With the 8th and 16th notes I can do up/down with my thumb, but it’s pretty much just a Mute on the up stroke. Do you suggest growing out your thumbnail (like a classical guitarist) to do this? I don’t recall seeing the up/down picking in any of the song lessons, but it sure helps with dexterity!

Whenever I watch the speed (and accuracy) at which Aldrine can pick those 16th notes I immediately think of “Wayne’s World” and want to scream “We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy!”

After practising the picking, I feel a little sore in my thumb. I also get the feeling, that it helps to stop thinking, then you get faster. But it sure takes long practise to get these speed muscles.

It takes a lot of time to play notes at a fast speed – be they 1/4, 1/8 or 1/16 notes. Practice, practice, practice as they say. I don’t use thumb-only picking – coming from the 5-string banjo world I learnt to play single string by alternating the thumb with the index finger (T, I, T, I). It works for me. If you are struggling with thumb-only picking try my approach. As my banjo teacher was fond of saying – “if it doesn’t work one way, find another; there is no right or wrong way”. You have to work within your physical capabilities. Django Rheinhardt will tell you that :<)

With the 8th and 16th notes I can do up/down with my thumb, but it’s pretty much just a Mute on the up stroke. Do you suggest growing out your thumbnail (like a classical guitarist) to do this? I don’t recall seeing the up/down picking in any of the song lessons, but it sure helps with dexterity!

I’m having the same problem. I keep all my nails quite short, so the up stroke it was just sliding up off the nail. I don’t want to grow my nails out, so I’ll just have to work on it another way. Maybe using two fingers?