A guitar newbie speed picking exercise for your right hand. Uses DGCGCD open tuning.

Even if it's a little repetitive, remember the point is to keep practicing until you're comfortable picking at speed.

Left hand notes are kept to a minimum to allow you to concentrate more on what your right hand should be doing!

The key to speed picking is to keep your wrist in permanent down / up motion. Apply the downstroke / upstroke / downstroke / upstroke / downstroke / upstroke (etc) constantly...even across strings...ESPECIALLY across strings. The temptation is very often to start each new string with a downstroke. This breaks the flow at higher playing speeds. Even if you wish to 'miss' out a note for a beat in a fast run, still move your wrist as if to play the string, but miss it. Resume playing the next note with the following stroke.

In other words - on fast runs, don't pause your hand because you a) are going to move to a different string or b) you are to miss out a note in the run. Keep the wrist in motion.

This way you will keep rhythm even at breakneck speed.

If you practice this way from the start, you will find you can concentrate more on your left hand actions (notes you want to play), because your right hand will naturally 'know' with which stroke it will be hitting strings with. Speed Picking is all about economy of movement. Read our articles on speed picking to learn more!