How can you tell which picking motion you’re using?

Understanding your own technique is a pretty sophisticated challenge. The complex motor skills used to play musical instruments are learned subconsciously, primarily through sound and touch. Most of the time, you’re only likely to recognize what those motions actually look like after you’ve learned them. But even the players we interview frequently tell us they’re not aware of the exact motions they use.

So in this section we’ve put together a comprehensive guide to the most common picking motions in popular use. We’ll cover what to look for and listen for in your own technique, and the techniques of others, to spot them with accuracy.

As you develop this ability, you’ll be much smarter at avoiding the confusion that arises as your hands naturally experiment with different techniques during the learning process. And you’ll also avoid stringhopping and other problems that arise from trying to match motions with phrases they weren’t designed for.

So if you’re ready to level-up your picking technique detective abilities, let’s get started!