sweep picking question please help

i'm "trying" to learn how to sweep pick and my question is this.. a lick i'm learning (from here) is 12th fret g to 10th fret on the b to 9th fret on the top e and a hammer on to the 12th on the top e (hope i'm not confusing anyone) and back up again but now.... in the vid the instructor takes his fingers off the strings after he's played the notes but if they're only gonna be played 1 note on each string can't you just leave the fingers in the postions they were to make it easier.

hope you all get what i mean hope i've not confused anyone please help it's driving me crazy. :o

If you leave your finger pressed on the fretboard, what will happen is the notes are going to ring. You'll be strumming more than sweeping.

You don`t want to let all the notes ring when sweeping. You want to let each note ring just long enough that it stops when you hit the next note.

That`s why you see the instructor lift his finger. Your left hand should roll on the fretboard.

brilliant, thanks, I never thought about it being strumming but i suppose i would be in a way.

thanks again.

I'd correct what I said a little with a dictionary definition :

sweep means laying your fingers in some part of the fretboard usually in the form of an arpeggio, then picking the notes of the arpeggio you have fingered, using either upstrokes or downstrokes continuously for all strings being played, while articulating each note in the pattern (unlike when strumming. This is usually achieved by removing each finger right after its corresponding note is played)

I thought that was explained in better terms :)

Originally Posted by: BenoitI'd correct what I said a little with a dictionary definition :

sweep means laying your fingers in some part of the fretboard usually in the form of an arpeggio, then picking the notes of the arpeggio you have fingered, using either upstrokes or downstrokes continuously for all strings being played, while articulating each note in the pattern (unlike when strumming. This is usually achieved by removing each finger right after its corresponding note is played)

I though that was explained a little better :)

thanks yeah thats makes it a bit clearer :)

Also be sure not to lift your fingers too far off the fretboard. Just lift them enough to mute the string they are on. Otherwise the open strings will ring and you will sound sloppy.

thanks for that