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advancedtechnique
Alternate Picking Speed
Build speed with strict down-up alternate picking drills.
Objective
Play a 16th-note scale run cleanly at 140 BPM using strict alternate picking with zero tension.
Concepts
- ▸Alternate picking: every note is played with a strict down-up-down-up motion, regardless of string changes.
- ▸Economy of motion is the goal — the pick should travel just past the string, not wide arcs.
- ▸Speed is a byproduct of relaxation. Tension in the forearm, wrist, or shoulder is the main speed limiter.
- ▸The "picking anchor": rest your pinky or ring finger lightly on the guitar body for stability.
- ▸String crossing: when moving from one string to the next, the pick must angle slightly to avoid hitting adjacent strings.
- ▸Metronome method: practice at a tempo where you play perfectly. Increase by 5 BPM only when clean.
Diagram / Notation
A minor pentatonic — alternate picking (Position 1) D = downstroke, U = upstroke e |--D-U-D-U-| B |--D-U-D-U-| G |--D-U-D-U-| D |--D-U-D-U-| A |--D-U-D-U-| E |--D-U-D-U-| Chromatic warm-up (4 fingers, 4 frets): e |--5-6-7-8--8-7-6-5--| B |--5-6-7-8--8-7-6-5--| D U D U D U D U
Exercises
1.Chromatic crawl — 4 fingers, 4 frets
- 1.Starting at fret 5, string 6: index=5, middle=6, ring=7, pinky=8.
- 2.Play all four notes, strict alternate picking, then move to string 5. Continue to string 1.
- 3.Come back down from string 1 to string 6.
- 4.Start at 60 BPM. Aim for 16th notes. Increase weekly by 5 BPM.
2.Tension check
- 1.While playing at your current top speed: consciously relax your forearm, wrist, and jaw.
- 2.If the playing collapses when you relax — that tempo is too fast.
- 3.Back off 20 BPM. Speed built on tension is temporary and risks injury.
3.Burst practice
- 1.Play 4 notes at full target speed, then pause for 1 beat, then 4 more notes.
- 2.Bursts train the nervous system without full sustained tension.
- 3.Gradually extend: 4 notes → 8 → 12 → 16 before adding rests.
Tips
- 💡Practice in front of a mirror — bad technique is visible before it is audible.
- 💡Small picks (Jazz III style) reduce the range of motion needed for speed.
- 💡Start every session at slow tempos — speed practice on cold tendons causes injury.
- 💡Troy Grady's "Cracking the Code" on YouTube is the definitive resource on picking mechanics.