Sweep Picking

Let's start off with what sweep picking (sweeping) is. I am pretty sure most people have already practiced the basics without even knowing it.

Sweeping (also known as economy picking) is based on the principle of running your pick down/up the strings in one stroke (or as little strokes as possible if there are more than one note on each string), allowing you to play more notes in a shorter time - usually these notes are based on running up/down arpeggios or scales. On each down run of an arpeggio or scale, you base your picking on down strokes. On each up run of an arpeggio or scale, you base your picking on upstrokes. Not only shredders use this technique though, sweeping is useful in other types of rock and metal, as well as jazz.

If you want to learn to sweep, it is important that you are confident with other common effects. You should know how to hammer-on/pull-off, slide and so forth before attempting sweep picking. Take a look at these before attempting this lesson: Lead Effects, Dexterity Exercises.

Key

1 = index finger
2 = middle finger
3 = ring finger
4 = little finger
d = down stroke
u = up stroke
h = hammer on
p = pull off
/ = slide

Example 1

Let's start with an Em arpeggio. Three strings instead of five to start with, and play with a clean tone to start off with. Play the notes in a 'raking' motion - which could be described as a slowed down strum (though make sure you don't actually strum).

d d d u u u
E |---------3----7p3--------------|
B |-----5--------------5----------|
G |-4----------------------4------|
D |-------------------------------|
A |-------------------------------|
E |-------------------------------|

1 2 1 4 1 2 1 <<<---Fingers

Now, turn on some distortion and try. Muffled a bit? You need to mute the notes you already played so they don't bleed into each other. This is done by lifting your fingers slightly above the note you hit previously. It almost looks like you are 'rolling' you fingers along the frets. It sounds difficult but you will get the hang of it. Remember, you aren't going to learn this in one day. It takes a lot of practice. Don't rush it. If you are still working on Example 1, that's ok. Come back when you're comfortable playing it at a reasonable speed. Ready for another example to show you how to roll your fingers a bit better? Here it is...

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Example 2

Another Em arpeggio. This involves a barre to help you learn how to roll your fingers off of the notes. Remember not to totally lift your fingers off the string you just played, just lift enough so the note is muted, otherwise it will sound like a pull off when there shouldn't be one. Start clean again if you feel the need, begin playing slowly and then increase the speed.

d d d d u u u u
E |------------12-15p12-----------|
B |--------12-----------12--------|
G |----12------------------12-----|
D |-14------------------------14v-|
A |-------------------------------|
E |-------------------------------|
3 1 1 1 4 1 1 1 3

If you are struggling with this exercise, stick to it until you can play it confidently, as this lesson gets more difficult. The most important thing in guitar playing and sounding good at it, is being comfortable with your speed and abilities.

Alright, for those of you who are saying: "Wait a second, I know how to do this!" or "This is too easy!" Please look at Example 3 and tell me you're not scared!

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Example 3

E Major arpeggio here. 5 strings. It's really not too difficult. Just take it slow on a clean tone until you are comfortable.

d d d d u u u u u
E |-------------12h16p12--------------|
B |----------12----------12-----------|
G |-------13----------------13--------|
D |----14----------------------14-----|
A |-14----------------------------14v-|
E |-----------------------------------|
3 3 2 1 1 4 1 1 2 3 3

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Example 4

d d d u d d d d u u u u d u u
E |----------------------15-17p15-------------------|
B |-------------------18----------18----------------|
G |----------------17----------------17-------------|
D |-------15-17-19----------------------19-17-15----|
A |----15----------------------------------------15-|
E |-17----------------------------------------------|
2 1 1 2 3 2 3 1 2 1 3 2 3 2 1 1

A more difficult exercise because we're now using all 6 strings. As with the other examples, play them slowly at first, gradually increasing the tempo.

The rest of this lesson shows some examples of where sweeping is used. Let's look at the video game "Final Fantasy." Check out the main theme's arpeggios.

