How to Alternate Pick: Beginner's Guide

Welcome to my new video series on how to alternate pick! In this introductory lesson we will cover a lot of fundamentals including:
Pickslanting
Rest strokes
Relaxation
True picking motion
Pick depth
Pick grip
Anchoring
Pick angle
Picking path
String muting
+ a basic single string exercise.
Subscribe and keep watching as I bring out new episodes of this series. Pretty soon we'll get onto multistring playing and the fun can begin!
Jam track at the start is by N&M Creation - Go check them out! / @nmcreation
Please grab a copy of my PDF digital download "40 Developmental Alternate Picking Exercises" from my website's store here:
alfredpotter.com/index.php/pr...
www.AlfredPotter.com
AlfredPotterGuitar
www.WebMetronome.net
www.HawkPicks.co.uk
www.KahlerUSA.com

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Of course I would like to acknowledge the marvelous Troy Grady for bringing pickslanting to the attention of lead guitarists like myself. For years I had no idea how I was crossing strings. I just kinda 'did it', and some string crosses were easy and some took a bit more movement/effort. I would like to make an addition to what I say in the video about picking motion: This here is the "forearm rotational" style (used wonderfully by Yngwie Malmsteen and even more so by Chris Brooks). The other main way to pick is the "side-to-side wrist" motion (not demonstrated here). So I thought I'd clear that up. Good luck, friends.

[@CAVERN1234]

Alfred Potter Guitar So true. That's what I said to you once in a video,Troy is agree at teacher but it takes so long getting to the point with all the stupid videos And it soon becomes boring. Iv watched a lot of your videos and you just get right down to it .well done and thanks for taking your time making these videos. Best wishes from Liverpool. Dave.

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Yes, I remember! I suspect that the real value is sneakily contained in his paid content. Thanks for watching, Dave.

[@RealDeathMetalLover]

Absolutely correct, I think he does that to force people to buy his private lessons, it's a marketing idea for generating business. You're a true hero for all the time and effort you invest in doing the best step by step and in depth analysis of technique I've seen yet.

[@theericbeaty]

I totally agree. I never really knew what he meant by directional pick slanting until your video. Makes perfect sense now, especially the helpful tip about which string your pick hits depending on the direction of the slant. Thanks for sharing.

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Thank you, Claus. I made that ebook before I knew what pickslanting was (and before I even knew I was secretly doing it!). It may need an update.

[@miquelmarti6537]

3 notes per string positions are marvelous to practice that because alternate upstroking becomes crucial to go up the scale efficiently.

[@lafleur887]

I've spent ages watching useless videos trying to learn alternate picking when I could simply watch this one and get the full picture..

[@Sirtmen]

And what happened? Have you been doing alternate picking well?

[@shivakrishnan9382]

It's Awesome man.. This lesson will benefit both begginers who want to start picking efficiently...And also intermediate players who need to refine their technique... Continue the series,it's cool

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Thanks man I hope it helps plenty of people as you said =)

[@thomaskalamees8776]

why have I seen this exact comment on several other videos

[@ishankumar6230]

THANK YOU!!! No other words can express the amount of happiness I got as soon as I saw this video!

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Your enthusiasm is so encouraging to me, thank you!!

[@jackmeginniss6327]

That was an excellent comprehensive lesson on the mechanics of alternate picking. The illustrations were very well done too.

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Thanks, Jack

[@shinigamitenshi7424]

i just love how you managed to be the best amongst overs in uncovering the unclear details about alternate picking technique, which may often confuse the beginners. no one matches your step-by-step, systematic approach. also appreciated the illustrations, thank you ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Thank you! It is my purpose to help others, and to make up for all the awful tutorials out there which make it hard for learners. Good luck!

[@MGTOW-nn9ls]

Wow.After watching this video I am having immediate improvement.God bless you Sir.

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Excellent! Please note that while this technique is super fast and effortless (forearm rotational technique), it is no longer the one I use. I now use the side-to-side wrist technique.

[@ikilledme1millionyearsago693]

How i developed my alternate picking is by playing slayer all the time.

[@VampyrumFerox]

Thanks Alfred!

[@artmercado1735]

the pick angle really helped

[@mikemiller6628]

I always look forward to youre vids ,you teach so accuratly and explain things so well.Always to the point with no fluff or sillines.Youre a fantastic teacher.

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

thanks I appreciate it

[@mikemiller6628]

YW.

[@TheKellprice]

Wow halfway this video my alternate picking improved more than I could amagine, thx!

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Excellent!

