Why Pick Angle & Strumming Mechanics are CRUCIAL! Guitar for Beginners

►►► Check out @JustinGuitarSongs for tutorials on your favs!

Video Chapters
00:00 What are strumming mechanics?
00:25 Strumming mechanics - Acoustic guitar
01:12 The right angle for your arms
02:32 The right angle for the pick
03:50 Pick Angle & Strumming Exercise
06:39 Strumming mechanics on electric guitar

[robbaldwin]

Started learning guitar a couple of weeks ago off another site and just this info of angling the pick slightly has really improved my strumming!. Such a small change but big results. And something that was completely overlooked by them!!. Thanks!

[OneMic]

I just changed the angle on my pick and my strumming sounds waaay better, this man is a life saver

[FredwardsBest]

I'm trying to teach myself during quarantine and your tutorials are by far my favorite. When I'm confused about a technique I always look if you have a video on it. You are a true life saver and thanks to you my learning experience is a lot more successful and fun. Thank you so much Justin!

[jaymyv.]

I have been struggle with the pick for quite a while, and with Justin's advice, everthing's perfect now. Thanks a lot man.

[larryheller]

Justin, you are absolutely the best. I've been playing acoustic for decades and electric for a few years and have had "professional" lessons in both instruments and no one - NO one has ever told me some of the fundamentals of picking you explained so eloquently and clearly in this video. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO!!

[Martin-ylzb]

Justin, As a beginner I find your videos one of the best. You seem to better understand the problems of a beginner than most other YouTube guitar teachers. Many thanks 👍🏻👍🏻

[annebeck]

I've been lerning guitar since January. In Feb, I turned a corner, when I found Marty and did half of his beginner lessons. (Still love lessons 9 and 10) My friend has been after me to check your channel. He was right. Overnight, my strumming is so much better and so much faster, even as I go through my chord changes!! He's going to be thrilled when I take the guitar down to the creek, this afternoon, to show him what I learned in 24 hours since seeing him.
You guys are just terrific!

[garethsmart]

Who would have thought that bending your knuckle 20-30 degrees would be vital in strumming so well? I have been trying to work this out for so long with no progress. And here’s the man with ALL of the answers to your technique problems to save me wasting any more valuable time.
As I type this, I’m sat on the posture correcting cushion that Justins wife recommended a while ago, saving my back from aching. Thank you again!
You’re approach to life is inspiring

[praneetjoshi]

Not just the mechanics are useful, but also as you listen to him more and more you see just how beautifully he speaks..

[TroySanders-yk]

Thanks for this video, I’ve been seeing so many “strum from the wrist” videos and as a beginner it is really tricky to do and trying to learn it started to slow down my progress with learning chords and overall enjoyment… I will now return to my current way of strumming more from the elbow as shown in this video and let it evolve naturally over time. Thanks again!

[jenniferjohnson]

Such good advice. This was exactly my journey. I couldn’t use a pick at first. Started with a really thin pick, and gradually moved to a thicker
pick. Justin started me on my guitar journey, and I always come back to him. Thank you Justin. X

[Whitehawkvisionfilms]

REQUEST! Could you do a series of videos on intermediate to advanced strumming and picking. Like when strumming how efficient do you want to be on the strum arc, should you be trying to keep it as close to both e-strings as possible or are there reasons to strum a bigger arc? Then I think they are called "Rest Strokes" how and when to use and not to use?

[Proflaxis]

Hi Justin,
I stumbled onto your channel today and a total beginner. Just started a week ago. The way you have explained the strumming sounds so logical. None of the other teachers on YT was telling this.
The idea of how to rest your strumming shoulder and only moving the arm W/o twisting the wrist. And then angling the pick. It’s way past midnight. Gonna try this tomorrow.
Thank you so much !!

[Bertdevries]

Hi Justin. I practice for about 4 month now and I never succeeded to slide my pick over the strings with the upstum. This explanation about 20 or 30 degrees turning was a big eye opener. Thank you so much.greeting from the Netherlands 🇳🇱

[mathish]

Best guitar lessons on youtube. No doubt. And such a good teacher.

[nickvanderlaan]

You are a legend! I started practicing a few weeks ago and I started strumming without a pick because with a pick I would find it impossible to strum up. So thank you :)

[austindrabenstot]

I’ve been asking all of my friends who play guitar with help on my strumming, and nobody had any advice except keep practicing. Feel like the pick is always getting stuck and then my strumming sounds clanky and bounces off the strings. I will give this a try!

[mobberoni]

Thank you, as someone who wants to be able play music I enjoy and doesn't have money for expensive guitar lessons, these kinds of resources enable me to enjoy this wonderful hobby so much more!

[pawegadek]

im only 6months is my guitar journey and find strumming with a pick super difficult. This video helps a lot. Thank you

[Whitehawkvisionfilms]

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do a video on post forearm strumming and how to loosen up the wrist and get to wrist strumming technique!!! Some of us can't progress from "chopping wood" ;-( Thanks!