Preface
This is an updated version of my older article about sweep picking that I wrote for Guitar4u in 1999. Three years have passed, and through teaching a lot I came up with some new approaches to and exercises for this technique. Also I got a lot of Email regarding that article, and I would like to include some new stuff to thereby answer some of the questions from those Emails...
So here we go, the updated version...
The Basics:
Sweep-picking is a technique that has been around for a while. It originally came from jazz-guitar, but rock-guitarists quickly picked up the technique and included it into the standard vocabulary of the rock guitar. Frank Gambale was one of the most important innovators of the technique, but there are a bunch of other players who use it to create great solos and licks and some breathtaking lead-parts. Check out Jason Beckerīs soloing on "Perpetual Burn", Andy Timmons parts on the second Danger Danger Album "Screw It !", Yngwie Malmsteens soloing on many of his solo-releases, Steve Vaiīs solo at the end of the live version of "Answers" on the G3-live album, Tony MacAlpineīs earlier recordings...
What is Sweep-picking?
OK, Sweep-picking is a technique that was developed to make some aspects of playing the guitar more economical. The easiest example would be to use one consecutive picking-direction when playing on two adjacent strings. Take for example a passage where you play 3 notes on one string, and then 3 notes on the next, adjacent string. Start with a downstroke, play the second note with an upstroke, then another downstroke. Now itīs time to switch to the next string... if youīd use all alternate picking, youīd play the first note on that string with an upstroke. But, since we used a downstroke for the last note, letīs continue with another downstroke, so youīre playing both strings with a downstroke. Sounds a bit complicated, so letīs take a look at a musical example:
As you can see, you go d-u-d-d-u-d-d-u-d etc. If you wanna go the other way, you of course have to start with an upstroke... so you go u-d-u-u-d-u etc. This you can see in the second bar, example 2.
This approach is also know as "economy picking" and is a cool way to speed up your three-note-per-string runs. But be aware: You should have a decent alternate picking technique before getting into this too much. A good sweeping-technique can only be developed if there is a decent base, a proper and accurate alternate picking technique. You should be able to do both the strict alternate picking (d-u-d-u-d-u etc.) and the economy picking (see above) before you should get into more sweep picking.
One other thing I would like to point out: Steve Morse once said that sweep-picking is rhythmically not as precise as strict alternate picking. He compared sweeping to Jerry Lee Lewis moving both his hands all over the keys of his piano. Steve has developed his alternate picking to a point where he is able to execute lightning-fast arpeggios that other players only can execute with alternate picking. So why donīt you try both approaches? And make sure you use a metronome and build up speed gradually, always making sure that all the notes are perfectly in time!!!
From Economy Picking to Sweeping
The basic-idea of "Sweeping" is very close to "Strumming", as in "Strum a chord". But in Sweeping, there's one important difference: The single notes you're playing shouldn't ring together, that means you only hear one note at a time. To achive that, you'll need a really good muting technique for the left hand, because when the right hand is Sweeping, the left hand has to fret the note at the same time the right hand is picking it, and then it has to immediately mute that note and to fret the next note on the next string, which the right hand will pick next.
One of the hardest things to do when sweep picking is playing arps with notes at the same fret on adjacent string. Below youīll see one of those in bar No.1, and in bar 2 youīll see a "rolling exercise". This is an exercise that will prepare you for those kind of arpeggios, and the way it works is:
Youīre using letīs say the ring finger for all the notes at the 14th fret, so what you gotta do is bend and roll your finger so that the notes donīt ring together at all. The finger has to fret each note only while it is picked. After that, you roll the finger (and bend it) so you fret the note on the next string while muting ("un-fretting") the previous notes... try it with all your fingers, and use a bit of gain on your amp so you can hear for sure whether the notes ring together or not!
As you can see already, you have to pay a lot of attention to accuracy here.
OK, one more thing to point out. If you never tried sweeping, if this is a new concept for you, one of the tough parts about it might be that you have to do something unusual with both your left and right hand. (Consecutive picking motion with the right, rolling and fretting each note of a chord on its own with the left hand). So what you should do is: split it up. Use open strings and concentrate entirely on the right hand while getting the picking motion to work. Remember that the pick should kinda fall from one string to the other... make sure all notes ring for the same amount of time, start with three strings, then 4, 5 until you reach 6.
OK, here are some basic exercises.
This one is one I was taught at the GIT, and it is something I always use to warm up a bit and get my hand used to the picking motion again. Do this one over and over until it works perfectly. You can even do it while watching TV (I used to do it while I was in the car), just make sure that you check from time to time whether it is still all acurate...
