{"appState":{"pageLoadApiCallsStatus":true},"articleState":{"article":{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T08:05:39+00:00","modifiedTime":"2016-03-26T08:05:39+00:00","timestamp":"2022-02-24T16:46:45+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Academics & The Arts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33662"},"slug":"academics-the-arts","categoryId":33662},{"name":"Music","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33730"},"slug":"music","categoryId":33730},{"name":"Instruments","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33731"},"slug":"instruments","categoryId":33731},{"name":"Guitar","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33735"},"slug":"guitar","categoryId":33735}],"title":"Warming Up with Alternate Picking","strippedTitle":"warming up with alternate picking","slug":"warming-up-with-alternate-picking","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"<p>The following figure is good for working on alternate guitar picking and getting to know the placement of the strings under your picking hand. Set your metronome to a comfortable tempo and rehearse the figure for a minute or two. Aside from moving across the strings in the two directions shown, you can use random movement and skip strings.</p>\n<p class=\"Tip\">To sound more musical, hold down a chord shape with your fretting hand. For more of a challenge, the same exercise can be played using sixteenth notes.</p>\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/467898.image0.jpg\" width=\"336\" height=\"169\" alt=\"image0.jpg\"/>","description":"<p>The following figure is good for working on alternate guitar picking and getting to know the placement of the strings under your picking hand. Set your metronome to a comfortable tempo and rehearse the figure for a minute or two. Aside from moving across the strings in the two directions shown, you can use random movement and skip strings.</p>\n<p class=\"Tip\">To sound more musical, hold down a chord shape with your fretting hand. For more of a challenge, the same exercise can be played using sixteenth notes.</p>\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/467898.image0.jpg\" width=\"336\" height=\"169\" alt=\"image0.jpg\"/>","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9209,"name":"Desi Serna","slug":"desi-serna","description":"Desi Serna is a guitarist, a guitar teacher, and as called out by Rolling Stone, an expert in music theory. He's the author of several instructional books on guitar. Learn more at guitarmusictheory.com.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9209"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33735,"title":"Guitar","slug":"guitar","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33735"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":207551,"title":"Guitar Rhythm & Technique For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"guitar-rhythm-technique-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","music","instruments","guitar"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/207551"}},{"articleId":144868,"title":"10 Steps to Singing and Playing Guitar at the Same Time","slug":"10-steps-to-singing-and-playing-guitar-at-the-same-time","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","music","instruments","guitar"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/144868"}},{"articleId":144867,"title":"Following a Lead Sheet","slug":"following-a-lead-sheet","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","music","instruments","guitar"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/144867"}},{"articleId":144865,"title":"Using a Capo on Your Guitar","slug":"using-a-capo-on-your-guitar","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","music","instruments","guitar"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/144865"}},{"articleId":144864,"title":"Using Half and Double Time When Playing Guitar","slug":"using-half-and-double-time-when-playing-guitar","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","music","instruments","guitar"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/144864"}}],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":210308,"title":"How to String A Steel-String Acoustic Guitar","slug":"how-to-string-a-steel-string-acoustic-guitar","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","music","instruments","guitar"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/210308"}},{"articleId":210307,"title":"How