Developing Fast Downpicking Guitar Exercise

This is a little exercise I came up with to improve my downpicking speed and dexterity. Be sure to always stretch before playing as to limber up the muscles so you don't sprain anything. This is my first video so I was a little nervous, but I think it's pretty thorough in explaining everything. I decided to make this video because the very few videos that I saw on downpicking weren't exactly helpful on developing speed, but more on technique. Questions are welcome.

And to clarify when I said downpicking at 108 bpm is the same as 216 bpm I meant downpicking 16th notes at 108 bpm is the same as 8th notes at 216 bpm. Also, after doing this excercise as I demonstrated you will have downpicked 2,400 times!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Guitar Exercise
• Fast Downpicking
• Metallica
• Master of Puppets
• Lesson

[drjakim]

if ur trying to develop fast downpicking, shud u just constantly keep pushing urself or is this a thing where u take it slow.

[jesusism]

@drjakim take it slow, trying to rush will only give you sloppy technique.

[Akerfeldtfan]

When you downpick, is your wrist twisting sideways, or upwards. Like, if you exaggerate the motion, would your palm be visible, or is it a purely horizontal motion? I'm working on relearning my picking technique right now and I'm sort of curious as to which way is correct

[jesusism]

@Akerfeldtfan hmmm...good question, hard to say since I rest my hand on the strings, I've seen some guy's that have their hand floating with their fingers out, but still manage to PM. Mine is slightly sideways, but it's how i position the pick thats perpendicular to the strings.

[Xx0Mystic0xX]

damn it i cant see anything

[jesusism]

@Xx0Mystic0xX try checking out my other down picking vid. what's important is the exercise. I explain it pretty thoroughly, and do it by ear.

[jesusism]

@joshhelvey only helps with alternate picking...

[dimlightbulb10]

@jesusism Not necessarily. I got really fast at down picking by pushing myself to do live Metallica songs.

[vladm1994]

@serdar213 I agree to this, I used to think that the lower you hold your guitar the harder it is to play but I find it terribly easy to play with your guitar low it feels like there's so much freedom. oh I wish my strap would go lower such as "hetfield low"

[serdar213]

Another Tip for downpicking is to release the strap as long as possible while standing.By this way,with widening the angle between your biceps and forearms ,you can move your wrist better and hit the note much powerfull without having a spasma in your shoulder.Look at James Hetfield and Kerry King.

[SuperSossossos]

plz answer does developing fast downpicking take months??? thx

[MrAmrax]

cant see a shit on this

[dechronic]

It's like you had me in mind when making that video...Metallica die hard, been playing about 10 months, lack downstroke speed for Puppets.....Great video, guess I need a metranome, and a month of pushing myself. I'll let you know bro, thanks alot.

[dante4d]

@Akerfeldtfan I find the sideways wrist motion the most awkward. I downpick using combination of up-down motion and wrist rotation. I also sometimes cheat using some finger movements, but that's probably bad. What I find hard about down-only is the need to lift the pick so I don't accidentaly alternate pick or gallop...