Last week's post covered how there is no one "correct" right hand technique for bluegrass guitar when it comes to bracing, floating, single escape, double escape, and so on. But there is one clarification worth making.
There is only one picking technique that works: alternate picking.
Why Alternate Picking Is a Must
Regardless of how your right hand achieves it, alternate picking in bluegrass is a must. Down, up, down, up — to infinity and beyond.
There are maybe one or two exceptions to this rule, including crosspicking, where you can get away with a down, down, up pick stroke motion. But as a baseline, alternate picking is the foundation.
Whenever students want to improve their tone, accuracy, speed, and volume, the recommendation is the same: focus on alternate picking. For a small time investment on rudiments, you can get a lifetime of accuracy, tone, volume, and speed.
Do a Self-Audit
Be honest with yourself. Are you actually alternate picking? If not, the time is now.
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