Guitar Picking:  The different Alternates

The guitar picking topic is so widely debated across the industry that I won’t even venture to take a position on it.  But I will explain the differences as well as the practical applications for each guitar picking method.

We can start out by recognizing there are effectively only two different types of guitar picking strokes.  The “up” stroke and the “down” stroke.  These strokes are discussed primarily when dealing with the issue of playing lead guitar. Playing solos, licks, runs, etc require you to pick the strings to produce the sound.  Having said that, you are either going to use a down stroke (picking the string towards the floor), or an upstroke (picking the string towards the ceiling).

Guitar picking

So what is alternate guitar picking

Alternate guitar picking is when you “alternate” between up and down strokes throughout the entire lick or scale being played.  So let’s take a closer look using the example of a C major scale.  The notes in the C major scale are C D E F G A and B.  So if we used the alternate picking technique on this scale then we would use a down stroke on the c, an up stroke on the d, a down stroke on the e and so on. So if we were playing 3 notes per string, it would be:

6^th string =>down, up, down

5^th string=>up, down, up etc (every other pick is an up and everything in between is a down stroke)

Directional guitar picking is similar but has one major difference.  The pattern of picking stays the same on each string (when playing 3 notes per string).  Directional picking, by some accounts, makes transitions between strings smoother and quicker.  Here is an example of a three note per string exercise using directional guitar picking:

6^th string=>down, up, down

5^th string=>down, up, down

If you’re following along you will notice that the last stroke on the 6^th string is a down stroke and the first stroke on the 5^th string is also a down stroke.  The idea is that when you pick the third note on the 6^th string with a down stroke you simply continue the down stroke to the 5^th string and play the first note followed by the up stroke. This technique is also called “sweep” guitar picking as you are literally “sweeping” the pick across two strings.

Which Guitar picking method should you choose?

I personally like both techniques and I practice using both.  Most guitar legends have their own preference and some will even argue one over the other.  I think to be the best guitarist you can possibly be, you should not turn your back on an opportunity to learn new techniques and include guitar picking in your guitar music lessons.  Be diligent in your efforts and they will always pay off in the long run.

I hope by now you understand the difference between alternate and directional picking. But more importantly I hope you choose to master both techniques to be a well rounded solid guitar player and enjoy your guitar picking like I do!