The outside string-crossing drill
Outside crossings are string changes where the pick has to go around the next string instead of already being between the two. That's where most "I'm fast on one string but fall apart in riffs" problems come from. Drill two neighboring strings, two notes each, at a tempo where both notes match. Then move to the next pair.
Why one-string speed doesn't carry over
Your single-string 16ths can sound great while a three-string riff still rushes every change. On an outside change, the pick has further to travel than on an inside change. Players cover that extra distance by tensing up, or by letting the note after the change get shorter. The riff almost works, right up until you record it.
Step by step
- Know which kind of change it is. Inside: the pick is already heading toward the next string. Outside: the pick has to clear the string it just played and come at the next one from the far side. Which pairs are outside depends on whether you start with a downstroke or an upstroke.
- Two strings, two notes each. On strings 6 and 5, fretting hand parked (open strings or one fret). Down-up on 6, down-up on 5. Loop one bar. You're after equal length and equal volume, not speed.
- Record four bars. If the note after the change is late or thin, that change is what you're working on. Don't add strings yet.
- Keep the stroke short. A big "metal" stroke makes outside changes worse. See the stroke-length diagram in alternate picking.
- Work across the pairs. 6–5, then 5–4, 4–3, 3–2, 2–1. Same rule each time. Then start with an upstroke instead, so you practice both kinds of outside change.
- One note per string. Only once two notes each is even. This is the real riff test.
- Raise the tempo 4 BPM after two clean recorded passes. Use the 1-bar routine instead of grinding the same pair for ten minutes.
Common questions
Can I just economy-pick and skip this?
You can economy-pick some lines, but real riffs still have outside changes. Skipping the drill leaves a hole. See alternate vs economy picking.
Should my fretting hand move?
Not for the first week. Keep it parked. Add a simple fret pattern once the picking is even.