Originally Posted by: sbornstein7203

Hello.

I am doing the G Major scale up and down and I seem to be comfortable as I hit the notes picking up and down, is that not something I should do and always pick going down the string? I feel like I have better control and speed when using up and down the strings?

Thanks really enjoying the course from Lisa.

Lisa is always so helpful.

There is a short answer to your question; picking upwards and downwards is not a problem at all. It's called alternate picking. That is to say; alternating between up and down strokes. As a matter of fact, it is a recommended method of picking consectutive notes when playing solos etc. There is an economy of movement in doing this and helps you play more smoothly?

Is alternate picking a hardwired 'rule'? No. It's just a good practice for a lot of different things you do when you're playing. It is one of the picking tools you have but it is an important tool. You will learn as you go that while learning scales makes alternate picking make sense, when you learn solos to songs, players will vary picking techniques. It's not really how the player thought out the solo so much as when playing or creating the solo, the player just applied one technique or another or both are all in a way that felt natural.

If you're practicing scales and alternate picking them? Good job!