Attention: Future Alternate Picking Monsters...

"If You Are New To Alternate Picking (And You're Willing To Practice For Just 20 Minutes A Day), Then Here's How You Can Quickly Start Unleashing Your Ultimate Picking Potential Today..."

FROM: Craig Bassett

Dear fellow guitar fanatic,

Before you read further, I need to say this...

What you are about to discover, is definitely NOT for everyone.

Because of this, we need to get a few quick questions out of the way. (That way you'll be able to find out as soon as possible whether or not this is for you).

Please ask yourself the following questions...

• Am I currently able to alternate pick with the speed, fluidity, and skill that I truly desire?
• Do I have a clear, specific and step-by-step plan to develop my alternate picking skills?
• Am I currently practicing in such a way that truly maximizes my alternate picking progress?

If you answered "Yes" to all three questions, then you DON'T need to read any further.

Still with me? Cool...let's get started...

We'll be covering quite a lot of stuff. But I invite you to read every word carefully. That way you'll be able to accurately judge how I can help you improve your alternate picking...

Do Any Of These Problems Sound Familiar?

 You are unsure exactly how to use your metronome for maximum results. You've probably already read about the value of using a metronome. But many guitarists don't know how to effectively use them. And this lack of understanding how to use such a useful practice tool can definitely slow down progress to a slow crawl.

You feel overwhelmed by the vast number of alternate picking exercises. There are literally hundreds (if not thousands) of alternate picking exercises you could practice. So how do you know which ones are going to benefit you the most? And how do you know which ones are just a waste of time? This lack of certainty about what to practice can definitely make you feel unmotivated to practice hard.

 You don't have a step-by-step plan to follow that you KNOW will work. Most books, websites and DVDs give you lots of alternate picking exercises to practice, but virtually no advice on HOW to practice those exercises. This lack of detailed instructions can definitely make it hard for you to progress quickly.

You have trouble with alternate picking at fast speeds. Many guitarists can alternate pick accurately at slow speeds, but lack the ability to pick fast. Their hands get out of synch which makes the picking sound choppy, unsmooth and amateurish.

 You often feel like you've hit a brick wall with your alternate picking progress. Guitar players often hit a certain level with their alternate picking, but then they get stuck. Their ability reaches a certain level, but then it stays there. To make matters worse, some guitarists never learn to bust out of their plateau. They have the desire to get better, but are not sure how to improve.

Your alternate picking lacks consistency. Many guitarists find that they sometimes hit the wrong strings when they pick. And this causes them to have to look at their picking hand when they play. And this can definitely make you feel less confident about your abilities as a guitarist.

Your alternate picking technique is not effortless yet. It can be really frustrating seeing your favorite guitarists alternate picking with such precision, fluidity and skill...but at the same time feeling that you lack the talent to play like they do. Often guitar players see players they admire but have no idea what specific steps they need to take to start developing a similar level of alternate picking ability.

If you can relate to any of the above problems, then you are definitely not alone. I've met many guitarists who feel the same way. Heck...when I was first learning to alternate picking, I had the same problems! :-)

If These Alternate Picking Problems Are So Common, What's The Solution?

When I first started playing lead guitar I bought a whole bunch of books and videos on guitar technique. I'm not exactly sure how many...but I know it was a LOT!

And although many of them covered alternate picking technique, they didn't tell me what I wanted to learn...

Specific details on HOW to practice alternate picking.

They usually gave a whole bunch of alternate picking exercises but gave very little instruction on how to practice those exercises. They gave very general advice like...

• Start out slow, and gradually speed up.
• Use a metronome.

The truth is, I found most of the advice in the books and videos mostly useless. (And the players on the videos often seemed more interested in showing off than teaching!).

And I know I'm not alone...

Many of the guitarists who start lessons with me have felt the same frustration with the books and DVDs that they've bought. They felt like the books and DVDs told them WHAT to practice, but gave no valuable advice on HOW to practice. And this is crazy because...

The truth is that NO alternate picking exercise will work if you don't know how to practice it in an effective way.

Which Is Why I Created The Alternate Picking Fast Start System...

The Alternate Picking Fast Start System is a intensive 12-month online course aimed at electric guitarists serious about getting good at alternate picking.

If you are new to alternate picking and would like to maximize your progress, then it may be for you.

