In this quick lesson I’m giving you a dead-simple alternate picking fix you can run every single day. I set the metronome to 120—and yes, that’s non-negotiable—because consistency plus a steady click is what actually moves the needle. The exercise starts with a basic power chord shape anywhere on the neck (I demo it on the D and G strings) and you’re just going down-up on quarter notes first. The goal isn’t “just hit the notes”—it’s to relax and control the motion. The big takeaway: stop attacking the strings like you’re trying to dig a trench. I keep the pick light, I play on the top of the string instead of plowing through it, and I keep the movements small. Once quarter notes feel easy and smooth, I bump it to eighth notes. From there, you can apply the same concept to different string sets and patterns—like an octave-style move (B string to D string)—while paying attention to inside vs outside picking. If you’re consistent with this, you’ll feel your picking clean up fast, because it’s exactly what helped me get my alternate picking together.