Strumming 102 – Mechanics of Movement

Last month I began the topic of strumming by reviewing the position the arm uses when playing. This month I’ll focus on the mechanics or how the body moves when players strum or pick. 

If you watch players of various of styles inevitably it seems that there is no “one way” strum the guitar. However, the truth is all players move from two spots in order to play – the wrist and elbow. How much a player moves from these areas really depends of what they are playing. 

For example, funk players generally use wider wrist movements and less elbow, while acoustic players may combine larger movements of the wrist and elbow and jazz guitarists tend to use less wrist when strumming and move more from the elbow - this is especially true when playing four to the bar style ala Freddie Green. 

No matter the style or level one is playing at some basics principles must be adhered to: (1) Keep a loose and relaxed wrist. (2) The wrist should be straight or have as little bend as possible. Why? Think of a water hose – when it is straight the water flows freely through the hose, but when bent (especially at extreme angles) the water does not flow as smoothly. A straight wrist will not only help reduce tension when playing, but also lessen chances of injury. A straight wrist (or one with little bend) is a good rule of thumb for both picking and fretting hands.

Straight Wrist w/ slight bend

Bent Wrist - too much bend 

Don’t be bashful about checking a student’s wrist or mentioning to them numerous times that they need to move from the wrist and keep it relaxed when playing. Moreover, have them hold your wrist as you strum so they have a tactile example of what their wrist should feel like.