Upstrokes on guitar?

Question

i was trying to teach myself how to play guitar and only did down strokes. now i recently had my first lesson and was told i needed to strum up and down. i just cant strum all the notes up and down. any tips?

Answer 1

Practice, practice, practice.  Practice makes perfect.

Answer 2

Hi Sean

Here is a simple trick to play upstrokes. Turn your wrist slightly clockwise on the upstroke. You do the opposite of your downstroke. Hold the pick lightly otherwise, it will be hard to skip smoothly.

Answer 3

You don't necessarily have to hit ALL 6 strings on the upstroke.  If you get the 4 top strings (the high E, B, G and D), it'll usually sound fine.  

Practice, practice, practice!