Guitar Picking Techniques

Introduction

Hi everybody,this section i want to share about basic guitar picking technique.This section is a part of guitar technique.Apart from playing by finger,guitarist should also use guitar pick to pick guitar more professional.For beginner guitarist,it is obligatory to know and learn how to pick string using guitar pick.guitar pick is commonly use in electric guitar but is also can be use in acoustic guitar.Play guitar string with finger or guitar pick is different.What is different ? the different is ths sound that was produce,the efficiency of picking.Using guitar pick is more efficient than using fingerpicking,more fast,safe energy,and not fast pain of your finger.Finger picking is commonly use in ‘fingerstyle’ guitar player,and for plucking a chord.

There are 5 type of guitar picking technique.These technique are :

              

      Downstroke Picking – A picking technique when you only stroke downward of the string

  

            Alternate Picking – A picking technique when you pick the string downward and upward.

  

            Tremolo Picking – A picking technique pick down & upward with high speed picking ( for produce eight  notes)

  

            Sweep Picking – A picking technique that use  to sweep an arrpeggios

  

            Economy picking – A best & fastest picking technique.This is combination of sweep picking & Alternate  picking

How To hold Pick

To hold guitar pick,you must use your index & thumb finger.See photo below how to hold guitar pick

Diagram : hold pick with your index and thumbs finger

How To Pluck string using 5 Picking Techniques

Downstroke picking

   d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d

E|-------------------------------0-0-0-|

B|-------------------------0-0-0-------|

G|-------------------0-0-0-------------|

D|-------------0-0-0-------------------|

A|-------0-0-0-------------------------|

E|-0-0-0-------------------------------|

 d = downstroke

All notes in open string is pluck downward.This technique appropriate in slow speed(low beat).For higher beat or speed.Alternate picking is choosen,better.

 

Alternate Picking

   d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u

E|-------------------------------0-0-0-|

B|-------------------------0-0-0-------|

G|-------------------0-0-0-------------|

D|-------------0-0-0-------------------|

A|-------0-0-0-------------------------|

E|-0-0-0-------------------------------|

d = downstroke

u = upstroke

All notes in open string label with ‘0’ indicated string is play in open.Look at illustration fretboard above, 3 notes are play per string.For first pick stroke is ‘downward’.Then second stroke is ‘upward’ for second note in same string.Then last note in same string stroke ‘downward’ again.There are down and up in one cycle.You can start with down or up.If you start with downstroke on low 6^th  E string,it will end with upstroke for last note in 1^st high E string.

Tremolo Picking

   d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u

E|-0-0-0-1-1-1-3-3-3-5-5-5-7-7-7-8-8-8-|

B|-------------------------------------|

G|-------------------------------------|

D|-------------------------------------|

A|-------------------------------------|

E|-------------------------------------|

d = downstroke

u = upstroke 

Tremolo picking is known as double,or triple picking.Notes is play with doube or triple and soon on.This picking derived from alternate picking.When you pick guitar string one time,it produce whole tone with 2-4 second long to stop,but in tremolo picking,string are pick repeatedly.In other words,you pick the note in set.Examples,try to pick open 1^st E string.Set time when you start pick the notes until the notes ringing stop.You take 2 to 4 seconds to let string ringing.Ok,in 2 to 4 second,try to pick the notes repeteadly with up and downstroke(alternate picking),in 2-4 seconds,you can get multiple notes,that is say multiple.Tremolo picking is commonly use in Oud instrument.

 

Sweep Picking

Sweep picking is a picking technique use to play an arpeggios or chord in single motion either down or up.Pick the notes continuously without skipping the string.For beginner to practice sweep picking.I suggest to practice with  two or three string sweeping technique or 3 string arpeggios sweeping.Examples

Economy Picking

For Economy picking,it same with alternate picking.Economy picking occur by chance when you play more faster.Economy picking is picking technique that facilitate alternate picking by inserting some sweep picking into alternate picking.Sweep picking + Alternate picking = Economy Picking