medium gauged picks.

References

• Heartwood Guitar Instruction: How to Strum a Guitar

Resources

• The Guitarist: 10 Different Guitar Strumming Patterns