Building Real Picking Speed & Accuracy

I want to show you how to build speed in your picking, which ultimately without any tension on your picking hand will lead to improved accuracy in your playing!

Top takeaways

Building picking speed comes down to 3 things;

• Keep the motion smaller than you realise

• Picking angle and motion

• STAY LOOSE! Tension is the enemy to speed

You can and should play to a drum track or metronome to micro increase speed and make it measurable.

Top tip - use a metronome, and use the beats 2 and 4 trick - Don't know what this? Ask me in a live stream!

However, you can compound how fast you can play by being aware of specific picking techniques

Beginner - all downs

• Come as your are - great song example

• A minor pentatonic scale

Late beginner - alternate picking

Down then Up NO MATTER what note is being picked

1. Easy one string riffs, with an even rhythm: Peter Gunn Theme

2. Even rhythm, move across strings: Wipeout - The Surfaris

Advanced alternate picking

1. Thunderstruck - AC/DC

2. Miserlou - Dick Dale

Legato picking

Uses a combination of picking and hammer ons. Used for most guitar solos at an intermediate level, especially any that use speed or smooth aka legato playing

Directional and Economy picking (aka Inside Picking)

Two different ways of what is called Inside Picking. These are very similar in that they try to use the most economical way of picking so we can do it as fast as require with the least amount of effort. But what is the difference?

Directional

• Pick in the direction of the next string you’re doing to play, use alternate picking when on the same string

• Requires no pre-planning

Economy

• Asks “what is the most economy of motion that can be used to play this?”

• Requires advanced planning to do properly

Either way, these are advanced - the fastest way to play FASTER is to;

• Pick with a smaller movement

• Do this while staying as loose as possible

• Your fretting hand will develop speed faster than your picking hand

Directional song examples

Late Beginner

• Everybody Hurts - R.E.M

• Half the World Away - Oasis (electric guitar picking)

Hybrid picking

Acoustic Blues Bootcamp - Mike Bradley

Mark Knopfler “chicken picking”