Strumming advice

hammer40 · Mar 13, 2012

I've let the fingernails grow a bit on my right hand for better picking but have now noticed it is more difficult on the up-strum. I find my finger gets caught up a bit on the strings because of the nail. They aren't real long, just a little over the finger pad but before I let them grow I had no problem. Any thoughts or suggestions? Something I just have to get used to or practice through?

Manalishi · Mar 13, 2012

Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,
Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,
Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,
etc....!
I know folk who play with long nails,short nails and virtually no
nails,Its just a matter of getting used to what you are doing.
Stick at it,it will come!

hammer40 · Mar 14, 2012

luthien said:
Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,
Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,
Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,Practice,
etc....!
I know folk who play with long nails,short nails and virtually no
nails,Its just a matter of getting used to what you are doing.
Stick at it,it will come!

That's what I figured, thanks for the advice.

bazmaz · Mar 14, 2012

It's a technique that just needs to be mastered I'm afraid.

Start slow, and concentrate on getting steady clean rhythms before trying to strum too fast. Also, if your fingers are getting tangled, check where you are strumming - try strumming a bit further up the bottom of the neck?

Lalz · Mar 14, 2012

Softening the angles of the nail by going for a short oval shape does help though. I've noticed Americans and Europeans tend to shape their nails differently when they let them grow. American nails tend to be more towards the square shape and Europeans towards the oval shape. Fingers get less caught in things, strings included, with an oval shape. See picture:

My nails have the (a) shape, and it works quite well.

DAPuke · Mar 14, 2012

I use my thumb for upstrums

Don

TheUkulelePanda · Mar 14, 2012

DAPuke said:
I use my thumb for upstrums
Don

Im learning to do that for triple strums.

I always teach to come up o the meat.

Uncle Rod Higuchi · Mar 14, 2012

with longer fingernails, DAPuke's practice of upstrumming with the thumb nail might be a good way to go.

I started using my thumb nail for up strums a few years back and it's just so natural now. Especially
helpful for those triple strums.

keep uke'in',

hammer40 · Mar 15, 2012

Thanks for all the advice. I did see in videos some use the thumb, I can see this would work but will take a lot of practice as well, to be expected. My nails have grown to a good or more proper length now and I have filed them to a more oval shape and that helps a lot. I have also relaxed my finger a bit, I think i was trying to hold it to stiff, to straight and not at a good angle so it was getting caught up to easily in the strings. Doing much better now, more fluid and like everyone knows, practice, practice, practice.

Strumming advice

hammer40

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Manalishi

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hammer40

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bazmaz

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Lalz

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DAPuke

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TheUkulelePanda

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Uncle Rod Higuchi

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hammer40

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