Lead Guitar Lesson #2 - Alternate Picking Technique

Name: Lead Guitar Lesson #2 - Alternate Picking Technique
Rating: 4.7 (39 reviews)

Alternate Picking will become something natural for you

Created byThomas V. Dekker

Last updated 2/2018

English

English [Auto],

What you'll learn

The student that takes this course will get to the next level of guitar picking.
The Alternate Picking will become something so natural for the students of this course, just as natural as it is to walk.

Course content

2 sections • 28 lectures • 56m total length

Introduction3:02
Learn to hold the guitar pick, position your right hand, and develop alternate picking through 16 exercises to improve control, speed, and accuracy for natural, effortless playing.
Different kinds of guitar picks1:08
Proper way to hold the guitar pick1:15
Hold the pick as an extension of your finger, resting the thumb on top, and bend the finger; try different picks to find what works best for you.
Where to place your right hand2:19
Place your right hand behind the bridge to anchor and locate the strings, enabling palm muting. Learn to mute unwanted strings and maintain support for precise alternate picking.
It's all about becoming natural2:34
This lesson builds natural pick control for licks, riffs, and soloing, with exercises that coordinate two hands and count subdivided beats one through four, emulating real songs.
Metronome0:42
Use a metronome app on your phone for this practice; start at 90 and lower to 80 or 70 as needed, ensuring you perform the exercises correctly before speeding up.
Different Dynamics2:39
Practice the alternate picking technique with varied dynamics using a metronome at a comfortable tempo for 3–5 minute drills. Explore different pick angles and grips to stay relaxed and focused.
How to increase the speed1:47
Improve your alternate picking speed by structured tempo cycles, using a 10-5-10 back-and-forth pattern to boost accuracy, control, and natural feel.

Exercise #15:25
Develops alternate picking through exercise one, focusing on the right hand as you play one note per string and two notes per beat, with varied dynamics and string skipping.
Exercise #24:13
Advance your alternate picking technique with escalating exercises that add notes per string, keep a steady tempo with a metronome, breathe, and hold your pick while evenly dividing the beat.
Exercise #34:36
Lead guitar lesson exercise #3 adds one note per string with alternating picking, requiring two notes per beat while varying string direction; stay relaxed and keep a steady speed.
Exercise #44:11
Practice exercise four reinforces four-note phrasing with consistent speed and alternate picking, showing how right-hand attack and pick pressure produce varied sounds for chords and melodies.
Exercise #52:45
Explore the e minor pentatonic scale in exercise five with alternate picking, practicing one to four notes per tempo as the right hand speeds up and the left stays steady.
Exercise #61:12
practice exercise six demonstrates alternate picking by coordinating left-hand rhythm with a faster right-hand movement, encouraging you to double the right-hand speed for accuracy.
Exercise #71:05
Practice exercise 7 trains alternate picking with triplets, using three-note triplets across strings and ensuring the first two notes alternate on each string.
Exercise #81:17
Exercise 8 trains four notes per beat, speeding the right hand with a steady click and an accented first note to lock in alternate picking.
Comment about Exercise #5-81:40
Practice alternate picking by building speed with exercises 5–8, focusing on right-hand motion, smooth transitions, and subdivisions from one note per beat to triplets and 16.
Comment about Exerises#9-121:19
Master the minor pentatonic scale through exercises 9–12, a foundational skill for electric guitar and improvisation within the alternate picking technique course.
Exercise #90:59
Practice exercise nine using one note per beat on the penultimate scale you just learned, reinforcing alternate picking technique for lead guitar.
Exercise #101:37
Master alternate picking in exercise 10 on the pentatonic scale, notes 1 to 3, and hear how right-hand variations change the sound.
Exercise #110:55
Practice exercise 11 from the lead guitar lesson focuses on three notes per tempo, applying alternate picking technique.
Exercise #121:04
Practice exercise 12 to maintain notes per tempo per beat with an always alternating pick. Keep the alternating picking pattern consistent to reinforce the technique.
Exercise #131:46
Practice exercises 13 to 16 by riffing on two strings, using alternate picking and the fingering 2–5–7–5.
Exercise #141:16
Practice exercise 14 focuses on distraction while refining the lead guitar alternate picking technique used in this lesson.
Comment about Palm Muting0:42
Explore palm muting in lead guitar by gently lifting the picking hand to release mute and let the note ring, reducing tension during practice.
Exercise #15 & 161:05
Advance your riffing from exercises 13 and 14 to 15 and 16, doubling speed with four notes per beat through the alternate picking technique.
How to clean up your sound2:37
Use your right hand to lightly rest on the strings after playing to mute unwanted ringing, so only the intended notes ring with a clean sound.
Final Thoughts1:44
Be patient and learn these exercises slowly to master alternate picking, then gradually increase speed. Pay attention to muscles in your right hand, and let your control transform your playing.

Requirements

You will need an electric guitar, a guitar pick, a guitar amp and a metronome.
You need to have some basic knowledge on electric guitar.
You will need to know how to read TABs as well.

Description

This lessons is one of the many lessons of my Lead Guitar Program, where my goal as instructor is to make you a lead guitar player. If you have some knowledge on music and guitar, if you consider yourself a beginner to intermediate level guitarist, Lead Guitar Program is for you!

On this program I will teach everything I use as a professional musician so you also can become a real Lead Guitarist. I will be straight to the point, with solid and practical information and techniques that will be part of your tool belt day-by-day.

Lead Guitar Program is design to get a beginner/intermediate level guitarist to become an advanced level guitarist.

On This Lesson

On this lessons we will cover one technique that is the fundament for for every lead guitar: the Alternate Picking Technique. I will show you in a very practical an easy way how to develop your this technique that it will become to you something as natural as walking.

I will talk from the basics like choosing a guitar pick and Palm Muting, and I will take through 16 different exercises that will make you capable to play like a lead guitarist you want to be.

Who this course is for:

Whoever wants to become a lead guitar player.
Whoever wants to get better on playing guitar, and would like to get to know how to become a lead electric player.
If you would like to bring your guitar playing to another level, you should take this course.
If you struggle with the Alternate Technique, this course will solve your problems for good.

Lead Guitar Lesson #2 - Alternate Picking Technique

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction and Instructions8 lectures • 15min

Exercises20 lectures • 41min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: