i think you solved my guitar strumming problem and i'm ecstatic. my teacher didn't think i was doing anything wrong and sounded good, but i knew i had issues with up strumming and knew it was mechanics somehow but could not fix or figure it out, now that my hand position has changed on my down strum, the way you showed it i'm already feeling better, more in control and my upstrum issue feels solved already and i think you saved me months if not years in my learning of stress, thankyou!!!!
I have been looking for a video like this for a year - no one has shown and explained how to do up-strums as good as this - it has been a mystery to me for so long - now I understand the wrist flick is the key - thank you
@@brexpatfarang3780 game changer, right?! I have a whole course on strumming inside my free guitar community. Totally free right now…come join if your like www.skool.com/garyleemusic-2716
Gary I would love to see a better view of your pick in action and how you hold your pick. The video was very helpful. I believe it's how the teacher delivers the lesson to the student is where the learning happens. And you delivered for me.
While downstrum how many string I have to catch and if possible can you show in another video how you are changing chords while playing this strum. It is so beautiful.
Hi, thanks so much for your comment. I'll consider making another video :) For the down strums, you generally want to hit all the strings that are represented by the chord (for example E Major = all 6 strings, D Major = strings 1, 2, 3, 4). Up strokes you just want to catch the top 2 or 3 strings as I described in the video. I hope that helps! Also... I'm currently offering a free guitar lesson during covid19 - go to garyleemusic.mystrikingly.com/lessons-and-sessions if you're interested.
Nice video. Helped with my strumming. I still seem to be having an issue though. On the up strum, i seem to be catching the high e string way to much and it rings out loudly. Almost like the pick is catching the string .Any advice to solve this?
I'm glad it helped some! Regarding the up-strum... a few things to consider: 1) check how tightly you're holding the pick. There should be some give and movement as it hits the strings. 2) you might be coming from below (meaning underneath) with too much pick and it's getting caught? 3) try isolating the upstroke and adjusting until it sounds more the way you want it to. I know that might seem obvious, but that helps me at times to do that. I hope that helps!
Thanks a lot, Gary; your video is so helpful and informative. I 've more often come across lessons on strumming 'patterns', but yours is a standout amongst the countless videos where you demonstrate 'how to strum'. I have had difficulty in perfecting the upstroke ( I still have it to some degree), and thank you so much for showing the right 'technique'. I just have one question. Does it matter which three or four strings one is supposed to brush on the upstroke depending on the chord being played? For instance, the G chord has its root on the lower E string and does this mean one has to play only the thicker strings on the upstroke? Contrarily the D chord uses the 4 strings on the other end (nearer the thinner E string), and does this necessitate playing these strings selectively on the upstroke? Thank you for your reply.
Hi Eashwar! Thanks for your kind words. As a general rule the upstroke tends to sound really great when it emphasizes the treble strings (high E, B, and G). The reason for this is that it creates separation between the low and the high notes which tends to make the the guitar strumming more interesting. I hope that helps!
@@97m_it hi thanks for the comment. I have a guitar strumming course that will be available soon. If you’d like to be notified feel free to join my free guitar community on Skool - www.skool.com/garyleemusic-2716
It really depends on how you hold the pick. I recently switched to the more traditional grip (pick between the side of the index finger and pad of the thumb) and I'm having a really hard time doing upstrokes.
I’ll consider it! I don’t normally play this way very often, but when I do (or if I forget my pick or something) I literally pretend I’m holding the pick and strum down with the index finger and try to catch the thumb on the upstrokes. The upstrokes never sound as good to me without a pick though. I hope this helps a little!
Your explanation sounds rather simple and informative. Have a question, for example, C major chords, I tend to strum the thickest string sometimes which is frustrating. How do you make sure that you are not hitting 6th string?
Thanks for watching. That's a great question. What I do is I let the edge of my ring finger on my left hand lightly touch the 6th string. This way I don't have to worry so much about missing that string. I can simple hit all the strings and only the ones I want to sound actually sound. I hope that helps!
Hi, a very basic C Major chord would be (from low string to high): 6th string don't play, 5th string 3rd fret, 4th string 2nd fret, 3rd string open, 2nd string 1st fret, 1st string open. I hope that helps.
My teacher was pushing me to keep 3 fingers open when I strum or pick the strings and now I see all these videos teachers doing the locking there fingers, what’s is the right technique????
I think it’s a little different for everyone. For me my four fingers stay touching like a relaxed fist. My first finger slightly separated from my middle, ring, and pinky. As long as your hand is relaxed that’s the most important. Try lightly touching your thumb to your index finger and recognizing where your other fingers naturally are. Let me know if that helps.
