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Lesson 1 of 4

Sixteenths on one string

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Speed picking starts on one string, where your picking hand has nothing to think about except moving down and up. You'll play sixteenth notes, four per beat, using strict alternate picking: down, up, down, up, never two in the same direction. The notes are A, B and C from A minor, at the 5th position on the high e string.

Hold the pick firmly but loosely, with only a little tip showing. The motion comes from the wrist, small and relaxed; your forearm can rest on the guitar body. Let the side of your picking hand touch the low strings to keep them quiet. On the fretting hand, use index for fret 5, ring for 7 and pinky for 8.

It should sound like an even machine-gun stream with every note the same length. The most common mistake is tensing up as the tempo rises, which makes the picking uneven and tiring. Another is the hands falling out of sync, so the fretting finger arrives after the pick.

The last exercise keeps four picks on each note but changes string every beat, so you practice crossing strings without breaking the down-up motion.

How to practice

  • Start where it feels easy, play four loops clean, then add 5 bpm.
  • If it gets tense or messy, drop back 10 bpm.
  • Accent the first note of each beat (marked >) to keep your place.

Exercises

Four picks per note

60 → 110 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. high E string, fret 5, accented
    2. high E string, fret 5
    3. high E string, fret 5
    4. high E string, fret 5
    5. high E string, fret 8, accented
    6. high E string, fret 8
    7. high E string, fret 8
    8. high E string, fret 8
    9. high E string, fret 5, accented
    10. high E string, fret 5
    11. high E string, fret 5
    12. high E string, fret 5
    13. high E string, fret 8, accented
    14. high E string, fret 8
    15. high E string, fret 8
    16. high E string, fret 8

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

Three-note pattern on the high e

60 → 100 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. high E string, fret 5, accented
    2. high E string, fret 7
    3. high E string, fret 8
    4. high E string, fret 7
    5. high E string, fret 5, accented
    6. high E string, fret 7
    7. high E string, fret 8
    8. high E string, fret 7
    9. high E string, fret 8, accented
    10. high E string, fret 7
    11. high E string, fret 5
    12. high E string, fret 7
    13. high E string, fret 8, accented
    14. high E string, fret 7
    15. high E string, fret 5
    16. rest

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

Four per note, across the strings

60 → 110 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. high E string, fret 5, accented
    2. high E string, fret 5
    3. high E string, fret 5
    4. high E string, fret 5
    5. B string, fret 8, accented
    6. B string, fret 8
    7. B string, fret 8
    8. B string, fret 8
    9. G string, fret 7, accented
    10. G string, fret 7
    11. G string, fret 7
    12. G string, fret 7
    13. D string, fret 7, accented
    14. D string, fret 7
    15. D string, fret 7
    16. D string, fret 7
  2. Bar 2
    1. D string, fret 7, accented
    2. D string, fret 7
    3. D string, fret 7
    4. D string, fret 7
    5. G string, fret 7, accented
    6. G string, fret 7
    7. G string, fret 7
    8. G string, fret 7
    9. B string, fret 8, accented
    10. B string, fret 8
    11. B string, fret 8
    12. B string, fret 8
    13. high E string, fret 5, accented
    14. high E string, fret 5
    15. high E string, fret 5
    16. high E string, fret 5

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

Checkpoint

Move on when you can do all of these.

  • Four picks per note, strict down-up, clean at 110 bpm
  • The one-string pattern clean for four loops at 100 bpm
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