# Strumming and picking, and wanting to throw guitar!



## Mark Trites (Aug 12, 2016)

Hey guys /gals, I have playing on again, off again for many years. I started out on Acoustic, and thats where I have stayed. I do own an electric, but mainly for trying to learn blues / lead / scales etc. My real issue, is no matter how long I practise, play, somedays my strumming seems like a beginner, and somedays it sounds great, but I can't seem to ever keep it consistent. I am starting to wonder if my wrist just isn't cut out for strumming?? I want to play so good, but I can't seem to play the up strums nicely, and that DAMN pick always wants to move in my fingers. Doesn't matter if it is a light white dunlop, or a .6 dunlop....should I just get drunk and play??


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## Guest (Aug 21, 2016)

Mark Trites said:


> ..should I just get drunk and play??


You answered your own question. lol.


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## Mark Trites (Aug 12, 2016)

Hey, laristotle! lol yeah then I am nice and limber! haven't been to Acton in many years now, but alway like the back road drive from the city back to Guelph. Did lots of work in the rockwood area, and lived in Guelph.


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## Guest (Aug 22, 2016)

It's worth the drive. lol.
I use the back roads when I can as well.


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## Mark Trites (Aug 12, 2016)

Do you know Kent Mcmillian? I took some guitar lessons from him back in 2009 somewhere in there. He plays all over Guelph, and surrounding areas.


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## Jamdog (Mar 9, 2016)

Me and the kids are still new, and that gets asked to the kids private guitar teacher. 

Here's the advices he fave for strumming. He says, get a hard pick. Soft ones gives bad habits. 
The softness needs to come from the motion, not the pick. 

The angle of the pick must be equal, but inverted, on the up strum, compared to the down strum. He seem to say angle vary from people to people so no set angle, but it must be soft on the strings. 

If the pick is moving in the fingers, try other picks, different material or texture. 
Ones that I like have a powdered surface. 

The wrist doesn't have the motion, but most of the forearm, from elbow to hand. If you're moving only your wrist it won't work very well. 

And no matter what you do, don't throw the guitar. Its not the guitars fault if it doesn't sound good. Get more distortion instead.
OK that one isn't from the teacher, lol.


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## Mark Trites (Aug 12, 2016)

OK, I know I must have some serious bad habits!! I did take lessons from a guy who plays a lot, and is really good. I guess I never picked up on how to strum properly even back then. Will take your advice and see how it works. Yes, soft picks are no good for me, and less wrist, more arm action. I thought someone said it was wrist..oh well!!


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## Jamdog (Mar 9, 2016)

I have been playing only for about six months, and can be wrong, but these are advices the teacher gave to my kids. 

It seems to work for me (although I like the sound of thinner picks for strumming) 

What I still have problems, is to strum only some of the strings when making a chord that doesn't use them all...


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## Mark Trites (Aug 12, 2016)

Yeah I know! that too. I guess of learning to many songs at once, I should be learning to strum properly, then move from there. Hope you keep getting better and better, and keep groovin to the music...


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## Jamdog (Mar 9, 2016)

Mark Trites said:


> Yeah I know! that too. I guess of learning to many songs at once, I should be learning to strum properly, then move from there. Hope you keep getting better and better, and keep groovin to the music...


Thanks! 

You too. 

I keep just ahead of the kids enough for them to still think I am a good player. Lol. Some day they'll outplay me. 

Here has been a great source of knowledge that helped a lot in learning.


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## Guest (Aug 22, 2016)

Mark Trites said:


> Do you know Kent Mcmillian? I took some guitar lessons from him back in 2009 somewhere in there. He plays all over Guelph, and surrounding areas.


Can't say that I do.
I don't hang out in Guelph too much.


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

You'll learn the different strumming patterns as you learn various songs. As long as you're aware of the problem, you can fix it. It's my opinion (some might disagree) that the strumming hand requires more training than the fretting hand. I know from MY experience that if I'm struggling with a song, more often than not, it's the strumming hand that's giving me more trouble getting it right.


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## Blind Dog (Mar 4, 2016)

Mark Trites said:


> I am starting to wonder if my wrist just isn't cut out for strumming?


FG-612S is notorious for inducing negative karma.

You need to get rid of it.  Trust me.


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## Greg Ellis (Oct 1, 2007)

The pick makes a big difference, and I had to try a bunch before I settled on something I liked.

That turned out to be Dunlop Gator Grip, for me, in a .96mm thickness. I use that same pick for all my acoustics and electrics now, for several years running.

It's very cheap to get yourself a variety of picks and see what works for you.