Hi... for upstrokes play them in between the strong beats. And don't try and play all the strings when doing up strokes. Simply catching strings 1, 2, and 3 on the way up will sound great. I also have a course on rhythm strumming here if you're interested: garyleemusic.teachable.com/ Thanks! Hope that helps!
I think for this type of strumming style, a medium or medium thin pick sounds the best. of course you can use any pick, it will just produce a different kind of tone.
Hi! yes, the upstroke can be quite difficult. If you'd like to book an online lesson feel free to email me at gary@garyleemusic.com - best of luck to you!
Everyone is giving pro tips and how to improve , but no one explains the basic stuff (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻.
This actually works. Thank you.
thanks so much for watching... I'm so glad it was helpful for you!
Oh my! i was so frustrated that i couldn't do the upward stroke properly with the pick and u saved my life 😭❤️!! Thank you sooo much!!!!!
so happy it was helpful!
The revelation I had when you said that you don’t have to hit every string on the upstroke. Thank you!
You're welcome! I know that was a big one for me also!
holy shit thank you so much
as a left-handed guy learning guitar this is so solid gold material for my silly right-hand
I'm so glad it's been helpful! thx for the comment and for watching.
I’m left handed aswell and my right hand is so weak it’s not funny
i think you solved my guitar strumming problem and i'm ecstatic. my teacher didn't think i was doing anything wrong and sounded good, but i knew i had issues with up strumming and knew it was mechanics somehow but could not fix or figure it out, now that my hand position has changed on my down strum, the way you showed it i'm already feeling better, more in control and my upstrum issue feels solved already and i think you saved me months if not years in my learning of stress, thankyou!!!!
I'm ecstatic for you! That's awesome!
I have been looking for a video like this for a year - no one has shown and explained how to do up-strums as good as this - it has been a mystery to me for so long - now I understand the wrist flick is the key - thank you
@@brexpatfarang3780 game changer, right?! I have a whole course on strumming inside my free guitar community. Totally free right now…come join if your like www.skool.com/garyleemusic-2716
Gary I would love to see a better view of your pick in action and how you hold your pick. The video was very helpful. I believe it's how the teacher delivers the lesson to the student is where the learning happens. And you delivered for me.
I’d love to make a video about this topic in the new year. I’m really glad this video was a win for you. Thanks for watching.
Thank you, I really needed this. Have a great day!
So glad it was helpful! I hope you have a great day too.
This really helped I'm playing cherub rock by the smashing pumpkins so I really needed the upstroke help
Thank you so much 🥰
You so welcome 🙏
Thanks for explaining what looks like a basic stroke! I'm gonna try this🙏
You’re welcome!
THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR THIS EVERYWHERE.
Oh, I'm so glad! thanks for watching.
This is literally life saver. Thanks for this info Sir
I’m so glad it’s helpful!
Best video I found on this argument. Thank you!
so glad it's helpful! thanks for watching
this helped my playing so much ty!
Oh I’m so glad!
Great explanation. Many thanks .Dave.
While downstrum how many string I have to catch and if possible can you show in another video how you are changing chords while playing this strum. It is so beautiful.
Hi, thanks so much for your comment. I'll consider making another video :) For the down strums, you generally want to hit all the strings that are represented by the chord (for example E Major = all 6 strings, D Major = strings 1, 2, 3, 4). Up strokes you just want to catch the top 2 or 3 strings as I described in the video. I hope that helps! Also... I'm currently offering a free guitar lesson during covid19 - go to garyleemusic.mystrikingly.com/lessons-and-sessions if you're interested.
Nice video. Helped with my strumming. I still seem to be having an issue though. On the up strum, i seem to be catching the high e string way to much and it rings out loudly. Almost like the pick is catching the string .Any advice to solve this?
I'm glad it helped some! Regarding the up-strum... a few things to consider: 1) check how tightly you're holding the pick. There should be some give and movement as it hits the strings. 2) you might be coming from below (meaning underneath) with too much pick and it's getting caught? 3) try isolating the upstroke and adjusting until it sounds more the way you want it to. I know that might seem obvious, but that helps me at times to do that.
I hope that helps!
@@garyleemusic sounds helpful in my opinion. Just strum slowly, kind of and don't over think.
This is what I needed today. Thanks for the great video 👌
Really helpful! Thank You!
I'm so glad! God bless.
This was actually really helpful thank you
You’re welcome!
