Practice Application Picking Technique Frethand Technique Music is theoretical. Yes, there are many things in music such as the frequency relationship between "intervals" for which science can be applied, but in the end music is art. This is not to say that theory should be dismissed. On the contrary, I believe that theory helps us to expand our horizons, visualize possibilities and grow. This section of the site concentrates on theory behind technique and more specially, what I have found that seems to work for me.   Practice Fundamentals Since time is a valuable yet limited resource, efficiency is key. Whether you have 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, or 5 hours to practice, it is very important to make the most of your time. Here are my suggestions: 1) Play with a metronome. If you don't own one, there are many software based metronomes which will suffice, though I find it more convenient (logistically) to practice with a dedicated hardware one. They are very cheap, and there are few better ways to keep you honest and put you on the right track to progress. 2) When using the metronome, do not try to increase the speeds too drastically. In general, your start an exercise at a comfortable speed, then gradually increase the speed to the point at which you are very uncomfortable and can't hold it for more than maybe 8 or so ticks, then roll it back to a speed in which you can do the exercise but require concentration to do it correctly. 3) Analyze your playing for deficiencies, and then develop or otherwise acquire exercises designed to address weaknesses. For example, if you are having difficulty in crossing strings, there are some very good exercises for developing better proficiency in this discipline. All too often, people practice things within their comfort zone. The purpose of practice is to stretch and expand this zone, not perform. 4) Try and practice on a regular schedule. Repetition is probably the best way to develop strong neurological connections. It is my belief that you are better working on something for 15 minutes a day for a week, than 6 hours on one day. You need to practice getting into the "zone." Here is an interesting article that discusses this state of Nirvana in relation to sports. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1147173,00.html  5) Woodshedding, or just jamming, has it's place, but try and limit uncontrolled playing. In general, I believe that you should shed after you practice and reinforce good habits. I also believe in putting down the instrument on a good note. In other words, I don't like having the last thing that I play sound like crap. I try to end the day with a level of confidence, else it's bad for your self-esteem and can affect your self confidence the next time you rpactice. 6) While it is easy to maintain a level, it is very difficult to progress. Don't lose faith and become discouraged. If you feel that you hit a brick wall, step back, re-asses and try to approach it from a different perspective. I essentially put the guitar down for 10 years, before I picked it up again. It probably took about a month to catch up to where I was. That's really not bad... Now improving... That's the slow part. 7) There are many different things that one can practice. To a large degree, it is really an issue of playing style, and the type of music that you like. However, there are some universal types of exercises that probably transcend style, and of which you should probably consider incorporating into your practice routine: Chromatic Exercises Scale and Pattern Tremolo Picking and string crossing. 8) Warm up before you start to practice and try not to overdo it. If you start to feel pain, back off. John Petrucci has some really good exercises that emphasize massage, as well as stretching. If you haven't already, try checking out his Rock Discipline video. 9) If you can't get through all of your practice routine in a given day, do what you can. I have a list of exercises that I feel are mandatory, while others that I get to if I have the time (after practicing the mandatory exercises). For many years I didn't practice because I didn't have the time to practice everything that I wanted to practice. Back to Top Practical Application There are many people who can play a certain lick or pattern very well, but when it comes to practical application, they can't apply it in context. In general, I try and misx licks or patterns, in a given key at a given speed. When playing in context of a given piece of music, you do not want your exercises to sound like "exercises" and you want to be able to move cleanly and smoothly from one pattern to another.  Back to Top Picking Technique There are many different ways to pick. The purpose of this discussion is to highlight some considerations, though not endorse a specific approach. Although I will share what I feel works best for me and explain why I have come to these conclusions, I believe that many teachers fall into the trap of believing that there is one way of doing things, and that every other way is inferior. In contrast, one can probably look at all the approaches below and come up with someone who employs that specific approach with great success.   Arm vs. Wrist vs. Hand? Players can use their shoulder/arm, elbow/forearm, wrist or fingers/hand to generate pick movement.   