Sweep Picking Exercises

After you are familiarized with the fundamentals of lead playing on the guitar, you can move on to other advanced techniques that will help you in getting ahead with the skill. When it comes to advanced guitar lessons, the technique of sweep picking is one of the most prominent. For learning any guitar technique, it is very necessary to practice a lot to master it. And once you become proficient in the technique, you can even create your own styles of playing unique sounds. To master sweep picking, you need to start off with practicing on simple patterns.

What is Sweep Picking?
It is one of the most prominent advanced guitar playing techniques which is learned after understanding the basics of lead notes on the fretboard. This technique is majorly used by famous guitar players in their songs and musical compositions. It is known as sweep picking because it relates to a sweeping and continuous pattern of the picking hand in coordination with the note changing of the fretting hand. Remember that the notes by the fretting hand should be changed rapidly along with the picking of the chording hand. It is mostly used to play arpeggios and in guitar shredding. If done properly, it sounds as if there is a continuous succession of notes being played without a gap.

Basic Sweep Picking Exercises
Sweep picking typically can be done from the last thick strings and coming down to the thinnest, and then from the first set of strings up again. This is how standard sweeping pattern has to be carried out. The following figures will help you in understanding basic drills. Remember that the number on the strings are the frets on which you are supposed to place the notes of the fretting hand.

In the diagram below of the A minor scale, sweep picking is to be started from the third string that is 'G', running to the first 'e' string, and coming back again to the 'G' string successively.

e (1st)------------------------------12----17----12--------------------------------
B (2nd)-------------------13-----------------------------13------------------------
G (3rd)------------14--------------------------------------------14----------------
D (4th)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A (5th)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E (6th)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now in the following figure of the A minor scale, sweep picking is to be started from the fifth 'A' string. Note that the third and fourth strings can be fretted at one go using just one finger, with only changing the string picking accordingly.

e (1st)-----------------------------12----17----12---------------------------------
B (2nd)---------------------13------------------------13---------------------------
G (3rd)---------------14------------------------------------14---------------------
D (4th)---------------14------------------------------------14---------------------
A (5th)---12---15--------------------------------------------------15---12-------
E (6th)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Other Sweep Picking Exercises
These are exercises that are to be started with the fifth string. You can certainly add a note in the scale on the sixth string.

D minor

e (1st)------------------------------13---17---13----------------------------------
B (2nd)---------------------15-----------------------15----------------------------
G (3rd)---------------14-----------------------------------14----------------------
D (4th)---------15------------------------------------------------15----------------
A (5th)---17--------------------------------------------------------------17--------
E (6th)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

D Major

e (1st)-----------------------------14----17----14---------------------------------
B (2nd)---------------------15-----------------------15----------------------------
G (3rd)---------------14-----------------------------------14----------------------
D (4th)---------16-----------------------------------------------16-----------------
A (5th)---17-----------------------------------------------------------17-----------
E (6th)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

E minor

e (1st)------------------------------12---15---12----------------------------------
B (2nd)---------------------12-----------------------12----------------------------
G (3rd)---------------12-----------------------------------12----------------------
D (4th)---------14------------------------------------------------14----------------
A (5th)---10---14------------------------------------------------14---10----------
E (6th)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

E Major

e (1st)------------------------------12---16---12----------------------------------
B (2nd)---------------------12-----------------------12----------------------------
G (3rd)---------------13-----------------------------------13----------------------
D (4th)---------14------------------------------------------------14---------------
A (5th)---11---14------------------------------------------------14---11---------
E (6th)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Guitarists Who Notably Use Sweep Picking
There are many guitarists who use this technique; some of them are mentioned in the following list.

• Yngwie Malmsteen
• John Petrucci
• Steve Vai
• Michael Angelo Batio
• Frank Zappa
• Jason Becker
• Tony MacAlpine
• Rusty Cooley
• Frank Gambale
• Buckethead
• Vinnie Moore
• Steve Hackett
• Marty Friedman

This is just the basic explanation of sweep picking exercises. The exercises mentioned in the article are simple patterns; you can consider practicing a wide variety of other patterns. To learn more, you can watch online videos and instructional DVDs of the above mentioned guitarists. Rock on with sweep picking!!