Fast and tremolo strumming: no success

Technique Critique
#1

I already posted about that topic about a year and a half ago.

I’m hitting a wall trying to master fast and tremolo strumming.

My reference points are the examples of great strumming proficieny in the Andy Wood acoustic interviews and the Olli Soikkelli and Joscho Stephan interviews. Granted, those are elite players in the 1% of technical excellence.

I find fast/tremolo strumming to be a degree of difficulty above tremolo picking single notes. In the latter, I have an anchor point close to the pick (the side of the palm). In the former, the anchor point is much higher (high area of the forearm close to the elbow) and each stroke’s length is much bigger.

Those videos have been great in that my strumming, espeicially my upstroke, used to really suck. Now it is fast and fluid enough to tackle many pop songs with good tone. But even after a ton of practice over months, anything beyond medium fast still remains impossible.

I have run out of ideas as to how to approach the problem. One thing I could try is practice a single notes tremolo while keeping my wrist floating as opposed to anchored at the palm. I am aware that fewer guitarists are interested in rhythm guitar but I still think it would be amazing ot have a dedicated chapter in the Primer - to me, the difficulty would justify it.

#2

Could you post a video of the you attempting the strumming you are talking about?

Will be easier to see what’s going on.

#3

I’ve never filmed myself playing so setting everything up would take a while, and I can’t do it anyway.
If you’re asking which videos I’m referring to, there’s this one which has many examples of incredible fast strumming
https://www.youtube.com/live/pxjoEZoQXJU?si=ZtTV8oyGGe4nBPRX
(Andy Wood acoustic interview).
Another one is “Andy Wood, the funky strummer” on YouTube.
Then you have the Stephan and Soikkelli videos, where both perform great chord tremolos.

#4

I more meant an example of you trying to do it, because, generally speaking, a plateau or block is caused due to either a need for more practice, or there is something acting as an obstacle. It is impossible to judge why you have hit a wall with it without seeing you try, otherwise you’ll end up getting the same old “just practice more” or “just do what Andy Wood does” advice, which isn’t necessarily helpful.

It doesn’t need to be a good video, just good enough to see what’s going on, and it’s more helpful to have a video of you trying and not succeeding than anything else, because that’s where others will be able to maybe help inn what is holding you back.

No point posting a video of you doing something you can already do, you don’t need any help with that :slight_smile:

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#5

I never listened to Guthrie Govan’s music,
but I stumbled upon this video, and it changed my entire life.

GUTHRIE GOVAN: Picking style

Follow what he says on the video.
Enjoy, and keep practicing.

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#6

I get your point. I’ll try posting a video this week.

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#7

Great video. I can do the test - like the credit card test. The next step is complicated.

#8

If you use a flexible pick, do you go faster?

#9

Quick tip: try strumming a smaller number of strings when you want to go faster.

Random example: strum all 6 strings for the normal speed stuff, then only aim for the D and G strings for the faster strumming. Have a go and let us know! Bonus points if you post a video :slight_smile:

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#10

This is an aside, but what an annoying video. In a discussion about picking, why on earth would they focus on the fretting hand when he finally plays the guitar? :angry:

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