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This page has exercises to help establish [[Basic Technique|basic technique as outlined in this lesson]].
== Picking Exercises ==
=== Holding the Pick ===
This exercise is very simple, designed to help ensure you are holding the pick correctly. Your grip should point the tip of the pick directly at the face/front of the guitar. Your picking motion should "push" the pick through each string. You should be able to continue the motion through each string without having to reset your grip. You should be able to perform both downstrokes and upstrokes equally easy using the same grip - you should not have to rotate your wrist or otherwise prepare for a downstroke vs. an upstroke.
If you cannot "push" through the string, you are likely having one of the following issues:
* Your grip is too tense. Loosen the hold on your pick and let it flex between your index finger and thumb more.
* You are gripping the pick too far away from the tip and/or plucking the string too high above the tip of the pick. This means the string is contacting the pick in a bulkier part, which is less likely to flex or slide down off the tip.
* Your grip is not pointing the tip of the pick directly towards the face, but is angled. Either downstrokes or upstrokes "hook" the string, causing it to slide up the pick into your fingers instead of down the pick and off the tip.
* Your grip is angling the "face" of the pick so it is far from parallel with the strings. This causes the pick and/or your index/thumb grip to be unable to flex and allow the string to slide off the pick. Try making your grip so the pick face is near (but not exactly) parallel with the strings.
* Your pick is thick and inflexible. This is generally ok if you adjust according to the above four points. If not, try using a thinner pick.
* Your pick has notches in its edges, which are preventing the strings from sliding down the edges. Time for a new pick or sand down the edges.
d---------- u----------
E------------0-----0------------
B----------0---------0----------
G--------0-------------0--------
D------0-----------------0------
A----0---------------------0----
E--0-------------------------0--
=== Picking Single Notes ===
This is a very simple exercise - just pick the open string. Use only downstrokes to start, and practice on every string. Once the feel of picking becomes comfortable and your rhythm gets more consistent, move on to upstrokes, up-picking the string for every note. Start slow and work on comfort and consistency.
x11
|:--0--0--0--0--:|
This expands the above exercise by changing strings within the exercise. Practice all downstrokes, then all upstrokes. Be sure to focus that the transition between each string is clean from a picking perspective. It's ok to let the prior string(s) continue to ring. Focus on picking only the correct string per beat, and make sure all your strokes have the same dynamics and tone.
E--------------------------------------------------------------0--0--0--0--
B--------------------------------------------------0--0--0--0--------------
G--------------------------------------0--0--0--0--------------------------
D--------------------------0--0--0--0--------------------------------------
A--------------0--0--0--0--------------------------------------------------
E--0--0--0--0--------------------------------------------------------------
E--0--0--0--0--------------------------------------------------------------
B--------------0--0--0--0--------------------------------------------------
G--------------------------0--0--0--0--------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------0--0--0--0--------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------0--0--0--0--------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------0--0--0--0--
This takes the above exercise further by involving string skipping. This will help develop your right hand accuracy, not only to pick the correct string, but to get even picking string and rhythm when transitioning between strings.
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0--0--0--0--
B--------------------------------------------------------------0--0--0--0--------------------------
G--------------------------------------0--0--0--0--------------------------0--0--0--0--------------
D--------------0--0--0--0--------------------------0--0--0--0--------------------------------------
A--------------------------0--0--0--0--------------------------------------------------------------
E--0--0--0--0--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E--0--0--0--0--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B--------------------------0--0--0--0--------------------------------------------------------------
G--------------0--0--0--0--------------------------0--0--0--0--------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------0--0--0--0--------------------------0--0--0--0--------------
A--------------------------------------------------------------0--0--0--0--------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0--0--0--0--
== Fingering Exercises ==
A-----------5--7--8-----------------8--7--8--7--5--7--8--7--8------------------------------------------
E--5--7--8---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
== Muting ==