Alternate Picking: 4 Exercises for Guitar Speed

Alternate picking is a foundation of guitar speed: you consistently alternate downstrokes and upstrokes. It sounds simple, and it is. The challenge is doing it quickly, cleanly, and comfortably at the same time.

If the notes get tangled when you speed up, try taking a step back. Grab your guitar and try these exercises with a metronome.

Before you start: three rules for every exercise

1. Down, up, every time. In strict alternate picking, your picking hand keeps alternating even when you change strings. If you make two consecutive strokes in the same direction, start again more slowly.

2. Explore an economical motion. Try moving through the string without an exaggerated stroke, but don't force the motion to be tiny. The wrist can contribute to the motion; find a comfortable way to play and change strings.

3. Aim for comfort. Pay attention to tension in your shoulder, forearm, and hand. Slow down and take a break if needed. Pain is not a sign of progress: stop playing if it occurs and seek professional guidance if it persists.

Adjust your pick grip

In the one-string exercise below, try holding the pick firmly enough to control it without squeezing harder than necessary. Experiment with small changes to how much of the tip is exposed and the angle at which it meets the string, one change at a time.

Listen to how each adjustment changes the attack and the consistency of your downstrokes and upstrokes. Choose a combination that sounds good to you and feels comfortable; there isn't one grip that works for everyone.

To compare shapes and thicknesses, see how to choose a guitar pick.

How to use a metronome

Choose a comfortable tempo for each exercise and use the metronome to guide your practice:

1. Choose a comfortable BPM. Start slowly with four notes per beat (sixteenth notes), at a tempo where you can play clearly and comfortably.
2. Increase gradually. As a starting point, try increasing by 4 BPM after three clean repetitions. Adjust the increment to suit the exercise.
3. Back off when needed. If you make mistakes or feel tension, lower the BPM and practice at that tempo. Take a break if needed.
4. Make time to rest. Try short, regular sessions with breaks, and adjust their length to your comfort.

Write down the BPM and subdivision you use for each exercise so you can compare sessions. Progress doesn't have to be linear.

Exercise 1: one string

Start without changing strings so you can focus on the picking motion. Play the same note in sixteenth notes, paying attention to two things: downstrokes and upstrokes should have the same volume, and the rhythm should stay in time with the metronome click.

e|---------------------------------|B|---------------------------------|G|---------------------------------|D|---------------------------------|A|---------------------------------|E|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|

Exercise 2: chromatic 1-2-3-4

This is the classic "spider exercise." Now you're working on synchronization between both hands: each fretting finger needs to reach the fret just as the pick strikes the string. Use one finger per fret (index on 1, middle on 2, ring on 3, pinky on 4).

e|-------------------------------------1-2-3-4-|B|-------------------------------1-2-3-4-------|G|-------------------------1-2-3-4-------------|D|-------------------1-2-3-4-------------------|A|-------------1-2-3-4-------------------------|E|-1-2-3-4-------------------------------------|

Exercise 3: changing strings with three notes per string

String changes are a major challenge in alternate picking. With three notes per string, the starting pick direction changes on each new string: sometimes you reach the next string with a downstroke, sometimes with an upstroke. That's exactly what you need to practice.

e|-------5-7-8-------5-7-8-|B|-5-6-8-------5-6-8-------|G|-------------------------|D|-------------------------|A|-------------------------|E|-------------------------|

Notice that when moving from the B string to the high E, the pick needs to clear the string it just played. Keep the motion small: lifting the pick too far during a string change takes extra time.

Exercise 4: speed bursts

Bursts let you explore faster movements for short intervals: play eighth notes, then briefly switch to sixteenth notes without changing the metronome tempo.

e|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|B|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|G|-7---7---7---7---7---7---7---7---|-7-7-7-7-7---7---7---7---7---7---|D|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|A|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|E|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|

A 15-minute routine

If you're short on time, try this daily:

Write down the BPM for each exercise to track your practice over time.

Why you keep getting stuck at the same BPM

Here are some habits to look out for when progress seems to stall:

• Always practicing at your limit. Playing at maximum speed every day can reinforce mistakes and tension. Spend most of your time a little below your limit, with brief increases.
• Increasing BPM without a clear standard. Moving up because a run was "close enough" can reinforce sloppy movement. Increase only after playing cleanly several times in a row.
• Not resting. Include breaks and adjust how often you practice to your comfort and schedule.

To investigate a specific passage, see what to do when your guitar speed plateaus.