How to Sweep Pick on Guitar

While there are quite a number of people who are already knowledgeable with playing the guitar, there are just very few who know how to do advanced guitar techniques such as sweep picking.

What is sweep picking? It is simply the technique in which the pick goes through a sweeping motion, accompanied by a fret hand technique.

Since the guitar player is able to play several notes across a number of strings in a fast, sweeping motion, it is possible for him to play arpeggios in advanced stages as well as melodies whose speeds are way beyond the regular through ordinary picking.

Many guitarists who have learned how to sweep pick on guitar have also added or altered the technique in order to achieve a certain sound.

1) While holding your guitar pick like you normally do, start strumming your guitar but keep your wrists straight instead of going on a semi-circular manner. Go through a downward motion while keeping the angle of your pick steady. Angle towards the neck and sweep through the strings in a straight line. Do this repeatedly until you have are able to execute it in a smooth and even fashion.

2) Use what you have on the first step to play an arpeggio shape but using only the first three strings, with each note on a single string. Your other hand which would be on the fret board should also play the notes only one at a time and this should be done simultaneously with your picking hand.

As your pick moves from one string to another, lift your finger off the fret board to mute it and then move on to the next note. Doing so will allow you to hear one note at a time and instead of it being a single chord.

3) The next step on how to sweep pick on guitar would be go reverse. Instead of moving downwards, go upward.

4) Now that you have mastered sweep picking up and down the guitar, connect the two techniques that you have just learned. The third string should mark the start then follow the second step. Once you reach the first string, play a note which is three notes above the last note. 

This marks the start of your upward sweep picking. For this part, all you need to do is follow step 3. Hammering another note after the last note gives you the chance to reposition your pick on the guitar and thus connect the two sweeping techniques.

5) Learning how to sweep pick on guitar can be a little challenging and sometimes discouraging. Do not give up too easily – it took the best guitar players months and even years of practice before they were able to perfect their guitar-sweeping techniques.

However, once you do, you should be able to play not just arpeggios across the entire fret board but also combine it alternate picking techniques to play even more advanced tunes. Keep on practicing as well as experimenting on various guitar techniques that you know and you should be on your way to becoming one of the guitar pros.

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