Good exercise for precision in picking (with pick)?

Question

Can you suggest me exercises for precision in picking? My goal is to pick and sing at the same time and it is hard for me for now because since I'm pretty used to strumming while singing where not looking at fretting hand is simpler but when it comes to picking, even with looking is hard.

Answer 1

There are many websites with specific picking exercises, but you don't really need them. What you do need is to decide on a set of notes, and play along with a metronome to help you learn timing. Starting off slowly and bringing the speed up as you can pay each arpeggio exercise perfectly is the way to do this.

An example exercise is this one from ultimate-guitar.com - which gives you some good cross-string practice.

|-------------5-8-12-8-----------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------10---------------------------------12---------------------|
|---------5-9-------------9--------------------------9-13----13-9----------------|
|-------7-------------------10------------------9-12--------------12-9-----------|
|-----7------------------------12-7--------7-11------------------------11-7------|
|-5-8-------------------------------8-7-10----------------------------------10---|


|---------------------------------------------------------10-13-10---------------------|
|-----------------8-10-8-------------------------------10----------10------------------|
|---------------9--------9--------------------------10----------------10---------------|
|----------7-11------------11-7------------------12----------------------12------------|
|-----7-10----------------------10-7--------8-12----------------------------12-8-------|
|-5-9--------------------------------9-5-10--------------------------------------10----|


|--------------------------------------------------------------5---8-5-12-8-16-----|
|----------------------12----------------------------------5-----5-----------------|
|----------------10-13----13-10------------------------5-----5---------------------|
|-----------9-12----------------12-9---------------7-----7-------------------------|
|------8-11--------------------------11-8------7-----7-----------------------------|
|-7-10------------------------------------10-5---8-----------------------------0---|

Answer 2

i have to agree with @Chipsgoumerde, a reference point is always very helpful when picking (if pick or finger) the simplest reference is (as mentioned) the pinky.
i once also was only comfortable with my hand in the air, right now i rest my full right side of my hand on the bridge, if single-picking and my pinkie, ringfinger and middle-finger on strings 1,2 and 3 respectively, when finger-picking.

either way practising is the key to success.

I found it helpful to play normal chords, but break them into one random pattern, repeating this pattern over and over on any chord i'd play in any song you can imagine. after a little practice you might want to change your pattern to better fit the melody of a song and have some change in it