learn to shred part 7 : sweep picking

Sweep picking

Sweep picking is when you play two or more notes on adjacent strings by using all upstrokes or downstrokes. when playing a sweep you should push your guitar pick lightly through the strings so that you essentially make only one movemant for all the upstrokes or downstrokes that are transcribed next to each other. It is important to note that each note when playing a sweep is played seperately and not as a chord; you have to lightly relase each note so that it does not rig out before you play the next note.
sweep picking is different to any kind of picking you may have done before, 
in fact it will probably feel closer to strumming than picking


EX 1    sweeping over two strings

l-------12--15p12-------------------------
l--14---------------------------------------
l-----------------------------------------
l-----------------------------------------
l-----------------------------------------
l-----------------------------------------

the most important part of this excercise is how you pick it; the first two notes should be played with one donwards picking motion that sounds both the b and e strings seperately, an upstroke is then played on the 15th fret of the e string and the a pull off to the 12th fret. This is a common rock speedlick used on many famous guitar solos that should be a very usefull tool to use when improvising


EX 2   sweeping over three strings

ex 2a  donwards sweeping

l----------12--15---------------
l------13------------------------
l--14----------------------------
l--------------------------------
l--------------------------------
l--------------------------------

The first three notes should be played with one donwards picking motion that
sounds the strings seperately, an upstroke is then played on the 15th fret of the e string


ex 2b upwards sweeping

l--15--12------------------------
l-----------13-------------------
l---------------14---------------
l--------------------------------
l--------------------------------
l--------------------------------

the first note should be played with  a downstroke,
then the last three notes should be played with
one upwards picking motion that sounds the strings seperately



EX3  the Steve Vai sweep

l----------12--15----------------
l------13----------13------------
l--14------------------12-------
l--------------------------------
l--------------------------------
l--------------------------------

This should be played by downward sweeping the first three notes
and upward sweeping the last three notes,
essentially this lick plays six notes with only two pick motions.

This will allow you to play with amazing speed if you slowly synchronise your hands with a metronome (see learn to shred part two).

I call this the Steve Vai sweep because if you see Steve play liveand having a solo trade-off with another guitarist like Tony McAlpine he will always use this lick as a last resort if he feels he is being outplayed; because this is the fastest thing Vai can play whilst improvising
he will usually play this and move up the neck chromatically


Ex4 5 string dmajor sweep

   1  4   2 2 2 1   4
l------------5-10------
l----------7------------
l--------7--------------
l------7----------------
l-5-9-------------------
l-----------------------

how to play: Start by upstroking the first note , the sweep down the next 5 notes
(from the 9th fret of a to the 5th fret of e) and finish by upward picking the 10th fret
I have included the fingering above the tab; you will notice that 3 notes in a row are played with your 2nd finger you do this by rolling your finger in a "rubber stamp motion" to mute he notes after you play them


EX5 a 6 string dmajor sweep

   1    3    3    2   1      1     4
l------------------10-14------
l--------------10-------------
l-----------11----------------
l--------12-------------------
l-----12----------------------
l-10--------------------------


This should be played by sweeping the firs six notes the picking the last note,
also note that this is the same arpeggio as ex 5 but is a completely different sweep shape


What Now? Take the right hand sweeping patterns and apply different chord shapes, try playing them by sweeping both upwards and downwards.

tip: Try doing a six string donwards sweep and then play some finger-tapping in the same key