A pick can strike a string in two directions. Practise each direction, then try alternating them so you have a choice when playing a phrase.
Downstrokes and upstrokes
In a normal playing position, a downstroke moves towards the floor and an upstroke moves back upwards. Across a six-string guitar in standard tuning, a downstroke travels from the low E side towards the high E side. On one string, the pick passes through it in those same directions.
Alternate picking switches between downstrokes and upstrokes on successive picked notes: down, up, down, up. Repeated downstrokes are also a useful musical choice. The pattern you use depends on the phrase and the sound you want.
Start with a few gentle strokes in each direction. Our pick-grip lesson gives you a starting grip. Keep the movement small enough to control, pause if you start squeezing, and stop if playing causes pain.
Try one string first
Use the open high E string: the thinnest string, played without fretting a note. Count four evenly spaced beats and pick once on each number:
Scroll the table sideways on a narrow screen to see all four beats.
| Count | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pick direction | Down | Up | Down | Up |
Repeat the four counts at a manageable pace. Listen for each intended note and check whether the pick is catching or striking a neighbouring string. Pause to adjust before repeating the same problem.
Add a note between the beats
Use four beats per bar and count 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and. Play a downstroke on each number and an upstroke halfway between, on each “and”. There are now eight evenly spaced notes in the bar:
Scroll the table sideways on a narrow screen to see all eight notes.
| Count | 1 | and | 2 | and | 3 | and | 4 | and |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pick direction | Down | Up | Down | Up | Down | Up | Down | Up |
If you use a metronome, let its clicks mark the numbers. The upstrokes fall between the clicks. Our metronome lesson explains this count in more detail. Work without clicks first if you need time to find the movement.
You can also pluck with your fingers. The fingerpicking introduction gives you one pluck per beat on Em and Am, in thumb, index, middle and ring order, with p-i-m-a labels.
For three evenly spaced picks per beat, try eighth-note triplets on one string. Continuous alternation makes successive beats start down, up, down and up.
Picking directions in tab
Tab may include picking directions, but the symbols and keys vary. Read the score’s instructions before assuming what a mark means. The tab-reading lesson explains strings, fret numbers and rhythm.
The written exercises above give you the string, count and direction for each stroke. Next, try alternate picking across two strings: compare two picks before a string change with three, keeping the down-up order in both.