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## Mark Trites (Aug 12, 2016)

Blind Dog said:


> FG-612S is notorious for inducing negative karma.
> 
> You need to get rid of it.  Trust me.


you will be first to know!! whats even sadder blind dog, is that I found another FG-612s last week at a liquidation place. It looked like it was from world war two, and took a direct hot from a grenade...is it worth picking up?? I mean, it needs a a lot of work...will post some pictures


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## Mark Trites (Aug 12, 2016)

C


Greg Ellis said:


> The pick makes a big difference, and I had to try a bunch before I settled on something I liked.
> 
> That turned out to be Dunlop Gator Grip, for me, in a .96mm thickness. I use that same pick for all my acoustics and electrics now, for several years running.
> 
> It's very cheap to get yourself a variety of picks and see what works for you.


cool, will look into that for sure!! just love the guitar to much to let it beat me!!


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## Mark Trites (Aug 12, 2016)




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## Mark Trites (Aug 12, 2016)

My Yammie, and my 6 string...along with a slew of Apple products lol


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## Blind Dog (Mar 4, 2016)

Mark Trites said:


> you will be first to know!! whats even sadder blind dog, is that I found another FG-612s last week at a liquidation place. It looked like it was from world war two, and took a direct hot from a grenade...is it worth picking up?? I mean, it needs a a lot of work...will post some pictures


I've got a soft spot for strays, and roached guitars. Worth's pretty subjective. To me, if it didn't need a neck reset/played well, sounded great, reasonably priced and I had the money (the first step is admitting you have the problem) I'd be posting "NGD".

If you don't buy it, some jerk will.

I put my Ovation 12 string up for sale yesterday. Because I found I didn't need two twelve strings. My wife doesn't understand me; tho the Ovation hasn't sold, and I might keep it, I bought _another_ twelve string, a couple hours after putting up the Ovation.

Chicks. 


Edit: Your pic' posted (refreshed) as I was writing my post. I'm sick, not that sick/terminal. Well come to think of it -- _how much?_

Like your stuff tho.

And I like your left overs. Waiting for the delivery man as we speak.


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## Mark Trites (Aug 12, 2016)

I think he was asking $90 for the beat up Yamaha. Not sure if he will move, but I can ask if he still has it. He had an Atari he was supposed to get back to me on lol..

Yeah, my wife doesn't understand why I have so many macs!, and now three guitars in my office. It is my hobby, and, well my office! Man cave!


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## Blind Dog (Mar 4, 2016)

Oh, I think I can resist -- this once. Thought it might be useful, to you, as parts. If he only wanted $10/$20. Besides I already grabbed the mint kijiji FG 12 you left behind.  Ad's gone, and Grey Pooch has it. Hope it's left Red Deer. Should be here by tomorrow. 

Everyone needs a cave. I let my wife keep the couch, and a loveseat in mine tho. 

Hope your next practice has you wanting to hug your guitar.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

Don't throw your guitar! Surround yourself with other, more replaceable, items to vent your frustrations. You know, like cats.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

You might try some different picks as well. I use a DAVA which I have found to be very good for staying in my sweaty hands.


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## Lakota (Dec 20, 2013)

I have been taking guitar lessons for two years and have always struggled with picks rotating between my fingers. I have tried every pick that claims to alleviate this problem, V-picks, Dava, Cork grip, Cat tongue, even used Gorilla Snot,,, they all do it to me (Except Gorilla Snot which takes a massive cleaning effort to remove, no more, please). I have read Google searches galore and not found the answer for me, till about a month ago.

Tried LePage Stationery Fun-Tak. (The Poster Putty). Only costs a couple bucks for a package and it is probably a lifetime supply. Can now use any pick I choose (my favorite is Dunlop Shark Fin), and it will never rotate between my fingers. I don't think this is a problem that many have, but for those of us that do, this will make that problem go away. Now my only excuse for still sucking at guitar after 2 years of lessons, is my lackadaisical practice between lessons.

Less is more. Cut one of the pre-cut rectangles into three equal parts. Roll two of them up into a ball and flatten it out on the pick on both sides.


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## Mark Trites (Aug 12, 2016)

Will give it a go. So many different ways to work this.. working on finger Picking in the times I am frustrated!


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

Could be that the pick is always gonna move around and your just going to have to get used to that.

Years ago before the internets I read something where Townshend said that he holds the pick lightly and it moves around while he's playing.

