Upstroke

mmaddox

I have been a fingerstyle guitar player for the last 40 years and I'm trying to learn plectrum style. I have a Gitane, I've got the Gypsy Picking book, and I have the Wegens. I've been learning the swing chord forms for the last couple of years and I have been learning some basic Django repertoire, mostly fingerstlye arrangements, but I am taking the plunge and learning proper picking. I am a classical player and understand rest strokes, but the angle and motion of upstrokes has me puzzled. If you angle the pick to strike upstrokes at a 45 degree angle away from the sound hole pointing down, it seems this would be a lot of wrist action, especially in tremelo. I am a newbie and this might seem uninformed, but that is my question. Thanks.

mmaddox

Well Michael it doesn’t appear that anyone was interested in answering your question!

juanderer

mmaddox wrote: »

Well Michael it doesn’t appear that anyone was interested in answering your question!

Give it time.

AndrewUlle

I think the forum for upstrokes is on the second floor - try posting there.

Seriously, that's strange that no one responded. Usually there's no shortage of opinions on this site - this one must have slipped through the cracks.

vanmalmsteen

What you describe is proper, the upstroke with the pic angling away from the sound hole . To me it’s a big part of getting the sound, and it does require A lot of wrist

Buco

Man this is the funniest thing I've seen in a long while. Over 10 years later he comes back and says "Well Michael it doesn’t appear that anyone was interested in answering your question!"
Brilliant, made my day! Thank you Michael.
Hope you figured it out meanwhile.
Certainly didn't have a shortage of views.

Bones

Are you talking about upstroke for rhythm or solo?

Sorry must have missed this one way back when... :-/

Lango-Django

Hi Michael. Sorry we ignored you for so long!

Are you aware that one of Django’s contemporaries, Oscar Aleman, played fingerstyle?

MichaelHorowitz

@mmaddox Wow, blast from the past! I appreciate your patience in waiting over a decade for a response.

Yes, there is a lot of wrist movement involved in rest stroke picking. In fact, I'd say it's mostly wrist and one of the biggest problems people have is getting too stiff and generating the movement from the elbow.

I hope that helps...

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geese_com

This video does a pretty good job of showing how a upstroke in the gypsy picking style looks like (although you might have to slow the video down a little bit)

AndrewUlle

I've never seen a capo like that - must be an old Selmer model...