to Vary Guitar Articulation with Pull-Offs","slug":"how-to-vary-guitar-articulation-with-pull-offs","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","music","instruments","guitar"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/210307"}},{"articleId":210305,"title":"How to Use a Capo","slug":"how-to-use-a-capo","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","music","instruments","guitar"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/210305"}},{"articleId":210306,"title":"How to Vary Guitar Articulation by Using Hammer-Ons","slug":"how-to-vary-guitar-articulation-by-using-hammer-ons","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","music","instruments","guitar"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/210306"}},{"articleId":210304,"title":"How to String a Nylon-String Guitar","slug":"how-to-string-a-nylon-string-guitar","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","music","instruments","guitar"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/210304"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":282261,"slug":"guitar-rhythm-and-techniques-for-dummies-book-online-video-and-audio-instruction","isbn":"9781119022879","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","music","instruments","guitar"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119022878/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1119022878/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/1119022878-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1119022878/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/1119022878/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/guitar-rhythm-and-techniques-for-dummies-cover-9781119022879-193x255.jpg","width":193,"height":255},"title":"Guitar Rhythm and Techniques For Dummies, Book + Online Video and Audio Instruction","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":"\n <p><b data-author-id=\"9209\">Desi Serna</b> has built a substantial online platform as an engaging and approachable guitar guru-a guitar player and teacher with more than 10,000 hours of experience providing private guitar lessons and classes. Serna is hailed as a \"music-theory expert\" by <i>Rolling Stone</i> magazine. </p>","authors":[{"authorId":9209,"name":"Desi Serna","slug":"desi-serna","description":"Desi Serna is a guitarist, a guitar teacher, and as called out by Rolling Stone, an expert in music theory. He's the author of several instructional books on guitar. Learn more at guitarmusictheory.com.","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9209"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{"key":"cat","values":["academics-the-arts","music","instruments","guitar"]},{"key":"isbn","values":["9781119022879"]}]\" id=\"du-slot-6217b67591038\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{"key":"cat","values":["academics-the-arts","music","instruments","guitar"]},{"key":"isbn","values":["9781119022879"]}]\" id=\"du-slot-6217b67591b05\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Articles","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":null,"lifeExpectancySetFrom":null,"dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":144854},"articleLoadedStatus":"success"},"listState":{"list":{},"objectTitle":"","status":"initial","pageType":null,"objectId":null,"page":1,"sortField":"time","sortOrder":1,"categoriesIds":[],"articleTypes":[],"filterData":{},"filterDataLoadedStatus":"initial","pageSize":10},"adsState":{"pageScripts":{"headers":{"timestamp":"2022-05-17T12:59:04+00:00"},"adsId":0,"data":{"scripts":[{"pages":["all"],"location":"header","script":"\r\n<script src=\"https://cdn.optimizely.com/js/10563184655.js\"></script>","enabled":false},{"pages":["all"],"location":"header","script":"\r\n<script>var _comscore = _comscore || [];_comscore.push({ c1: \"2\", c2: \"15097263\" });(function() {var s = document.createElement(\"script\"), el = document.getElementsByTagName(\"script\")[0]; s.async = true;s.src = (document.location.protocol == \"https:\" ? \"https://sb\" : \"http://b\") + \".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\";el.parentNode.insertBefore(s, el);})();</script><noscript><img src=\"https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&c2=15097263&cv=2.0&cj=1\" /></noscript>\r\n","enabled":true},{"pages":["all"],"location":"footer","script":"\r\n<script type='text/javascript'>\r\n(function(){var g=function(e,h,f,g){\r\nthis.get=function(a){for(var a=a+\"=\",c=document.cookie.split(\";\"),b=0,e=c.length;b<e;b++){for(var d=c[b];\" \"==d.charAt(0);)d=d.substring(1,d.length);if(0==d.indexOf(a))return d.substring(a.length,d.length)}return null};\r\nthis.set=function(a,c){var b=\"\",b=new Date;b.setTime(b.getTime()+6048E5);b=\"; expires=\"+b.toGMTString();document.cookie=a+\"=\"+c+b+\"; path=/; \"};\r\nthis.check=function(){var a=this.get(f);if(a)a=a.split(\":\");else if(100!