I do the same thing using a Fender 351 Heavy held lightly between the thumb and index finger. Thicker picks work way better than thin ones. It moves around mostly in the direction back toward my elbow as I'm playing and I reposition it as I go. I never looked at how I do this until just now reading this thread - it seems I use the middle index finger, or up yours finger, to move the pick back into position as needed while playing which isn't all the time just when the pick has traveled too far. It doesn't negative my playing as far as I can tell because I can play bluegrass type runs on guitar faster than they need to played and keep at it for half an hour non-stop or until I get bored. I also play mandolin using the same pick and technique.

Hitting just part of a chord to get say more mid range or just to reduce garbage string noise in the sound - that just comes from years of practice and I don't think so much about where I'm hitting it - mostly think about the sound I want and my hand goes there. Maybe it is muscle memory because sometimes I can't remember how a break goes if I think about it but my hands will find it.

One thing I know for sure though - is that I'm doing it all wrong. But that's the way it is and it's too late to change now...lol


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## colchar (May 22, 2010)

Wardo said:


> Years ago before the internets I read something where Townshend said that he holds the pick lightly and it moves around while he's playing.



Scroll to the second section on this page:

Guitar Picks | Pete Townshend’s Guitar Gear | Whotabs


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

Thanks for the link. It's a good article and Townshend says what he thinks. I always remembered him saying you have to play 20 Gibsons to find a good one and it came from that article.

"The day you can bring me a Gibson off the end of the production line like this kid is going to save up his money for and it’s good then I’ll put my name on it.’ And he said he’d make me anything I’d like and he’d get me special instruments and I said that’s not the point. If I’m putting my name on it I’m putting my name on something somebody is going to go out and buy."


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## sakana (Oct 14, 2016)

I had always sung along to the radio when I was growing up so when I decided to pick up a guitar late in life, I already knew the lyrics to so many songs, what I needed to do was practice moving from one chord to another which took at least a year and at first, I had to move my fretting fingers with my other hand on the fretboard and strum to hear what the various chords sounded like. I worked my way through sore finger tips, printed out binders of songs, most of which were well beyond my abilities but fast forward a few years and once I dropped my pick for the last time...it got to the point where I was so concentrated on NOT dropping the freaking thing that I could`t remember words to songs I`d known for years so...I lost the pick and started strumming with my fingers which caused a whole other set of sore finger tips but at this point they don`t hurt anymore...may have caused nerve damage but worth it...and now I strum mostly with my thumb and have grown and filed my nails a little longer on my strumming hand and once I dropped the pick my playing improved quickly and I am comfortable without one, I never thought I`d be a shredder anyways. The vast majority of the sites where I went to print out songs no longer exist, shut down for various reasons but there are still a few that anyone can go to for tablature. Now, I just love playing my guitars, and have more than anyone could possibly need in a single life time still, doesn`t stop me from looking for others. I also found nylon string guitars nice due to the wider fretboard and fatter necks, my old Yamaha Dynamics have thicker necks that those seen on true classical guitars nowadays but they suit my hands. So if you`re going to throw your guitars, toss em this way, up here in the NW of Calgary, I`ll try to catch them.


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## Everton FC (Dec 15, 2016)

Check the thrift stores. I paid $85.00 at Value Village for a 1981 Yamaha FG-335ii. I've no emotional attachmetn to it, and would sell it for $250 - maybe! I love playing it. Nice sound w/medium .013-.056 Elixir PBs.

Patience is what I use when shopping for those six-string needles in a haystack! As for picks - I use .60mm nylon Dunlops sometimes... all the way up to .88 and 1.00's. In fact, my kids got me a ton of picks for Christmas! I use a lot of different picks. 

As for the Townshend link, he was one of the influences for me picking up a guitar. "Sunrise" is one of my faves:


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

I find that playing with the V picks that have perforations in the acrylic at the top of the pick end the misery of pick rotation.

They are pricey but so worth it!


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Mark, I have had the pick slippage thing too and it took awhile to find the best one for me. It is the Dava picks. They are much better than the Dunlop ones, actually, Dunlop is not even in the same league.

Dava Guitar Picks - Grip Tips


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Lola said:


> I find that playing with the V picks that have perforations in the acrylic at the top of the pick end the misery of pick rotation.
> 
> They are pricey but so worth it!


This thread is from Dec. 2016 !!!


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

greco said:


> This thread is from Dec. 2016 !!!


So what are you saying?


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

greco said:


> This thread is from Dec. 2016 !!!


And your point?


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Steadfastly said:


> So what are you saying?



Carry on..


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## Mark Trites (Aug 12, 2016)

I am still here  I will try those picks lol.. finally took the time to rehash up the old thread too


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