[@altankuzulu6671]

Cleanest informative video I’ve seen so far didn’t skip once even I didn’t know what I wanna know

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Thanks, Altan

[@Bandmaster1980]

Thank you for so detailed explanation and elaboration of the true wrist motion!

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Cheers! I don't use this motion any more, as I now use side-to-side wrist yawing. But the forearm rotational technique is still fantastic (Check out Chris Brooks!)

[@VagnerJS82]

One of the best videos about alternate picking! Thank you so much!

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

You're very welcome!

[@seanmiller7889]

I have to give you an immense THANK YOU for sharing your knowledge of playing guitar. I am a still a noob at 49 years of age playing for just under 2 years. I bought your '40 Developmental AP Excercises' and the very first lesson introduces what you call PHI - Picking Hand Isolations. I can honestly say that this simple idea has changed the way I will practice for good. It dawned on me that I could use this concept for anything that I am struggling to play fast and clean. I gave it a go for the simple 'Pentatonic Linear threes A minor' lick from your '40 Scales Sequences'. Very cool sounding lick but I have struggled to get it up to speed and clean. Just the simple idea of isolating picking instantly showed me that I was getting tangled up. 15 minutes later I played the lick and it sounded awesome! Once again Thanks.

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Thank you, Sean! And I am so happy to have helped! That "Pentatonic Linear Threes" sequence is quite tough as you have to regularly alternate pick 1-note-per-string sections. Which makes the picking motion rather bouncy and the pick slants have to change quite often. So don't beat yourself up over it if you can't get it up to a fast speed. Sequences like that are often slow to mid speed ones by nature.

[@EOgletree2]

Holy shit. Just that first slant picking lesson and im already flowing. Finally starting to get the hang of Snow by RHCP

[@denizb.6882]

Damn Alfred... you nailed it, this was somewhat eye-opening for someone who came from an acoustic guitar and never used a pick before picking up the electric guitar... thanks so very much and all the best wishes to you!

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

It makes it quite clear that guitars were never designed to be played with a pick! Hahah. Good luck to you.

[@qcwarrenbuuren3022]

Thank you very much, it helps me a lot to continue playing free solo with a backing track

[@joelgraham3]

such a great lesson and teacher - thanks

[@arjunbali3194]

Excellent lesson, Alfred.

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Thanks

[@Madchris8828]

I had absolutely no idea that upwards muting was different and that upward strokes also needed a different type of slant but it makes sense. Why is it that pretty much no tutorials I've found talk about that in depth?

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

The renaissance of picking-understanding only really occured within the last 8 years or so, thanks to Troy Grady and his studies. If you want a discussion about this, please hop into the #technique channel of my discord and we can have a chat! You can find the link along the navbar of my website alfredpotter.com

[@gateways06]

Good advice.

[@spah_tf2]

best video yet, i think i was doing everything he said not to before i watched this

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

You're on the right track now! Join my discord if you wanna hang out and chat technique =) I am on there everyday with the community. The join link is along the nav bar of my website alfredpotter.com

[@BenEller]

Great lesson, dude! I wish my accent was half as cool as yours!!!

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Hey! It's a nice surprise to get a comment from you - I have been a subscriber for many years now. I am not sure what to do with this video tbh, as I no longer pick like this (switched from forearm rotation to side-to-side wrist motion). I even say in the video that side-to-side motion is impractical, which is totally wrong. I guess we're all still learning. Keep up the quality videos, Ben.

[@BenEller]

@@AlfredPotterGuitar haha thanks man!!! Yeah I get that, I’ve definitely I rely changed the way I do certain things over the years, too. It’s all part of learning, I hope we never stop!!!

[@kennethnegy9467]

@@BenEller UNCLE BEN! What are you doing around these parts of the internet?? I love seeing my favorite guitar KZbinrs in contact with each other.

[@kennethnegy9467]

@@AlfredPotterGuitar My vote would be to leave it. I think the description of alternate "tickling" is such a helpful description of how alternate picking should feel that this video is a classic in my books.

[@djblitz3]

Very helpful video about pickslanting

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

It will come in handy!

[@_widas_]

great vid

[@everluisnunezramirez9621]

Dios de la guitarra, para mí eres uno de los mejores guitarristas del mundo

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Muchas gracias! Un verdadero cumplido

[@ajaysinghthakur3564]

Video illustration was so great, it helped to crack my picking technique. Thank you so much!!

