Right Hand Guitar Technique
Learn How To Strum And Pick Notes On The Guitar!
In this beginner guitar lesson you will be learning the fundamentals of how to use your hand to strum and pick the strings of the guitar. If you have never played the guitar, strumming and picking might feel strange at first.
Let’s start off by looking at how to hold the pick. Curl your index finger on your picking hand and place the pick on fleshy part of the finger between the fingertip and first joint. Now bring your thumb down and lightly pinch the pick to hold it in place. You should have a firm grip on the pick but your hand, fingers, and arm should still be pretty relaxed. If you ever feel any excess tension in your picking hand you should stop and relax.
It is important for you to learn the proper way to strum so let’s take a look a some of the basic things you will need to know in order to develop some good strumming technique. I once heard a great guitar player say that good strumming technique is like pretending that you have some honey on your finger and that a feather is stuck to the honey. If you try to shake off the feather that is pretty much the exact motion that you want when you are strumming. Most of the motion comes from the wrist, but the fingers and elbow help out a bit too.
If you know a chord, make it and try strumming all six strings with a smooth down and up motion. Imagine that the feather is stuck to the pinky of your strumming hand. This may seem silly but it really works well. Make sure to practice often, relax, and check out some videos of your favorite players.
Now it’s time to look at picking single notes on the guitar. Place the pick on the low E string and use a downward motion with your wrist to pick the string with a downstroke. Now use an upward motion with your wrist to pick the string with an upstroke. Go back and forth with upstrokes and downstrokes a few times. Try to move the pick just enough to make the string sound. If you are making wide pick strokes, it will be harder for you to come back to pick the next note. Most of the picking motion comes from the wrist but there are really good players out there who use their elbow or fingers to obtain most of their picking motion.
The angle of the pick on the string is something that you need to be aware of. Some players angle the pick up or down and some keep the pick parallel with the string. This is more of a personal preference but I have found that most players angle the pick downward.
Practice this lesson and get ready to learn how to use your fretting hand in the next beginner guitar lesson!
that’s really good stuff you gave me
you are really a very good teacher. Thanks for this.
thank you very much sir you are a good teacher,cheers
I am very please and have just begun.
pleased!
good for beginner like me ….keep it up
Thank you Sir. You’re been very helpful to me through these videos.
Keep it up.
Thanks… really all ur lessons are great… keep it up..
Thank you vary much sir. This video helped me a lot.
he is really a gud teacher
dont expect me 2 call u sir BUT thanx a lot!
How do you practice that when you want to use you fingers?
I agree how do we play with our fingers
I agree with this question even though I play guitar. I suggest just getting a pick.
wait but im using my finers not a pick wtf so is it the same or not???????? >:? now im lost >:?
It’s is most definitely not the same. It’s much easier with a pick.
I’m 71 , do you think I’m to old to learn to play rhym Guitar ?. I need to know how to pick / play rhym to bluegrass music, I see lot’s of people having different styles. But the best one’s seem to have a down stroke / up /down / up and so forth, not just down and up on all strings . They pick only the string’s they need . Like a 3rd string then a down beat next an up beat in the same ? area Tks. How do I join your web site , $$$$ ???.
FAQ one : What’s your guitar teanlt level? Are you a leader that fans will take order from? Are you a weekend musician or a pro that is targeted on making masterpieces? Are you playing the guitar as you love the electrifying feeling the instrument gives you or is it for the groupies that’ll follow? No matter what your incentive is for beginning a band, you want to figure out the solution now. FAQ three : How does one make a contribution to the band? Know your role Are you good at writing? Perhaps you ought to be the track writer and stay backstage.
Doug, I am starting to learn at 35 yrs old. I see your comment was 2011, how has that been for you, and did you learn, f so do u still play?
thx very much (by the way i wont call u sir)
Thenk you
you are better than my music teacher
I am really impressed and inspired by ur videos.
thats amazing now its easy to me to play any song i want coz from all these videos you gave that was really impressing thanksssssss
thanks for this wonderful tutorial…it was simply amazing………..thanks a lot……..
thank you!!!!!!!!it was simple
I am sooo happy to have found this site. The lessons are awesome. I’m not overwhelmed by the amount of stuff being tossed all at once. This is perfect starting lessons. Thanks!
speechless
this was good but idk how to get more videos???!!!
