sweeping

i consider myself to be a good guitar player. i want to take my playing to new level . i have one problem i cant sweep its just a thing thats really hard for me. helpful tips would be great thanks

Start out slowly, I can't stress this enough... use a metronome too. Make sure that as soon as a note is played (clearly and cleanly) you immediatly lift the finger off that fret. You probably already know that though... all I can suggest is take things slowly, you'll never go wrong if you do that.

Well, that's good for those who knows they are a good guitar player. Sweeping technique? Well, of course how to play sweeping is one of the skill to be mastered by every great guitar player. Well, to start sweeping, hopefully you know how to do up-down picking technique very well since you know you are good already. Do you know how to hold the guitar pick properly? To do sweeping you must know how to hold the pick where you feel comfortable to do up-down picking and to pick to the next string. If you are good in arpegios already then you can start with sweeping technique.
By the way, other than playing you might consider to use variety of picks and sizes. There are smaller picks today which is easy for sweeping technique and that is what I used today for sweeping and it is good to combine natural harmonic and sweeping technique. About the picking method, learn how to pick up-down with the guitar pick in 45 degree downards. For me, when you say sweeping, imagine it as a water continuously flowed from a waterfall that produces sound. But for guitar it means you must play a sound or note continuously without any hasle and pause.If you can make it sounds like it is flowing from note to note than you are start to get somewhere. You can play sweeping in slow tempo but it is more challenging to play it with speed.

Here's the warmup exercise if you decided to start and practices until there is no PAUSE within each note or until yo get fed up with it.

U=PICK IT UP
D=PICK IT DOWN
Start it by picking it slowly.... CONTINUOUSLY

1--------------------------------------------------------
2--------------------------------------------------------
3--------------------------------------------------------
4--------------2D-3U-4D-5U-------------2D-3U-4D-5U-------
5--2U-3D-4U-5D-------------2U-3D-4U-5D-------------------
6--------------------------------------------------------
And so on...

Next try this 3 notes or they call it triad tonic scales

1-----------------------------------------3D-4U-5D-4U---
2---------------------------------3D-4U-5D--------------
3-------------------------3D-4U-5D----------------------
4-----------------3D-4U-5D------------------------------
5---------3D-4U-5D--------------------------------------
6-3D-4U-5D----------------------------------------------

1-------------------------------------------------------
2-5U-4D-3U----------------------------------------------
3----------5U-4D-3U-------------------------------------
4-------------------5U-4D-3U----------------------------
5----------------------------5U-4D-3U-------------------
6-------------------------------------5U-4D-3U----------

Practice this until you know you are flowing with the notes.

Try this experiment:
Try this pentatonic blues scales that I like to use in some of my blues jamming session. Just don't be to straight when applying this in jamming as this will be very boring. This I will give the picture in what ways a sweeping can be used.

TIPS:
You can mix with PULL & TAP method in your sweeping technique.

U:PICK UP
D:PICK DOWN
P:Pull
T:Tap

A minor Pentatonic
1--------------------------------------5D-8U-5P---------
2--------------------------------5D-8T----------8U-5P---
3-----------------------5D-6U-7D------------------------
4---------------5D-6U-7D--------------------------------
5-------5D-6U-7D---------------------------------------
6--5U-8D------------------------------------------------

1-------------------------------------------------------
2-------------------------------------------------------
3-7U-6D-5U----------------------------------------------
4---------7U-6D-5U--------------------------------------
5-----------------7U-6D-5U------------------------------
6--------------------------8U-5D--and continue going down
There are more but I can't waste my time typing in everything...

Thanks and sorry my english.

errr, wots tapping, sweeping and pulling???

I'm glad you mentioned the pick angle of attack. I find that helps me alot in making the notes sound separate.

Originally posted by James
Start out slowly, I can't stress this enough... use a metronome too. Make sure that as soon as a note is played (clearly and cleanly) you immediatly lift the finger off that fret. You probably already know that though... all I can suggest is take things slowly, you'll never go wrong if you do that.

I think James has the best answer to the question asked .
the only thing i could add to this is make sure ,
you use a Rolling tec with your left hand fingers.
while releasing the pressure of the strings or lifting of,
the notes.
Once you get your speed built up by practicing it slowly,
When you execute it fast you will be sweep picking.
Remember sweep picking is a speed tec.
Mark

[Edited by skee1 on 08-28-2001 at 04:50 PM]