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Post subject: Speed and Sweep.
Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 1:25 pm
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How many of you guys can do the Sweep Picking technique?
I can't seem to build my speed up, as much as I practice it, I never get anywhere on it. How did you guys build up the coordination, speed and accuracy?

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Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 1:29 pm
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Repition or talent; I donno; I keep up the reps....surprize myself with speed on occasion. I want to say trying too hard is a detriment; is there such a thing as over practicing? maybe not. I don't make my living from playing so it could be a case of "What do I know?!" rhetorically...


Last edited by dna9656 on Fri May 30, 2008 4:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 1:50 pm
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Same here: repetition. You should also start ridiculously slow and increase the speed. Understand the motion and feel intimately. So many musicians think that they have to play it at speed right off - no! This leads to poor technique, poor execution, and sloppy playing. Slowly until you are so good with and bored of it that the only recourse is to notch up the speed.

Will Landrum has a computer-based video lesson for learning arpeggios and sweep picking. I found it very refreshing - even though I already do sweep picking on arpeggios and solos (yeah, you can use sweep for that too - hehe).

As I mentioned in another post, one thing that frustrates people in getting sweep picking speed are the turn-arounds where you are changing hand direction while going up and down. You have to change direction on the string just before you turn. For instance:

Code:
e      V         V
b     ^ V       ^ ...
g    ^   V     ^
D   ^     V   ^
A  ^       V ^
E ^         ^


where ^ is down stroke and V is up stroke.

You want your pick to be slightly loose and angled in the opposite direction you are going (so that it slips over the strings). You should be just skipping the pick across the strings at the tip of the pick - too much pick or depth will constipate the process.


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Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 2:30 pm
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As another example which may provide even more practical application, consider Yngwie's signature sweep of the diminished-seven chord arpeggios on the high strings:

Code:
E||------0-3p-0-------3-6p-3-------6-9p-6---------9-12--|-------||
B||----2--------2---5--------5---8--------8----11-------|-------||
G||--3------------6------------9------------12----------|-------||
D||-----------------------------------------------------|-------||
A||-----------------------------------------------------|-------||
E||-----------------------------------------------------|-------||


Here you would start with a down sweep on the first three notes. Switch to an up sweep for the next three notes (including the pulloff). Repeat and rinse.


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Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 4:18 pm
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I aree with this as well; the slower you go the faster you'll get there. TRYING to be fast just screws it up; slow down and you'll "get there" "Faster"


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Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 4:44 pm
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Kuroyume wrote:
Same here: repetition. You should also start ridiculously slow and increase the speed. Understand the motion and feel intimately. So many musicians think that they have to play it at speed right off - no! This leads to poor technique, poor execution, and sloppy playing. Slowly until you are so good with and bored of it that the only recourse is to notch up the speed.

Will Landrum has a computer-based video lesson for learning arpeggios and sweep picking. I found it very refreshing - even though I already do sweep picking on arpeggios and solos (yeah, you can use sweep for that too - hehe).

As I mentioned in another post, one thing that frustrates people in getting sweep picking speed are the turn-arounds where you are changing hand direction while going up and down. You have to change direction on the string just before you turn. For instance:

Code:
e      V         V
b     ^ V       ^ ...
g    ^   V     ^
D   ^     V   ^
A  ^       V ^
E ^         ^


where ^ is down stroke and V is up stroke.

You want your pick to be slightly loose and angled in the opposite direction you are going (so that it slips over the strings). You should be just skipping the pick across the strings at the tip of the pick - too much pick or depth will constipate the process.


Yea, I have heard that you have to play at the right speed. Thanks dude for the info and tips, I will try it out! Where could I get some scales or exercises to practice Sweep Picking?

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Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 5:23 pm
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Try Googling sweep piking exercises

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Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 5:27 pm
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I've tried exercises and watching vids on YouTube and the guitar sites, but I've had little success. I play mostly jazz and blues now so it's no longer a priority for me.


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Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 5:45 pm
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tarheelboi wrote:
Yea, I have heard that you have to play at the right speed. Thanks dude for the info and tips, I will try it out! Where could I get some scales or exercises to practice Sweep Picking?


This site is interesting. Goes through a lot but doesn't explain the turn-arounds from what I quickly scanned.

http://www.geocities.com/trollstjerne/sweeping.html

The real interesting technique is 'rolling'. Hey, I though that I invented that! ;) This is exactly how I decided it was best to play full barre chord (E- and A-form) arpeggios (esp. with the added pulloff on the hi-E). I even use it on some D-forms in a way similar to Yngwie's dim-sevens.


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