Chapter 7: Picking Like a Pro – Alternate Picking, Palm Muting, and More

If you want to sound smooth and confident when you play guitar, your picking hand must keep up with your fretting hand. In this chapter, you develop the picking-hand control that makes riffs groove and solos sing. With a focus on alternate picking, palm muting, triplet phrasing, legato, and economy picking, you build the technique that forms the backbone of great guitar playing. This includes various strategies for applying pentatonic scale patterns to improve your tone, speed, and fluidity. These exercises are fun, challenging, and most importantly, practical.

How to Hold the Pick

Before diving into exercises, ensure you hold the pick so it supports both accuracy and comfort. Keep the following basics in mind:

• Use a medium or heavy pick for better tone and control.
• Hold the pick between your thumb and index finger. Some players, like Eddie Van Halen, involve the middle finger, too.
• Turn the pick slightly clockwise and slant it downward to reduce friction as it contacts the strings.
• Anchor part of your picking hand—either the heel or forearm—on the guitar body for stability.

Alternate Picking Basics

As you play through pentatonic scale patterns, alternate picking—down-up-down-up—feels natural since there are two notes per string. Practicing this across all five positions builds speed and coordination, and it’s something you can do right away without needing a notation example. Simply play up and down the pentatonic patterns using alternate picking to get started.

Mastering String Noise Control

As you work through the pentatonic patterns and exercises in this chapter, it’s important to focus on controlling unwanted string noise. You do this in two main ways. First, use your picking hand to rest lightly on unused strings, keeping them muted. Second, use your fretting hand to help with noise control by lightly touching adjacent strings. This involves slightly flattening your fingers while fretting notes so they mute neighboring strings and prevent them from ringing.

At first, this might feel like it goes against what you were taught when learning open chords, where you’re told to use your fingertips to avoid touching other strings. But when playing single-note lead lines, the opposite often applies. Constant string contact becomes essential for muting, especially at louder volumes, where even a little noise or feedback can quickly make your playing sound messy.

Double Down on Picking Precision

In Figure 7-1, you play an alternate-picked riff in A minor pentatonic Pattern 1 at the 5th position. Each note is double-picked as you move through the scale in a riff-like fashion. This exercise gives you a great opportunity to tighten up your alternate picking and improve your string-crossing technique, all while building coordination between your picking and fretting hands. You hear a similar idea at 1:09 in “We Got the Beat” by The Go-Go’s. Listen to my example in Audio Track 7-1.

Reading Pickstroke Symbols

When reading Figure 7-1, you notice small symbols between the tablature and standard notation that indicate pick direction. A downward pickstroke is shown with a squared-off symbol that looks like a staple or pair of eighth notes, while an upward pickstroke uses a “V” shape. These markings guide your picking hand—downstrokes move from the lower-pitched strings toward the higher ones, and upstrokes move in the opposite direction. You often find these symbols in exercises designed to develop specific picking techniques, such as alternate picking or economy picking.

Palm Muting and Melodic Patterns

In Figure 7-2, you play a melodic pattern in B minor pentatonic using palm-muted downstrokes. Instead of simply ascending or descending through the scale step by step, this pattern “leapfrogs” through the notes—for example, turning 1-2-3-4-5 into 1-3-2-4-3-5, and so on. Palm muting is achieved by resting the edge of your picking hand near the bridge to slightly dampen the strings. The goal is to tighten the sound without muting the pitch entirely—find the sweet spot where the notes remain clear but controlled. This technique is indicated with “P.M.” above the tablature. You may need to open up or reposition your picking hand to find the right palm mute placement. You hear a similar effect at 1:39 and 2:06 in “(I Just) Died in Your Arms” by Cutting Crew. Listen to my example in Audio Track 7-2.

Triplet Phrasing

In Figure 7-3, you play a popular melodic pattern in E minor pentatonic using three-note groupings. Descending, the sequence follows a 1-2-3, 2-3-4, 3-4-5 pattern. Ascending, the sequence is often preceded by a pickup note, forming a pattern like 2-1-2, 3-2-3, 4-3-4, and so on (notice how, after the initial note, it becomes 1-2-3, 2-3-4, etc.). This ascending variation tends to flow more naturally when moving up the scale. You can hear both variations used at 1:40 and 2:02 in “Good Times Bad Times” by Led Zeppelin. Listen to my example in Audio Track 7-3.

