Your First Sound: Plucking & Downstrokes
First let the right hand “get going” on its own: pluck single strings cleanly, then practice an even downstroke rhythm.
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Plucking a single string
Brush gently across one string with the pick, evenly, so it sounds clean with no buzz. Practice on open strings first, plucking each of the 6 strings one by one.
Downstroke
Sweep across all the strings in one motion from the thickest 6th string toward the 1st string, driven by the wrist and even in speed — like one quick “brush.” Don't fret a chord yet; strum the open strings and feel the motion.
Open the motion up: at the beginner stage, the bigger the better — let the wrist swing loose like you're flicking off water, fingers doing no work, and don't be afraid of it being a bit loud. Only with a big motion do you find that “flick” feeling; once it's natural, it shrinks down on its own.
The most useful strum for singing along. On the empty beats (dashed arrows) keep your hand moving but miss the strings — that's the key to a steady groove.
Solid arrows are the strums you actually play; dashed arrows mean keep your hand moving but miss the strings. Start slow enough to see it, then build up speed.
Feel an even downstroke (↓) along with the strumming animation: the arrows light up on the beat, the wrist drives one quick “brush.” Practice it slowly and evenly on open strings first.
Muted-rhythm practice
Lay your left hand lightly across the strings (without pressing them down) and do a downstroke with your right hand — it makes a muted “chk-chk” sound. This exercise lets you focus on a steady right-hand rhythm, and it's a great way to build your sense of time.
Practice checklist
- With the metronome at 60 BPM, do one downstroke per beat, strumming for a solid minute and keeping it even.
- Do muted strumming for a minute, feeling where the beat lands.