What I've done with this course is to reveal some valuable information and practice strategies that will...

• Help you learn how to use a metronome in an effective way.
• Improve your timing dramatically.
• Help you to understand how to effectively program your muscle memory.
• Safely and effectively increase your alternate picking speed.
• Help you to understand some very important picking mechanics that need to be mastered in order to become an excellent alternate picker.
• Help you develop a rock-solid foundation of alternate picking technique that will help you progress to a more advanced level.

What The Alternate Picking Fast Start System Is Comprised Of...

 Initial Testing

Before you start doing intensive practice on alternate picking it is critical to test your current level.

Why?

For a few reasons...

1. It allows you to make an honest appraisal of your current level. You need to be able to clearly see what your strengths and weaknesses are. It is especially important to find out what your weaknesses are. Many guitarists often neglect working on their weaknesses because they aren't aware of them. (For example: I'm sure you've probably heard guitarists who have lousy timing, but they aren't aware of it!).
2. It allows you to know where to focus your energy. Many guitar players have extremely limited free time to practice. By knowing your weaknesses you can focus most of your practice time on areas where you are weak.
3. It allows you to accurately gauge your progress. If you know your current level of alternate ability you are able to use it as a benchmark. Over the months and years you can compare your new level to that of your starting out level. In other words, you can see proof that you are getting better.

You discover the 3 specific methods needed to accurately test your current level. This allows you to progress much faster, because you'll know what specific things you need to focus on.

You'll learn to evaluate just how good your current timing is. By looking at four specific measurements you'll discover whether-or-not you have crippling timing weaknesses that need addressing. (Often guitarists never find out about these weaknesses, and this causes them to progress at an extremely slow rate!).

You'll discover how often you need to test your alternate picking to maximize your progress. (This is essential information, because if you get this wrong it can cause you to feel discouraged and unmotivated!).

Basic Timing Exercises

Timing is critical. To put it bluntly, guitar players with bad timing suck!

OK...maybe that's a bit harsh. :-)

But you probably already realize that all the alternate picking greats have awesome timing. And if you want to play like them, then you'll need to develop awesome timing as well!

 You'll gain an understanding of some essential rhythmic theory. Understanding this theory will help you to alternate pick with more accuracy, control and confidence.

 You'll develop a strong timing foundation that will enable you to learn to alternate pick at fast speeds. I've noticed over the years that the better my students get at timing, the faster they can play.

You'll discover how to play in time when using a metronome. This will allow you to confidently use a metronome in a way that will maximize your progress.

You'll learn to master six basic timing exercises. These will help you to fine-tune your rhythmic perception. And this improved rhythmic perception will allow you to play with greater accuracy, more control and increase your ability to play faster.

I should point out now that timing is probably one of the most critical parts of alternate picking. And the more you work on it, the better your alternate picking will get. Let me explain why. Please check out the diagram below...

When you alternate pick you are essentially doing two things...

• Making left hand movements. (I'm assuming you are playing fretted notes rather than just open strings).
• Making right hand movements.

Simple enough huh?

Well, unfortunately a third variable makes it much more challenging. And that third variable is timing. The real challenge with alternate picking is making sure that the left hand movements are perfectly in time with the right hand movements. Even if they are just a bit out of time with each other, the results will be pretty bad!

And on the flip side, the more you learn to synchronize the left and right hand movements the better. You'll find that over time you'll be able to develop a smooth, fluid and fast alternate picking technique.

 Synchronization Exercises

In this module we take a look at some exercises to develop the co-ordination between your right and left hands. I call these synchronization exercises.

What do I mean by synchronization?

Synchronization is how well your left and right hands work together. When you pick a note, your left hand should press down at exactly the same time the pick hits the string. If your left hand presses down before or after you pick, then your hands are not synchronized. This can often result in a choppy sound or buzzing notes. 

 You'll discover four simple but powerful exercises that improve your synchronization. These will help you to get your hands working as a team. And this will allow you to play faster and with more accuracy.

You'll understand exactly when you should practice with a clean tone, and when you should practice with a distorted tone. Getting this wrong can definitely slow down your progress!

You'll learn to play with a relaxed and very economical playing technique. This helps you to avoid playing injuries. It also helps you to play faster. (The smaller your playing motions are, the less time those motions take to execute. And this means that you GREATLY increase your speed potential).

