sweep picking techniques

Hey, I'm starting to try sweep picking but I'm not sure what to start with, so could anyone perhaps give me a good technique to build my foundation upon please?

http://www.insaneguitar.com/mc/sweeping.html
this website helped me learn sweeping... its definatly good. this site has some good sweeping lessons too, dont know if any are free tho.

When sweep picking, there are a few things that you should keep in mind.
1 - Start off slow. Trying to play this technique quickly right away will limit your future progress.
2 - Don't use your wrist. Let your arm do all the motion for you.
3 - Keep it simple. Start off with two string sweeps then move to 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 string sweeps.
4 - Make sure to simplify you motions. In a standard sweeping motion, you will have one motion going up, and one going down. Do not try to individually pick different strings.

:D grab a broom and start sweeping!! ;)

There are a lot of differrent ways to sweep the same set of notes. Here's the one and only exercise I do for sweeping:

Some of the patterns below are easy others are a lot more challenging. The point of the whole exercise is to get fluidity without getting trapped into being a "one trick poney" when it comes to the patterns.

h = hammer on
p = pull off
s = slide
t = tap (hammer) with the right hand

(PS as each arp ends it starts the next 1 off)

E----------------7-------------------------7
B--------------7--7----------------------7--7
G---------4-h7-----7-p4---------------7-----7
D-------4---------------4-----------9--------9
A-----5-------------------5-------9------------9
E---7-----------------------s7-h10---------------10-p9

E--------------------------------------------------
B-------------------12-------------------------------------
G----------------11---11--------------------------11-h16-p11
D----------9-h12--------12-p9---------------9-h12------------12
A--------9---------------------9-----------9--------------------14
E--7-h10------------------------10-p7-h10-----------------------14-10

E--------------------------------------------------14-h19-14
B--------------7-h12-p7-------------------------15----------15
G------------7----------7---------------------16---------------16-----
D----------9-------------9------------7-12-16--------------------16
A--------9----------------9---------7-------------------------------17
E--7-h10-------------------10-p7-10
the Gambale arp above can be picked (without hammer or pulls) all the way to the top hammer on due to the 7-12-16 (up, down,up)

E-------------------------------------------------------------15-h19-t24
B------------------------------------------------------12-h17
G-16-s11-----------------------------------------9-h12
D--------12---------9---------------------------9
A----------14-p9-----9---------9--------2-s7-10
E----------------10----10-9-10---7-0-h3

end doing a difficult Rusty Cooley sweep from lowest E to highest E

Try each of the arps above then pick out the ones that work easiest.

Another great way to practice sweeps is to score the phrases out in midi and set the arpeggio to loop. PLay it slowly at first and once you have mastered the tempo (most difficult when starting) and fingering, speed things up.

Hope that helps.

Originally Posted by: Zack UidlWhen sweep picking, there are a few things that you should keep in mind.
1 - Start off slow. Trying to play this technique quickly right away will limit your future progress.
2 - Don't use your wrist. Let your arm do all the motion for you.
3 - Keep it simple. Start off with two string sweeps then move to 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 string sweeps.
4 - Make sure to simplify you motions. In a standard sweeping motion, you will have one motion going up, and one going down. Do not try to individually pick different strings.

also dont hold the notes like chords cause that sounds sloppy.

some people alternate pick while sweeping. the best way is to legato. it saves time and sounds smoother. get some thick strings and build THICK calluces if you have not already. you'll get some ridges on your hands like ruffles and be able to pull off alot faster and hammer on stronger.

low action helps.

heavy picks help. i use jim dunlop jazz III picks.

turn your amp louder than you normally do and when playing try to keep your picking as quiet as it usually is, and that really helps. try to keep it even quieter if you can and if your amp is loud enough you'll notice when you're hitting the notes too hard when a family member shoots your amp.

the key is heavy picks for better control, lighter hands, lower action, and one finger at a time, not a chord. and oh yea, start slow, slowly build up speed.

sorry this is so LONG..




THIS IS IMPORTANT READ THIS.. im not saying you dont already know this, im just showing it to you anyway in case.




So how do you get faster with your picking? How do you get both your hands synchronized when you play guitar?

A few simple exercises are all it takes. That and the proper guitar practice methods.

In this article I'm going to demystify the whole process. Learning to play the guitar fast or to Shred is not rocket science...just follow some simple steps. And you will be well on your way to becoming a Guitar God...heheh

Notes: BPM stands for Beats Per Minute. Always practice in 16th notes.

Step 1 Buy a Metronome if you don't already have one! You can use one of the free online ones, but if you are serious about your guitar playing, invest the money into a metronome.

Step 2 Set aside at least 30 minutes a day 6 days a week to do your drills. Getting fast is no different than anything else...IT TAKES PRACTICE AND DISCIPLINE!

Step 3 SLOW DOWN! This is probably the most important step! Find a picking speed with your metronome that you can COMFORTABLY PLAY with NO mistakes. You need to learn to play your guitar correctly before you worry about going fast.

I know from personal experience that I like to play guitar fast, and push my limit and ability until I get so sloppy it sounds like hell.

Here's why this is such a bad idea...If you practice fast and wrong, you will play fast and WRONG. That's it. So SLOW DOWN and PRACTICE GUITAR with 100% accuracy. The speed your looking for will come on it's own!

Step 4 Once you have a comfortable practice speed do your drills (several listed at the end of the article) for at least 5 minutes NONSTOP. Take a few minutes break then fire up your metronome and start another 5 minute drill session. Continue doing this until you have finished your 30 minute speed drill session.

(Tip: Use a Timer: you want to limit your drills to ONE part of your practice, not the whole thing)

Step 5 Keep a detailed record of your guitar drills progress! This is important so you can track your improvements. What do you record? 1) Date and Time of Guitar Practice Sessions 2) Metronome Speed Setting and your Target Goal for the 6 day period. Be realistic...if your starting at 50bpm don't expect to play your guitar at 240bpm in 6 days. 3) I find it helpful to keep notes on muscle tension and mood, as I had developed poor guitar playing habits over the years. When I review my notes I can tell what days my playing will be On or Off based on my mood, plus Unlearn the bad habits ;o)

Step 6 Practice consistently 6 days a week and try to push your speed up by 2 to 5 bpm each week.

Remember that when you move your speed up you MUST keep playing your guitar cleanly. I.E.: NO MISTAKES.

If your making mistakes, your going to fast! See Step 3 again.

Thats all there is to it, keep at it and be consistant and you WILL see improvement.

Keep Practicing that Guitar!

Some good points above. As far as pick type and action goes, it's entirely personal preference. For example, Yngwie plays on very high action - similar to that of a classical guitar. He also over exagerates the movements so each finger comes at least 1cm away from the string as the pick passes over - one of the reasons why he gets such clarity. Rusty Cooley on the other hand plays with low action and only lifts his fingers about 1mm off the strings. Both players have very different styles but excellent technique.
Some players use big chunky picks, others use soft flexible ones - personally I like Dunlop 9's;-)
Playing to a metronome is good advice and sticking to the speed untill you get it mastered is even better. I realy found playing to a looped midi arpeggio the best way of improving for me. What helped me the most was being able to play to an even rhythm. One of the biggest mistakes most beginners in sweeping make is not keeping an even tempo across each note (becomes difficult with hammer ons because the pick does not move at the same speed up and down each string). That's where midi realy helped me.

not much more to say than what has already been said.

Check oout francesco Fareri's Arpeggios DVD from Chops from Hell.

John Petrucci also does a great job of explaining sweeping in his Rock Discipline dvd.