Sweep Picking

Sweep picking is a less frequently used technique except perhaps among the virtuoso guitarists who often like to make use of it during a fast section or solo. Sweep picking is very similar to strumming in terms of your picking hand, as your pick will glide across multiple strings in the same direction, unlike alternate picking. However sweeping is more to do with your fretting hand action. When you strum a chord, your fretting hand fingers remain fixed across multiple strings while your picking hand glides across them one at a time. For example when playing an E chord you can hear the sound layer up from 1 to 6 multiple notes sounding simultaneously. This is where sweep picking differs.

Sweep picking is the art of making these notes sound one at a time, and once mastered, blistering speeds can be achieved far beyond that of alternate picking or any other picking method. It also gives the guitarist more freedom to be creative as it has never been so easy to rocket up and down the scales and fretboard. Making these notes sound individually is the tricky part. This technique involves striking the first note and then releasing the pressure from your fretting finger without removing your finger from the string. This will mute the string, bringing the note to silence before you remove your finger altogether. Then you proceed to play the second note on the next string, and repeat the process.

When you begin to practice sweep picking, you will not be able to play along with the exercises, you will need to play them VERY slowly to get to grips with the concept of playing the note, releasing the pressure to mute the string, and then removing your finger and playing the next note. Once your fingers have learned the motions you will soon be able to increase speed enough to play along with the exercises, and then you can start to learn some of the more difficult exercises and practice them at increasing speeds.