Week Five
"For the next technique for strumming without a pick you are going to again put your 1st finger and thumb together like you are holding a pick. But unlike the “pretend pick” method you are not going to extend the last segment of your 1st finger beyond your thumb. Instead they will be fairly even with each other. Then you will use your 1st finger fingernail to strum down, and your thumbnail to strum up."
Bradshaw, S. (2019). Strumming Without a Pick. Retrieved from https://www.cyberfret.com/guitar-strumming/strumming-without-a-pick/
I'm having some difficulty with strumming. I'm not using a pick, so I'm having trouble with the positioning of my hand. So far I've worked out that it has something to do with my nails, and that I should have a loose, wrist. I've discovered that this technique is referred to as 'Fingernail Thumbnail Strumming', as you use a single fingernail to strum down and the thumbnail to strum up.
I think I have the position right (maybe), but perhaps I'm not being gentle enough, as my nails keep getting caught on the strings when I strum up. I also still have difficultly maintaining a consistent strumming pattern, especially when changing chords and singing along because my focus shifts, and my coordination abilities are close to non-existent. So, in order to remedy this situation, I decided to return to chords I am already pretty comfortable with, and a song I already know pretty well, so I can practice coordinating chord changes and strumming, as well as having a sing along. Enter Ed Sheeran.
I See Fire - Ed Sheeran Zorxx. (2019). I See Fire Chords (ver 4) by Ed Sheeran. Retrieved from https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/ed-sheeran/i-see-fire-chords-1430599
Download File I See Fire Recording
And as a bonus, this piece also includes a Am7. I've managed to vary the pattern a little bit throughout, and hopefully with time this will even out and become more stable. My chord changes are becoming smoother, but still need work, and I really need to work on the singing, because it really throws my strumming pattern!