Sweep Picking (part 2)



Now that you’ve come to grips with the basic concepts of sweep picking (see Sweep Picking (part 1)) lets get stuck into some more complex sweep picking patterns and look at how to combine sweep picking with some other techniques (e.g. alternate picking, hammer-ons, slides and taps) to make some cool passages.

Firstly lets look at extending Fig 1a from Sweep Picking (part 1)). Here it is again:

Fig 1

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

Remember that Fig 1 was the root, 3rd and 5th of A Major. Now let’s extend it further by adding another root an octave up and another 3rd an octave up from the first 3rd. Then we will begin to descend back to the root passing through each note we played on the way up:

Fig 2a

|--------------5--h9--p5-----------------------5--h9--p5---------|----
|----------5---------------5---------------5---------------5-----|----
|------6-----------------------6-------6-----------------------6-|----
|--7-------------------------------7-----------------------------|-7--
|----------------------------------------------------------------|----
|----------------------------------------------------------------|----
   ^   ^   ^   ^           v   v   ^   ^   ^   ^           v   v   ^

This pattern incorporates a hammer-on and a pull-off in each repetition. Remember to use your picking hand to mute as well as pulling the fingers of your fretting hand up exactly or just before the next finger plays to ensure the notes don’t run together.

After you’ve played with Fig 2a for a bit you’ll notice it’s quite hard to play the E and the A notes without running them together because they are at the same fret and played by barring the first finger across the two strings. The solution to this problem involves paying extra attention to your pick hand muting and also applying a ‘rolling’ technique with your first finger on your fretting hand. Ascending, play the E note on the B string with the tip of your first finger and then roll it over off the B string onto the A note on the E string, fretting the note more with the pad of your finger (on the middle of your finger print). Descending, perform this procedure in reverse. Fret the A note with the pad of the first finger the roll up to the tip onto the E note on the B string. Takes some practice but it’s a very applicable technique.

Also notice how the second low A (7th fret of the D string) is played with a down-stroke. One would think that since you’re already playing the previous two notes with the up-stroke you might as well continue sweeping to that last A note. I personally find that it makes sense to accent the A since it’s on the beat here and I can accent the A more easily if I skip over and play that note with a down stroke. It really comes down to personal preference and you could just as well play it this way:

Fig 2b

|--------------5--h9--p5-----------------------5--h9--p5---------|----
|----------5---------------5---------------5---------------5-----|----
|------6-----------------------6-------6-----------------------6-|----
|--7-------------------------------7-----------------------------|-7--
|----------------------------------------------------------------|----
|----------------------------------------------------------------|----
   ^   ^   ^   ^           v   v   v   ^   ^   ^           v   v   v

Another way of executing this pattern involves picking every note and utilizing alternate picking as well as sweeping:

Fig 3

|--------------5---9---5-----------------------5---9---5---------|----
|----------5---------------5---------------5---------------5-----|----
|------6-----------------------6-------6-----------------------6-|----
|--7-------------------------------7-----------------------------|-7--
|----------------------------------------------------------------|----
|----------------------------------------------------------------|----
   ^   ^   ^   ^   v   ^   v   v   ^   ^   ^   ^   v   ^   v   v   ^

I personally prefer this way since it gives a more even delivery of the passage with a nice pick attack on every note. Again this comes down to personal preference.

Next we’ll look at a sweeping technique which involves a slide. This is an A minor arpeggio over nearly 3 full octaves. The slide allows us to change positions half way up and to allow us to reach the 12 fret of the high E string with our little finger.

Fig 4a

|------------------------------8---12--8-------------------------|-----
|--------------------------10--------------10--------------------|-----
|------------------5--s9-----------------------9--s5-------------|-----
|--------------7---------------------------------------7---------|-----
|----------7-----------------------------------------------7-----|-----
|--5---9-------------------------------------------------------8-|--5--
   ^   v   ^   ^   ^   v   ^   ^   v   ^   v   v   ^   v   v   v     ^

This pattern begins with what I call an E minor shape sweep and then changes position into what I call a D minor shape sweep. These names come from the open chords that the fingerings are based on. The transition from one shape to another occurs during the slide both ascending and descending.

I’ve indicated in Fig 4a the pick strokes I would use for this sequence. However this is personal preference once again and it’s entirely possible to execute this with more hammer-ons and pull-offs and less alternate picking. In fact you can perform the whole run with a single down stroke and a single up stroke thus:

Fig 4b

|------------------------------8--h12-p8-------------------------|-----
|--------------------------10--------------10--------------------|-----
|------------------5--s9-----------------------9--s5-------------|-----
|--------------7---------------------------------------7---------|-----
|----------7-----------------------------------------------7-----|-----
|--5---9-------------------------------------------------------8-|--5--
   ^       ^   ^   ^       ^   ^       v   v   v       v   v   v     ^

Let’s take a look at a sweeping technique which incorporates finger tapping:

Fig 5a

|--------------5--h9--t12-p9--p5---------|---
|----------5-----------------------5-----|---
|------6-------------------------------6-|---
|--7-------------------------------------|-7-
|----------------------------------------|---
|----------------------------------------|---
   ^   ^   ^   ^                   v   v   ^  

This pattern extends Figures 2 & 3 by one extra note, a high 5th. This note is tapped. (note: it is possible to fret this entirely with your left hand if you have a good reach with either hammer-ons and pull-offs or alternate picking). Don’t get too hung up on this sort of combination until you are quite comfortable with the easier sweeping techniques. This sequence of notes can be more easily played in this position:

Fig 5b

|------------------9---12--9--------------|----
|--------------10--------------10---------|----
|----------9-----------------------9------|----
|------11------------------------------11-|----
|--12-------------------------------------|-12-
|-----------------------------------------|----

This is what I refer to as a C shape sweeping pattern since it takes the shape of an open C chord.

Here is a G shape sweep in E major:

Fig 6

|-----------------------------------------|----
|------------------9---12--9--------------|----
|--------------9---------------9----------|----
|----------9-----------------------9------|----
|------11------------------------------11-|----
|--12-------------------------------------|-12-

Here is an E7 shape sweep in A7:

Fig 7

|----------------------------------5------------------------------|-----
|--------------------------5---8-------8---5----------------------|-----
|----------------------6-----------------------6------------------|-----
|--------------5---7-------------------------------7---5----------|-----
|----------7-----------------------------------------------7------|-----
|--5---9-------------------------------------------------------9--|--5--

Here is a little baby Am7 shape sweep in Am7:

Fig 8

|----------12--15--12--------------12--15--12-----|-----
|------13--------------13------13--------------13-|-----
|--14----------------------14---------------------|-14--
|-------------------------------------------------|-----
|-------------------------------------------------|-----
|-------------------------------------------------|-----