I’m getting back to lirnneag elec’, I totally impressed with the tutor. A relaxed way of teaching and easy on the mind. I know it takes time, basically as a new beginner, come time I may invest in the dvd.
love it
fun
cool
Thanks really cool lessons, i only started the guitar a few days ago your videos really helped me.
I am wrong thank you very much.
u r a good teacher sir thnx for ur knoledge
Thank you for each of your efforts on this web site. Gloria delhgits in going through research and it’s really easy to see why. Many of us notice all of the powerful mode you render very helpful tips and hints on your website and as well foster contribution from others on this situation while our own girl is actually discovering a whole lot. Take pleasure in the remaining portion of the year. Your carrying out a great job.
Sir,
i want to learn guitar ………………….and not having a teacher around ………..
what you gave in this lesson is helpful………………
but can’t get how to play a full songssss
sir i em facing problem in picking strings to the upward direction………. sometimes i miss some strings while picking upward..
Thanks! It worked for me.
Thanks for your videos. You gave me hope! And I no longer have ex uses for learning how to play the guitar. Thanks for your generosity. God bless you. Xo
thank you! i can’t believe this is free!
i know right
where do u find the sheet music and tabs and all?
Excellent tutorial series. Thank you for sharing your knowledge at no charge; you are very kind
These free tutorials are very helpful, so God Bless!
guys , Nate is it wrong that when I am trying to play on the E ( the first one ) I am using my nails ???
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thanks for this lesson. i bought a guitar and i was looking for the good websites to learn from and to have a good start from a good teacher. i think i arrived to the good place. i have a question. can i play on guitar by using the right hand fingers instead of using the pick.
thanks again
Thank you, I’m learning great!
I’m so glad , you learned me something very good.
my music teacher didn’t learned me this note -_-.
thank you =)
thank u
I just want to let u know how grateful I am.. I have a guitar with me for the past 6 months and I hadn’t touched it, until i watched this series
I came across an old acoustic guitar and decided to keep it.. I figured I would try it out and then buy a better one if I enjoy it and can actually learn how to play. I have always wanted to play guitar but never thought I would be able to because of my short, stubby fingers.. It’s hard for me to spread them out and have no idea how I will play certain notes.. However, I have been following these videos and am beginning to gain hope.
I really like how you take it slow.. you explain things very well and make them easy to remember.. This is very helpful for someone like me who has never even held a guitar (up until last week that is).
I can’t wait to attempt to play that song in the videos to come! Thank you so much for your help Nate and GuitarLessons.com!!
best guitar lessons.
and the videos really help……..
thank you
Thank you very much
that really helped!
thanks this really helps
do you count your nut and down or your your first fret and down nick
i love each video
hey nate………
i always block other strings while playing chords
GOT ANY HELP… PLEASE HELP
Great- This is a good way, to teach beginners like myself the fundamentals…..
u r an excellent teacher. good work. keep it up. it helped me a lot.
good morning sir….!!
im from india..my age is fourteen…i want to learn guitar ..but when i practise strumming ..my hands wrist pains a lot..so please teach me sir how would i get releif from it…please let me know sir!!
thank you
wonderful lesson…thanks for sharing such video
My fingers hurt! Thank You, for the videos…
I am having a problem here.. when trying to pick the strings I accidentally hit the neighboring strings which i don’t want to. Also when I increase my speed this occurs quite frequently. Is this normal or am I doing something wrong?? Any advice would be appreciated…
this is normal for beginners, but it is just accuracy you must work on. You should get used to it.
Luv your teaching , keep it up .It has helped me a lot . Thanks
Has anyone over age of 30, learned and play currently if so are u playing w/others and have they helped also since starting as an over 30yr old beginner(like my friend whose played all his life)
Awesome…..
I was curious as i was watching the video i notice you sometime didnt watch as you were doing the down string or up string so im asking as a begging should i watch myself as i try to do this or should i get more of a feel for it not watching myself strike the string
you should start by looking at yourself pick the strings. Then, once you feel more confident in your accuracy, stop looking and get used to that.
it is very nice to know that
you helped me a lot on my first try. thanks