Mustang Alt-Strumming Technique?

**blob** · Joined: 11 May 2007 Posts: 2177 Location: Dallas, TX

Anyone have a good technique for alternate strumming on this thing?

my pick always gets stuck between the thick strings.
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**TheGlow** · Joined: 18 Feb 2006 Posts: 2748 Location: J Train Brooklyn!

I only tried self teaching myself to play a couple years ago and gave up after a few months cuz it was hard.
But from what I could gather with the alt strumming is when you finally get your hand accuracy so precise you barely graze the strings so you just glide around on em.
i think its hardest for us as plastic players because we often just mash up and down harder than necessary.
I was just trying on beautiful people and sounded like I was grating coconuts.

**FinalSunrise** · Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2010 2:46 am Post subject:

Make sure you're holding the pick correctly, you can find youtube videos, but you should only have 1-2 millimeters of pick that actually picks the strings, that way there's less of the dragging of the pick and less of it exposed to get stuck in the strings.
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**BowlZ** · Joined: 14 Sep 2007 Posts: 1472 Location: Aurora, Ohio

dont strum rigidly from the elbow. Use your wrist like you would when you paint a wall.
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**MetalPanda** · Joined: 10 Mar 2009 Posts: 201

Use a thick pick : 1,5 - 3 mm, make an ''O'' (or a square, depending on how you see it) with your thumb and index, hold your pick between those (your thumb should be holding no more than the length of the pick). Have a relaxed hand, your other fingers should be relaxed going straight/very slightly curved. Finally pick with your pick parallel to the strings, and learn to use slighter movements of the wrist to pick a string, you can pick as hard as you want, just make sure it's necessary or you're not hitting too many strings it's just about practice there. Wrist movements should be used for picking in a series on the same string(s) and forearm movements should be only used for changing strings.

TL;DR? hope it helps, condensed at it is.

**blob** · Joined: 11 May 2007 Posts: 2177 Location: Dallas, TX

Well... I play real guitar, I have a fender strat and can alt-strum on that easily.

Anyone posting actually have the mustang?
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**yaniv297** · Joined: 22 Oct 2010 Posts: 56

search for "Tremolo picking" in youtube, there's many lessons/examples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjyBNmqWnN0

**Hitoshura** · Joined: 17 Mar 2007 Posts: 611 Location: Oakland, CA

Tremolo picking seems much harder on the Mustang than on a real guitar. I think it's because the strings feel looser and more flexible than I'm used to. Almost like nylon strings on a classical guitar, but looser. I found the "tremolo picking" lesson in the trainer to be the hardest to pass because of this.

But maybe I just suck at tremolo picking.

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**MetalPanda** · Joined: 10 Mar 2009 Posts: 201

No I don't have the Mustang, there's no keyboard here, so I can't expect the Mustang.
From your description, it'll be much easier with the Squier but eh, cost.

**MrPulsar** · Joined: 17 Dec 2007 Posts: 85 Location: Alpha Centurai

The best advice I can give is to just keep practicing. When I first started playing guitar alt-strumming was hard to comprehend because I couldn't figure out how to do it without screwing up my positioning and then just failing because the pick got caught up.

Ultimate-Guitar is a great resource for lessons and is where I learned everything I know about guitar.

Here is a link to a good alt-strumming guide. http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/lessons/guitar_techniques/alternate_picking_technique.html

The mustang strings feel weird. The only other advice I can give for alt-strumming is to use a thin pick. I did not like the picks that came with the Mustang, instead I use .50mm picks. They're thin and don't give much resistance on the strings. (However please remember this is all personal preference so I would try using many different pick sizes to see what fits you best)

Hope this helps. Have fun rocking!

**HoboBobulus** · Joined: 14 Feb 2008 Posts: 495

**blob** · Joined: 11 May 2007 Posts: 2177 Location: Dallas, TX

Thanks all,

Probably gonna get a super light gauge pick from Guitar Center or something.
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