Decades of playing have resulted in arthritis in my right index finger from holding a pick and playing fast. I'm going to have to radically change my rhythm technique. First step is I'm going to have to stop playing steel string acoustic guitar and move to electric guitar. Second step is changing how I sound chords and play rhythm.
How do I play rapid rhythm patterns without using my right index finger?
Can't see why steel strung acoustic is now having to take second place to an electric. Perhaps with reference to the left hand, but there should be very little difference right hand.
It depends how you've been holding your pick previously. Some use index and thumb, I use index, middle and thumb. Try middle and thumb, but strumming generally involves not holding the pick tightly. It needs to work like the windscreen wipers - 'feathering' for each stroke. This may well mean the pick flicking all over the room for a few weeks, but surely it's a good start.
The solution I finally came up with was to use a thumb-pick braced by the middle and index fingers on an electric guitar.
