I've been doing the "invisible pick" for decades. I don't remember how I started doing it. I was young. Many times I found myself without a pick nearby so I developed that method. Sometimes I intentionally don't use a pick if I am going to do a complicated or fast strum or alternate finger picking and strumming in a song. I don't like to hybrid pick. My hand is less restricted without having to hold a pick. I usually use two or three fingers for the down strum. The attack sounds better with a pick though.

Ooh. I need this lesson! Great topic.

I found this VERY informative. I play a classical guitar, folk music and ballad type songs. My strumming is your 5th beginner sample and it's starting to sound very much same old/same old. I will definitely save this video for future practice. Thanks.

Great! Thank You very much for the lesson :)

nice lesson

Thanks for sharing how to strum without a pick using fingers to play down up strokes with varying dynamics to sound better in your guitar rhythms playing techniques.

I just recently got another acoustic guitar and this lesson to will add a lot to my new instrument. I was familiar with 3 of your techniques. Thanks Heath.

If you watch enough John Lee Hooker, you'll see his trigger finger "fast exit", kind of like he's firing a gun at the strings.

Great video. As for your Boom-Chuck, you explain the thumb pattern well (bass-chord-bass-chord), but where do the upstrokes with the index finger typically fall in? Thanks!