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Very good! But remember this is just one way to alternate pick. And it isn't the one I use very much at all. This is the rotational style of picking used by Yngwie Malmsteen and even more masterfully by Chris Brooks. Side-to-side wrist picking is far more common and versatile. I haven't done a lesson on this but it is covered in excruciating detail in my ebook PDF "Lead Guitar Practice Methodology". Good luck!

[@ajaysinghthakur3564]

@@AlfredPotterGuitar Currently I want to focus on learning Alternate picking/Speed picking and want to learn solos from bands like Maiden and Slipknot. Will this PDF help me with it?

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

It will teach you everything I know about lead guitar. All the techniques and how to develop them with different strategies and such. Yes it will improve your playing to the point where solos like those will be achievable

[@Fujiwaratofudeliveryman]

This is beyond helpful thanks

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Hey! Glad you liked it =) But, keep in mind that this is the forearm rotational picking technique. It is very fast, very relaxed, but is limited to downward pickslanting (and neutral slanting) only. I recommend learning the side-to-side wrist yaw picking technique. Hop into my discord, download the desktop or phone app, and we can all have a chat about it: discord.gg/G9r65Uu6vY

[@domichuyt6439]

I've been playing guitar for 2 and a half years and I hadn't even learnt to alternative pick LMAO, about time I do

[@guyshaddock2951]

Finally a no fuss no muss clear understanding of alternate picking, that I have been looking for. Great tutorial! Thanks for taking the time to do this. I'll be looking at your other postings as well.

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

I am pleased to provide!

[@TheSkeletonSkier]

I bought that Alternate picking exercises PDF, really helps, it's awesome

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Thanks, man! I hope it boosts your playing =)

[@acousticmania1883]

Very comprehensive❤. Please make a video on how to legato, for begainers.

[@acousticmania1883]

Great comprehensive lesson. !

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Thank you! I hope you get something out of it.

[@mohdadib501]

That's was good demonstration and good instructions to teach us was beginners of Zero In Guitar Knowledge but thanks for Share knowledge to mr and other 🎸🤘🤘

[@The1stMrJohn]

Great information and nicely presented Regards from England

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

thank you

[@donny5429]

5:30 Alfred: Play with relaxation. Me: Ok. Alfred: I really mean it. Me: Ok fine.

[@moskovaqua1284]

my advice to get started with this is to start strumming like you would play a single note (true picing motion/ wrist rotatin not forearm move or even jerkin off movement/up and down move from wrist )

[@moskovaqua1284]

also i recomend checking it troy grady or ben eller for more info about pick slanting

[@Oilid]

My god, I'm so glad I subbed!!!!

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Very pleased to have you =)

[@Oilid]

@@AlfredPotterGuitar I was planning to do an "Opus 5." lesson of my cover. I hope it won't look as if I copy you at the same time. :)

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

I look forward to seeing it =)

[@jayce-__-_-_-]

No

[@VictorTarela]

Thanks for doing this, Alfred. You are a very good teacher and player :D

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Thank you!

[@axlrose5082]

Thanks man, very helpful and very clear.

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

happy to help

[@vladionescu8222]

I thought Slash played guitar in GnR but it seems I'm wrong again XD

[@Tyler-hr8hj]

Alternate tickling 😂 love it. Good lesson brother

[@saadshah7857]

Alternate tickling lol. Gotta copywrite that!

[@HivernaalChannel]

Really interesting thank you ! (didn't even know that those technics get a name !)

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

You are welcome. Yes we are gonna get really technical in this series.

[@yonikup2865]

Great video as always! =)

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Thank you. More to come!

[@user-ef6wk1ho7f]

Как всегда, все на высоте.

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Спасибо

[@sebastionhawk5565]

thank you; this is EXTREMELY helpful!

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Yes! No problem.

[@creativeindependence9916]

Thanks for the breakdown of the technique. Most videos just tell you to pick up and down. Only if it was that easy.

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Thank you. Very few guitarists can teach well. Because very few guitarists know how they're doing what they're doing. Playing with a pick is only 100 years old or so, and it's still quite a mystery to most players. Watch a video by Paul Gilbert or Michael Romeo for instance - amazing players! But you'll never learn a thing by watching them because they never explain how they're doing it all.

[@creativeindependence9916]

@@AlfredPotterGuitar Well, now I know to check your page first when I need help learning something new. Now subscribed, and look forward to more of your videos.

