sweep question and bpm question

[snufeldin]

Two questions:

How would you pick this?

E--------4--7--4--
B-----5-----------5
G--4--------------- repeat

I mainly wondering if you should start with an upstroke or down stroke when you repeat.

Second question:

How fast can you guys play this:
--------------------------------5--8--5---------
--------------------------5--8-----------8--5
--------------------5--7-----------------------7--5
--------------5--7-----------------------------------7--5
--------5--7-----------------------------------------------7--5
--5--8-----------------------------------------------------------8--5

using strict alternate picking?

I can only get up to 140 (16th notes) consistently... starting with an upstroke, 130 starting with a downstroke (going up kills me)

[Slaindude]

D D D U U
E--------4--7p4-----
B-----5---------5---
G--4----------------

It is basic sweep picking, the first three notes you play them with a constant downpick motion and then you go upstroke after pulling off that B over there. Be careful to mute every note after playing them. In my opinion this is the most difficult part of sweep picking cause the motion is not that hard to catch. Think that your hand is a broom and you need to clean the strings... (yeah right), that's one way to see the motion. Very important to begin slowly cause otherwise you'll burn yourself.

I don't know how fast i can actually plays this, in fact i'll try to give my best and tell you how fast i can play if you really wanna know it... but, if you are trying to find a way to increase your speed, well the best way is to continue practising with a metronome, but you could also alter that lick. You said you did alternate picking on that lick. Now, well if you are confortable with sweep picking, try to give that lick a sweep motion by hammering each note when starting on a downstroke and pulling off each note, when starting on an upstroke. Might give you more speed, but it will change how the riff sound of course. But hey, who said there was something more important than going at the speed of light ? Just kidding.

You riff might now look like this,


D D D D D D U U U U U
---------------------5h8p5----------------------
------------------5h8------8p5------------------
-------------5h7----------------7p5-------------
---------5h7--------------------------7p5-------
-----5h7----------------------------------7p5----
-5h8------------------------------------------8p5

Hope that helps!

[Slaindude]

Sorry about the upstrokes and downstrokes, there are not quite at the exact same place i put them when i wrote my post. I guess you understand what i meant anyway, otherwise i'll clean this mess for you.

[EricV]

Powertab of the first lick sweeped ( with the picking Slaindude put into his TAB ), and two variations how to AP it

[snufeldin]

slaindude,
thanks for the reply. I usually do it with hammer on's b/c it sounds a lot smoother. But I forgot to mention that I was doing this on acoustic... I can still hammer on, but the notes aren't the same volume.

On the sweeping thing, I've been sweeping for a while, but I just was wondering if it'd be better to start with a downstroke or upstroke when you repeat... but you answered that so thanks.

[eastwood]

Using Strict Alternate Picking starting with a down stroke :

120 - 125 Bpm (16th notes).

Daz

[Andrew]

I would start with an upstroke the second time.
DDDUU UDDUU UDDUU UDDUU
You can do it either way, but I prefer this because you don't have to think ahead as much, you are taking each note as it comes.

[Slaindude]

Yeah, when i usally do this kind of riff i always begin with an upstroke the second time cause its more "fluid", it makes you go a lot faster cause you dont have to change your hand position. You just keep a clean motion.

[osiris]

snufeldin, man, why don't you play second lick in 3NPS-configuration? ... it will sound better and - it's easier - aka "faster" to play!

[Alan(Lost)]

"...Upstroke...Downstroke...?"; How about do it both ways? Never focus just on one way of picking something. If you find a way of picking something which is difficult, you've found a way of spending another 10 minutes of your practice time every day. Sure, there can be exceptions. But with these sort of things (the 3 string arp and the pentatonic), play it with hammer ons and pull offs, sweep it, start with upstroke/downstroke using strict alt. picking; if you tackle and conquer all the little awkwardness-es (definately not a word!), it crosses off the technical "to do" list! And it all relates to playing other licks which have a different left hand, but a similar picking pattern.