Gear, Tone, and Basic Technique

Strumming is used in all styles of music and with almost any guitar sound. But most people associate strumming with an acoustic guitar, with either steel or nylon strings.

Some people strum with a pick and some people strum with their nails or fingers. There's no right or wrong way as long as you can make it sound good, but I do find that having a good strumming technique with a pick gives you the most possibilities down the road. Then it's easy to switch to strumming with your fingers afterwards.

There are many good ways to hold your pick, and that in itself is a whole tutorial. But in this lesson I'm gonna show you how I hold it and how to get a good strumming motion out of your right hand.