Sweep picking part 1.

Written by Morten Gjermundsen(trollstjerne@yahoo.no)

In this lesson youīll hopefully learn what sweep picking is and at the same time learn some cool licks. Sweep picking can take some time to learn but when you have learnt to sweep you will think it is easy.So take your time,itīs really worth the work.

When playing fast licks or soloīs where the notes lies on different string like an arpeggio it can be hard to get the desired speed with alternate picking(up,down,up,down) and here is where the sweeping come in.When youīre sweeping your pick should flow across several string using one smooth picking motion(also known as brush stroke).Mute all strings with your left hand(right hand if your left handed) and let the pick fall from string to string down,down,down,down,down,down and then up,up,up,up,up,up.Itīs almost like strumming a chord but when you sweep each note should be muted right after you have hit it (This is done by lifting your finger away from the fret enough to mute it).If the notes arenīt muted they will ring together and it will sound awful.I will try to explain it in details as we go through these licks and exersises. Each example can be heard in Midi so you can hear how they should sound.You can hear these lick and exercises in both slow and fast versions.Letīs take a look at the first exercise.

To play first exercise in A minor first fret the 14th fret with you 3 (ring) finger and hit the note with a pick using a down stroke,then quickly lift your finger away to mute and prevent noise and ringing of notes.Then fret the 13th fret with your middle finger and hit the note with a down stroke,again lift your finger away to prevent unwanted noise and ringing.Use your index finger to fret the 12th fret hit the note with a down stroke and then use the hammer on technique and hammer on to the 17th fret with your pinky.So you should only use down strokes and also remember to mute each note after picking them. To hear how this exercise should sound like when played slow click here.And to listen to this exercise faster click here.If you donīt mute the notes after you hit them this exercise would sound like this and we donīt want that.just try it again and again.It can take some time to get used to but donīt give up.Try reading this lesson from the beginning again or send me an e-mail if you have any problems. 
                                                        
E||--------12h17-------------||
B||-----13-------------------||
G||--14----------------------||
D||--------------------------||
A||--------------------------||
E||--------------------------||
In the next exercise we will use the same pattern as the first one,only this time we go back to where we started (to the 14th fret on the G string).To play this exercise follow the instrutions for the first exercise but instead of using a hammer on on the 17th fret pick it with an up stroke.Then pull off to the 12th fret and continiue up with up strokes.Your picking should be down,down,down,up,(pull off),up,up. Then repeat it. Listen to this exercise slow and click here for a faster version. 
E||--------12-17p12-------------------||
B||-----13----------13----------------||
G||--14----------------14-------------||
D||-----------------------------------||
A||-----------------------------------||
E||-----------------------------------||

The next sweep begins in A minor (like the first once) and then moves up to G major.Listen to this exercise slow and click here for the fast one.

E||--------12-17-12--------------12-17-12----------------|
B||-----13----------13--------13----------13-------------|
G||--14----------------14--14----------------14----------|
D||------------------------------------------------------|
A||------------------------------------------------------|
E||------------------------------------------------------|


                                                           
--------10-15-10--------------10-15-10-----------------||
-----12----------12--------12----------112-------------||
--12----------------12--12-----------------12----------||
-------------------------------------------------------||
-------------------------------------------------------||
-------------------------------------------------------||
Here is another 3 string sweep.Listen to this exercises here and here is the backing track. 
                                                                        
E||--------12-17-----------10-15-----|--------8-13-----------10-15-----|
B||-----13--------------12-----------|-----10-------------12-----------|
G||--14--------------12--------------|--10-------------12--------------|
D||----------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A||----------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E||----------------------------------|---------------------------------|


                                      
--------12-17-12-----------------||
-----13----------13--------------||
--14----------------14-----------||
---------------------------------||
-----------------------0---------||
---------------------------------||
Please Note !!
Before we move to the next examples i recommend you check out the page about the Rolling technique.


Now letīs move on to some 5 string sweeps this one is in A minor.
Listen to this example slow and here it is fast.

