String picking problem

That is not an abnormal problem for a beginner. It is very difficult finding the right string or strings especially when you are paying attention to two hands.

One of the reasons that people emphasis practicing scales is that one of the things you learn to FEEL where the strings are.

Scales are the best way to 1) learn the notes on the neck, 2) exercise you fret hand, and 3) get the FEEL for where the strings are with your picking hand.

Practice is the key. Pick a basic scale that starts with open strings and start slow and suddenly your speed and controls with improve.

A good exercise I liked was to start with the 6th string (low E) pick it open, fret the first fret and pick it, pick it open again, fret the 2nd fret and pick it, pick it open again, fret the 3rd fret and pick it, pick it open again, fret the 4th fret and pick it. Now move to the 5th string and do the same, then the 4th until you get thru the 1st (high E). By the way, finger the first fret with your index (1), 2nd with the middle (2), 3rd with the ring (3), and the 4th fret with the pinkie (4).

I worked out several exercises to help me get past that. One I played alot while watching the news (kept my eyes off the strings) was - fretting the strings anywhere you like, pick the 6th string, 5th string, 6th, 4th, 6, 3, 6, 2, 6, 1, 5, 4, 5, 3 and so on up the strings. Then starting with the 1st, 2, 1, 3 and so on.

In time your hand will remember.

Thanks for the advice so far! I've been trying to develop some practices of my own for learning the strings, but any others you might have will be helpful as well.

Here's another one that's a bit more fun to play (ie: it sounds better). Also helps with maintaining a steady rythym.

These are all played as 16th notes, and I've indicated the pick direction (D=down, U=up) over the first measure but it's repeated throughout.


D U D U D U D U D U D U D U D U
|---0-0-0----0-0-0----0-0-0----0-0-0-
|------------------------------------
|------------------------------------
|----------------------------0-------
|-0--------2--------3----------------
|------------------------------------

|---0-0-0----0-0-0----0-0-0----0-0-0-
|------------------------------------
|------------------------------------
|----------------------------0-------
|-0--------3--------0----------------
|------------------------------------


One key to developing quickly on guitar (or anything else, really) is to isolate the problem, solve it, and then integrate your new skill. With the problem of hitting the right string with the pick, that's ALL you should focus on in an exercise... try something like this:

Without looking at your picking hand, you'll pick each string by number - 6 is the low E, 1 is high E.

6 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6

When you've got that down, try two strokes per string:

6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6

Then try string skipping:

6 5 6 4 6 3 6 2 6 1 6 2 6 3 6 4 6 5 4 5 3 5 2 5 1 5 2 5 3 5 4 3 4 2 4 1 etc.

That'll help develop the small motor skills that you need for picking. Do them at a slow temp, and concentrate on how your hand feels - don't tense up, just really focus on what your hand is doing. Then try to pick up the tempo a bit.

Once you're confident with exercises like these, then add the fretting hand. The notes won't matter as much as coordination between the hands - you can use scales, or chromatics (each note 1 fret higher or lower than the last), or patterns like this:

-----------------------3-
-----------------3---2---
-----------3---2---1-----
-----3---2---1-----------
---2---1-----------------
-1-----------------------