Strumming: Poll of technique

**tommy2000** · Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2006 12:30 pm Post subject:

1. Right
2: Thumb on top, index
3: Down
4: Wrist movement i think, might vary
5: Well i haven't played in a while, played for about a fortnight, an hour a day maybe. I'm concentrating on Normal, i've 5 stars on most songs and am working on getting 100 on each. I'm pretty solid i reckon, although i'm not too dandy with the old hammer-ons and pulloffs...
5. It rests on my lap, but i probably press my the side of my hand against it also.
6. Yes

EDIT: Having played since i can say that even though the guitar rests on my lap i support it with my last three fingers (maybe my index also). My thumb is the only finger i use for strumming, ALL downstrokes. Can anyone tell me if i should change this style or stick with it?

**Sephi** · Joined: 09 Jun 2006 Posts: 454 Location: Albuquerque, NM

1. Which hand strums?
Right

2. What holds the strum bar?
My middle, ring, and pinky finger

3. In which direction do you strum?
Down for EVERYTHING

4. What do you use to strum?
it's like an arm rotation....

5. How well can you play?
43 5-stars on Expert

6. How do you support your guitar using the strumming hand?
Guitar Strap all the way as low as it can go.

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

**SletraBEiddE** · Joined: 18 Jul 2006 Posts: 231 Location: Bethlehem, PA

1. Right.
2. Nothing, I use a pick.
3. Down/Alternate when neccesary.
4. Guitar Pick.
5. 5* Expert, except for Crossroads, the Face-Melters and a few Bonus Tracks which I get 3-4*.
6. I use the strap.
7. No

**CrackerRiley** · Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 3085

1. Which hand strums?
Right

2. What holds the strum bar?
Middle finger

3. In which direction do you strum?
Up

4. What do you use to strum?
Finger movement

5. How well can you play?
A few more songs for Guitar God on hard (3k left for BatM 5-star!!)

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

**Genga** · Joined: 19 Apr 2006 Posts: 2474 Location: Glasgow, Scotland

1. Which hand strums?
Right

2. What holds the strum bar?
Other (my thumb just rests against the top of the strum bar)

3. In which direction do you strum?
Down (but i will strum up strum times)

4. What do you use to strum?
Arm movement (Ill say arm movement as i move my forearm most, unless its like slapbass?)

5. How well can you play?
5* Expert on a majority of songs, about 4 4*'s and 3 3*'s

6. How do you support your guitar using the strumming hand?
I use my non-strumming fingers to press down on the face (I cup my fingers so my thumb sits just above the strum bar and my fingers will cup round it and rest on the scratch plate, maybe under the whammy bar)

7. When you whammy does the appendage with which you strum maintain contact with the strum bar?
No, while i whammy its just usually my index finger and middle finger touching the guitar (and the left hand with the notes of course)
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**HylianHero** · Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Posts: 4673 Location: Santa Cruz, CA

**Huwonk** · Joined: 26 May 2006 Posts: 2432 Location: Marysville, Ohio

1. Which hand strums?
Right

2. What holds the strum bar?

Nothing. I play it like a regular guitar almost...

3. In which direction do you strum?
Depends heavily on the part and song. Mostly down strumming on the majority of all songs. I alternate strum for most triplets.

4. What do you use to strum?
I strum with my finger tip, not with my thumb like most people do.

5. How well can you play?
I 5 star most songs on expert every time I play. Haven't done Texas Flood or CFH yet. I'm getting closer on Texas Flood by the day, though.

