Strumming: Poll of technique

**kriller** · Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 7:13 am Post subject:

1. Which hand strums?
Right

2. What holds the strum bar?
thumb

3. In which direction do you strum?
Down

4. What do you use to strum?
Finger movement

5. How well can you play?
ok just beat BatM for the first time

6. How do you support your guitar using the strumming hand?
I don’t

7. When you whammy does the appendage with which you strum maintain contact with the strum bar?
No

**SixStringSlut** · Joined: 25 Jul 2006 Posts: 244 Location: Ann Arbor, MI

Wow, I thought I was the only person on the planet that used a pick.

1. Which hand strums?
Right

2. What holds the strum bar?
Nothing, Use a pick

3. In which direction do you strum?
Alternate if speed calls for it, or all downs if I'm having trouble keeping a tempo

4. What do you use to strum?
Pick

5. How well can you play?
Working on 5-stars through expert, through 22 of them.

6. How do you support your guitar using the strumming hand?
Depends. Usually I don't but on something that's really fast (BatM) I'll keep the side of my hand holding the guitar firmly against my gut. yes, my guitar is on a strap ABOVE MY WHITE BELT.

7. When you whammy does the appendage with which you strum maintain contact with the strum bar?
Nope.

**Dreyvas** · Joined: 19 Jul 2006 Posts: 2416 Location: Cleveland, OH

1. Which hand strums?
Right

2. What holds the strum bar?
Thumb and index.

3. In which direction do you strum?
Alternate

4. What do you use to strum?
Fingers and a little wrist.

5. How well can you play?
Guitar God on Expert.

6. How do you support your guitar using the strumming hand?
I don’t

7. When you whammy does the appendage with which you strum maintain contact with the strum bar?
Yes

**JHetfield0816** · Joined: 10 Apr 2006 Posts: 2230 Location: New Jersey

1) Right hand

2) Thumb on top, index and middle fingers on bottom

3) Alternate all the time

4) Combo of wrist, finger, and arm movement, keepin it loose

5) 5 star expert, Guitar God on expert, #4 (hopefully #3 again later tonight) expert player

6) I don't.

7) Nope, not at all...I should probably change that.
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**Galgo** · Joined: 12 Jul 2006 Posts: 590 Location: Olney, Maryland

1. Which hand strums?
Right

2. What holds the strum bar?
I use my thumb on slow parts I don't alternate strum and both my thumb and forefinger when alternate stumming.

3. In which direction do you strum?
Down on slower parts and alternate on solos and other fast situations.

4. What do you use to strum?
Finger movement when down-strumming and slight wrist movement when alternate stumming.

5. How well can you play?
42 five stars on expert. (**** on TF, Frank, CFH, GR2R)

6. How do you support your guitar using the strumming hand?
I use the strap to support the guitar, but when the strap falls off (it does sometimes) or I want to "rock out" and not be restrained by the strap I use the three fingers I don't use to strum. (Middle, ring and pinky)

7. When you whammy does the appendage with which you strum maintain contact with the strum bar?
No

**IEatGlue** · Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 5:39 am Post subject:

1. Right
2. Thumb
3. Down
4. Thumb moveing down
5. Own at easy and medium okay at hard
6. I sit down or use my other fingers to hold the back side of the guitar
7. Yes i use my pinkey
_________________

**b3nz0r** · Joined: 18 Jul 2006 Posts: 972 Location: Harker Heights, TX

1. Right
2. Tip of thumb when I'm downstrumming, thumb + index + middle finger on other side.
3. Down for most stuff, doublestrum when I really have to or just when I feel like it really.
4. Wrist movement.
5. Guitar God Expert
6. I rest my forearm along the top of the guitar to hold it in place so when I strum the guitar doesn't go haywire.
7. It does when it's a fast section, but if it's a long hold, I'll just whammy without touching the strumbar.

**Chime** · Joined: 10 Jun 2006 Posts: 48 Location: Eskilstuna, Sweden

1. Right
2. Thumb
3. Down
4. Finger Movement
5. Medium God, Hard 13 stars from god, Expert 39 stars from god
6. Pressing it against me
7. Yes
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**Bardiel** · Joined: 25 Jul 2006 Posts: 43 Location: Nantes, France

1. Which hand strums?
=> Right

2. What holds the strum bar?
=> Thumb

3. In which direction do you strum?
=> Down

4. What do you use to strum?
=> Finger movement, and sometimes wrist movement

5. How well can you play?
=> Medium God, Hard some multiple stars to become God, Expert didn't go to the end still

6. How do you support your guitar using the strumming hand?
=> Strap

7. When you whammy does the appendage with which you strum maintain contact with the strum bar?
=> Nope

More and more, I wonder if it'd be better for me to begin anew the game, and use alternate direction to strum, using the thumb and index to hold the strum bar.
Do you think it'd be better for me to do this?
Or go on with smashing the strum bar only with thumb? Mr. Green

**p41** · Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Posts: 439 Location: Boston, MA

1. Which hand strums?
Right

2. What holds the strum bar?
Thumb + Index if alternate strummin'

3. In which direction do you strum?
Down w/thumb or alternate on fast parts

4. What do you use to strum?
wrist

5. How well can you play?
still a few left on expert to 5*

6. How do you support your guitar using the strumming hand?
I don't ... play sitting, classical style. Guitar on left leg.

7. When you whammy does the appendage with which you strum maintain contact with the strum bar?
I don't think so!
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**Azuarc** · Joined: 18 Jul 2006 Posts: 1389 Location: Philadelphia

1. Right hand strums
2. Thumb+index
3. Alternate normally
4. wrist
5. Approaching 8 mil on expert
6. I anchor it a bit with my forearm near the elbow, but mostly rely on the strap
7. no, that would be weird. The converse question is the one to ask, though: do you maintain contact with the whammy bar while strumming? For me, that answer is usually no.

**dspoonrt** · Joined: 20 Feb 2006 Posts: 2449 Location: Columbus, OH

1. Which hand strums?
Right

2. What holds the strum bar?
Thumb (thumb and index finger if alternate strumming)

3. In which direction do you strum?
Down, up and down for harder riffs like CFH, TBW, etc.

4. What do you use to strum?
thumb mostly

5. How well can you play?
Guitar God on expert. #18 on expert.

6. How do you support your guitar using the strumming hand?
I don't. The strap does most of the supporting.

7. When you whammy does the appendage with which you strum maintain contact with the strum bar?
Not normally.
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**seetherfan** · Joined: 03 Jul 2006 Posts: 52 Location: Adelaide, Australia

1. Right

2. Thumb

3. Down (haven't really attempted alternate strumming as yet)

4. Thumb

5. All 5 star on Easy and Medium. Almost passed all Hard. Just getting into Expert now.

6. Guitar Strap

7. Not if I can help it

**dieselmachine** · Joined: 15 Jul 2006 Posts: 24

1. Which hand strums?
Right

2. What holds the strum bar?
I keep my thumb on top of the strum bar, while my index/middle/ring fingers grip the bottom of the guitar, so i can 'pull' my thumb down really fast.

3. In which direction do you strum?
Down

4. What do you use to strum?
See #2.

5. How well can you play?
I can 5 star most songs, although i just today finished cfh and batm for the first time on expert.

6. How do you support your guitar using the strumming hand?
I hold it underneath the bottom edge with my fingers most of the time, so i can press down with my thumb while also 'pulling' up from the bottom.

7. When you whammy does the appendage with which you strum maintain contact with the strum bar?
Yes