You'll discover the best way to play cleanly when using distortion. By understanding this you'll be able to play more cleanly. And this will make your sound much more professional.

Single String Scale Exercises

This module expands upon the technique and skill that you will develop in the last module.

 You’ll discover six exercises that help you master one of the most powerful ways of learning scales. This is important. These exercises will not only improve your alternate picking, they will also improve your fretboard knowledge. And this will allow you to solo more musically in a much more confident way.

You’ll develop your ability to synchronize both your hands even further. Your hands will learn to work together in a powerful way, allowing you to develop even more speed.

You'll build a powerful foundation of scale technique. Let's face it, many alternate picking licks use scales. So as your scale technique grows, so will your ability to learn licks faster. And this in turn, will allow you to improvise and learn solos much more confidently.

 Two Note Alternate Picking Mechanic Exercises

After working through the earlier modules, you are now VERY comfortable with alternate picking on a single string. You are now ready for the next step. And what is that next step? It's simply this...

Being able to change strings while maintaining a constant alternate picking motion.

This sounds simple enough. But did you realize that the vast majority of guitarists never truly master this skill? They reach a certain level of competence, but never go beyond it.

I don't want this to happen to you. I want you to develop the knowledge and skill to overcome almost any alternate picking challenge!

You'll discover the only two ways to change strings using alternate picking. Understanding this will allow you to analyze and master ANY alternate picking exercise or lick. And this will greatly improve your confidence in your abilities as a guitarist.

You'll gain a solid understanding and ability with both outside and inside picking. This will give you the basic foundation of technique that will make you a very versatile alternate picker. And this versatility of picking technique allows you to master a greater variety of licks and other musical materials.

You'll learn four short exercises that are simple to learn, but extremely effective. These exercises are extremely important as they isolate the main difficulty of alternate picking. (Being able to change strings while maintaining a constant down-up picking motion). This challenge of changing strings is one that a huge number of players never master. And I want YOU to be one of the few who actually take the time to master it. Imagine how great you'll feel when you have finally overcome this challenge!

Scale Pattern Exercises

In the last module we looked at two note alternate picking mechanics. In this module we are going to take a look at some scale pattern exercises.

Scale pattern exercises are an essential component of developing excellent alternate picking technique. In fact, it's rare to find a good alternate picker who hasn't practiced at least some scale pattern exercises. For that reason, this module will help your alternate picking a LOT...

You'll discover how to combine wrist and forearm movement when alternate picking. Once you get used to this way of picking you'll be able to play through scales and scale-based licks with speed, precision, relaxation and confidence.

 You'll gain skill and confidence with the four possible alternate picking mechanics that your picking hand uses to change strings. Understanding and mastering these basic mechanics will give you the foundation to tackle virtually any alternate picking challenge. You'll be able to analyze the picking mechanics of licks and exercises that you are learning. And this will allow you to learn them faster.

 You'll learn four extremely useful scale pattern exercises. Although there's almost an infinite number of possible scale pattern exercises, I've found that people progress MUCH faster if they just focus on a few at a time. So I've hand-selected four exercises that allow you to develop your alternate picking with laser-focused precision. (Why practice dozens of exercises, when just a few will give you the same results?).

You'll gain mastery over two powerful 6 note picking patterns. These sorts of patterns are used by alternate picking masters like Paul Gilbert, John Petrucci and Michael Angelo Batio. Although these picking patterns are simple, once mastered they are a master key that unlocks terrifying picking speed. (You can create MANY great sounding licks just from these two picking patterns alone!).

 Four Note Alternate Picking Mechanics

In this module we go more indepth into picking mechanics. This section will keep you busy for quite a while. But the results will definitely make the effort worthwhile! :-)

You'll discover 12 different picking mechanics. Each mechanic is four notes long. And once mastered will develop your picking-hand muscle memory to a very high level. This means that you will be able to learn and master new exercises and licks at a much faster rate.

 You'll master exercises on different pairs of strings. This is critical. By getting very comfortable with alternate picking on ANY string, you'll become a much more competent picker. You'll unlock the abilty to pick any string without having to think. Just imagine how cool it will feel to have your picking hand go to the right string at exactly the right time!

