Sweep Picking

Sweep Picking is a technique used for arpeggiating chords where you use a single downward or upward picking motion across multiple strings. Its advantage is speed - a sweep picked arpeggio can be played faster than an alternate-picked one. It is possible to play 7-8 note arpeggios ascending or descending with all notes played in order without repetition.

In tab, sweep picking is usually indicated above the tab line as follows:

  d----------------|      u----------|
e----------------12h17p12-----------------
b-------------13----------13--------------
g----------14----------------14-----------
d-------14----------------------14--------
a-12h15----------------------------15p12--
e-----------------------------------------

The d---| indicates to downpick all notes within the specified range, and uppick for u---|.

Technique

While simple in concept, actually performing sweep picking is very difficult and requires disciplined practice to master. There are four main areas to concentrate on:

Right-hand Timing

Your picking hand must sweep through the strings in-time with the beat.

  d-| u-| d-| u-|
|:--x-x-----x-x--:|
|-x-----x-x-----x-|

  d---| u---|
|-----x-x-----|
|:--x-----x--:|
|-x---------x-|

  d-----| u-----|
|-------x-x-------|
|:----x-----x----:|
|---x---------x---|
|-x-------------x-|

These exercises will help master your timing. We simply mute the strings with the left hand, so we can focus on right hand timing. Notice that they repeat. Set your metronome so each note = 1 beat. You want your right hand to make one smooth, slow (at first) motion to pick all the notes in that direction, instead of making individual strokes for each note.

Mastering keeping time while making one downward or upward picking motion through multiple strings is half the battle. The other big hurdle is the "turn-arounds" where we transition from the downstroke to the upstroke and vice versa. Notice the first exercise is doubled, stressing that the transition from up to down needs to be practiced as much as down to up. The exercises have repeats, which mean that the up to down transition is there, even if it isn't as clear as the first example.

Common Shapes

Minor Triad

|5|-|-|-|-|r|
|-|3|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|r|-|-|-|
|-|-|5|-|-|-|
|r|-|-|3|-|-|
|-|-|-|-|-|-|

  d----------------|   u------------|
e----------------12h17-12-----------------
b-------------13----------13--------------
g----------14----------------14-----------
d-------14----------------------14--------
a-12h15----------------------------15p12--
e-----------------------------------------

This is the most common minor shape from my experience.

---

|-|3|-|-|-|5|
|-|-|-|r|-|-|
|-|-|5|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|3|-|-|
|5|-|-|-|-|r|
|-|-|-|-|-|-|

  d----------------|   u------------|
e----------------13h17-13-----------------
b-------------15----------15--------------
g----------14----------------14-----------
d-------15----------------------15--------
a-12h17----------------------------17p12--
e-----------------------------------------

If the stretch above is too difficult, you can start on the higher note on the 5th string, which is the root of the chord.