While I was on vacation...

[zbalz]

I went on vacation for 5 days last week and brought my guitar along to play around with while I was bored. I was doing some finger excercises and I decided to try alternate picking. Obviously, being Im new to it...I am horrible at it. So what I decided to try was doing the finger excercises with all UP strokes.

I had the impression that it was forming a bad habit to do finger excercises while doing all down strokes. So to try to balance it before going straight to alternate picking, I did a few days of all up strokes. It seems to be working well for me so far. I was just wondering everyones thoughts on this idea of mine.

-ZBalz

[StoneDragon]

My upstrokes are very weak compared to my downstrokes, so I often spend time working strictly upstrokes.

Once you graduate to alternate picking, it's a good idea to practice everything starting with an upstroke as well as with a downstroke.

One of the tricks to learning alternate picking is to concentrate on only a few notes at a time rather than trying to play too much at once. Just concentrate on getting into the feeling of your hand going down-up down-up in a steady rhythm.

[MrSamson]

A new idea for a different exercise...

Oh, and lets not forget out metronome...

[zbalz]

pssh...you guys and your metronomes http://www.zentao.com/ubb/smilies/smile.gif ...is it really THAT helpful? i havent used it yet (well i tried once and i did NOT like it). Well...maybe Ill end up regretting not using it in a few months when my fingerpicking timing is totally off. heh.

-Zbalz

[MrSamson]

I avoided the metronome for my first 9 months...I thought it was pointless as well, then when I finally forced myself to use it...and I think I was finally ready to give it an honest try...it has helped immensely.

I address this in my lesson review pages...if you are not ready for a metronome and it makes practice a drag...etc...by all means, in my opinion, do not use it...have fun instead.

I cannot remember how long you said you have been playing...but if you are fairly new, then metronome should seem pointless, just give it a try, and one day...bam!!!

If you are like me anyway.

Bottom line....keep strumming!!

http://www.zentao.com/ubb/smilies/devil.gif