--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A good way to work on alternate picking…" description: "\"A good way to work on alternate picking is to choose three or four notes, and work on those. Too often, players who are trying to improve their right h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3e/al-di-meola-101047_dexterity_a-good-way-to-work-on-alternate-picking_1828990.jpg" --- # A good way to work on alternate picking is to choose three… ![“A good way to work on alternate picking is to choose three or four notes, and work on those. Too often, players who are trying to improve their right hand dexterity get hung up by playing too many notes with the left hand.I hear a lot of players running whole scales from the sixth string to the…” quote by Al Di Meola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3e/al-di-meola-101047_dexterity_a-good-way-to-work-on-alternate-picking_1828990.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3e/al-di-meola-101047_dexterity_a-good-way-to-work-on-alternate-picking_1828990.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3e/al-di-meola-101047_dexterity_a-good-way-to-work-on-alternate-picking_1828990.jpg) > “A good way to work on alternate picking is to choose three or four notes, and work on those. Too often, players who are trying to improve their right hand dexterity get hung up by playing too many notes with the left hand.I hear a lot of players running whole scales from the sixth string to the first , and playing them really sloppy.Keeping it very basic-and using only a few notes-and playing slowly with perfect rhythm is a task in itself.” [Al Di Meola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-di-meola/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Focusing on a few notes and slow, precise practice builds solid technique for alternate picking. **In simple terms:** Practice slowly with few notes for better skill. Key Takeaway Start simple, increase speed gradually. Themes music practice technique guitar dexterity Mood determined patient Type Dexterity:1 Firsts:0 Four:0 Good way:0 Hands:0 Hung:0 Left:0 Left hand:0 Musician:0 Notes:0 Perfect:0 Picking:0 Player:0 Rhythm:0 Right hand:0 Running:0 Scales:0 Sloppy:0 Song:0 Strings:0 Tasks:0 Three:0 Trying:0 Way:0 Whole:0 Playing Notes:0 Playing Slowly:0 Alternate Picking:0 Picking Choose:0 When to use this quote - guitar lessons - personal practice routines - music education Key Concepts incremental learning muscle memory focus Questions to Reflect On - How many notes will you master each week? - What tempo will you set for perfect rhythm? A Different Perspective Progress may feel slow initially. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alternate Picking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alternate-picking-2257511/) [Dexterity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dexterity/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Four](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/four/) [Good way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-way/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hung/) [Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left/) [Left hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left-hand/) [Musician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musician/) [Notes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notes/) [Perfect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect/) [Picking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/picking/) [Picking Choose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/picking-choose-2257512/) [Player](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/player/) [Playing Notes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-notes-1336572/) [Playing Slowly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-slowly-1774673/) [Rhythm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhythm/) [Right hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-hand/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Scales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scales/) [Sloppy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sloppy/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Strings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strings/) [Tasks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tasks/) [Three](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) ## Related quotes > [By playing slowly during the early phases of a game I am able to grasp the basic requirements of each position. 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It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-trucks/my-favorite-artists-are-able-to-take-things-to-the-edge-or-just-over/) [Derek Trucks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-trucks/) > [That's what it is that you rehearse - the making of music, not the playing of notes as abstractions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-caldwell/that-s-what-it-is-that-you-rehearse-the-making-of-music-not-the/) [Sarah Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-caldwell/) > [It was like a musician playing notes. Everything we trained worked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wladimir-klitschko/it-was-like-a-musician-playing-notes-everything-we-trained-worked/) [Wladimir Klitschko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wladimir-klitschko/) > [If you stopped playing notes, Music would still exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-wooten/if-you-stopped-playing-notes-music-would-still-exist/) [Victor Wooten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-wooten/) > [Some aim to be deft, others to be laboriously careful. Neither dexterity nor conscientiousness is enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chai-lu/some-aim-to-be-deft-others-to-be-laboriously-careful-neither/) [Chai Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chai-lu/) > [If a shot aimed at aptness succeeds aptly, it is then fully apt, since it is not only apt but also aptly apt. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-sosa/if-a-shot-aimed-at-aptness-succeeds-aptly-it-is-then-fully-apt-since/) [Ernest Sosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-sosa/) > [This great increase of the quantity of work which, in consequence of the division of labour, the same number of people are capable of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/this-great-increase-of-the-quantity-of-work-which-in-consequence-of/) [Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/) > [It is only with prudence, sagacity, and much dexterity that great aims are accomplished, and all obstacles surmounted. Otherwise nothing is accomplished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/it-is-only-with-prudence-sagacity-and-much-dexterity-that-great-aims/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [A big business man was telling Henry Ford about a coach driver of super-expertness with his whip. The driver was telling how he could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-c-forbes/a-big-business-man-was-telling-henry-ford-about-a-coach-driver-of/) [B. C. Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-c-forbes/) > [I hate to paint portraits! I hope never to paint another portrait in my life. Portraiture may be all right for a man in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-singer-sargent/i-hate-to-paint-portraits-i-hope-never-to-paint-another-portrait-in/) [John Singer Sargent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-singer-sargent/) > [“It is almost possible to measure a writer's skill by the dexterity with which he repeats, and yet avoids monotony.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-g-williams/it-is-almost-possible-to-measure-a-writer-s-skill-by-the-dexterity/) [George G. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-g-williams/) > [Art, if it is successful in the task of questioning reality, if it is good painting and not merely a performance of dexterity, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-swift/art-if-it-is-successful-in-the-task-of-questioning-reality-if-it-is/) [Patrick Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-swift/) ## More by Al Di Meola > [Forget about every other lesson in the book. You have to be able to tap your foot or else none of what you doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-di-meola/forget-about-every-other-lesson-in-the-book-you-have-to-be-able-to/) [Al Di Meola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-di-meola/) [Explore all 2 Al Di Meola quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-di-meola/) ## More Dexterity quotes > [Art, if it is successful in the task of questioning reality, if it is good painting and not merely a performance of dexterity, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-swift/art-if-it-is-successful-in-the-task-of-questioning-reality-if-it-is/) [Patrick Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-swift/) > [“It is almost possible to measure a writer's skill by the dexterity with which he repeats, and yet avoids monotony.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-g-williams/it-is-almost-possible-to-measure-a-writer-s-skill-by-the-dexterity/) [George G. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-g-williams/) > [I hate to paint portraits! I hope never to paint another portrait in my life. Portraiture may be all right for a man in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-singer-sargent/i-hate-to-paint-portraits-i-hope-never-to-paint-another-portrait-in/) [John Singer Sargent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-singer-sargent/) > [A big business man was telling Henry Ford about a coach driver of super-expertness with his whip. The driver was telling how he could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-c-forbes/a-big-business-man-was-telling-henry-ford-about-a-coach-driver-of/) [B. C. Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-c-forbes/) > [It is only with prudence, sagacity, and much dexterity that great aims are accomplished, and all obstacles surmounted. Otherwise nothing is accomplished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/it-is-only-with-prudence-sagacity-and-much-dexterity-that-great-aims/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [This great increase of the quantity of work which, in consequence of the division of labour, the same number of people are capable of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/this-great-increase-of-the-quantity-of-work-which-in-consequence-of/) [Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/) > [If a shot aimed at aptness succeeds aptly, it is then fully apt, since it is not only apt but also aptly apt. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-sosa/if-a-shot-aimed-at-aptness-succeeds-aptly-it-is-then-fully-apt-since/) [Ernest Sosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-sosa/) > [Some aim to be deft, others to be laboriously careful. Neither dexterity nor conscientiousness is enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chai-lu/some-aim-to-be-deft-others-to-be-laboriously-careful-neither/) [Chai Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chai-lu/) > [He who asks fortune-tellers the future unwittingly forfeits an inner intimation of coming events that is a thousand times more exact than anything they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-benjamin/he-who-asks-fortune-tellers-the-future-unwittingly-forfeits-an-inner/) [Walter Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-benjamin/) > [With Head Off & Split, Nikky Finney establishes herself as one of the most eloquent, urgent, fearless and necessary poets writing in America today.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-dawes/with-head-off-split-nikky-finney-establishes-herself-as-one-of-the/) [Kwame Dawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-dawes/) > [“True artists do not create to fish for compliments and praises. They create to express the love they have for their craft.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/true-artists-do-not-create-to-fish-for-compliments-and-praises-they/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [Watching a dog try to chew a large piece of toffee is a pastime fit for gods. Mr. Fusspot's mixed ancestry had given him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/watching-a-dog-try-to-chew-a-large-piece-of-toffee-is-a-pastime-fit/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Slowly, but very deliberately, the brooding edifice of seduction, creaking and incongruous, came into being, a vast Heath Robinson mechanism, dually controlled by them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-powell/slowly-but-very-deliberately-the-brooding-edifice-of-seduction/) [Anthony Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-powell/) > [In populous cities, which are the seat of commerce and manufactures, the middle ranks of inhabitants, who derive their subsistence from the dexterity or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/in-populous-cities-which-are-the-seat-of-commerce-and-manufactures/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [What passes in the world for talent or dexterity or enterprise is often only a want of moral principle. We may succeed where others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/what-passes-in-the-world-for-talent-or-dexterity-or-enterprise-is/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) [Browse all 57 Dexterity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dexterity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A good way to work on alternate picking is to choose three or four notes, and work on those. 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