I want to start sweeping - Guitars101

axe2grind · 02-28-2006, 07:30 AM

and have an idea about the basic rules etc and I'm gonna stick with it this time and not give up until I can do some basic sweeps. Just one thing I want to know, is the neck pickup the best pickup to use for tone when sweeping ?

Any tips on what tone to use would be a great help to me. I've done a search for SP threads here but did'nt see any mention of the best tone to use, pickups etc.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Justin.

The Ulnarian · 02-28-2006, 08:24 AM

Heya, I can't really tell you what pickups to use as I really can't afford to mess around with those. As for tone settings, well, I find that flipping that little pickup knob all the way AWAY from the floor and closer to my head gives me the best SP tone.

Also, I generally like to use a nice amount of distortion for the added sustain, but not so much distortion that all of my notes blur together.

Also, absolutely crucial to sweep picking is that you have some nice low action on your strings. If you don't have this, you're likely going to be in a world of hurt when you start sweeping.

Thats pretty much all I can say...oh don't forget to mute

axe2grind · 02-28-2006, 09:55 AM

Cool Ulnarian, thanks bro for the info,,,, so I think I've got all the checklist ticked for starting to learn to sweep now. Use neck pickup, use tone with not too much distortion (just got a seymour duncan Jazz neck pickup which should do the trick with clean notes), I've got a nice low action already and remember to mute and fret only the notes in the sweep and play to a metronome or beat. Right then !!! here goes....

One other thing, (sorry to pester) which in your opinion is the easiest sweep exercise to learn to get me started, something REAL easy.

dude, If I ever master this and become a famous guitarist, I promise to give you a mention in my first magazine interview....hehe.

Thanks man.

The Ulnarian · 02-28-2006, 10:55 AM

Lol, no need for the name dropping

Teaching other's is reward enough.

Ok, right then. For your very first experience, you'll probably find it easiest to do a 3 string major arpreggio pattern like this Gmaj thing:

----7-10p7------------7-10p7-----
--8---------8-------8---------8
7-------------7---7-------------7
--------------------------
--------------------------
--------------------------

After you've got that down (it should take awhile if your just beggining--make sure you get it down perfectly), you can throw more notes into the arp like so:

---------7-10p7--------------------------
-------8---------8------------------
-----7-------------7----------------
---9-----------------9--------------
10---------------------10-------------
-----------------------------------

Just kind repeat that pattern. That should probably take even longer to nail then the first pattern.

That will keep you busy for awhile

I reccomend picking up a book of arpeggios somewhere and work on creating your own patterns once your comftorable with the technique.

**jethro** · 02-28-2006, 11:00 AM

Hey axe,I always try the one from satches mystical potato head song.It starts on E at the 12 th fret,14th fret B on the 5th string,16 th fret G flat on 4th string,then G on 3rd string 12th fret.15 th fret D on 2nd,A on high E string at 17 th fret.I always tie a bandana or something around the 1st or 3rd fret to reduce upwanted string noise while I practice. Just a idea.

axe2grind · 02-28-2006, 12:27 PM

Hey Ulnarian, many thanks indeed for taking the time to teach me this stuff. I've got your stuff printed out now and working on it. Will definately get an arps book to work through, good idea.

Jethro, thanks for the info on that Satch tune, I'll give that a whirl once I get some basics down. I'll see if I can come up with a convincing cover of Mystic Potatoe Groove Head Thing song. I'm sure its gonna take a lot of time and patience to sweep properly.

Thanks again guys, much appreciate all your help.

Ferrari · 02-28-2006, 02:11 PM

My first sweep arpeggio was a diminished one, they are excellent exercise cause the shapes are all the same. Check this one out (but rename it to a gp4 file).

**jimmerwoo** · 02-28-2006, 05:53 PM

Found this link on sweep picking....
http://www.guitar-school-online.com/lesson9.html

Probably not much use to Axe2grind now as you seem to have all the info you need to start, but for others, like me, who are new to the concept of sweep picking...you may find it useful.

axe2grind · 03-01-2006, 12:20 AM

Hey S.S, Many thanks for the Diminished lick, I'll take a look at it, I have GP4 so another cool excerise to get my teeth into. If I can achieve sweeps as good as you then I'll be happy.

Jimmerwoo, This is great man, real good intro into sweep picking with some easy ones to learn first. Thanks for the info, I think I'll try these ones first as there are no hammer ons/pull offs in these cause I need to get down the sweep motion with clean notes and efficient muting (all sounds easy in theory but it ain't) I'm gonna use a clean tone as well for now.

Thanks again guys, I think I'm definately pretty much set for now. This is so much easier to do one a keyboard !!! hehe...

To the MODS, I think this or a similar thread should be made sticky as Sweep picking and tips/hints come up so much, would be a good point of reference to others wanting to learn this technique. So many help dudes out there, it will becoming beneficial to others in the same boat as me. Cheers.

guitaral · 03-01-2006, 08:01 AM

you can also sweep arpeggios and stack thirds... becomes a good exercise after a while. try sweeping some really odd jazz chords, like min7b5's or some 13th's. it gets CRAZY after a while

beria · 03-03-2006, 09:49 AM

It's common to use the neck pickup for smoother tones when sweeping. If you can find one, the Stylus pick which had a conical shape to it was a tool I used back in the 80's to really help my pick hand glide across the strings. Practice 3 string arpeggios in different shapes, dim, minor, major before connecting them into 4 or more strings. Then add slides and multiple notes perstring to create longer lines.

Beka4MikE · 03-03-2006, 10:09 AM

Good Thread...I might start trying to do this

Edenbridge · 03-03-2006, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beria

It's common to use the neck pickup for smoother tones when sweeping. If you can find one, the Stylus pick which had a conical shape to it was a tool I used back in the 80's to really help my pick hand glide across the strings. Practice 3 string arpeggios in different shapes, dim, minor, major before connecting them into 4 or more strings. Then add slides and multiple notes perstring to create longer lines.

I found it in about 5 seconds online......www.Ebay.com