Grab 12 Months Access To This Valuable Information Now...

At the time of writing this, my standard rate for one-on-one guitar lessons is $80 per 45-minute lesson. And to cover everything in this course it could take as many as seven one-on-one lessons with me. So you could quite easily have to pay up to $560 to learn the material covered in this course.

I realize that not everyone has the means to afford that. And that is one of the reasons that I structured these lessons as an online course...

The huge advantage of an online course is it allows me to help you outside of the confines of one-on-one guitar lessons. Because I don't have to personally teach everyone who does the course, I can charge you MUCH less for exactly the same information...

Today I am offering you a full 12-months access to The Alternate Picking Fast Start System for a one-time small investment of just: $47 (US DOLLARS).

This small investment works out to be just $3.92 per month. (That's about 12.9 cents per day).

SPECIAL BONUS: The Alternate Picking Results Maximizer

By ordering today you guarantee that you will also receive The Alternate Picking Results Maximizer e-Course. 

What's this? Simple...

I've created 20 special bonus lessons. You will receive a new lesson every two weeks by email. In each email will be a link to a special lesson that I've created.

These bonus lessons are specially engineered to help you to maximize the results that you get from your alternate picking practice.

And I'm guessing that is something that you want. To gain the maximum possible benefit from the practice time that you have available.

And by the way...

I've put an immense amount of time, thought and effort into creating these bonus lessons for you. And because of that, I feel very strongly that they will help you to improve not only your alternate picking but also your general guitar playing.

Just in case you're curious, here's exactly what topics the bonus lessons cover...

Bonus Lesson 1: Making Your Left Hand Fingers More Economical: Part 1

Bonus Lesson 2: Making Your Left Hand Fingers More Economical: Part 2

Bonus Lesson 3: Making Your Left Hand Fingers More Economical: Part 3

Bonus Lesson 4: The Double-Up Practice Technique

Bonus Lesson 5: How To Effectively Set Alternate Picking Speed Goals

Bonus Lesson 6: Isolating The Picking Hand

Bonus Lesson 7: Understanding Support Exercises For The Picking Hand

Bonus Lesson 8: Isolating The Fretting-Hand

Bonus Lesson 9: Understanding Support Exercises For The Fretting Hand

Bonus Lesson 10: Creating Your Own Alternate Picking Exercises

Bonus Lesson 11: Four Note Mechanics Handout (Answers To Lesson 10 Homework)

Bonus Lesson 12: Introduction To Accent Patterns

Bonus Lesson 13: Applying Accent Patterns To Alternate Picking Exercises

Bonus Lesson 14: Playing Accent Patterns While Using Distortion

Bonus Lesson 15: Applying Accents Patterns When Using Distortion

Bonus Lesson 16: Introduction To Sextuplets

Bonus Lesson 17: Sextuplet Alternate Picking Patterns

Bonus Lesson 18: Understanding And Mastering 32nd Notes

Bonus Lesson 19: Thirty-Second Note Alternate Picking Patterns

Bonus Lesson 20: The Ultimate Timing Exercise

But don't take my word for it...

I've created a guarantee where you can test my system AND get all your money back if you're not happy with the results you get...

There Is No Risk To You With My 60 Day, 100% Ironclad, Money Back Guarantee...

I want there to be absolutely no risk to you. That's why I have decided to give you a 60 day risk-free money back guarantee... "Test drive your Alternate Picking Fast Start membership for up to 60 days. If you feel you haven't made massive improvements to your alternate picking technique, I'll cheerfully and promptly give all your money back...no hassles, no arguments, no small print, no questions asked. To be blunt, I'd be embarrased to keep your money if you're not 100% satisfied". Now...let's take this guarantee one step further. I want you to feel absolutely certain there's no way you can "get taken". I'm a respected guitar educator and my reputation is on the line... "If you are unhappy with your decision to buy for ANY reason, just let me know within 60 days and I'll give you a full refund". You have nothing to lose.

Here's How You Can Join Right Now...

Claiming your 12-month membership to The Alternate Picking Fast Start System is easy. Just click on the button below that says "Add To Cart"...

"Claim Your 12 Month Membership Now"

 Your Order Is 100% Secure
(You will be gaining access to the Alternate Picking Fast Start system within a few minutes).

 All the best,

Craig Bassett