In the June and July posts I discussed how to hold the pick with the fingers and various hand positions when picking. This month I’ll continue the topic of picking by outlining the three basic types: down, up and alternate. Of course I am aware there are other forms of picking such as sweep and hybrid, but these are technical aspects of playing beyond the scope of this post which are geared toward beginning students.
Down-picking as its name implies, is when the picking hand moves in a downward motion toward the floor.
Conversely, when up-picking the picking hand moves in an upward motion toward the ceiling.
Alternate-picking is a combination of the two starting with a down-pick followed by an up-pick creating an alternating motion – down/up.
Below are the symbols associated with each form of picking.
Next month I'll be discussing some simple picking exercises to give to beginning students. Enjoy!
