Sweep Picking Arpeggios

[Chris Cavera]

I can't help but notice that our "weird guitar" thread gets tons of hits. So, in an effort to get some more traffic around here, I thought I'd start a thread about sweeps. Sweep picking arpeggios seems to be a hot topic amongst the young shredders. In this thread I'll be posting some of my favorite sweeping patterns and discussing how to apply them. I also urge our many guests to register and post their own sweeps.

A little about sweeps:

Sweep picking is like a controlled strum. But unlike strumming, you use a combination of fingering and muting so you hear the chord tones individually, ascending and then descending one at a time. It is known as on of the more difficult techniques to get a handle on. Some sweeps require you to "roll" your fingers to play notes on the same fret. Some sweeps require you to double the highest and lowest note of the chord. I prefer sweeps where you don't roll or double any of the notes.

Here's is one of my favorites:

E-------------------------------7d--11h--7p----------------------------
B--------------------------9d--------------------9u----------------------
G----------------------------------------------------8u----------------
D----------------9d------------------------------------------9u-----------
A-----7d--11h-----------------------------------------------------11u---
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fingering: 1 4 2 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 2 4

d = down stroke
h = hammer
p = pull-off
u = up stroke

Tips:

• Use the palm of your picking hand to mute the lower strings (mostly low E, A, D, and G). Mute more than you think you should at first. As you get better you can let up a little.
  
• Go slow of course.
  
• The rhythm for this is a measure of triplets. Count it: 1-trip-let 2-trip-let 3=trip-let 4-trip-let.
  
• This is a major 7th chord that you can move around. This is what I do at the end of "Xybots" on the Game Over CD.
  

More sweeps coming soon. Let me know if you have any questions.

-C

[Chris Cavera]

This one sounds a little odd. You can see a video demonstration of the Odd Sweep at the main site. It's a 6 string sweep and it's 13 notes long. Again, you wont have to roll you fingers or repeat any notes. Here it is:

E----------------------------12d--14h--12p-------------------------------------
B-----------------------13d-------------------13u--------------------------------
G------------------14d-----------------------------12u---------------------------
D-------------12d---------------------------------------14u----------------------
A--------13d-------------------------------------------------13u-----------------
E---14d-----------------------------------------------------------12u--14h-----

Fingering: 3 2 1 3 2 1 3 1 2 1 3 2 1

• Since the notes are a-tonal you can use it almost anywhere.
  
• This is what you hear near the beginning of "Dr. Zarkov"
  
• It's 13 notes so counting it can be a trick. I usually think triplets on the way up and then increase speed on the way back down. It ends up being half triplets and half 16ths.
  
• If you repeat it over and over, the first note gets hammered.
  

-C

[Chris Cavera]

This is the first sweep I learned. I made it up. It sounds a little strange. It fits over a shape for the Mixolydian mode and sound Major-ish.

E-------------------------------9d--12h--9p----------------
B-------------------------10d------------------10u----------
G-------------------11d------------------------------9u-----
D---------------9d--------------------------------------------
A---------11d-------------------------------------------------
E---12d-------------------------------------------------------

Fingering: 3 2 1 3 2 1 3 1 2 1

• Count it 1-trip-let 2-trip-let 3-trip-let 4
  
• You can here this one in "Xybots" at the beginning of the solo in the middle.
  

-C

[Chris Cavera]

Here's a basic minor sweep that uses all 6 strings. You'll have to roll your fingers to get this done. Keep in mind that it starts on the 3rd of the chord. Here it is in E minor.

E-----------------------------12d--15h--12p--------------------------
B------------------------12d---------------------12u-------------------
G-------------------12d-------------------------------12u--------------
D--------------14d-----------------------------------------14u---------
A---------14d---------------------------------------------------14u----
E----15d-----------------------------------------------------------------

Fingering: 4 3 3 1 1 1 4 1 1 1 3 3 or 3 2 2 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 2 2

• This one is also a measure of triplets.
  
• Rolling is like making a bar. The pressure of the bar changes as the strings a struck to help isolate the ringing.
  

-C

[Chris Cavera]

Similar to the one above...only Major.

E-----------------------------12d--16h--12p--------------------------
B------------------------12d---------------------12u-------------------
G-------------------13d-------------------------------13u--------------
D--------------14d-----------------------------------------14u---------
A---------14d---------------------------------------------------14u----
E----16d-----------------------------------------------------------------

Fingering: 4 3 3 2 1 1 4 1 1 2 3 3

-C

[Chris Cavera]

Here's a small diminished sweep:

E------------------------11d--14h--11p------------
B-----------------13d-----------------------13u-----
G---11u--14h----------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------

Fingering: 1 4 3 1 4 1 3 1

• It's weird because it's 7 notes long. If you don't want to count, just play it fast.
  
• Make sure you hammer, pull, and pick as indicated. It's crucial for this one that you follow that exactly as written above.
  

[Chris Cavera]

This one's a lot like the diminished one above. The picking, hammering, and pulling are all the same. But it has a major sound.

E-----------------------9d--12h--9p---------
B----------------10d-------------------10u---
G----9u--11h----------------------------------
D------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------

Fingering 1 3 2 1 4 1 2

Again, 7 notes. Just play it blazing fast and you'll be fine.