The Basics Of Sweep Picking

The famous sweep picking system is one of the latest trends available right now, thanks to the rebirth in the rock music scene of old-style guitar shredding Where the neoclassical new way of guitar shredding scene was a non discussion area for a lot of players across the grunge and nu-metal years, here and now it has returned with a vengeance, and is used by a great number of rock guitarists. What is the attraction of this method of playing? Sweep picking is a great thing to do when playing, providing a different kind of sound that is equal quantities exciting and confusing to a listener.

Sweep picking is simple to start with, but quite tough to master. The basic concept of sweep picking is playing an arpeggio with your left hand whilst only playing one down-stroke and one upstroke with the right. Therefore, if playing an easy arpeggio on 4 strings, those two strokes will create 8 notes. It is simple to become accustomed to playing arpeggios, but it's the sweeping right hand action that could be tough to get the knack of. As a guitarist, you will automatically need to choose each individual note on its own, but the sweeping action must be one fluent up and down movement rather than 8 individual string notes. It is this motion that gives sweep picking its amazing notes and the illusion of great speed.

At the final of a swept consession of notes, you could even extend the music by way of tapping the next notes up the neck of the guitar, which will add a fantastic sound to any speedy guitar solo. Have a go with various arpeggios to give yourself and concept of the notes and formation of the concept, then you can have a go at other sounds yourself and create some phenomenal guitar solos that are very contemporary in nature.

There are a number of great exercises you can try to become used to the idea of sweep picking ( otherwise known simply as 'sweeping' ). Focus on the very top three thinnest guitar strings and begin round the twelth fret ( The notes at the top are more clear and simpler to choose apart, therefore why no-one truly sweeps particularly low on the neck). Have a go at the following sequence for starters: A-C-E-A-E-C-A. As you can see, the end point is matching to the start place, providing the sweep a cyclic nature that sounds fantastic when done right.
While learning how to to use sweep picking in your guitar music, it is imperative you practice a fluent right hand action, as this is the most important factor. You can be amazing at playing notes on the fretboard, but without a good, speedy right hand motion, the sweep picking will usually sound sloppy and some notes may even be be drowned out. So practice with the action of your hands, and you'll soon get the skill of sweep picking. For some great examples of sweep picking being used, have a listen to the music of Yngwie Malmsteen, Jason Becker, Micheal Angelo Batio, John Petrucci (Dream Theater), Chris Broderick, Jeff Loomis (from Nevermore), and Chris Impellitteri (as the band Impellitteri). You'll soon learn quite how much could be performed by sweep picking!

Andy is a guitar veteran who is eager to help the next generation of guitar heroes discover their own style! You too can learn sweep picking quickly, and be shredding with the best!