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Go to the Sweep Picking Videos

So you want to play fast eh? Well sweep picking can give you that flurry of notes where it's needed the most, or you can play a whole solo this way. Keep in mind that basic self control will keep your solos from sounding like a huge musical run on sentence. Too much of anything is never a good idea, except for coffee.

The first thing we will do is very simple. We'll start out with the basic picking technique.

Grab your guitar and for electric guitars  don't bother turning on the amp or even plugging it in.

Mute all of the strings with your left hand (right hand for left handed guitarists) and with your picking hand place the pick at the top of the low E string and push it thru each string in one fluid downward motion then upward in one fluid motion being aware that the key thing in sweep picking is making sure each note that was previously picked is not ringing out. It's kind of beside the point right now since the strings are muted but make a mental note of this since we will be taking it to that level next.

Here is what the above should sound like.

Next plug up the guitar and get ready to make some music, sort of.

Below are the simple tabs for the next step. A good tip: Pick up each finger after you play the notes and palm mute with the right hand for even more control.

Fingering on these examples are: E5=index, A6=Middle, D7=Ring, G8=Pinky

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


Listen to the above example. (with Distortion)

Below is the same as above but instead of just going down we'll go up, then back down. *Remember to use an upstroke on the way up.

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


Listen to the above - (with distortion)

The Next step is just move that pattern all around anywhere you wish and practice.

You might play something like this.

OK here's something I'll leave you with that you have probably seen in the "Sweet Lickz" section.

Don't get mad if you can't get the hang of it right now. It does take a bit of practice so start out slow.

Here are the tabs:

|----------------12-17-14----------------------------10-15-11----------------|
|-------------13----------15----------------------13----------12-------------|
|----------14----------------14----------------12----------------11----------|
|-------14----------------------15----------12----------------------12-------|
|-12-15----------------------------17-10-13----------------------------15----|
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|


|-----------------8-12-8--------8-12-7--------------------------|
|---------------9--------9----9--------9------------------------|
|------------10------------10------------10-9-7-----------------|
|---------10------------------------------------10-9-7-6--------|
|------10------------------------------------------------8-7----|
|-8-12----------------------------------------------------------|
 

Hint: Hammer on the second note and the last note of each "sweep". Example: at the beginning on A12 hammer on the next note of A15 and then the hammer on from high E 12 to 17. Then from A10 to 13 then to high E 10 to 15...etc

Listen to the above example (distorted)

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