Help on some alternate picking issues...

[Stillcounting91]

Ive been playin for four years or so and I finally decided to make some forum posts about some problems Ive been having. So my picking has never really progressed much (I can play a 2 octave major or minor scale at about 60 or 70 bpm doing sixteenth notes). Recently Ive noticed that when I pick inside the strings, my wrist locks up alot more than it does when I pick outside the strings. Additionally, when I change strings or skip strings I tend to lock up sometimes. If anybody has some suggestions than I would really appreciate hearing them. I am more than willing to put in the practice to develop these skills, but I feel that I could use a bit of help. Thanks!

 

[SirMyghin]

Not much I can advise you except that you know your weaknesses, practice them explicitely instead of between other exercises.

Do some inside picking exercises, 1 note per string arpeggios w/ alternate picking, etc.

 

[ShreddingDragon]

Try emphasizing upstrokes too. Sometimes a weak upstroke can ruin a well started phrase. Especially when I pick inside the strings, the reason I have trouble is most often my slacking upstrokes.

 

[hard_rockin_man]

I wrote an article about this, you might find it useful. There are many tabbed examples with audio.

alternate picking explained