20 Alternate Picking Exercises (with tabs and PDF)

Alternate Picking Cheat Sheet

• D = Downstroke
• U = Upstroke
• Keep your wrist relaxed & the pick slanted slightly downward
• Use small movements — no more than ¼ inch
• Start slow (60–80 BPM) and add 5–10 BPM as you master each tempo
• Use a metronome for every exercise
• Focus on clean tone before increasing speed
• Minimize string noise by lightly touching unused strings

Download the PDF version: Click here to download the 20 Alternate Picking Exercises (PDF)

These 20 alternate picking exercises build clean, controlled down–up technique across strings, positions, and rhythmic groupings. Each is short, loopable, and designed for measurable improvement.

1. Single-String Eighth Notes

Warm-up exercise. Focus on relaxed hand movement.

e|-----------------------------|
B|-----------------------------|
G|-----------------------------|
D|-----------------------------|
A|-0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0------|
E|-----------------------------|
     D  U  D  U  D  U  D  U

2. Single-String Sixteenth Notes

Builds stamina and precision.

A|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-------------|
     D U D U D U D U

3. Two-String Crossing (Adjacent)

Classic crossing drill.

D|-0-0-0-0---------------------|
A|--------0-0-0-0-------------|
     D U D U D U D U

4. Three-String Crossing

Train accuracy when changing strings quickly.

D|-0---------------|
A|----0------------|
E|--------0--------|
     D U D U D U

5. Chromatic 1–2–3–4

e|-1--2--3--4------------------|
   D  U  D  U

6. Reverse Chromatic 4–3–2–1

e|-4--3--2--1------------------|
   D  U  D  U

7. 1–3–2–4 Pattern

e|-1--3--2--4------------------|
   D  U  D  U

8. String-Skipping Octaves

Great for accuracy and hand coordination.

G|-2--2--2--2------------------|
D|-----------------------------|
A|-----------------------------|
E|-0--0--0--0------------------|
   D  U  D  U

9. 3-Note-Per-String Scale Run

E|-0--2--4---------------------|
   D  U  D

10. Pentatonic Alternate Picking

E|-0--3------------------------|
A|-0--2------------------------|
   D  U

11. Triplet Picking Pattern

E|-0--0--0---------------------|
    D  U  D

12. Ascending 4-Note Cells

E|-0--2--3--5------------------|
   D  U  D  U

13. Descending 4-Note Cells

E|-5--3--2--0------------------|
   D  U  D  U

14. Inside Picking Exercise

D|-0---------------------------|
A|----0------------------------|
   D  U

15. Outside Picking Exercise

D|----0------------------------|
A|-0---------------------------|
   D  U

16. Position-Shift Exercise

E|-0--2--5--7------------------|
   D  U  D  U

17. Open-String Crosspicking

G|-0---------------------------|
D|----0------------------------|
A|--------0--------------------|
   D  U  D

18. Tremolo Picking

E|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-------------|
   D U D U D U D U

19. Direction Change Drill

E|-0--2--0--2------------------|
   D  U  U  D

20. Accented Alternate Picking

Accent the first of every four notes.

E|-0--0--0--0------------------|
   D  U  D  U

Use these exercises daily to build clean, fast, controlled alternate picking. Start slow, stay relaxed, and keep the down–up motion consistent.