Good question James! I have found through my experiences that this can be very different for any guitar player. I myself generally angle my pick slightly downward... but what works for you could be very different. Be sure to experiment with various ways of holding the pick as well as angling it. Your picking-hand technique is definitely critical to your consistency, so make sure you are just hitting the strings enough to sound them and that you are not digging them. You may want to do a little research on economy picking as well. On your fretting hand, try to only use as much pressure necessary to fret each note / chord, and try to have each inactive fretting finger ready / hovering over the next note it will be playing. These are just some ideas, but I think this could be helpful to you.

Also on speed - I believe setting goals is a very good way to build your speed. With goals in hand, you can then set up a structured plan that allows you to progressively move toward the final end result speed that you are seeking. Try increasing your overall speeds by certain %'s, and sometimes try and push yourself moreso than normal.

Stick with it bro!


Chris