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How to Develop
Alternate Picking
Alternate
picking helps guitarists to pick cleanly and quickly. This
kind of a hyper-speed picking ability is made possible through
a technical approach that is purely based on the economy of
movement i.e. playing maximum number of notes in a short span
of time and without much effort.
First Step
The first
thing you need to start your lesson in alternate picking is a
brand new plectrum or guitar pick. Hold the pick between your
index finger and your thumb and make sure that the pointed end
of the pick is towards the strings. This is the standard grip
but there are some speed rockers who use their own unique
methods. For example: Eddie Van Halen has this habit of
holding his pick between his middle finger and thumb while
James Hetfield of Metallica and Steve Morse of Deep Purple
hold the pick within three fingers : the thumb, middle and
index finger. So you always have the option of holding the
pick in the standard way or you can create your own unique
way.
Second Step
Once the
pick is in place, ensure that end of your palm rests on the
strings right ahead of the bridge. This is a special technique
and is known as "palm muting". What palm muting really does is
that it will make the sound of your guitar chunkier.
Third Step
One of the
most important aspects of alternate picking is the placement
of the pick. If you try to pick in front of the guitar bridge
then it will produce a sound that resembles trebly twang but
on the other hand if you try to pick closer to the guitar neck
then it will create a softer tone. Another important aspect is
the angle at which you pick the strings. If you hold your pick
parallel to the guitar strings and then pluck, the result will
produce one of the clearest attacking sounds. If you slice the
guitar string from any other angle then it will not create a
powerful attack.
Fourth Step
Once you
have the perfect posture whether it is sitting down or
standing up, you can start with the basic alternate picking
moves, which is the upstroke and the down-stroke. These are
two very easy moves but the credit lies in making the move
flow smoothly and quickly. The master trick is to achieve warp
speed. Some of the pros use the stiff-wrist approach while
others use the circular motion approach for the upstroke and
down-stroke.
The move
mentioned in Figure 1 (below) is a beginner’s alternate
picking move that is used for developing a tremolo picking
technique that will be smooth and coordinated. You can
practice this technique at 80-100 beats per minute with a
metronome or drums. With more practice, you will get into the
flow and then you can slowly increase the tempo. If you are
able to perform this technique at 160 beats per minute then
you are already a Rock Star.
h hammer on
p pull off
\ slide down
/ slide up
tr trill
u upstroke
d downstroke
Figure 1
d u d
u d etc
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Click Here
to Download an Alternate Picking: Soundtrack.
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