Strum chords

[CRONOS]

Ok I play with my fingers I play Rock/Meatal. I just started reading music and chords. what is a good technique to strum a chord with my finger.

[Audiophage]

See Stanley Clarke.

[All_¥our_Bass]

You can use your index finger's nail (plucking hand) in a downstroke similar to a pick, and use your thumb for upstrokes.

[Ramstien]

Rake across the strings with one finger.

[Bass_Xtremist89]

I use the left side of my thumb to strum, almost looks like slapping, but actually striking 2 or 3 strings at a time. gives me that claypool type tone

[CRONOS]

Thank you.

[maxgrant]

Fingernail and thumbnail. There's a video on my myspace (Acid Funk) of me doing that. Middle of the song there's a bridge section where I strum chords.

I strum guitars pickless too. I sometimes use a pick. I had a hilarious exchange with my daughter when she was about 4. She wanted to play with my guitar too and after I finished she tried to "borrow" my pick from me, only to discover to her bemusement that I wasn't holding one.

[dustdbass6]

Originally Posted by Audiophage

See Stanley Clarke.

+100

Even on a standup that guy strums the S%$T out of a bass!

[Hoover]

Originally Posted by Audiophage

See Stanley Clarke.

For power chords, definitely! I know I took a page out of Stanley's repertoire: strike the strings with the back/nails of all 4 fingers in a sort of flamenco-type strum where they explode outward (downward) from a closed fist. (Eg, "School Days")

But for more subtle or delicate (or richer/more complex) chords, I tend to just grab one string per finger (+thumb) and pluck like a fingerpicking classical guitarist.