6. How do you support your guitar using the strumming hand?
I use the side of my hand to brace the SG to my body so my guitar doesn't shake too much (it makes my loose whammy bar fall down!). If you don't understand that, just imagine that I'm palm muting. =)

7. When you whammy does the appendage with which you strum maintain contact with the strum bar?
I strum with my thumb on the next note after a whammy to get as much SP out of the whammy as possible.
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**socrstopr** · Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 2:11 pm Post subject:

1. Which hand strums?
Right

2. What holds the strum bar?
Normally, nothing... my thumb hovers above it. With faster notes, however, my thumb and index grab hold and I alternate strum

3. In which direction do you strum?
Down / Alternate

4. What do you use to strum?
Finger movement with regular strumming, wrist movement with alternate strumming

5. How well can you play?
40/47 5* on expert (including BatM! Mr. Green

)

6. How do you support your guitar using the strumming hand?
My other four fingers rest on the whammy bar, but the strap supports the guitar, as it should

7. When you whammy does the appendage with which you strum maintain contact with the strum bar?
It stays where it was, which is above the strum bar
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**tommy2000** · Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 10:55 pm Post subject:

Uhh wait now i've started to use alternate picking for the Cochise intro and maybe other songs in that set too, i can't remember, but definitely Cochise, it makes it real easy, so in that case, i also use my index finger.

Btw downstrokes for me are just finger movement but alternate is the whole hand.

**upchuck55** · Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 9

1. Which hand strums?
Right
2. What holds the strum bar?
Index Finger
thumb
3. In which direction do you strum?
Down for the slow stuff.
Alternate for the fast
4. What do you use to strum?
Thumb movement on slow
Wrist movement on fast
5. How well can you play?
Just about done with hard altogether, and working on last 3 songs of expert.
6. How do you support your guitar using the strumming hand?
I sit crosslegged and rest the guitar on my right leg.
7. When you whammy does the appendage with which you strum maintain contact with the strum bar?
No, I drop the strumm bar move my fingers to the wammy, and the heel of my hand is on the guitar body

**Mr.FoodMonster** · Joined: 13 Aug 2006 Posts: 5

1. Right

2. Multiple fingers - Thumb, index, middle for fast, just Thumb for slow.

3. Mostly Down, sometimes alernate.

4. Wrist movement

5. Mostly 4-5 stars on expert. A couple 3's though.

6. I don't

7. Yes

**afirocks27** · Joined: 20 Aug 2006 Posts: 37 Location: Owensboro Ky

1. Which hand strums?
Right

2. What holds the strum bar?
I hold it between my thumb and index finger..like a guitar pick

3. In which direction do you strum?
Alternate

4. What do you use to strum?
A combination of finger and wrist movement

5. How well can you play?
Almost all 5 stars on expert

6. How do you support your guitar using the strumming hand?
umm i dont..the strap or your lap should be supporting the guitar.

7. When you whammy does the appendage with which you strum maintain contact with the strum bar?
It depends on the amount of notes coming at me

**DemonHybrid** · Joined: 19 Aug 2006 Posts: 2871 Location: Matamoras, PA

1. Which hand strums?
Right

2. What holds the strum bar?
Middle finger

3. In which direction do you strum?
Down for most of the stuff...Alternate for solos and long streams of 8th/16th notes.

4. What do you use to strum?
Wrist movement

5. How well can you play?
5 Star on everything Expert except for Frankenstien/Cheat on the Church/Texas Flood/BatM/CFH/Decontrol/Get Ready 2 Rokk

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

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

**BadMusic** · Joined: 23 Aug 2006 Posts: 2

1. Which hand strums?
Right

2. What holds the strum bar?
Thumb on top and index under

3. In which direction do you strum?
99% down

4. What do you use to strum?
Arm movement I guess

5. How well can you play?
Passed all the songs but I'm not even thinking of 5*ing all Expert

6. How do you support your guitar using the strumming hand?
Strap when playing standing, or it rests on my leg

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

**SThorpe** · Joined: 09 Aug 2006 Posts: 2500

1. Which hand strums?
right

2. What holds the strum bar?
thumb and index

3. In which direction do you strum?
down, alt strum fast stuff

4. What do you use to strum?
tapping my thumb down, like a button

5. How well can you play?
battle axer, 4-5*hard, but pretty random on expert

6. How do you support your guitar using the strumming hand?
rests on my leg, maybe use index if downstrumming

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