
Picking is a fundamental skill for any guitarist, whether you're strumming chords, shredding solos, or plucking intricate fingerstyle patterns. Mastering the art of picking can enhance your speed, accuracy, and overall sound. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced player looking to refine your technique, here are some tips and techniques to help you get better at both flatpicking and fingerpicking.
Choose the Right Pick
The type of pick (or plectrum) you use can significantly impact your playing. Picks come in various shapes, sizes, and materials.
Thickness: Thicker picks (1mm and above) provide more control and are ideal for precise picking, while thinner picks are more flexible and suited for strumming.
Material: Picks made from materials like nylon, celluloid, and delrin each offer a different feel and tone. Experiment with various materials to find what works best for you.
Shape: Standard picks are versatile, but jazz picks are smaller and more rigid, ideal for fast, precise playing. For versatility, try out teardrop or rounded picks.
Proper Hand Positioning
How you hold the pick and position your hand affects your picking technique. Follow these tips for optimal hand positioning:
Hold the Pick Correctly: Grip the pick between your thumb and the side of your index finger. Avoid holding it too tightly, as this can cause tension and limit movement.
Anchor Your Hand: Resting your palm lightly on the bridge or anchoring your pinky finger on the pickguard can provide stability. Experiment to find what feels most comfortable for your style of play.
Angle the Pick: Tilting the pick slightly can reduce resistance and help you glide smoothly across the strings.

Alternate Picking
Alternate picking involves striking the strings with both downstrokes and upstrokes. It’s a crucial technique for increasing speed and efficiency. Here’s how to practice alternate picking:
Start Slowly: Begin with a simple exercise, such as picking a single note repeatedly with alternate strokes. Gradually increase the speed as you become more comfortable.
Use a Metronome: Practicing with a metronome helps you maintain consistent timing and gradually increase your speed.
Practice Scales and Patterns: Apply alternate picking to scales and patterns to build muscle memory and improve accuracy.
Economy Picking
Economy picking combines alternate picking with sweep picking to minimize hand movement. This technique involves using a downstroke when moving to a lower string and an upstroke when moving to a higher string. Here’s how to practice economy picking:
Single-String Exercises: Practice alternate picking on a single string, then incorporate string changes using economy picking.
Scale Runs: Apply economy picking to scale runs, ensuring smooth transitions between strings.
Arpeggios: Practice arpeggios using economy picking to improve fluidity and efficiency.

Fingerpicking
Fingerpicking (or fingerstyle) is an essential technique for genres like classical, folk, and even rock. Instead of using a pick, your fingers pluck individual strings. Here’s how to improve your fingerpicking technique:
Use the Right Fingers: Typically, the thumb handles the bass strings (E, A, D), while the index, middle, and ring fingers handle the treble strings (G, B, E).
Plant Your Hand: Rest your palm lightly on the guitar body for stability, but don’t anchor too rigidly—let your fingers move freely.
Classical Fingerpicking: Practice basic patterns like PIMA (thumb, index, middle, and ring fingers). A common exercise is the alternating bass technique, where your thumb alternates between bass strings while your fingers pluck the melody on higher strings.
Travis Picking: This popular folk technique involves alternating thumb bass notes with syncopated finger plucking. Songs like Dust in the Wind by Kansas are great examples.
Hybrid Picking
Hybrid picking is a technique that combines using a pick and your fingers simultaneously. This allows for greater versatility and speed, especially for country, blues, and rock. Here’s how to practice hybrid picking:
Hold the Pick as Usual: While holding the pick with your thumb and index finger, use your middle and ring fingers to pluck additional strings.
Practice Patterns: Start by alternating between picked notes and finger-plucked notes. Gradually incorporate this technique into your solos and licks for added flair and speed.
Incorporate Dynamics
Playing with dynamics adds expression to your picking, whether flatpicking or fingerpicking. Here’s how to incorporate dynamics into your practice:
Vary Your Attack: Experiment with different picking intensities, from soft to hard, to add texture to your playing.
Accents: Practice accenting specific notes within a pattern to create rhythmic interest and dynamics.
Palm Muting: Use palm muting to control the sustain and volume of your notes, adding a percussive quality to your picking.

Building a Practice Routine
A consistent practice routine is key to improving your picking skills, whether you’re using a pick or your fingers. Here’s a suggested routine:
1. Warm-up (5-10 minutes):
Start with chromatic exercises to loosen up your fingers.
Practice alternate picking on open strings, increasing speed gradually while maintaining accuracy.
2. Picking Technique (15-20 minutes):
Work on alternate picking with scales (major, minor, pentatonic).
Move to economy picking exercises, focusing on string transitions.
3. Fingerpicking (15-20 minutes):
Practice a simple fingerpicking pattern, like the PIMA pattern, on basic chords (C, G, Am, F).
Apply fingerpicking to a song like Blackbird by The Beatles to challenge your finger independence.
4. Hybrid Picking (10 minutes):
Practice alternating between pick and fingers using easy licks.
Incorporate hybrid picking into scale runs or solos to develop fluency.
5. Dynamics and Accuracy (10 minutes):
Play a series of scales while varying your picking intensity, alternating between soft and loud notes.
Work on exercises that skip strings to improve accuracy, such as jumping between low and high strings.
6. Cool-down (5-10 minutes):
Play through a familiar song or riff at a relaxed pace to wind down your session.
Improving your picking technique—whether it’s flatpicking or fingerpicking—takes time, patience, and consistent practice. By focusing on the right pick, proper hand positioning, alternate and economy picking, fingerpicking techniques, and a structured practice routine, you can enhance your overall guitar playing and develop a smoother, more controlled picking style. Remember, progress may be gradual, but with dedication and persistence, you’ll see significant improvement!
Keep Riffing!