=e)\"v\"==h&&(e=Math.random()>=e/100?0:100),a=[h,e,0],this.set(f,a.join(\":\"));else return!0;var c=a[1];if(100==c)return!0;switch(a[0]){case \"v\":return!1;case \"r\":return c=a[2]%Math.floor(100/c),a[2]++,this.set(f,a.join(\":\")),!c}return!0};\r\nthis.go=function(){if(this.check()){var a=document.createElement(\"script\");a.type=\"text/javascript\";a.src=g;document.body&&document.body.appendChild(a)}};\r\nthis.start=function(){var t=this;\"complete\"!==document.readyState?window.addEventListener?window.addEventListener(\"load\",function(){t.go()},!1):window.attachEvent&&window.attachEvent(\"onload\",function(){t.go()}):t.go()};};\r\ntry{(new g(100,\"r\",\"QSI_S_ZN_5o5yqpvMVjgDOuN\",\"https://zn5o5yqpvmvjgdoun-wiley.siteintercept.qualtrics.com/SIE/?Q_ZID=ZN_5o5yqpvMVjgDOuN\")).start()}catch(i){}})();\r\n</script><div id='ZN_5o5yqpvMVjgDOuN'></div>\r\n","enabled":false},{"pages":["all"],"location":"header","script":"\r\n<script>\r\n (function(h,o,t,j,a,r){\r\n h.hj=h.hj||function(){(h.hj.q=h.hj.q||[]).push(arguments)};\r\n h._hjSettings={hjid:257151,hjsv:6};\r\n a=o.getElementsByTagName('head')[0];\r\n r=o.createElement('script');r.async=1;\r\n r.src=t+h._hjSettings.hjid+j+h._hjSettings.hjsv;\r\n a.appendChild(r);\r\n })(window,document,'https://static.hotjar.com/c/hotjar-','.js?sv=');\r\n</script>","enabled":false},{"pages":["article"],"location":"header","script":" <script src=\"//get.s-onetag.com/bffe21a1-6bb8-4928-9449-7beadb468dae/tag.min.js\" async defer></script>","enabled":true},{"pages":["homepage"],"location":"header","script":"<meta name=\"facebook-domain-verification\" content=\"irk8y0irxf718trg3uwwuexg6xpva0\" />","enabled":true},{"pages":["homepage","article","category","search"],"location":"footer","script":"\r\n<noscript>\r\n<img height=\"1\" width=\"1\" src=\"https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=256338321977984&ev=PageView&noscript=1\"/>\r\n</noscript>\r\n","enabled":true}]}},"pageScriptsLoadedStatus":"success"},"searchState":{"searchList":[],"searchStatus":"initial","relatedArticlesList":[],"relatedArticlesStatus":"initial"},"routeState":{"name":"Article4","path":"/article/academics-the-arts/music/instruments/guitar/warming-up-with-alternate-picking-144854/","hash":"","query":{},"params":{"category1":"academics-the-arts","category2":"music","category3":"instruments","category4":"guitar","article":"warming-up-with-alternate-picking-144854"},"fullPath":"/article/academics-the-arts/music/instruments/guitar/warming-up-with-alternate-picking-144854/","meta":{"routeType":"article","breadcrumbInfo":{"suffix":"Articles","baseRoute":"/category/articles"},"prerenderWithAsyncData":true},"from":{"name":null,"path":"/","hash":"","query":{},"params":{},"fullPath":"/","meta":{}}},"dropsState":{"submitEmailResponse":false,"status":"initial"},"sfmcState":{"newsletterSignupStatus":"initial"}}

Warming Up with Alternate Picking

By: Desi Serna and

Updated: 03-26-2016

From The Book: Guitar Rhythm and Techniques For Dummies, Book + Online Video and Audio Instruction

Guitar Rhythm and Techniques For Dummies, Book + Online Video and Audio Instruction

Explore Book Buy On Amazon

The following figure is good for working on alternate guitar picking and getting to know the placement of the strings under your picking hand. Set your metronome to a comfortable tempo and rehearse the figure for a minute or two. Aside from moving across the strings in the two directions shown, you can use random movement and skip strings.

To sound more musical, hold down a chord shape with your fretting hand. For more of a challenge, the same exercise can be played using sixteenth notes.

About This Article

This article is from the book:

Guitar Rhythm and Techniques For Dummies, Book + Online Video and Audio Instruction ,

About the book author:

Desi Serna has built a substantial online platform as an engaging and approachable guitar guru-a guitar player and teacher with more than 10,000 hours of experience providing private guitar lessons and classes. Serna is hailed as a "music-theory expert" by Rolling Stone magazine.

This article can be found in the category:

Guitar ,