Okay, as I said in some other thread, I finally got the hang of sweep picking about a week ago. Since then, I've just been practicing some basic major and minor 3-string arpeggios. This morning, however, I had a brainwave. I realised that I can sweep arpeggios just by using the sweeping picking-hand technique while holding chord shapes. I suppose that means I must be pretty good at palm-muting, if nothing else, because it means I can get a clean sweeping sound without having to move and mute with my left hand. My first, and possibly rather stupid question, is: is this real sweeping, or am I cheating - or not even playing proper arpeggios at all?

And my second question: when and how do you guys use sweeps in your improvisation? I just can't seem to make them fit into my phrases. The only sweeping licks I've been able to come up with are extended Frank Gambale-style wanks - and believe me, Frank Gambale is the last person I want to sound like :eek:.

Thanks everybody. :)