Improve your picking and the J-Curve 🎶🎸

Published 4 months ago • 1 min read

Hello Reader,

How has your guitar practice been going? Learning anything new?

Let's talk alternate picking!

The J-Curve

The J-curve describes the typical path of a corrective technique or action from initial loss to dramatic gain over time. Essentially.. Things might get worse before they get better.

You could apply the J-Curve concept to all kinds of things in everyday life… but let’s apply to it alternate picking.

Phase 1: Where you might be now…

You can alternate pick at slow tempos.
Overall alternate picking is inconsistent and often double downs and ups happen by accident.
Motion is deliberate and/or tense.
String changes feel awkward “muscled through”

Functional but inefficient. There’s a ceiling and it’s not very high. Your limited on the music you can play and struggle with complicate passages.

Phase 2: The Dip (The J-Curve Bottom)

You buckle down and correct picking technique.
Strict alternate picking through chords, scales, and arpeggios during practice.
Better pick angle or escape motion.
Less force, more efficiency. Slower results, maybe even slower than before.

Accuracy drops, speed falls, timing feels awkward.
This isn’t failure!—it’s your brain running a new motor program without automation.. yet.

Phase 3: The Rise

With correct reps and a solid guitar practice routine picking motion becomes automatic.
Tension disappears.
String changes clean up and become fluid and natural.
Speed returns far beyond your old limits with less effort.

Alternate picking starts to feel easy instead of forced.

You no longer think about picking, you’re just doing it. It’s as natural as breathing. This is the goal!

Practice Routines

"...The 7 Day Routine took me a good 2 months to get under my fingers but after almost a year I had to change my review from 4 to 5 stars. The results are incredible and I'm 10x the guitarist I was a year ago..."
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Shane A. Amazon Review

Until Next Time!, Guitarist & Author - Craig Smith

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Lifein12Keys.com & GuitarPractice.Pro
3825 Swanfalls Ter. Sanford, FL 32771

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