The key skill to improving your guitar playing is alternate picking. Alternate picking is much faster than just down picking, but requires a lot of practice and determination to master.
1Hold the pick between your thumb and index finger. Insure it is comfortable and get a feel for the pick. No more than 7mm of the plectrum itself should be showing. Ideally, you should be aiming for around 5mmAd
2Pluck each string in alternate directions. If you pick one string downward, pick the next upward. The same goes for notes, even if the notes are on the same string, always alternate your picking direction.
3Start by practicing simple scales in alternate picking motions such as the pentatonic scale.
4Move onto more complex scales. Eventually speed will build, and alternate picking will come naturally.Ad
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- Practice daily.
- Always use a metronome when practicing. Start slowly and repeat your practice patterns until you can play them cleanly, then set the metronome slightly faster.
- Do not have any more than 7mm of the plectrum showing, it will make it more difficult to pick. This is a guideline - every guitarist holds a pick differently. It's a good guideline to start with, but if something is more comfortable for you, go with that.
- Keep practicing scales, and speed will build.
- It may be easier to try turning the pick so one edge of the pick is closer than the other.
- Speed kills. Learn to play cleanly as you build speed over time.
- It's easy to learn bad habits. Start practicing alternate picking right now!