What’s the best method for fast picking on guitar?
Should you pay closer attention to the movements of your elbow?
Does it come from the wrist?
Focus closer on your thumb and pointer finger?
The answer isn’t necessarily obvious.
And understanding proper picking technique is only one piece of the puzzle.
You also have to learn how to practice these movements correctly, so they become ingrained into your muscle memory.
It felt like it took me forever to understand these things. But as soon as I did — I was able to pick with the speed I wanted. And I’ve been teaching this to my students from then onward.
What do you need to do to pick with crazy speed?
Watch this video to find out:
Now you understand the fundamentals of shredder picking speed, let’s go into more depth. Here is how to practice to build speed:
Guitar Picking Speed Tip #1: Observe the movements of your picking hand.
Where do the eyes of most guitarists go to while they practice?
You got it — right at their fretting hand.
This harms your speed in a couple of ways:
1. Poor playing habits in your picking technique are difficult to see. It takes time to correct them down the road.
2. Your picking motions are not independent on your fretting hand. That is to say: your pick only knows to move while your fretting hand is fretting notes.
This makes playing feel like a real challenge, where it shouldn’t (and playing fast feels like a struggle).
Watch this video to see how to easily fix this problem:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iacQvKMSx6A&feature=emb_title
Guitar Picking Speed Tip #2: Master efficient picking movement.
The most easy way to raise your picking speed is…
… cut down on the distance your pick moves for each note.
Fact: if you cut the distance your pick requires to play notes by half, what then would happen to your max speed?
Yes…
Your max picking speed DOUBLES.
That’s awesome!
Bottom line: efficiency is the key to unlocking speed.
Check out this video to see what I mean:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjmlFtQ2V8A&feature=emb_title
Guitar Picking Speed Tip #3: Use directional picking technique.
I know some people out there who do not agree.
But I have to speak about what I find to be true. So here it is:
A directional picking style is simply the best way to pick on guitar.
This video discusses why:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq3KKz-Gf7E&feature=emb_title
Question: “Tom Hess, if directional picking is so effective, why do so many popular guitar players use strict alternate picking?”
Answer: Directional picking is a fairly new guitar technique. Alternate picking has been used for a long time.
So:
Most shredders from the late 20th century did not have anyone to show them directional picking when they first began playing.
They learned how to achieve fast speed by working together with the inefficiencies of strict alternate picking… not because it is the better technique. They had to work much harder for more time to get their skills to the point they made it to.
But you aren’t required to do the same.
Start using directional picking and soon you will play the guitar solos and licks you only wish you could right now.
Guitar Picking Speed Tip #4: Strengthen your articulation.
How do you keep yourself from getting out of sync between your hands at fast speeds?
Strengthen your picking hand articulation.
The following is why it works: it’s not possible to play loud notes with power if your pick attack isn’t strong.
The more powerful your articulation — the tighter your hands are required to lock in sync.
To develop better articulation — invest time into practicing without distortion. This gives you no option but to make your pick attack more powerful.
So, what is the next step?
Now, follow a proven guitar speed development method that increases your maximum playing speed in minimum time. Download this free guitar shredder eGuide & learn how to pick fast, even if you don’t have a lot of time to practice.
About The Author:
Tom Hess is a guitar teacher online, progressive rock guitarist/composer and a touring musician. He teaches guitar players in his rock guitar lessons online. Go to tomhess.net to get more guitar playing resources and follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
