The word ‘rasgueo’ comes from the Spanish verb ‘rasguear,’ meaning ‘to strum.’ Rasgueo includes all of the techniques which use one or more right-hand fingers to strum the guitar. The most commonly performed types of rasgueo are the following techniques: 1) a single stroke with the index finger, and 2) the four-stroke rasgueo, a longer rolling technique. In some circles, rasgueo is called ‘rasgueado.’ Either term is correct.
First, the Index Finger Rasgueo
Begin with downstrokes: Place your right hand in position, resting your thumb gently beside the soundhole of the guitar on the rosette. This will stabilize your hand. Remember to keep your hand relaxed to avoid tension in the muscles of your hand. Flex your index finger from its knuckle, so that the nail comes close to the base of your thumb. Beginning in this position, flick your finger forward, striking downward across all six of the strings. As you flick, pretend that you are flicking a speck from the sixth string across all of the strings, to a spot just beyond the first string. Begin gently. Move in a straight line across the strings, perpendicular to the strings.
Next, add upstrokes: After you achieve a steady rhythm with your index finger downstrokes, start playing upstrokes after each downstroke. Upstrokes are played as follows: flick your index finger back toward the position at which it began the downstroke, hitting only the higher-pitched strings (1, 2, 3 and 4). Try to achieve a bouncy feel as you move, making the notes sound crisp, with a springy bounce to the rhythm as you play down- and upstrokes.
