The pieces in this article were written to help you develop your alternate picking technique. They consist of three 12 bar blues pieces in the key of A. The corresponding audio tracks are included to guide you on what the tracks should sound like. Each audio track starts with a 4 beat count-in played on the hi-hat. I would strongly recommend you first concentrate on getting your right hand picking technique correct before attempting to play along with the tracks.
What is alternate picking?
Alternate picking is a technique which involves the guitarist alternating the pick in a downward motion followed by moving the pick in an upward motion against the strings. One of the big advantages of alternate picking is that it allows the performer to play fast tempo sections without tiring the picking arm. To develop this technique, keep your movements small (close to the strings) and hold the pick close to the point. Aim for the smallest motions possible as you move from one string to another. Below are the music notation symbols to indicate a downstroke and an upstroke.
Practice Slowly For Quicker Results
As you develop your alternate picking technique, avoid playing the riffs below at speed right away to avoid developing bad technique. Practice slowly and focus on accuracy. A metronome is a great tool to help you with this. It will ensure your are staying in time with the music and help you with accuracy and playing speed. Start by setting the metronome at a speed that you can comfortably play through the whole track. Then increase the metronome speed in steps of four to five bpm. As the speed gets more challenging, increase the metronome speed in smaller increments. Perhaps one or two bpm.
Track 1 uses crotchets (also known as quarter notes) only. Learn more about crotchets and other note values here. Please use the fingers suggested in the scores to make it easier to play the tracks more efficiently. Listen to the track first to hear what it sounds like.
Track 2 introduces quavers (also known as eighth notes). The audio track has a faster bpm count. As mentioned, earlier, it is important you first get comfortable playing it at a slower speed before attempting it with the audio track. Due to the nature of the riff, the first two notes are played with a downstroke to allow the riff to start on a downstroke when it repeats in the beginning of the next bar.
Track 3 features quavers only except for the last bar. It also features the use of the fourth finger. If you struggle to use the fourth finger, replace it with the third finger on the corresponding note/fret.