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Example 5: Final Fantasy Arpeggios

Key = D minor
D D D U D D D D U U U U D U U
E|----------------------15-17p15-------------------|
B|-------------------18----------18----------------|
G|----------------17----------------17-------------|
D|-------15-17-19----------------------19-17-15----|
A|----15----------------------------------------15-|
E|-17----------------------------------------------|

D D D U D D D D U U U U D U U
E|----------------------12-13p12-------------------|
B|-------------------15----------15----------------|
G|----------------14----------------14-------------|
D|-------12-14-15----------------------15-14-12----|
A|----12----------------------------------------12-|
E|-13----------------------------------------------|
Repeat the 2 bars above

D D D U D D D D U U U U D U U
E|--------------------8-10p8-----------------|
B|-----------------11--------11--------------|
G|--------------10--------------10-----------|
D|------8-10-12--------------------12-10-8---|
A|----8------------------------------------8-|
E|-10----------------------------------------|

D D D U D D D D U U U U D U U
E|----------------------10-12p10-------------------|
B|-------------------13----------13----------------|
G|----------------12----------------12-------------|
D|-------10-12-14----------------------14-12-10----|
A|----10----------------------------------------10-|
E|-12----------------------------------------------|

D D U D U D D U D U D U U D U D
E|----------------------9--------------------|
B|-----------------9-13---13-9---------------|
G|--------------10-------------10------------|
D|--------10-11-------------------11-10------|
A|---8-11-------------------------------11-8-|
E|-9-----------------------------------------|

D D U D U D D U D U D U U D U D
E|-------------------------11----------------------|
B|-------------------11-15----15-11----------------|
G|----------------12----------------12-------------|
D|----------12-13----------------------13-12-------|
A|----10-13----------------------------------13-10-|
E|-11----------------------------------------------|
Repeat from beginning and then play last bar

D D D U D D D D U
E|----------------------15-17----------------------|
B|-------------------18----------------------------|
G|----------------17-------------------------------|
D|-------15-17-19----------------------------------|
A|----15-------------------------------------------|
E|-17----------------------------------------------|

I didn't give the fingerings because I actually put the first bar of fingerings in Example 4. It's pretty much that same pattern, and you rarely use your little finger in this one.

Are you a good sweeper that just needed a refresher and are getting bored with this? Take Jason Becker's 'Serrana' and tell me if you have mastered this yet...

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Example 6

This is a cool little rendition of Jason Becker's 'Serrana'. He was a great guitarist and it's bad he has to suffer from his illnesses. He says that he comes up with tunes in his head but can't play because of his restrained mobility. Well we should all give some acknowledgement to this great guitarist and musician. Play this with either a clean or just slightly distorted tone. Here we go...

E||------------------------------------------------14-17p14-------------|
B||---15----------15----------------------------15----------15----------|
G||------------14----14----------------------14----------------14-------|
D||---------16----------16----------------16----------------------16----|
A||------17----------------17-12----12-17----------------------------17-|
E||------------------------------14-------------------------------------|

-----------------14-17p14----------14-22p17----------------------------17-|
--------------15----------15----15----------19----------------------19----|
-----------14----------------14----------------19----------------19-------|
--------16----------------------------------------19-16----16-19----------|
--12-17-------------------------------------------------17----------------|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

--19p15----------------------------15-22p19-------------------------19-22-|
--------15----------------------15----------20-------------------20-------|
-----------16----------------16----------------19-------------19----------|
--------------17----------17----------------------21-17-17-21-------------|
-----------------17-14-17-------------------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

--22p19----------19-19p15----------15-15p10----------------------------10-|
--------20----20----------15----15----------12----------------------12----|
-----------19----------------16----------------12----------------12-------|
--------------------------------------------------12----------12----------|
-----------------------------------------------------14-10-14-------------|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

--12p9-----------------------9-12/17p12----------------------------12-|
-------10-----------------10------------14----------------------14----|
----------9-------------9------------------14----------------14-------|
------------11-------11-----------------------14----------14----------|
---------------12-12-----------------------------16-12-16-------------|
----------------------------------------------------------------------|