Thanks a lot, Gary; your video is so helpful and informative. I 've more often come across lessons on strumming 'patterns', but yours is a standout amongst the countless videos where you demonstrate 'how to strum'. I have had difficulty in perfecting the upstroke ( I still have it to some degree), and thank you so much for showing the right 'technique'. I just have one question. Does it matter which three or four strings one is supposed to brush on the upstroke depending on the chord being played? For instance, the G chord has its root on the lower E string and does this mean one has to play only the thicker strings on the upstroke? Contrarily the D chord uses the 4 strings on the other end (nearer the thinner E string), and does this necessitate playing these strings selectively on the upstroke? Thank you for your reply.
Hi Eashwar! Thanks for your kind words. As a general rule the upstroke tends to sound really great when it emphasizes the treble strings (high E, B, and G). The reason for this is that it creates separation between the low and the high notes which tends to make the the guitar strumming more interesting. I hope that helps!
Thx Gary. Subscribed
Thank You Sir...
my pleasure! thanks for watching.
never heard this before - and I have been looking;-) thanks !
Hey, thanks for those great tips. I wanted to know if you have any videos on playing this pattern i really liked it, i tried replicating but couldn't.
@@97m_it hi thanks for the comment. I have a guitar strumming course that will be available soon. If you’d like to be notified feel free to join my free guitar community on Skool - www.skool.com/garyleemusic-2716
It really depends on how you hold the pick. I recently switched to the more traditional grip (pick between the side of the index finger and pad of the thumb) and I'm having a really hard time doing upstrokes.
man you are good:)
you're too kind. I hope the vid was helpful!
Best explanation.
so glad it was helpful
Thanks alot Bhai mere
Wow. Thanks a lot man.
Glad it was helpful!
@@garyleemusic Mystery solved, it was driving me crazy. It’s definitely all in the wrist, thanks again.
Appreciate share your talents
Nice lesson, just One question, How to master upstroke, for me it sounds very bad and how many strings you hit while upstorke. Thanks gary.
Hi, you only need to hit 2 or 3 strings on upstrokes for it to be effective. Thanks for watching..
Thank you 😊
Hey Gary, new viewer here. Can u please make a video on how to do up-down stroke without using a pik??? Plz.. That's much needed for me.
I’ll consider it! I don’t normally play this way very often, but when I do (or if I forget my pick or something) I literally pretend I’m holding the pick and strum down with the index finger and try to catch the thumb on the upstrokes. The upstrokes never sound as good to me without a pick though. I hope this helps a little!
Love from india bro
Love back to you ;)
Your explanation sounds rather simple and informative. Have a question, for example, C major chords, I tend to strum the thickest string sometimes which is frustrating. How do you make sure that you are not hitting 6th string?
Thanks for watching. That's a great question. What I do is I let the edge of my ring finger on my left hand lightly touch the 6th string. This way I don't have to worry so much about missing that string. I can simple hit all the strings and only the ones I want to sound actually sound. I hope that helps!
@@garyleemusic So you lift the 5th string up, slightly or something?
Love from India
Sir plz say how to play c major in quaver im a beginner plz...
Hi, a very basic C Major chord would be (from low string to high): 6th string don't play, 5th string 3rd fret, 4th string 2nd fret, 3rd string open, 2nd string 1st fret, 1st string open. I hope that helps.
Strumming depend on speed. Is it okay? And my pick stuck in strings while strumming chords.
What song are you playing at 00:38?or strumming pattern? Sound really good and I'm hoping to learn it
Hi. No particular song... just a simple chord progression... C, Am, F, and G. Thanks for listening!
Thanks. Do you change chords on the down stroke or the upstroke?
in this video the chord changes on a downstroke
My teacher was pushing me to keep 3 fingers open when I strum or pick the strings and now I see all these videos teachers doing the locking there fingers, what’s is the right technique????
I think it’s a little different for everyone. For me my four fingers stay touching like a relaxed fist. My first finger slightly separated from my middle, ring, and pinky. As long as your hand is relaxed that’s the most important. Try lightly touching your thumb to your index finger and recognizing where your other fingers naturally are. Let me know if that helps.
how do i know when to use the upstroke?
Hi... for upstrokes play them in between the strong beats. And don't try and play all the strings when doing up strokes. Simply catching strings 1, 2, and 3 on the way up will sound great. I also have a course on rhythm strumming here if you're interested: garyleemusic.teachable.com/
Thanks! Hope that helps!
Is it important to use a thin pic?
I think for this type of strumming style, a medium or medium thin pick sounds the best.
of course you can use any pick, it will just produce a different kind of tone.
Will hitting only 2 strings during upstroke ok?
yeah, 2 or 3 will give you a great sound
Pick weight?
Fender mediums
this is really good, but I'm still dying... I find it really difficult to upstroke???
Hi! yes, the upstroke can be quite difficult. If you'd like to book an online lesson feel free to email me at gary@garyleemusic.com - best of luck to you!