Outside and Inside Picking

When playing triplet patterns using strict alternate picking, your initial pickstroke—down or up—affects how you cross strings and whether you use what’s known as outside picking or inside picking. To understand this, consider the triplets in Figure 7-3 grouped in sets of 6 (1-2-3-2-3-4) and as moving between string pairs: first between strings 1 and 2, then between strings 2 and 3, and so on. Starting with a downstroke causes your pick to strike each new string from the outside of the string pair. Starting with an upstroke causes your pick to move from inside the string pair.

Some players find one approach easier than the other, so feel free to experiment. If you prefer starting with a downstroke and using outside picking, a downward pick slant typically works best. If you prefer starting with an upstroke and using inside picking, an upward pick slant better aligns with the picking path. Small technical adjustments like these can make a big difference—and often separate smooth, efficient players from those who struggle with consistency.

Playing Legato

In Figure 7-4, you play the same melodic triplet pattern from the previous figure, but most of the pickstrokes are replaced with hammer-ons and pull-offs. This creates a smoother, more fluid sound known as legato. While it eases the burden on your picking hand, it demands more precision and control from your fretting hand. Simplifying the role of your picking hand by eliminating pickstrokes and shifting the work to your fretting hand can make fast passages easier to play. Listen to my example in Audio Track 7-4.

When playing through Figure 7-4, the pickstrokes you use (down or up) on the picked notes are up to you. Since these notes fall on string changes, your choice depends on whether you prefer inside or outside picking. Think back to what felt more natural in Figure 7-3, and use the approach that gives you the most fluid motion and control. The same goes for the fingers you use to fret the notes—choose what feels comfortable and keeps the phrase smooth.

When and where to use legato is entirely up to you. Some players prefer a more picked, articulate sound, while others lean into legato for its ease and flowing quality. If you listen closely to Jimmy Page’s playing on “Good Times Bad Times”—and consult an accurate tab transcription—you’ll notice he doesn’t pick every note in his triplet sequences. He often relies on legato to smooth things out.

Picking Strategy Options

In Figure 7-5, you play a descending A minor pentatonic run in the 5th position, similar to the run at 5:56 in “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin. You repeat the line three times using different picking strategies to explore your options and build versatility. Pay attention to the pickstroke symbols in the tablature for each pass—they show exactly how the picking changes from one variation to the next.

Pass 1: Start with a downstroke and use strict alternate picking.

Pass 2: Start with an upstroke and use strict alternate picking—note how string crossings feel different.

Pass 3: Start with an upstroke and use strict alternate picking—except when moving from string 4 to 3 and 5 to 4, where you sweep a single downstroke across both strings. This allows you to pick both notes with one smooth motion, saving effort and maintaining momentum. It also sets you up to consistently begin each new string with a downstroke, which improves flow and efficiency. Combining sweep strokes like this with alternate picking is known as economy picking.

Pass 4: Eliminate many of the pickstrokes by using pull-offs. This approach demands less from your picking hand, which can make the run feel smoother and easier to execute. It may be your preferred method if you like the sound of legato phrasing and feel more in control relying on your fretting hand for speed and fluidity.

Conclusion

Picking technique is a key part of your sound. It involves more than just alternating strokes—your hand position, attack, picking strategy, and use of articulation all factor in. This chapter introduced you to alternate picking, palm muting, triplet phrasing, legato playing, and economy picking. You learned how to hold the pick effectively, anchor your hand, and choose the right picking approach for the phrase you’re playing. You also explored the difference between inside and outside picking and saw how that impacts your movement across the strings.

As you move forward, pay attention to your picking choices. Smooth playing often comes down to good planning. Don’t be afraid to favor one type of picking or use legato to make fast lines easier to play. Take time with these exercises and apply the concepts often—your picking hand will thank you.

📘 Glossary

Melodic pattern – A repeating sequence of notes played in a specific order within a scale, such as 1-3, 2-4, 3-5 or 1-2-3, 2-3-4, 3-4-5.

Inside and outside picking – Inside picking occurs when you alternate pick between two strings by moving the pick between them. Outside picking occurs when your pick approaches the string pair from the outside. Your choice of starting stroke (down or up) influences which one you use.

Economy picking – A technique that combines alternate picking with sweep picking to minimize hand motion and make string transitions smoother.

Access the Free Online Resources

Head to Lead Guitar Unlocked – Free Audio & Video Resources on Teachable to listen to this chapter’s audio tracks.

🚀 What’s Next: Build Killer Guitar Licks

In Chapter 8, you take everything you’ve learned about pentatonic shapes and playing techniques and apply it to building killer guitar licks. Get ready to go beyond patterns and make your guitar speak.