Inside picking

Alternate picking in which the pick moves between two strings on the inside, so it never has to cross over the intervening string.

Inside picking is the crossing where the last stroke on the lower string is an upstroke and the first stroke on the higher string is a downstroke, so the pick slides through the gap between the two strings rather than arcing over one of them. Because the motion is shorter and more direct it usually feels faster and cleaner than outside picking, which is why the same run can feel easy in one direction and awkward in the other. Recognising the difference is the first step to fixing it.

Example: A player who moves a fast pentatonic run up a string and finds it suddenly comfortable is benefiting from inside picking.

Inside picking

See also