How to Increase Alternate Picking Speed
If the down-up alternation itself (see [[alternate-picking-basics:the article on alternate picking]]) is already solid, the next question isn't technique - it's the method of training speed, and 'just play faster' isn't it.
Small tempo steps as a practical heuristic
A step of roughly 2-5 BPM after several confident repetitions is a useful heuristic, not a universal law. At a high tempo or with small note values, even 5 BPM may be too large; for simple material it may be unnecessarily small. Judge cleanliness, relaxation, and subdivision rather than only the number of successful passes.
The 'speed burst' trick for breaking through a ceiling
If a tempo has been stuck for weeks, play just 2-4 notes at a tempo noticeably above your target (say, 20-30 BPM higher), then stop immediately. This trains the muscles' raw speed capacity separately from endurance - after a few days of these bursts, the usual 'working' tempo often feels easier.
Find your single slowest transition
Every passage has one specific string or note change that caps the speed of the whole thing (the same principle as in the article on string crossing, see the article on crossing strings) - drill exactly that one on its own, not the whole passage with equal attention.
Tension builds up unnoticed - check the hand
At high tempo, tension in the wrist and forearm builds up without the player noticing - stop periodically and deliberately check whether the hand has tensed up (see the article on speed and cleanliness). A tense hand is physically slower than a relaxed one, so training right at the edge of tension is often the real ceiling, not the mechanics itself.
Drill on a short scale
Take one pentatonic position (see the article on getting started improvising) and use small, adaptive tempo steps on it. Short, familiar material keeps the focus on speed mechanics, while the step size can change with the level of control.
Experimente na prática
Open the metronome