Picking Technique—The Complete Syllabus

 

There are really only six picking motions.

If you work on each of them in isolation, you can blend them together in a way that works with your unique physiology and musical tastes.

Each of the motions has its own implications.

Those implications give us useful applications for our playing.

Each numbered lesson listed below is an “application.”

Take the time to write a short example that uses that application, and practice it to an unreasonably high standard of perfection.

Repeat with a few more examples, then move onto the next application.

For example, let’s look at DPS #6, forcing upstrokes:

With the pick angled toward the floor, it’s easier to switch strings with an upstroke.

But not everything we want to play conforms to this pattern, so we force an upstroke with hammers, pulls, or slides.

Here’s a short lick that would require switching strings after a downstroke, altered with a pull-off to allow easier string switching.

Practice this lick with a metronome or drum machine until you can play it perfectly 95 times out of a hundred.

Repeat that process four more times, then move on to the next application.

Each of these applications is a template, from which you can make your own examples.

 

Motion #1: Downward Pick Slanting

The pick is angled toward the floor, which means that downstrokes trap and upstrokes free.

Slurs are used to force upstrokes.

1. even numbers of notes per string, ascending
2. even numbers of notes per string, descending
3. string skipping, ascending
4. string skipping, descending
5. directional picking
6. forcing upstrokes – (shown with pulls, but practice hammers & slides too)
7. little sweeps
8. 3NPS

Motion #2: Upward Pick Slanting

The pick is angled toward the ceiling, which means that upstrokes trap and downstrokes free.

Slurs are used to force downstrokes.

1. phrases starting with odd numbers of notes per string, ascending
2. phrases starting with odd numbers of notes per string, descending
3. string skipping
4. directional picking
5. forcing downstrokes
6. little sweeps
7. 3NPS

Motion #3: Two-Way Pick Slanting

The angle of the pick is changed dynamically to get the benefits of both DPS and UPS.

The switch is usually a part of the pick stroke itself—for example, a downstroke that starts with DPS and ends with UPS. 

1. inside vs outside
2. directional vs rhythmic
3. ingrain the angle change
4. little sweeps
5. forcing with slurs
6. real-life 3NPS

Motion #4: Crosspicking

Blending in some of this knocking-on-a-door wrist motion allows for rhythmic phrases & patterns that cross strings, often with only one note per string.

 

1. two strings, low to high
2. two strings, high to low
3. three strings
4. wider motions
5. adding directional picking
6. sweep/cross combos
7. incorporating strumming

Motion #5: Hybrid Picking

Adding the middle & ring fingers into the mix makes otherwise difficult passages easier.

1. low to high with middle
2. low to high with ring
3. high to low with middle
4. high to low with ring
5. legato hybrid
6. comping
7. Tim Miller-style arpeggios
8. Carl Verheyen-style intervallic playing

Motion #6: Chicken Picking

A host of percussive techniques blended together into one expressive whole.

1. snaps
2. unfretting staccato
3. palm muting
4. picking hand muting
5. dead strings – (for clarity’s sake, these last three are shown with pitches)
6. comping
7. melodic style – (technically not Chicken Picking, but a nice little bonus that pairs well)

 

 

Again, each of these is an intentionally vague template from which you can extrapolate more-specific examples & variations.

If you develop a mastery of these six basic motions in isolation, your hands will find the right blend for your hands, your musical tastes, and your ambitions.

 

Can’t wait to see what you do with it,

 

Josh