For the pbguitarstudios crew.

Sweep Picking Arpeggio Thread

Thanks Ursin - another awesome tuition video,

I've just given this a try, and it seems to be coming together more quickly (and clearly and rhythmically) than I've been able to manage with the three string sweeps I've been working with.

No problem Cliff. We'll get into more 3, 4, 5, & 6 string sweeps down the road but 2 strings is the best place to start I feel. Work with the metronome and get comfortable "pushing the pick through" the 2 strings. And, as you said, clean and in rhythm is what you are shooting for. It's VERY easy to do sloppy sweeping. Just go to the music store any day of the week to hear sloppy shred. Yuck.

Having said that, now that I record myself the rhythm seems terrible! I'm sure I was doing this better a couple of days ago, but there's nothing like listening back to yourself to learn the truth. Seems that I'm having problems keeping the swept notes in time - the pick tends to stick as it's sweeping, so something I have to work on:

Quote: Cliff wrote in post #4

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Having said that, now that I record myself the rhythm seems terrible! I'm sure I was doing this better a couple of days ago, but there's nothing like listening back to yourself to learn the truth. Seems that I'm having problems keeping the swept notes in time - the pick tends to stick as it's sweeping, so something I have to work on:

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Thanks again! I'll check out those picks. That being said, after posting these vids I went back to my other guitar with a TOM bridge, and the sweeps seemed a lot smoother. I need to figure out why, but I'd guess I wasn't digging so deep with the pick, maybe because of a difference in hand positioning. Or maybe it's because the pick was closer to the bridge as you're advising - I'll definitely pay more attention to this in the future.

Quick attempt at sweep video full sweep always had trouble with the small sweeps. glad for any comment cheers

Quote: deltadiscos wrote in post #7

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Quick attempt at sweep video full sweep always had trouble with the small sweeps. glad for any comment cheers

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My little two string sweeps...they freaking hurt like hell b/c of the streches....argh!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAUDRoe_1-o&feature=youtu.be

Chords were: C Major, d-7, N6, G7, c minor, Ab Major, Db minor, A Maj, D7, G7, C Maj.

this is where all my classical harmony studies can pay off! hehehehehe

Rumor has it there's a guitar technique progress video above this post, but I only hear a metronome. Hate to beat a dead horse here but...

Rumor has it the real progress video That is actually about technique as opposed to a creative application of limiting arpeggios to 2 strings...is in the Posting Video Thread: That has taken Me last two year of my life of religeous and guitaristic isolation to get there : the chord sweep video and writing the progresion for it took 15 min....Big difference!

But Today was the day I got my mits on Buckethead technique, so no matter what, it is not possible for me to not be in a great mood today.

I'd say that this is as legitimate a technique as the sarod you're exploring. As was stated in the original vid, the two string limitation serves two purposes: one is that it is of itself cool and generally useful; the other is that it's a building block to work towards more ambitious sweeps using more strings.

That said, I *can* make out your guitar over the metronome if I turn the volume up (I still suggest you find some way to record it more clearly). It sounds pretty good to me. but it seems that you're not listening to the metronome - the timing drifts further and further as the vid progresses. Also, I really would recommend you find some way of damping the unwanted string noise.

I'm aware of the many glitches in this one, but I'm too tired to try more than one take. Am I on the right track? Thanks.

Very impressive :).

As I think I've ably demonstrated, I'm no expert, but I'll offer some feedback anyway: at times it seems like the swept notes are damped a little too much compared with the higher pair. But great timing and position changes.

Quote: dlraben wrote in post #14

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I'm aware of the many glitches in this one, but I'm too tired to try more than one take. Am I on the right track? Thanks.

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You want glitches? Here you go :)



Feedback appreciated.

This is good bro. You have the idea. I'd suggest using a little more scalpel picking with the right hand. Scalpel pick the sweep. Go back and watch my vid again for clarification.

You and dlraben have the same issue which is basically that the hands need to coordinate themselves and this will come with massive repetition.

But, all said, you are getting there... just keep going.

This is good. Just keep drilling it over and over.

Same with the tapping. Start basic, start slow. Build the fundamentals and then build upon that.

Pebber never taught me sweeping or tapping but I used his methods to build and refine my tech with each which is start slow and master the fundamentals of the tech. Drill it constantly with the metronome and then expand from there.

These fundamentals are KEY. Which really taught me a lot about life. Mastering the basics to anything are usually the keys to success of all great people.