In summary, I believe that each of these methods has it's advantages and disadvantage. I tend to use a combination of wrist and arm. The best thing that I can probably say, is that whichever method you chose. Alternate vs. Economy? Alternate picking is something that many players swear by. In this method, each successive note alternates between upstrokes and downstrokes. Many teachers also feel that all picking patterns should start with a down-stroke. Al DiMeola is someone who employs strictly alternate picking. Economy Picking is a method, whereby the successive down-strokes or upstrokes are employed when playing across strings. For example, if you end a pattern on the A string on a downstroke, and the next note is on the D string, you will continue the same stroke to hit the next string. Frank Gambale is someone who has really taken this technique to another level. When not thinking, I tend to use a combination of both, with probably a greater emphasis on alternate. Some patterns cannot be alternate picked efficiently. Economy picking has a much more legato sound, though I believe that it is really a matter of preference and style. Pick Grip - Thumb/Index or Thumb/Middle Most players play with the pick between thumb and index,  however, there are some notable exceptions. For example Van Halen (at least when tremolo picking). I believe that this is a matter of personal preference. I employ my index finger and thumb for picking.   Pick angle - Angular vs. flat I have heard both sides of this one. The advantage of a flat or non-angular approach, whereby the pick is perpendicular to the string, is that the tone is more distinct. The disadvantage is that it can create greater resistance, due to the increased area of string contact. I play on maybe a 10 to 15 degree angle. This helps me to preserve tone, yet take advantage of decreased resistance. Mounted or Free-floating Look around. You will see players who mount their hand on the bridge, some (probably less) who keep their hand free floating, and others who are somewhere in between. These days I play with my hand touching the strings, though not resting. I used to play with my pinky touching the surface of the guitar, but moved away from this approach , because I felt that this was affecting my ability to cross as well as play lower strings. I am also trying and keep the shape and form or my picking hand relatively consistent, as I find that this helps me to attain a more uniform tone. In either case, I believe in economy of motion. In other words, the further that you cross the strings, the further you need to come back. Thus, I try to use as little movement as possible.   Back to Top Frethand Technique I believe that the pick is primarily a tool for articulation and if your fingers can't find the right spots on their own, it is going to sound choppy, uncoordinated and muddy. In this respect, I believe that one of the biggest problems that players have is due to the lack of independence in their fingers. There are 2 factors at play here; mechanical coupling and neural control. Mechanical coupling occurs because of the way that the tendons controlling finger movement are mechanically interconnected, in several places, such as before they enter the carpal tunnel. To a lesser degree, the soft tissue webbing between fingers, further restricts movement. Neural control also limits complete finger independence, due to the way that the brain activates individual muscles, and the lack of complete isolation between neural control of muscle groups. Also related to the aspect of neural control is the concept of "learned" muscle memory. For example, from a very young age, we learn to articulate with primarily two digits; our thumb and index and pretty much learn to treat our other 3 digits as a unit, often an extension of the first. Whether it be opening a door or tightening a jar, most human activities do not require fine motor development of these digits. The following link provides a much more technical and anatomically correct treatment of this topic, as I am trying to paraphrase, and possibly not doing it justice:   http://jn.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/92/5/2802   Anyway, these factors result in:   Pinky Flying far from the neck (if you are not using your pinky, I can confidently say that you are limiting your range). Even without the independence problem there is a physical issue, due to the fact that the pinky is significantly shorter than your other fingers. When practicing exercises, I try and keep the pinky from going no further than an inch from the fretboard. Make sure that your thumb is behind your middle or ring finger, as this will certainly help. Also, another suggestion is to try and keep the palm of your frethand perpendicular to the neck. Hand rolling, causing uneven notes and difficulty coordinate with picking hand. The main reason why this occurs, is because of the independence issue. In general, the ring finger, and the pinky (to a lesser degree) suffer significantly from independence issues, as they want to move together. Lay your hand flat on a table, lift either of these digits and watch what happens to the other and you will understand what I am referring to. Although it may not be possible to obtain complete independence, there are a couple of things of which I am aware, that can help address these limitations. There is a book and video called Finger Fitness which provides exercises to develop better dexterity and control of the fingers and hand. As far as exercises for the guitar, there are many out there. In general, I believe in practicing many of the same exercises with and without a pick. I have also developed some exercises to keep the pinky closer, and also obtain greater ring finger independence and strength.