What Is Alternate Picking?

Alternate Picking refers to a type of picking, usually with a flat-pick (which is a regular guitar pick), where the stroke direction alternates between up and down. Many guitarists struggle with this technique because it is very taxing and requires a lot of practice to develop the coordination and stamina.

Many people assume that the fretting fingers need to be quick for a guitarist to play fast, but the main difficulty for speed actually comes from the picking hand. Even if the picking is fast, the fingers can usually keep up relatively easily.