Picking speed and control is one of the most requested topics in guitar technique — and one of the easiest to approach badly. This lesson takes you through the actual exercises used to develop alternate picking from the ground up: single-string work first, then adjacent string changing, then string skipping, in the order that actually builds the skill.
What you’ll get out of this lesson: A complete framework for developing alternate picking, with specific exercises for each stage — single-string tremolo and scale fragments, adjacent string changing with inside and outside picking, and string skipping patterns — plus the approach to practising them that produces real results.
Single-String Foundations: Tremolo and Scale Fragments
The starting point is single-string work. You might not be able to pick at the same speed on the high E as you can the B, or the G, or the low E — every string feels and reacts differently to the pick. The first exercise is dead-string tremolo on each string individually: no fretting hand involvement, just getting used to each string’s response. Think of it like a snare drummer practising rudiments. Set a metronome and work through eighth notes, triplets, 16th notes, and 16th note triplets — working the subdivisions is just as important as working the tempo. From there, add single-string scale fragments (for example, three notes in position) and practice them in triplet and even-note groupings on every string. The chromatic scale on a single string — going up every fret and shifting when you run out of fingers — is another useful single-string study. The key throughout is controlling your accents: if you can’t choose which note comes out loudest, your picking isn’t truly under control.
Adjacent String Changing: Inside and Outside Picking
Once single strings feel consistent, move to adjacent string changes — no skipping yet. Start again with dead strings: just move your pick across the strings in order, up and down, with two strokes per string, listening for any unintended pops or unevenness. Then isolate inside picking (picking away from the next string before changing) and outside picking (picking towards the next string before changing) as separate skills. A reliable adjacent-string exercise is the Paul Gilbert pattern: 12, 13, 15 on the B string, 12 on the high E, then back down. Practice it starting with a downstroke (which makes the string change an outside-picking movement) and then starting with an upstroke (inside picking). Then explore three-note-per-string patterns — for instance, 8, 10, 12 on two adjacent strings. Adding an extra three notes at the top of the pattern changes the pick stroke you begin with on the repeat, which means a single exercise covers both inside and outside picking without having to restart. Work that concept across all string pairs and all scales you know.
String Skipping
String skipping brings everything together and is where the picking hand faces its greatest physical challenge. Here are the full permutations of the four-finger skipping exercise possibilities:
1234 2134 3124 4123
1243 2143 3142 4132
1324 2314 3214 4213
1342 2341 3241 4231
1423 2413 3412 4312
1432 2431 3421 4321
Work through these systematically, always with a metronome and always at a tempo where every note is even and intentional. The goal is not just speed but control over pick dynamics and tone at every tempo.
Just being able to play an exercise fast doesn’t mean you’ll be any good at anything else. Control the tone on that, control the dynamics.
How to Actually Practise These Exercises
The approach that produces results is sustained, focused repetition at one thing at a time. Set a timer for 90 seconds, pick a tempo, and stay on one exercise for the full duration — working through different subdivisions (eighth notes, triplets, 16th notes) within that tempo before moving on. Practise with accents and without, with palm muting and without. Different pick placements and angles will also produce different tones — explore all of them, because pick tone is part of musicianship. Running an exercise up and down the fretboard in a single session, rather than staying on one position, helps build the generalised skill rather than a position-specific memory.
Taking it further: Once the exercises in this lesson are solid, apply the same approach to scales and musical lines you actually want to play. The test of whether your technique is genuine is whether it shows up in music, not just in exercises. Try taking a pentatonic lick you know and running it with strict alternate picking at increasing tempos — you’ll immediately find which string changes are less secure and can target those directly.
Your homework: This week, spend ten minutes every day on dead-string tremolo across all six strings, working through at least three different subdivisions per string. This might feel too simple, but it will reveal any inconsistencies in your pick attack faster than any more complex exercise. Work at 135 BPM or wherever you can maintain clear, even, controlled strokes.