![]() Every practice session I spend about 5 mins on sweeping progressively harder shapes (even some two notes per line, which makes for interesting direction and picking changes) just to warm up my brain for it. It's all in the timing and that's something you have to work on. I think you get used to picking each note you intend to play (ignoring pull-offs and hammer ons), so fretting the notes as your are doing a sweep can be jarring. One continuous picking motion aka sweep is all. It's important to maintain the slant angle and remember, you are NOT picking every note. Of course, it's much more intricate than that, but that's the general idea. ![]() So, the right hand (assuming you're not lefty), the pick is slanted in the direction of the sweep and you "strum" it across the strings you intend to pick. The final bar is based on the A harmonic minor scale (A B C E D F G#) and incorporates economy picking when traveling from the fifth string to the fourth.The way I think of it is I'm sort of strumming single notes across multiple strings like a chord, but with more control and my fretting hand is not necessarily set in a chord shape. This is an effective way to improve note clarity. If you have problems with string muting or note separation, apply some light palm muting to the notes as they are picked. Be sure to follow the indicated picking directions.īar 12 is the trickiest part of the piece to play and utilizes some Jason Becker–inspired six-string shapes. ![]() The second part of the piece has a more neoclassical approach and begins with some Yngwie-style three-string triads incorporating pull-offs. Bar 7 is an A minor pentatonic scale (A C D E G) played in fourths using two-string sweeps/economy picking. The Bm7b5 (B D F A) arpeggio in bar 4 has a series of three-string sweeps combined with some challenging string skips. Next come some A minor triads (A C E), played with a progressively increasing number of strings this is a great way to build your confidence in sweep picking larger shapes. We begin with some ascending two-string sweeps using alternating E (E G# B) and Bb (Bb D F) triads. The first part is based around a “V-i” (five-one) progression, with the arpeggios clearly outlining the implied chord changes. Something with a thickness between one and two millimeters and a rounded tip will provide the right amount of attack and still glide over the strings with ease. The thickness and sharpness of your pick will hugely impact the tone of your sweep picking. Use a modern tube amp with the gain set to a moderate amount – just enough to give all the notes a uniform volume and sustain, but not so much that string muting becomes an impossible battle. In rock, this technique is best suited to Strat-style guitars, using the neck pickup setting for a warm, round tone. The final piece helps you tackle the various aspects of sweeping while bolstering your stamina, as the bulk of it consists of nonstop 16th notes, with only a few pauses for “breathing.” Break it down into four-bar sections and practice each with a metronome, gradually building up to the 100-beats-per-minute (100bpm) target tempo. These are shown in one position and based on one chord type each, thus focusing your attention on the exercise until you have become accustomed to the technique. The second set of five exercises handles some common sweep-picking approaches. It is also the aspect that will take the most practice to master. When it comes to sweep picking, muting is the key to cleanliness. If you fail to do this and allow notes on adjacent strings to ring together, it will negate the desired effect and sound like you are simply strumming a chord. Only one string should be fretted at any time (this is key!), and any idle strings should be diligently muted with your remaining fingers. This means starting with eighth notes, and while this will feel very slow, the technique will become trickier with each successive note grouping: eighth-note triplets, 16th notes, quintuplets and, most difficult of all, 16th-note triplets and their equivalent sextuplets.įocus on synchronizing your hands so that your pick and fretting fingers make contact with the string at exactly the same moment. Work from two strings up to six, keeping your metronome at the same tempo. Mastering sweep picking with John Petrucci (Image credit: Francesco Prandoni/Getty Images)
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |