I have alternate picking down pat. Though I do have another question: would my double-jointedness affect my playing? I can't seem to keep my pinky low, near the strings. It always lifts up. I can still play with it and all, it just won't stay near the string. And as far as sweep picking, I could never understand how you would strum the strings with one stroke, but not allow the notes to ring into each other. It justs seems really complicated. Maybe I am not at that point yet...but like I said, it's something that I want to learn.