Like Michael Jordan. How long do you think he sat there and simply dribbled the basketball? Hours! Probably thousands of hours of simply dribbling the ball. Think about it.

Uh ohs....what should i do when my scalpal movement is no longer long enough to sweep a certain Number of strings when sweeping....where should the other pushing motion be coming from...my scalpal is way to short to push through more than maybe 3 or 4 strings.

At that point you would have to start moving your wrist/arm to get to the other strings.

Ursin - thanks again for the feedback. I realized after recording I'd forgotten about the scalpel - I'll concentrate more on this. I always have a tendency to try and race ahead. I was trying to tap Eruption after only playing for a year. So yeah, concentrate on the fundamentals is great advice.

Since I never could keep myself from looking ahead... What's up next for us? A sextuplet lick using three strings? Starting on the E-string again this might be:

E: Up, pull-off
B: Up
Down-sweep G, B & E

I don't mean to pin us into this next if you had another idea (what was it?), but I'm also interested in learning your preferred method for the minor & diminished patterns when using this lick. I see a couple options for each, and to me it looks like which one to choose depends on which shape we'll eventually extend 'down' into on the fretboard (I can expand if necessary, but I'm assuming it isn't).

So, I suppose the ultimate goal is for us to get comfortable with all fingering options. Ok, makes sense. But is there a 'do this shape first' lesson for those of us that strive for more near-term goals?

And as always, thanks man!
-Damon

These 2 string shapes are very common for the major, minor, and diminished. Of course, this is by no means meant to be definitive. There are other very common shapes as well.

I saw this video on Youtube by Tom Hess. I think Tom Hess is a prick, but he did have a point that none of the videos he had seen on Youtube really showed you how to build the sweeping technique from the ground up.

BUT! For however much money, HE would show you.

Well, fuck that noise. I'll show you for free. Just as Pebber has given away a lifetime of valuable knowledge for free on youtube.

Best to start with the 2 string arpeggios mainly to get the tech down and, what can be easier than simply sweeping across only 2 strings? Plus, you can't randomly sweep because it turns into nonsense. One of the most awful sounds is a guy constantly sweeping arpeggios without any musicality to it. Might be super FAST but sounds aggravating. (Insert your own definition of musicality if necessary.)

So, learning to harmonize the major scale automatically helps you in a number of ways. Again, the chords are

I major
ii minor
iii minor
IV major
V major
vi minor
vii diminished

Then, we learn how to play these on 2 strings. Actually, you should probably learn them on 1 string but, you can't sweep with just one string and this is "How to sweep pick arpeggios" so, hence the starting with 2 strings.

The next step is to continue to build upon these 2 string shapes. Plus I have some exercises that I (thought) I had created...only to discover that Steve Vai and Pebber had already created them. (damn)

With the eventual goal of being able to play some of the Jason Becker style 5 and 6 string climbing up the neck type sweep stuff.

More soon!

Yes An understanding of chord type and quality is of absolute necessity

Chord---Contentsthereof---------------------------------Notes

I---------Root, Major, Perfect 5, Major 7------------If you see a I, but as a Dominant 7th...it tonicises IV

ii---------Root, minor 3, Perfect 5, minor 7------------If you see a ii, but as a Major, or Dominant 7th...it tonicises V

iii--------Root, minor 3, Perfect 5, minor 7------------If you see a III, but as Dominant 7th...it tonicises vi

IV-------Root, Major 3, Perfect 5, Major 7---------If you see a IV, but as a Dominant 7th...it tonicises a flat vii


V--------Root, Major 3, Perfect 5, minor 7

vi--------Root, minor 3, Perfect 5, minor 7----------If you see a vi, but as a Major, or Dominant 7th...it tonicises ii

vii*-----Root, minor 3, Dim 5, Dim 7-------Can be used to tonicise any key center thats a minor 2nd above either the root, the minor 3, the dim 5, or the dim 7.

You know, I remember reading an interview with Yngwie where he talked about his sweeping in the little-known song Massive Malmo Mamba, from the Inevitable Upthrust album. He said exactly the same thing.

But seriously, interesting thoughts. Maybe there should be another thread for this type of discussion? Not being familiar with this idea myself, you sent me on a pleasant little journey through Wikipedia. After a little reading I was confused why, in the key of C major, it would be A major rather than A minor that was the secondary dominant for D minor. Am I right in thinking that's because we need the C# from the A major to become the leading note for D?