                                                      
              1   4   3   3   2   1   4   1   2   3   3  4            
E||----------------------12h-17p-12------------------|
B||------------------13--------------13--------------|
G||--------------14----------------------14----------|
D||----------14------------------------------14------|
A||--12--15--------------------------------------15--|
E||--------------------------------------------------|


  4                            
----------------------------||
----------------------------||
----------------------------||
----------------------------||
--12------------------------||
----------------------------||



Hereīs another one in G major.This lick is picked similar to the one you just learnt.The only different is that in this example the distance between 10th and 14th fret is bigger.Therefore you should use you little finger to hammer on the note on the 14th fret.You should use your 3rd finger on the 3 next notes because they are on the same fret.on the high E string you should pick the 10th fret with your 1th finger and hammer on to the 15th freat with your 4th.Listen to this exercise slow and here is the fast version.


E||----------------------10h-15p-10------------------|
B||------------------12--------------12--------------|
G||--------------12----------------------12----------|
D||----------12------------------------------12------|
A||--10h-14--------------------------------------14--|
E||--------------------------------------------------|


                              
----------------------------||
----------------------------||
----------------------------||
----------------------------||
--10------------------------||
----------------------------||



Now try playing these two sweeps together like in this exercise.
Listen to it here and to listen to the backing track click here

                                                      
E||-----------------12h17p12-------------------------|
B||--------------13----------13----------------------|
G||-----------14----------------14----------------12-|
D||--------14----------------------14----------12----|
A||--12h15----------------------------15-10h14-------|
E||--------------------------------------------------|


                                                   
-----10h15p10-----------------------------12h17p12-|
--12----------12----------------------133----------|
-----------------12----------------14--------------|
--------------------12----------14-----------------|
-----------------------14-12h15--------------------|
---------------------------------------------------|


                              
----------------------------||
--13------------------------||
-----14---------------------||
--------14------------------||
-----------15p12------------||
----------------------------||



 
  ADVANCE SWEEP PICKING   

This cool sweep lick are in E-minor.Pick the first note (E) with your 4th finger,the next (G) with your 2nd and the third note (B) with your 1th finger.Then pick the B stringīs E note with your 2nd finger and slide it up to the 8th fret.Pick the 7th fret on the high E string with your 1th finger.On the notes you just played you should only use downstroke picking (except from the slide..). When you come to the note on the 12th fret fret it with your 4th finger and pick the string with an upstroke (while holding your 1th finger on the 7th fret) and then pull off your 4th finger so that the note on the 7th fret sound again.Fret the note on the B stringīs 8th fret (G)
with your 2nd finger and pick it with an upstroke.The note on the G stringīs 9th fret should be fretted with your 3rd finger and picked with an downstroke.Fret the B stringīs 8th fret with your 2nd finger and pick with an downstroke and then fret the 7th fret on the high E with your 1th finger and pick it with an downstroke...Sorry for the long explaination....I just want you to get it right :) ....Now it gets even worse....After picking the 7th use your 3rd or 4th finger (coming from "nowhere"..) and slide it down to the 15th fret.(This will require some practicing.) When you reach the 15th fret "pull off" while fretting the 12th fret with your 1th finger..(I told you it got worse..) Now use the rolling technique picking all remaining notes on the 12th fret with your 1th finger.First use upstrokes then use downstrokes.Now slide up to the 19th fret with your 3rd finger (again coming from "nowhere"...) "pull off" while fretting the 15th fret with your 1th finger.Fret the note on the B string with your 3rd finger and pick it with an upstroke.Fret the note on the G string with your 2nd and pick it with an upstroke.On the 3 last notes use down,up,down picking (You can also pick the 17th fret on the D string with an upstroke and use pull offīs on the rest.).Listen to it here.



                                           
E||------------7-12p7-------7s15p12-------|
B||--------5s8--------8---8---------12----|
G||------4--------------9--------------12-|
D||----5----------------------------------|
A||--7------------------------------------|
E||---------------------------------------|


                                      
-----12s19p15-----------------------||
--12----------17--------------------||
-----------------16-----------------||
--------------------17-16-14--------||
------------------------------------||
------------------------------------||


And hereīs another one in E-minor.I wonīt go deep here..Itīs pretty much the same as the other one.Listen to this sweep.

