upstrokes

Is there any way I can improve my upstrokes? (by upstroke, I mean strumming up, if there was any ambiguity there)

just practice strumming harder rhythms

I think it's called a syncopated beat... when the emphasis is on the offbeat, or in this case, in a standard strumming pattern, the up beat.

Do this.


Set up your metronome, and strum up and down at quarter notes on the metronome. Now, just play downstrokes and mute your upstrokes. After doing this, reverse it, and mute downstrokes while playing upstrokes.

This kind of separation may help you out.


p.s. If you are having trouble muting the strums, use a barre chord and do a left-hand mute instead of palm muting with your right hand.

learn some ska songs?

are you trying to do this without the scratch on the downbeat? otherwise it's pretty easy to just srum down, up, down, up, except mute the downstrokes and fret the upstrokes. in that sense, the "upstroke" isn't any different than regular strumming.

I think I got it. I just had to use a thin pick instead of medium lol. Now I gotta focus on IMPROVING them rather than being able to do them in the first place lol. Thanks guys

it shuldnt be the pick. i can do whatever rhythm with a rock... just makes it harder...

Well I just didn't think it sounded right with my usual medium, so I tried a thin at the suggestion of a friend, and that really helped.

oo i see

well i think the scratches on the downbeat would sound different with a medium pick compared to a thin pick. with a thin pick i find it's easier to brush across the strings with the least amount of resistance...

Yea, I think that was the problem. I was getting too much resistance going up with a medium, but not with a thin. I'm gettin to where I can do it with a medium, but I'm not quite there yet, I don't think. Awfully close, tho.

this is what i have my students do when 'upstroke troubles' are the topic.

Play yer modes, scales, runs (etc) a few times (20 min or so)

THEN
(since human instinct dictates a 'down' on the '1')
play a mode or run (if Mode 3-note per string) you are VERY familiar with (read: yer Left and knows where to go) BUT begin with an UP-stroke (Ionian would 'normally begin on 'down' - end ion 'up') and
carry this through Ionian to Locrian ... again and again and again.
same w/
Pent etc

ALL "i play it like so (down)" LICKS become "reverse picked "(down = up and up = down)

its "old school" and will make you wanna toss the guitar out the window , lol, but stick with it and will grantee you that your accuracy, speed and pick-control will improve at a geometrical rate!

RAWK!
Cs

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