Problem With Thumb While Strumming

[tedsko]

First off, I'll start with how I strum. I keep the pick between the flat of my thumb and the side of my index finger, and I let my other three fingers hang down across the strings. Now my problem is, after I strum downwards and I bring my hand back up to strum upwards, I always hit the back of my thumb (where it bends) off of the strings and it screws up my strumming. Does anyone know how I can fix this? Thanks for everyone's help.

[Machtimus]

First off, I'll start with how I strum. I keep the pick between the flat of my thumb and the side of my index finger, and I let my other three fingers hang down across the strings. Now my problem is, after I strum downwards and I bring my hand back up to strum upwards, I always hit the back of my thumb (where it bends) off of the strings and it screws up my strumming. Does anyone know how I can fix this? Thanks for everyone's help.

No problem.

[Grachi]

hmmm... im not sure im visualising where your thumb bends and how it bends that much to hit the strings. Try changing the angle of where your hand is coming in on the strings. I don't know, only thing i can think of. or try holding it in a way that your thumb isn't bent as much/coming into the strings.

Or it could be the motion of your strumming. strum an easy song and watch your hand to see how it is going. if it's odd or different, maybe thats your problem.

[jsgksu]

Sounds like maybe youre not rotating/bending youre wrist too much and just rotating your entire forearm. Im trying to strum different ways and see how you would get that problem and thats what it seems like you may be doing. Dunno for sure though.

[Grachi]

yea make sure your forearm and wrist are flat to the guitar face. that's probably the best way to make sure your setup correctly.

[tedsko]

Yea, that's the problem, when I strum downwards I turn my wrist away from the guitar so when I turn it back around to strum upwards, my thumb hits off the guitar. I'll have to work on that or I'm not going to have a thumb anymore heh, thanks for the help

[Yakko]

Yea, that's the problem, when I strum downwards I turn my wrist away from the guitar so when I turn it back around to strum upwards, my thumb hits off the guitar. I'll have to work on that or I'm not going to have a thumb anymore heh, thanks for the help

How long have you been playing guitar? I did this a lot when I first started.

[tedsko]

about a year, I found that if I keep my thumb straighter, it doesn't hit off the strings