Holding the Pick
- Always point the pick directly down towards the guitar
- Do not allow it to spin while picking
- Make sure your grip is comfortable
- Make sure you have a firm grip
- Rest your forearm on the guitar for stability and comfort
Sweep Picking
I'll just show you how it is done on a scale. It takes practice to develop speed with this, but this is the fastest way to pick once you get accustomed to it. This technique is similar to alternate picking which you alternate upstroke and downstroke on each note. The diagram below shows a C major scale. A downstroke is when you strum towards the floor. An upstoke is when you strum towards the ceiling.
^=downstroke v=upstroke
Chord Strumming
Strumming with an upstroke and downstroke sound slightly different even though you're strumming the same chord. This is because you pluck the strings in a different order. The different sounds of the same chord are called voicings, but that really isn't too important right now. Try it and you'll hear a slight difference in the sound of the chord.