What is alternate picking?
Definition
Alternate picking means each note gets the opposite pick direction from the one before it: down, up, down, up.
Where you'll use it
Fast single-note riffs, 16th-note chugs that are too quick to downpick, and scale runs in solos. The key skill is making your upstrokes as loud and even as your downstrokes, especially when you change strings.
How to start
One string, even 8th notes at 60–80 BPM, with a small stroke from the wrist. Then 16ths. Then two strings. The full lesson has a step-by-step ladder: alternate picking for metal.