acoustic strumming help

[darkangel255c]

i'm new at guitar and i'm having problems with my strumming. i'm using an acoustic and the downstroke sounds fine but my upstroke sounds awful cause i'm hitting some strings harder than others and at times missing some completely. :( any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! thanx!

[disturbed_pyro]

you might be gripping your pick too hard, or maybe it's too thick. i don't really know that much about acoustic, as i play electric, but even when im strumming on my electric, i use a really thin pick (a red dunlop tortex, .50 mm, or the smaller ones, L3). try to relax, and (go ahead, roll your eyes) keep practicing.;)

[jaytee]

it seems everybody has this problem.....it really does take some practice...believe me my strum is still less than perfect....i used to do the same thing and i quit tryin for a nice strum...till like 6 months ago...
when you strum do you use your wrist too much?
this is what i found...even tho i didnt realize i was doin it.....i was strumming from my wrist in such a way that by the time i got to the bottom of my strum and ready to strum back up....my hand was tilted and the pick was bound to "get stuck" in the strings....
what i did was i picked out a song that i liked the intro to..and the intro was all strumming...just 4 simple notes over and over....then i worked on it....a little every day.....i needed to learn to use my arm like a pendulum more than my wrist....you need to use both....ive heard your wrist should be rigid to strum but this isnt real comfortable for me...
the reason i say pick something simple is so you can worry less about what your fretting and watch more where your right hand is strumming....i was using goo goo dolls "iris"...and no i didnt care if it sounded perfectly like the real song i just wanted to make sure it was something i wouldnt despise playing over and over....lol
the other thing i can think of is your pick...mostly the way you hold it..but also...the shape....
maybe you have too much of the "tip" sticking out....
i am thinking of trying some different shapes myself...ive heard people say a "narrower" (not thinner) pick is easier to hold....other people use the "odd" edges of their picks...like the wider back end...just something to think about...


--jt

[disturbed_pyro]

:p :p :p
k,i like NARROWER picks, not THINNER ones
:p :p :p

[GuitarGuillermo]

I use a light pick to strum on my accoustic - .5 tortex, just like DP. and sometimes i even use one of the rounded sides.

[jaytee]

by "narrower" i meant one that is shaped more like a teardrop than a triangle.....


know what i mean?