Down picking is a guitar playing technique where the pick is consistently struck in a downward motion, creating a powerful and aggressive sound. Common in punk and metal genres, it enhances rhythm and adds intensity to the music.

Alternate picking is a guitar playing technique that involves using a combination of downstrokes and upstrokes with the pick, creating a smooth and even flow of notes. Widely used in various genres, it enhances speed, precision, and overall fluidity in guitar playing.

Pinch harmonics, also known as artificial harmonics or squealies, are a guitar technique where the player pinches the string with the pick and thumb simultaneously to produce a high-pitched harmonic overtone. Widely used in rock and metal, it adds a distinctive, expressive, and sometimes aggressive tonal quality to the guitar sound.

Sweep picking is a guitar technique characterized by using a continuous motion of the picking hand to smoothly glide across adjacent strings, producing a rapid and arpeggiated sound. Common in genres like metal and fusion, sweep picking creates a fluid and seamless cascade of notes for intricate and expressive solos.

Tapping is a guitar technique where the player uses the fingertips or edge of the picking hand to rapidly strike the frets, producing quick and melodic notes without picking. Widely utilized in rock and metal, tapping allows for impressive speed, intricate phrasing, and unconventional fretboard exploration.

Bending is a guitar technique where a player pushes or pulls a string across the fretboard to change its pitch, creating expressive and emotive tones. Widely employed in various genres, bending adds a dynamic and vocal-like quality to guitar playing, enhancing musicality and individual style.

Vibrato is a guitar technique where a guitarist slightly varies the pitch of a note by oscillating the string back and forth using subtle hand movements. This technique adds warmth, expressiveness, and a singing quality to sustained notes, contributing to the guitarist's unique phrasing and musicality.

Chugging is a guitar technique commonly associated with heavy genres like metal and hardcore, where the guitarist rhythmically mutes and strikes open or power chords for a percussive, aggressive sound. Precision in chugging involves tight control over mute timing and picking dynamics, contributing to a powerful and synchronized rhythmic drive in the music.