How to Strum With and Without a Pick

Course: Absolute Beginner Guitar

In this video

We can strum the guitar with a Pick, which I recommend you do for as long as you can but we can also in the beginning stages strum with the first finger - try not to use your thumb!

Picks with grips on them are perfect if you find the pick slippy!

Hold the pick between the first finger and the thumb. By doing this:

  • Your hand and pick can easily point in a downwards angle, perfect for rolling and gliding easily down all the strings

  • The grip should stop the pick from slipping or dropping, especially if you're using two fingers and thumb at this early stage

  • We don't need to hold too hard - the tension to hold the pick this way can be as much or as little as we need

Next Up: How to Read Guitar Chord Boxes

Well done! Let's jump into the next lesson of the course.