Sweep picking


Seek66
Registered User
Joined: 08/08/05
Posts: 19
Seek66
Registered User
Joined: 08/08/05
Posts: 19
09/06/2005 7:25 am
I have too ask, what is sweep picking?
I have played for many years but I have never heard of it before :eek:
It sounds fast and cool!
# 1
tomcas929
Blues, Blues-Rock Fanatic
Joined: 04/01/05
Posts: 34
tomcas929
Blues, Blues-Rock Fanatic
Joined: 04/01/05
Posts: 34
09/13/2005 12:20 pm
Sweeping is when you are holding a chord shape but instead of strumming you play each note one at a time but making sure to end the last note before the next....stacato style. It's different than playing the notes separately because it's usually done fast (relative to the piece) and within a smaller time value than if you played all the notes separately.

-Tom
# 2
Kakarot
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Joined: 02/08/04
Posts: 30
Kakarot
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Joined: 02/08/04
Posts: 30
09/13/2005 3:54 pm
If you know the song 'Painkiller' by Judas Priest, the bit at the start of the first solo is sweeping.

Or 'Smoke and Mirrors' by Symphony X starts with sweeping.

Altitudes - Jason Becker - half the song is sweeping.
http://myspace.com/empyrealdestroyer
# 3
Superhuman
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Joined: 04/18/05
Posts: 1,334
Superhuman
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Joined: 04/18/05
Posts: 1,334
09/13/2005 4:11 pm
Anyone interested in sweep picking should check out the following guys for insane yet beautiful sweep picking:

Michael Angelo Battio - download "No Boundaries" mp3 from www.angelo.com

George Bellas - ridiculously fast with a cool sound! If you can, try to get your hands on track 2 of "Venomous Fingers"

Jason Becker - one of the most influential shred/neo-classical players ever. plenty of downloads on www.jasonbecker.com buy his cds at his site, the guy is sick as hell and needs the cash

Theodore Ziras - only starting to be recognised, the best guitar sound I have heard with the most accurate playing (next to Michael Angelo) check out www.theodoreziras.com and make sure you look at the movie downloads, some of them are insane. Excellent place to learn more about the technique by studying the videos for hand movements etc. This guy is one of my favourite guitarists of all, check him out.

Rusty Cooley - ludicrously fast and ridiculously complicated patterns. Check out his site www.rustycooley.com and again look at the videos for close ups of the technique.

Vinnie Moore - best sweep patterns of all are on Defying Gravity cd. In my opinion he plays the most original patterns and complex picking in the most "musical" pieces. You can get some mp3's on www.vinniemoore.com check out "Defying Gravity", "Awaken The Madman"

Hope you learn something new from the above masters.

Enjoy
# 4
equator
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Joined: 04/20/05
Posts: 558
equator
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Joined: 04/20/05
Posts: 558
09/13/2005 4:53 pm
You can use this technique to play chords or scales.
The idea is to play one note per string.
Then let your pick "fall" from string to string.
You have to mute the note played right away, using your fretting hand.
When playing upwards; just drag your pick upwards over the strings.

Sweep picking.
To start off, try this technique using a pentatonic box.


Sweep arpeggios.
Play a "C major chord" one octave higher.

e------------------------12------------
B-------------------13--------------------
G--------------12-------------------------
D----------14---------------------------
A-----15-------------------------------
E-------------------------------------
fing.....4......3....1.....2.....1
Someday I`ll play like in my dreams.

equator's Music Page.

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# 5

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