How Do I Quiet My Strumming?
 

I use a small Davo Grip pick as I have sweaty hands and need something that won't slip. It is fairly hard. If I go to something softer, will that help a lot or is it more my technique?

It’s technique more than anything, but a softer pick helps. I use a .60 pick sometimes when I want a certain feel when playing. But general rule of thumb, the harder the pick, the louder the strumming, but soft picks also produce a lot of pick noise. It is also easier (for me) to strum faster with a soft pick, but a harder pick I have more accuracy. Gotta find the happy medium I guess.

A softer pick will make your strums brighter, which can be perceived as louder. The reverse is true with a stiffer pick, but those tend to make an audible clicky sound as they hit the strings.

Have you tried strumming closer to the end of the fretboard (away from the bridge)? Or even over the fretboard?

Ultimately nuance is in your hand, so I'd suggest more practice :)

Ok this is odd because for me it’s the opposite. I can strum louder with a hard pick, and soft picks are way noisier. Maybe it’s the brand of picks?

As indicated, it's technique and pick material. Experiment with both until you find the attack angle/pick material/thickness that suits you best.

Use
 

Really wanna get QUIET , use your open hand for strumming . I did that for over ten years til i found out how to use a pick , occasionally will go back to open hand strumming if need to be quiet .

Exactly what I was going to recommend. Plus you learn a new skill that mixes easily with fingerstyle.

I take it that you believe you are strumming too hard because you are gripping the pick tightly? For the sake of this reply I'll assume that's the case.

Of course whatever you use you will have to learn not to hit the strings too hard. Much of that is a combination of how stiff the pick is, how thick it is, how sharp the leading edge- and of course how much you depend on the pick itself to deflect, or, how much you can let it flex between your fingers. And of course sweaty hands sound like they are contributing to the issue.

I have two suggestions, to be used together, separately, or... you can just forget about it: 1) Anti perspirant or something that would help with the sweat issue. 2) A pick that holds you rather than you holding it. The pick I suggest looking into is the Herco pick. https://www.amazon.com/Herco-HE113P-.../dp/B0009QTQ32
It's kind of a hybrid thumbpick/flatpick. I used this pick from time to time, especially when I'm gigging and I have to segue from one song to the next requiring a thumbpick, then a flat pick for strumming. It has a nice crisp, but not overly bright sound as thin picks do. But if I want a little crisper attack, I do a speed bevel on it and the attacks become a little sharper.

Good luck.

Feel the different right hand. Don't overthink the goal.

I suggest you try one of the Guitar Moose Sticky Grip picks, https://guitarmoose.com/products/gui...rip-clear-pick, perhaps in Light. My hands don't sweat much, but I like being able to hang onto my picks easily. These work for me (though I like the carbon fiber ones). From their web site: The foam grip on each side of the guitar pick "sticks" to your fingers and hand while playing. These guitar picks will solve the slippery guitar pick that twists and moves around when your hands get sweaty. The grip is very soft and comfortable, which will lessen the pressure used to hold the pick. By relaxing your hand while playing, you will be able to play for longer periods of time.


cotten

I am mainly a finger style singer songwriter so my playing is never too loud. But when I am strumming sometimes the balance get lost. My vocal coach pointed me at it more than once. So I started experimenting with my picks. I found out that turning my turtoise fender picks 90 degrees works but than the grip is minimal. So I glued a small strip of felt on it. Great! I also have Dunlop Tortex picks which themselves produce a softer sound than the turtoise picks. But strumming soft requires a somewhat loose grip so to prevent letting it slip out of my fingers I there too glued a tiny flat strip of rubber on both sides. That works too for me.

https://i.imgur.com/XswUTmvm.jpg

Play with less of the pick showing like me. (Greater control also).

Works for me.

It's already been suggested to use your open hand for strumming, that's probably what I'd do.
If that doesn't work you might want to try " Felt picks ".
Felt picks are what some ukulele and bass players use if they want a soft sound, but Felt picks wear out fast.

You could get a thinner pick, but that changes the tone, and probably not in a good way. (same with thinner strings)

Don't hit the darn strings so hard! You have trained your muscles for this volume and now you'll have to un-train them and teach them a new volume.

You could use some visual feedback (volume meter on recorder or decibel meter), but I think that's unnecessary. Just practice softer until it feels natural.

You could try smaller strokes - less work and immediately softer with the same effort. Probably the best thing would be to spend some time every day playing stupidly soft - so soft your voice would totally overpower the guitar. You would never use this, but it would speed up the muscle training.

It's going to take some work, but what doesn't?

Changing picks isn’t the proper answer. To lighten your attack, relax your arm from your shoulder down into your hand. Most likely your death grip on your pick is translating into a more rigid attack. Lighten up.