--17p12----------12-12p9---------9-9p5---------------------|
--------14----14---------10---10-------5-------------------|
-----------14---------------9------------6---------------6-|
-------------------------------------------7-----------7---|
---------------------------------------------7-4---4-7-----|
-------------------------------------------------5---------|

--14p10---------------------------10/17p14----------------------------14-|
--------10---------------------10----------15----------------------15----|
-----------11---------------11----------------14----------------14-------|
--------------12---------12----------------------16----------16----------|
-----------------12-9-12----------------------------17-12-17-------------|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

--17p14----------14-18p14----------14-16p14----------14-17----|
--------15----15----------15----15----------15----15----------|
-----------14----------------14----------------14-------------|
--------------------------------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------------------------------|

|---21p17----------------------------17-21p17----------17-22p17----------17--||
|---------19----------------------19----------19----19----------19----19-----||
|*-----------18----------------18----------------18----------------18-------*||
|*--------------19----------19----------------------------------------------*||
|------------------21-16-21--------------------------------------------------||
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------||

---19p14----------------------------14-19p14----------14-21p14----------14--||
---------15----------------------15----------15----15----------15----15-----||
*-----------16----------------16----------------16----------------16-------*||
*--------------16----------16----------------------------------------------*||
------------------17-14-17--------------------------------------------------||
----------------------------------------------------------------------------||

--24p19-------------------------------20p15-------------------------------|
--------20-------------------------20-------16-------------------------16-|
-----------21-------------------21-------------17-------------------17----|
--------------21-------------21-------------------17-------------17-------|
-----------------22-19----22-------------------------18-15----18----------|
-----------------------19----------------------------------15-------------|

--16p11----------------------------11-16p11----------11-18p11----------11-|
--------12----------------------12----------12----12----------12----12----|
-----------13----------------13----------------13----------------13-------|
--------------13----------13----------------------------------------------|
-----------------14-11-14-------------------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

--15p11----------------------------11-18p15----------------------------15-|
--------11----------------------11----------16----------------------16----|
-----------12----------------12----------------15----------------15-------|
--------------13----------13----------------------17----------17----------|
-----------------13-10-13----------------------------18-13-18-------------|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

--23p18----------------------------18-23p18-------------------|
--------20----------------------20----------20----------------|
-----------20----------------20----------------20-------------|
--------------20-17----17-20----------------------20-17-------|
--------------------18----------------------------------18----|
--------------------------------------------------------------|

-----------------13-16p13----19p16----22p19----------------------17-18-19-|
--15p12----12-15----------15-------18-------21----------------21----------|
--------13-------------------------------------22-19----19-22-------------|
-----------------------------------------------------21-------------------|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|---20p15----------------------------15-20p15----------15-22p15----------15--||
|---------16----------------------16----------16----16----------16----16-----||
|*-----------17----------------17----------------17----------------17-------*||
|*--------------17----------17----------------------------------------------*||
|------------------18-15-18--------------------------------------------------||
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------||

--20p17----------------------------17-20p17----------17p14----------14----|
--------19----------------------19----------19-------------16----------16-|
-----------20-17----------17-20----------------20-17----------17-14-------|
-----------------19-16-19-------------------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

--17p14----------------------------14-17p14-------------------------------|
--------16----------------------16----------16-------16p13----------------|
-----------17-14----------14-17----------------17-14-------14-------14-11-|
-----------------16-13-16-------------------------------------16-13-------|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

--------------------------|--------------------||
--------------------------|--------------------||
--12----13----12----11----|--12----------------||
--------------------------|--------------------||
--------------------------|--------------------||
--------------------------|--------------------||

Well that you should keep you busy for a while. Remember these things...

A) You aren't going to master or even learn this in one day or week or maybe even one month. Go at your own pace and stay comfortable.

B) Don't go too fast! The notes are supposed to be heard not just played. Most shredders don't understand that they need to play music and not just a bunch
of notes muffled together to make some noise. Music is what you're trying to play, not noise.

Good luck and have fun!

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