Improve Your Single String Picking

A common question I get from learner guitar players is “I can do the strumming, but I can’t do the picking, how do i improve that?”

A great song example of this is "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)" by Green Day - The strumming and chords are achievable but the picking is tricky and when introduced in the intro to that song it sounds great.

Exercise 1: Picking Hand (or fingerpick)

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• Fretting the G major chord

• Pick strings 6, 5 & 4 and back, 4 times each string

• Picking motion small

• Have each string ring out

• Even tone, even tempo

• Pick all down or try alternate picking

Exercise 2: Directional Picking (or fingerpick)

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Directional Picking means to pick in the direction of which ever string is next

• Fret a C chord

• Pick all down from strings 5, 4 & 3

• Then pick going back up from strings 2, 3 & 4

• Repeat by picking doing from string 5

• Tip is to think Down 3 times and up 3 times

• The arpeggio is in 6:8 time - Song example "Unchained Melody"

Why is this picking important?

Complex chords don't always sound 'better' than even the simplest Open Chord if we just strummed all the strings and notes of that chord; when we're playing we can isolate a single note while strumming and this can transform how 'good' or even how Intermediate our playing sounds right away.