[@hellbilly7075]

ive watched numerous videos trying to build my beginners skills. There are of course skilled and helpful musicians out there, with good tutorials. But i find ur videos more interresting. You give a personal and more in depth reflection on many of the basic techniqes. Thoughts i have about some things im struggling with, and to hear ur take on it. It help me to understand it better. Sorry for maybe bad spelling and maybe my text doesnt make sence haha. But just wanted to send a thank you for ur work

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

So pleased to help you! I should point out: this picking technique is the forearm rotational style and isn't as effective for complex 2-way-pickslanting runs as pure side-to-side wrist motion is. So be wary of that. The technique does work, though.

[@hellbilly7075]

Thanks for reply. Appreciate that. Im struggling on :)

[@jopime_guitar]

great lesson , and you´re album is very good , a lot of vinnie moore mind´s eye influence

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Very kind =)

[@ddelopkwapn5985]

Perfect timing my dude, learning cerebral hybridization by Fallujah and its easier to tap some parts than pick lol.

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

I am happy to provide. Good luck =)

[@angelguitar1378]

Excelent as always!!! Greetings from Cd. Juarez México!!! I am a subscriber of your channel!!! O:)

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Thanks for watching and subbing! =)

[@inatorquoisemood93]

Very nice presentation - tho only a beginner and learning the basics I'd be very interested in any guitar course you teach 👍👍

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

I have the ultimate course for you! I made it last year. It contains everything. Give this promo video a watch: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qWWWnqqkgdV-kJY

[@inatorquoisemood93]

@@AlfredPotterGuitar 👍👍

[@beredetump1635]

Now I know what pickslanting is :)

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Yeah it's not so bad =)

[@eagleeggs3862]

No one alternate picks like the Great Anton Oparin

[@carlosleyva2496]

I’ve been doing only down pics been getting better harder songs need too know this

[@seanmiller7889]

I got late to the Alfred Potter Fan Club but at least I got here. Great video and yes you are correct about Troy's series. I struggled with the 'hopping' motion when changing strings until I analysed my picking hand motion and then I finally 'got it' what you show so elegantly in this video, the pickslant. Thanks for this insightful video. I do have a question. When you demonstrate the downward pickslant at 9:00 you are lightly palm muting the string you are playing and in the upward pickslant you are not muting the string you are playing. Is that by design or is it because you normally lightly mute the low E and A string when you play them?

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Hi Sean, well spotted! My technique has developed so that DWPS does mute the string being played and my UWPS does not. This is due to the naturally awkward positioning of UWPS. I do however mute the lower strings with UWPS. So I would never riff using UWPS because I wouldn't get that nice palm-muted chunkn sound. And sometimes when I 2WPS 3nps scale runs, strings alternate between muted (DWPS) and unmuted (UWPS) as I traverse the strings which is a sound texture I have come to appreciate about my playing, even if it came about totally by accident.

[@DavidNwokoye]

7:14 my hand goes the other way

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

No worries! All that matters is that you can successfully cross to different strings without accidentally clipping other ones.

[@A9_Chord]

Good lesson. i wonder which effective for palm mute down picking, up pick slant or down pick slat?

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Good question. I find a slight DWPS works best for palm muted down picking. With a bit of wrist pitch to create a semi-circular motion (to return the pick back to the bass side of the Low E string after each pickstroke)

[@A9_Chord]

@@AlfredPotterGuitar thanks i will try that out

[@sc7244]

Nice video man! If you’re alternate picking fast, do you switch between the down and upstrokes?

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Hello. Alternate picking means to alternate/switch between down and upstrokes

[@nhchau]

I have three questions. (1) For the true picking motion part, I found it is difficult to rotate only my wrist while muting. I then combine slight wrist rotation and slightly move the wrist up and down. How is your case? (2) For 3 notes per string, do you do alternate or economy picking? (3) For one note per string by alternate picking, how do you do pick slanting? Thank you.

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Hello. This video is wrong in many ways and is not at all how I pick now. I use side-to-side wrist picking (no longer rotation) now. I use both 2WPS alternate picking and economy picking. For 1 note-per-string alternate picking I have no choice but to crosspick, which uses a static anchor, and a combo of wrist yaw, wrist pitch, and forearm rotation.

[@grizzly8356]

I’m trying to learn Inferno (Unleash the Fire) so I search on KZbin to figure out how to Alt pick. It just so happens that I decided to click on this vid, and you have the iconic Symphony x masks in the background. Lol, coincidence.

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Fate!

[@gallanthelda3867]

What if I used downward pickslant and ended with a downstroke on lower string and how to go to the higher string? You know what I mean?

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

You will have to sweep string cross to the higher string (two downstrokes in a row) if you end on a downstroke with a DWPS. Alternatively use an UWPS if you know the last pickstroke on a string is going to be a downstroke.

