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Well, I admit, this is an area where I need a LOT of help. My picking is horrible. The worst. While I had some suggestions for fret hand improvement, I am at a loss here, and I hope that you experts out there will have some stellar advice for the rest of us.

Thanks!

Are we talking about single string picking (like soloing, etc), or just general control (being selective about which strings to pick in chords, etc.)?

Either, or. I think that the two are interrelated. I may be wrong, though. As I said, my technique here is beyond lacking. It's a national deficit. All suggestions, be they single string, rhythmic, or selective picking, or more are welcome!

This might help to improve picking accuracy:

http://guitar.about.com/library/weekly/aa121301a.htm

Those are excellent.

When I went from drums to stringed instrument, my instructor(s) said I had no problem with right hand strumming/rhythms. I think it was because I was thinking of the right hand as a percussion instrument keeping time (especially the mando). I don't know if there is anything useful there for you or not.

Well, it's just just for me, but yeah. I realize that it's a rhythmic thing. Are you suggesting learning the drums to increase my guitar ability? I never thought of that.

I've considered teaching myself keys. I took two years of piano when I was 8, but that's been a really long time ago.

Well, I know that on the mando and moreso on the bass, it can be played as a percussion instrument. A lot of slapping and popping on a bass is just rhythmic without expressing a specific note - or barely implyng the note.

A bluegrass guy was giving me hell because I was playing more of a two-step strumming pattern:

Bumpa chinka bumpa chinka bumpa chinka
1 e AND a 2 e AND a 3 e AND a 4 eAND a

instead of the traditional bluegrass mando

• chink • chink • chink • chink
1 AND 2 AND 3 AND 4 AND