Rhythm Guitar Basics

• Get comfortable: If you are right-handed, the guitar should be resting on your right thigh.
• Relax your arm: Let your right arm rest on top of the guitar in a relaxed way. It should rest diagonally across the instrument so that your hand is near the soundhole or between the pickups.
• Position the guitar: Make sure the guitar neck is not pointing toward the floor. If anything, it should be pointing slightly upward because it makes certain chords easier to play.
• Check your thumb position: Your left thumb should be placed on the neck somewhere behind the 1st and 2nd fingers. The thumb position changes depending on the chord shape, as you will see.
• Use a pick: Though it is possible to strum chords using either the right-hand thumb or the fingers, using a pick is highly recommended.
• Hold your pick: A pick gives a more even sound and extra volume when you need it. The pick is held between the thumb and 1st finger. Don’t use the 2nd finger because there are certain guitar styles you may want to use later that involve playing with a pick and fingers. Don’t hold the pick too rigidly, and make sure that you keep your hand relaxed.
• Get a light pick: Picks come in various weights: the most common are heavy (or hard), medium, and light (or thin). The pick you use when learning rhythm guitar should be light, and it should be thin enough that you can bend it. In addition, light picks produce a much better tone than hard ones, especially on acoustic guitars. When using a light pick, you will hear a slight click each time the pick hits the strings. This is normal and adds a pleasing percussive element to the chords.