[@christiand7437]

I can move my fingers fast up and down the fret board by tapping... every once in a while, my stroke hand catches up. I think I have to synchronize and not tap!

[@r.p.7283]

What Hawk Pick tonebird do you recommend?

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

I adore the TB8 =)

[@r.p.7283]

@@AlfredPotterGuitar thanks👍

[@errriss]

Can you explain how Kiko Loureiro alternate pick? It looks like his thumb and index finger are moving in a way my fingers can’t

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

If I were to guess, I'd say he is using wrist side-to-side tech. But I have never seen his picking from headstock POV, so can't be sure.

[@errriss]

@@AlfredPotterGuitar kzbin.info/www/bejne/eHaln5Vva6eUjqM

[@christophermeatheringham5066]

Hey is there another payment method I can use instead of PayPal? I really like your material it’s a huge help and what to purchase some of you pdfs but PayPal is a pain. Cheers

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

It isn't available in some countries which is super annoying. I use it because of the convenience on my end because it allows me to automate everything. But! Yes I can do good ol' crypto no problem =)

[@marks2043]

love the accent 😂 where are you from???

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Cheers. Wales and New Zealand and grew up with English parents

[@eduardobrionesmartinez7644]

Maestro es usted muy bueno no podria poner vídeos subtitulados a español? Se lo agradeceria mucho

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Hola. Lo sentimos, pero lleva demasiado tiempo y esfuerzo incluir subtítulos. El sistema de subtítulos de KZbin sigue siendo muy laborioso. Demasiado laborioso para que valga la pena. Especialmente porque este video apenas tiene vistas.

[@eduardobrionesmartinez7644]

Alfred Potter Guitar. No se preocupe muchas gracias como qiera ps un segidor de su canal es usted muy buen guitarrista

[@Vipeeri]

As an amateur it feels confusing to switch between upward and downstroke pickslant position constantly, depending on what string I need to skip.

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

You can always just stick to one way. Yngwie uses only downward. Andy James uses only upward. But you must accept that either choice will limit the number of things you can play. Does it really matter though? Both are great players.

[@Vipeeri]

@@AlfredPotterGuitar Should this UWPS/DWPS be used all the time now, I mean should I learn all my riffs and licks again? I've already tried some and they feel weird, for example how would you play Crazy Train intro with UWPS/DWPS style?

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

If you have been having success then don't even worry about it. Pickslanting is most important when trying to get complex scale runs up to high speed, where you have to guarantee that the final pickstroke on any string always jumps into the air. If you want to cross to a new string after an upstroke, you must use DWPS. If you want to cross to a new string after a downstroke, you must use UWPS.

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

At slower speeds you can kinda get away with flailing and bouncing about, but not at higher speeds.

[@Vipeeri]

Well this makes it all clear! I actually forgot to ask if this slanting was only good for those fast scale runs and not really meant for simple/slow stuff. Thank you!

[@vitocorleone4799]

Harry potter goes metal \m/

[@peaceindarkness.darknessis3494]

he said wrist stroke

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Damn, did I?

[@robflores5172]

Not totally true about the wrist motion. You simply need to stabilize the forearm on a surface to support the wrist and than you’ll be able to perform that side to side movement much faster without engaging forearm rotation. Forearm rotation is a much more difficult technique to learn crosspicking with. It’s great for single string stuff but that’s about it imo. Great video overall.

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Couldn't agree more! I have since become a wrist picker exactly like you described. This is a very outdated video and I should probably remove it. The forearm rotational technique was fast and effortless but could not perform UWPS, which is literally half of the 2WPS technique. That's why I switched.

[@asyrafrafiqbinmohdredzuwan9956]

My pick always get stuck😔 how to solve it?

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

You will have to be waaaay more specific

[@moskovaqua1284]

U probally using flat pick slanting that's why u pick get stuck in up stroke and down stroke

[@bradenaustin5482]

So I literally held my pick wrong for years?!

[@AlfredPotterGuitar]

Hello, this is an outdated tutorial teaching the "Forearm Rotation" method of picking, which I no longer use. I now use the "Wrist Side-to-Side" method. Join my Discord if you're serious about guitar and want to get among daily chats? We can take a look at your pick grip =) discord.gg/G9r65Uu6vY

[@TuNguyen-ip2ww]

Hay vãi đái

[@LazyLizzy706]

If this guy commentates game play videos, it would be hard to stay awake. This man has a good but boring voice.