Another Stupid Question

Stupider Question:

Firstly, I'm an Uppicker so I prefer picking with mostly up-strokes. I was practicing a few weeks ago and was wondering, if I practice Downpicking will it "adapt" or "reprogram" my arm muscles and make me worse at uppicking?

Does anybody have answers or experience on this subject?

Firstly, I'm an Uppicker so I prefer picking with mostly up-strokes. I was practicing a few weeks ago and was wondering, if I practice Downpicking will it "adapt" or "reprogram" my arm muscles and make me worse at uppicking?

first and foremost you should do what the song calls for... really most of the time you should circular pick because its the most efficient use of energy. But its case per case from a creative standpoint, so you need to have all the skills or you're Billy Joe Armstrong (which is good work if you can find it, big money). Work on hammer claw, Pagey style. Get circular, refine your upstrokes with pinch harmonics... Going one direction slows you down, not being able to use your other (right hand) fingers limits you to one-line parts and or strumming and also limits your ability to make cool new sounds without hitting a stomp.... use your tone and volume controls while practicing. Mastering other techniques won't hurt the style you already have, it just puts different tools in your toolbox. Watch Jeff Beck's right hand some time.

okay, I'm done. Don't let me expand on this.... I'm all stir crazy from covid and blizzards.... I just drone on and on.

I'd just like to specifiy: I don't up-stroke exclusively, I Alternate pick when the rhythm gets too fast for up-strokes, and I switch between both frequently (as I think everyone should).

I was just wondering if downpicking (slightly) reverse one's dextarity with uppicking, but I'll be sure to look up/practice those techniques.

Thanks!

if you're thinking about it this hard you need more shed time... when good things happen all the time without thought then you have achieved what the japanese call wa

ive always thought it would come from how you learnt for me where i learn basically by playing along to ramones its alive all downpicked ive continued that and basically never pick up (at least on guitar bass is a different story) but if you learnt mainly going up and its comfortable then i wouldnt think there would really be any problem to make you need to change drastically same as how ive never had a drastic change from mainly going down

Yeah, I just taught myself to play with up-strokes, I never knew that downpicking was more conventional otherwise I my have done it in the first place. I don't think there's any disadvantage to uppicking it might be harder to strum but I usually strum down anyway.