Having difficulty accurately flat picking strings


itsaplane7
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Joined: 03/22/22
Posts: 1
itsaplane7
Full Access
Joined: 03/22/22
Posts: 1
05/14/2022 4:56 am

I'm working on G, C, and D scales on my acoustic guitar, first strumming the chords for a 4 count measure, but then I'm having trouble accurately picking the [u]first[/u] string descending or ascending. For example, if it's a descending D scale I have trouble picking the 4th string (open, without looking); ascending on the same scale I have trouble picking the 2nd string (on the 3rd fret, again without looking).

After my hand finds the first string to pick, from there I'm usually pretty accurate.

These scales are part of the fundamentals tutorials but, truth is, I've been playing for years and this has been a consistent problem with various songs -- a lot of first-in-a-run strings mis-picked!

Thanks for the tips,

Eric


# 1
Rumble Walrus
Registered User
Joined: 12/30/20
Posts: 501
Rumble Walrus
Registered User
Joined: 12/30/20
Posts: 501
05/14/2022 12:41 pm

Hey Eric,

Perhaps you could try anchoring your hand or wrist in a different place.

Setup a metronome and run through a series of 4 beat measures where the root of those chords is the first, then first and 3rd beats of the measure, adjusting the speed as necessary.

[br]Last but not least - it sounds a bit weird but maybe try closing your eyes. Let non-visual cues guide you in. You'll be all over the place at first but if you find the right anchoring point and can be patient it may help.


# 2
ChristopherSchlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,328
ChristopherSchlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,328
05/14/2022 5:42 pm
Originally Posted by: itsaplane7

I'm working on G, C, and D scales on my acoustic guitar, first strumming the chords for a 4 count measure, but then I'm having trouble accurately picking the [u]first[/u] string descending or ascending.

It can be tricky to switch between strumming chords & picking single note lines mostly because of the size of the motion involved. Strumming chords is a wide motion, while picking single notes requires a much smaller, minimal motion.

Sounds like you are okay once you locate that first note! So, it seems like focusing on the transition is the problem to solve.

Try stumming any chord once, not a whole meaure, just one, once. Then pick one note (the first of the scale you are working on for example). Then repeat that as a isolated exercise. Don't add anything else until you get that much right consistently. Then you might add the rest of the scale, switching back to a chord strum.

It might help to anchor the side of your picking hand palm on the bridge or strings. Some people anchor their picking hand pinky on the body of the guitar below the strings for stability. You might experiement with that to see if it helps you.

But the most important part is repetitious practice on switching between the wide motion of the the strum & the much smaller, minimal motion of the pick. Work on getting that switch as precise as possible until it becomes second nature.

Root-chord motion is another example of using this technique. Anders covers this in quite a few tutorials. For example:

https://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=23619

I have some blues tutorials that focus on developing that type of technique.

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=170

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=918

Hope that helps!


Christopher Schlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor

Christopher Schlegel Lesson Directory
# 3

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