Today I've got a cool little trick to share with you – the "muted stroke strum." This isn't something I use all the time, but when it fits, it really shines. If you like listening to Jack Johnson, you'll hear him using his kind of technique all the time.
We'll start off with a simple down-up strum pattern, making sure we hit all the strings evenly. The magic of this technique is all in muting the strings with the heel of your palm.
Here's a little tip for the slap stroke: angle your hand slightly, so your pick doesn't hit the strings at the same time as the heel of your hand. Usually, your hand might be more parallel to the strings, but for this, you'll want to lift your pick a bit and let your hand hit first. This might feel a bit tricky at first because everything happens pretty fast. You’ll come in, mute with your hand, and then do the muted stroke strum, aiming to get that cool 'clack' sound.
Remember, after that 'clack', give it a bit of dead space. This pause really makes the whole thing pop. Then, you pick it back up with an upstroke. I know it sounds a bit complex, and it does need some momentum to get it right, but give it a slow try first.
I’d love to hear how you guys get on with this, so definitely drop a comment below and let me know. If you found this helpful, you might want to checkout my Secrets of Expressive Strumming course.
I am muting the strings with my palm ever so briefly before my pick hits the strings in the same down stroke. I think that is the technique. It works for me.
You got it!
close but almost no idea what you just did….