Sweep Picking

Definition: Sweep picking is a technique used on the guitar
in which a "sweeping" motion of the pick is combined with a matching
fret hand technique in order to produce a specific series of
notes which are fast and fluid in sound.


BEFORE I BEGIN I need to show you the rolling technique. look
at the diagram below, notice all the note are on the 7th fret.
the correct hand position is to bar your finger across all of
the notes, but if you sweep that all the notes are going to bleed
through one another and wont sound right. To correct this you
must roll pressure from one part of your finger to the other.
to do this simply roll your finger after each note is hit.

e-----7-
b---7---
g-7-----
d-------
a-------
E-------

I will start with 3 string sweeps which are the easiest here are
3 diagrams

e-----5-
b---6---
g-7-----
d-------
a-------
E-------
*once a note is hit relieve pressure off the note so it silences...
if you dont the note bleeds into the other and then you are bassically
strumming all not notes and not sweeping.

e-----5-----
b---6---6---
g-7-------7-
d-----------
a-----------
E-----------
*use the same technique as diagram above only come down the same
way you went up

e-------12h5p12-------
b----13---------13----
g-14---------------14-
d---------------------
a---------------------
E---------------------
*sweeping begins to get tricky here so make sure to play it very
slow and get the right technique especially on the hammer and
pull off.

now i will write out a four, five, and six string sweep make sure
you practice SLOW on these and dont rush yourself start on the
four string and dont begin on the 5 or six until you feel 100% comfortable
with the four string sweep

e-------5p3-------------1p0--------
b-----6-----5---------3-----1------
g---7---------5-----3---------0----
d-7-------------5p3-------------2--
a----------------------------------
E----------------------------------
*on the pull off just slide your hand into the next position for
the down/upstroke. once you get this right the 5 and six string
sweeps will be very easy

e------------9h12p9------------
b---------10--------10---------
g-----6h9--------------9p6-----
d---7----------------------7---
a-9--------------------------9-
E------------------------------
*hammers and pulls are always hard to sweep but start SLOW and
you will get it right, once you have this sweep perfected 6 string
sweeps will be no problem for you

e-------------------12h15p12-------------------
b----------------13----------13----------------
g-------------14----------------14-------------
d----------14----------------------14----------
a-------14----------------------------14-------
E-12h15----------------------------------15p12-


SOME SUGGESTIONS WHILE YOU PRACTICE

- PLAY SLOW AND GET THE TECHNIQUE CORRECT it will make things
much easier as you improve and move along

- PLAY WITHOUT DISTORTION to catch all of your mistakes before
you distort the sound, it gets irritating hearing all of your
mistakes but it will sound great once you catch and correct them
when you use distortion

ARTISTS YOU MIGHT LIKE IF YOU ARE INTO SWEEP PICKING

yngwie malmsteen
al di meola
jason becker