                                            
E||------------7-------7s12----------12-15-|
B||--------5s8---8---8------12----12-------|
G||------4---------9-----------12----------|
D||----5-----------------------------------|
A||--7-------------------------------------|
E||----------------------------------------|


                                           
-----12-19-12-----------------------------||
--12----------12--------------------------||
-----------------12-----------------------||
--------------------14--------------------||
-----------------------14-----------2-----||
--------------------------15-14-12--0-----||



This is a very cool sweep picking lick in E-minor this is also a good rhythm exercise.When you have picked the G stringīs 9th fret with you 3th finger try to place your 1th finger at the 12th fret as fast as possible (This is done by sliding your 1th finger from "nowhere"...) After picking the other notes on the 12th fret use your 3rd finger to slide down to the 19th fret...The rest you should know now hopefully..(If not please write to me...)

Listen to this lick listen to the backing track.

                                                              
E||----------------------------|-----------------------------|
B||----------------------------|-----------------------------|
G||----------------------------|-----------------------------|
D||------------------5----7----|------------------4--5--7----|
A||------5-7-----5-7-3----5----|------5-7-----5-7-2--3--5----|
E||--0-0-----0-0---------------|--0-0-----0-0----------------|


                                                          
------------7h12p7-----------12s19p15---------------------|
--------5s8--------8------12----------177-----------------|
------4--------------9s12-----------------16--------------|
----5----------------------------------------17p16p14-----|
--7-------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------------|


                                                          
---------------------7---8---10----|--122----------------||
--------5h8p5h8p5----10b-11b-13b---|--155b---------------||
------4----------------------------|---------------------||
----5------------------------------|---------------------||
--7--------------------------------|---------------------||
-----------------------------------|---------------------||


Here is another fast sweep picking lick.Listen to this lick and click here for the backing track.

E||------------------------------|
B||------------------------------|
G||------------------------------|
D||--2-2-2-2-5--5--2-2-2-2-5--5--|
A||--0-0-0-0-3--3--0-0-0-0-3--3--|
E||------------------------------|


                                            
---------------------8s12----------12h177p12
------------------10------13----13-----------
----------------9------------14--------------
-------------10------------------------------
--0-0-0-0-12---------------------------------
---------------------------------------------


                              
-----------------------------|
-----------------------------|
------------------------7----|
----------5--5----------7----|
--0-0-0-0-3--3--0-0-0-0------|
-----------------------------|


                                            
--22p17-----------------------------------12h
--------17----------------------------133----
-----------17----------------------14--------
--------------19-14-------------14-----------
--------------------15p14p12h15--------------
---------------------------------------------




This last exercise is an chromatic sweep.Play this exercise up to the 12th fret or so and then go back down again.Also practise this exercise 
on other strings.This sweep is good for building speed and strenght.

                                          
E||-----------4--1--------------------2--|
B||--------3--------2--------------3-----|
G||-----2--------------3--------4--------|
D||--1--------------------4--5-----------|
A||--------------------------------------|
E||--------------------------------------|


                                       
--5--------------------6--3-----------|
-----4--------------5--------4--------|
--------3--------4--------------5-----|
-----------2--3--------------------6--|
--------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------|


                                    
-----------4--7-------------------||
--------5--------6----------------||
-----6--------------5-------------||
--7--------------------4----------||
----------------------------------||
----------------------------------||




Now thatīs all the examples i have for now i will add more licks in the near future.Remember this technique take some time to get used to,donīt rush yourself you may hurt your finger and it can take some time to heal.Practise slow and speeed it up as you progress.If have any questions or comments please write to me.If you want to learn more about arpeggioīs check out my Arpeggio Arpeggio 2 Arpeggio 3 lessons.Donīt forget the Rolling Technique.Learn them and try to create your own sweep picking licks.Thanks for checking out my web site and please come back again soon. 



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