Also pay attention to the left hand. Each note at the 5th/12th fret is fretted with the first finger, each one on the 6th/13th with the 2nd finger, each one on the 7th/14th with the third finger, and each note on the 8th/15th fret with your pinkie... this exercise helped me a lot in the beginning to get used to the technique and to get my left hand used to the concept of fretting each note of an arp on its own...
Letīs add a fourth string with this next, chromatic exercise.
As you can see, the first arp is twisted so you have four different versions. Play this exercise all over the neck. You might realize at some point that one direction might be easier for you than the other. If that happens focus on the one youīre not as good at and work on that one on itīs own!
OK, we are up to four strings now. I would like to point out that it would be a good idea to make up your own exercises too. If you should happen to find a certain problem, isolate it, work on it and eliminate it.
Here is an exercise I picked up from Vinnie Moore. It features a well known arpeggio shape, and will help you to work on your accuracy. This shape is often being used when sweep-picking... play it all over the neck...
One variation would be to play the notes on the high E-string with an upstroke, so itīs d-d-d-d-u-u-u-u for each arpeggio... try that variation too.
The next exercise consists of Arps in the key of A minor, ranging over all the six strings. Continue it further up and go down again. Try it in different keys and with other arps (maj7 & min7, add9, dim) too.
Adding Hammer Ons / Pull Offs
Now that we had exercises on 3,4, 5 and 6 strings, letīs move on to variations that make it more interesting. One common thing to do is to add hammer ons and pull offs in between or on the top of the arps, like in the following examples. Take each example by itself, practise it in different areas of the fretboard and try adding different notes... remember accuracy and time!
Letīs go through those licks/exercises one by one...
7a
The first one is an Aminor arp involving hammer ons & pull offs, similar to the intro of "Eugeneīs Trick Bag" from the Crossroads-movie.
7b
This is one I use a lot. The chords here are actually Am and G, but you initially play an Asus 2, hammer on to the third (C), pulling off to the 2 (B) again. Same with the G Major chord, where you hammer from the 2 (A) to the third (B) and then go back. Move that one through a longer chord sequence, like Am-G-F-Em-Dm-C or something like that.
7c
This one is similar to what Richie Kotzen used to do on his debut album, the way he plays a Cmajor Arp. The third on top (E, 12th fret) involves a stretch, be careful when going for that one!
7d
This one is another popular way to play a Cmaj-Arp. Again, play it in different areas of the neck!
7e
This is similar to an arp I used in my song "Deja Vu". You can hear the example by clicking on the links below (Audio files taken from an early demo-version).
7f
A variation of 7e
7g
This is another one similar to another arp in "Deja Vu". Click on "Deja Vu Arp2" to hear it (Audio files taken from an early demo-version).
Click this LINK to hear a lick similar to 7e from my song "Deja Vu"
Click this LINK to hear a lick similar to 7g from my song "Deja Vu"
Click this LINK to hear a lick similar to 7g from my song "Deja Vu"
One common problem that a lot of my students mention to me is that when you fret a note on the G-String and then take it away to move it eg. to the high E-string, there is some unwanted noise from the G-String ringing, coz you are making a very soft kinda pull-off on that string by taking it away (especially evident when using high gain-sounds).
The way to avoid that is either a) using less strength and taking the finger away from the string more carefully or b) muting that string after fretting it with the tip of another finger, i.e. the one that frets a note on eg. the B-string next...
Thatīs why I recommend to use moderate- or high-gain-sounds in between to make sure you are not causing any unwanted noises...
OK, here we had a bunch of exercises. Experiment, let them inspire you to find other exercises and licks.
Thatīs it for now. I hope you found this interesting and useful, and I hope it will help you to get into sweep-picking. I will repeat myself again: work up to speed gradually, pay attention to timing and accuracy, use a metronome, make sure the strings donīt ring into each other. Make up your own exercises, try to come up with different possibilities.
Most importantly, have fun and use the technique and licks in a musical way... use them when jamming to a backing track or with the band, include them into your regular style. Use them equally to normal technique. Donīt just sweep up and down all the time, use it in between while playing actual MUSIC.
And donīt forget that speed only really comes to peopleīs attention when used in combination with melodies and slower parts. If you play lightning-fast sweeps up and down the neck for 2 minutes without a break, people will most likely get bored soon. But if you i.e. play a great melody or passage and all of a sudden throw in a cool sweep (which, by the way is a wonderful tool to get from one fretboard area or octave to another), it will grab peopleīs attention way better and stand out more...
Have fun!
And remember what Steve Vai said "5 good reasons not to practise: 1.There 2.Are 3. No 4. Good 5. Reasons"
If you have questions or wanna discuss the content of this article go to the forums.
"Deja Vu ( Good To Be Alive )" by Eric Vandenberg
Copyrights 2001, 2002 Talking Hands Music
Copyrights 2001, 2002 Talking Hands Music