How To Strum Without A Pick

Have you just started your guitar journey? 

The best way of learning how to strum is by using a good guitar pick for beginners. But I know you’re curious about strumming with your fingers - and that’s ok too! Strumming with the fingers sounds great - but there are a couple of different ways you can do that, and we’ll explore some of them!

As long as you get the hang of strumming with a pick as well, you’re good to give it a try. Let’s take a look at some tricks to help you out. 

Is it better to strum with or without a pick?

There’s no right or wrong here - it depends on your taste. As we’ve learned in our previous lesson, using a pick will help you develop many guitar techniques. Also, when using a pick, most people tend to do it the same way.  When you don’t use a guitar pick, you have many options for using your fingers to strum. So, it’s easier to learn the rules when using a pick than when using your fingers. 

When strumming without a pick, you can use many fingers simultaneously and explore how much you move them no matter your arm’s movement. That might be a big advantage depending on the song you’re playing. It might also help you explore some dynamics too! We’ll learn more about that later in our course. :)
 

Without a pick, there are more variety and modifications available to you, and your fingers can add tonal variations to get particular cool sounds. 

💡 I tend to do at least 50% of my practice without a pick. Still, I’m pretty comfortable when I have to use one. Set this as your goal. ;)

How to Strum the Guitar With Your Thumb

Strumming with your thumb gives you a rounder sound, and strumming with a pick gives you a brighter sound. Things to keep in mind when learning how to strum the guitar with your thumb:

• With the down strums, use the fleshier part of your thumb. On the up strums, your nail may catch the string. That results in a brighter sound that doesn’t always make sense, so be careful not to sound awkward.

• Work on getting your thumb’s angle right! You don’t want your thumb to get caught on the thinnest string on the up strums. You can flat your hand out slightly, so you don’t get too much of your nail on the up strums.

• Keep your fingers open and strum from your elbow, just like you would when strumming with a pick. You can also anchor your fingers on the guitar and strum using your thumb more independently of the arm. 

When playing the guitar with your fingers, there’s no one rule fits all kind of thing. You should explore the possibilities and see what works better for you!

How to Strum the Guitar With Your First Finger

When you strum with your first finger, you generally get a more pleasant sound. Your nail hits the downbeats, and your flesh hits the upbeats. It’s the opposite of strumming with your thumb. Also, be aware that guitarists that strum with their first finger tend to use less arm movement. 

If you want the flesh to hit both the up and downbeats, you’ll need to flatten your whole hand. That position will give you a softer and more delicate sound - it might be the one you were looking for!

How to Sound Brighter Without a Pick

But how exactly do you get that brighter sound that you get with a pick without using one? Put your thumb and first finger together as if you’re holding a pick between them! It’s simple - when you strum this way, your nail hits both the up and down strums, mimicking the sound of the pick.

You can also strum from your elbow, just as you would if holding a pick. That’s great for when you drop your pick mid-song, which happens from time to time no matter if you’re a beginner or now!

Explore Your Strumming Options

Whether you’re strumming with your first finger or with your thumb, the key is to experiment. You have to find the right angle and what works best for you. Your fingers shouldn’t get caught on the up strums, and the sound should feel right.

As you get more comfortable with strumming, you can try mixing things up. For example, you can hit the bass note with your thumb and then strum with your first finger.

Play around and explore your guitar - that’s the best way to develop and customize the way you sound. Don’t get too caught up with the right and wrong ways to do this. Always remember – playing the guitar has technical aspects, but it’s a creative adventure. Put your personality all over it!