Alternate picking: Why do it?
Alternate picking is used in many styles of guitar. It's most often used when you want to play at an extremely fast rate. Instead of just getting one note every time you move your picking hand down, you get two. It can easily double your playing speed, if you can do it well.
How to alternate pick
To actually do the basics with alternate picking is not hard. Pick down away from you on any one string, then pick up back towards you. That's pretty much it. Make sure you don't move your hand too far - if you can keep the pick close to the string, it can increase your speed. I personally find it easier to keep the pick under control by resting my hand against the guitar, underneath the string(s) I'm playing. Try to keep the pick flat when it strikes against the string, not angled. This makes it easier to move across the string in both directions.
Exercises to try
Here are a few exercises you can use to perfect your alternate picking technique. The first one is the most basic. This is good to do as a warmup.
e ------------------------------------------------------------------5--6--7--8--
B -----------------------------------------------------5--6--7--8---------------
G ----------------------------------------5--6--7--8----------------------------
D ---------------------------5--6--7--8-----------------------------------------
A --------------5--6--7--8------------------------------------------------------
E -5--6--7--8-------------------------------------------------------------------
Start with a downstroke on the first note, then alternate each note up and down. If you have a metronome, use it to make sure you're playing at a constant rate. This is crucial to get a clean sound - make sure you play evenly.
This next exercise is very good to perfect your synchronization between right and left hand. It may sound familiar to you.
e -5--0--7--0--8--0--5--0--7--0--8--0--10--0--7--0--8--0--10--0--12--0--
B --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
e -8--0--10--0--12--0--13--0--10--0--12--0--8--0--10--0--7--0--8--0--5-
B --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
e -0--7--0--16--0--17--0--12--0--13--0--10--0--12--0--8--0--10--0--7--0
B --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
e -12--0--8--0--10--0--7--0--8--0--5--0--7--0------------------------------
B -------------------------------------------------------6----5------------------
G --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The trick to this one is to memorize it, then practice it. Start slowly, then gradually speed up. Make sure your notes all stay clean! It's easy to crank up your speed, but if you don't keep your alternate picking clean, it's not worthwhile. Clean chops are much, much better than fast sloppy ones.
From here the next step is to alternate pick across multiple strings. The best way to do this is to pick one of your favorite scales - NOT a minor or major pentatonic, though. The pentatonics are not good because with these you don't have to adjust picking direction on each string, since you only have two notes on each string. You want a scale where you have to pick in different directions when you change strings. This will help you adjust to keep your alternate picking moving across strings.
The Sweep Technique
If you're going to cross strings often, you may want to learn the sweep technique. The sweep technique is used anytime you're playing the last note on one string with a downstroke and you want to change to a higher string, or playing a note with an upstroke and changing to a lower string. Instead of alternate picking, you keep your hand moving in the same motion. So if you play a note on the B string with a downstroke, if you're playing the next note on the high E, play it with another downstroke. This takes a lot of practice, but it can help improve your speed.
Crank up the speed!
Once you get your alternate picking down cleanly, you'll notice your chops improve immensely. Just keep practicing with it, and you'll keep getting faster. Remember to keep it clean, keep a constant tempo, and you'll become a guitar master in no time!
Alan Marquez is a guitarist with over 10 years of experience. He plays on a weekly basis and has taught guitar for over five years. See his reviews on online guitar lesson packages at http://LearnGuitar.ReviewsOfStuff.com/
Written By: Alan Marquez
