Since I am currently majoring in music, the main mountain I am attempting to climb is to become a better reader, and theorist. however, on my free time, away from lessons - i have been attempting to sweep on bass. its more of a guitarist technique, but it can be done on bass. since we all know bass is more larger than guitar, sweeping is somewhat of a challenge, where as on guitar its easy to flow in one motion.

anyway, my question is...does anyone sweep on bass(whether on forums or professionals), and what are some ways to improve my sweeping?

currently,i have gotten down the first position a friend of mine told me to practice, which is kind of like an augmented triad with an added root-octave on it(played on the G). now im ready for more popular, usable positions

there is a guy on here who is insanely awsome at sweeping on bass and has vids on youtube.. cant remember his username though

i'll try a search

Found it.

'Erland' is his username

http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=bajskung is his vids on youtube

good luck

Found it.

'Erland' is his username

http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=bajskung is his vids on youtube

good luck

wow,thanks.

i like his 4 finger sweep technique,ive been trying it with a pick and i seem very awkward with it. however i just practiced the 4 finger technique and it seems much more smoother,i just gotta get faster and more fluent with it :)

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=299778&highlight=sweep

this thread has a lot of information on sweeping

victor wooten touches on sweeping in the special features of his bass day dvd. basically its the double-thumb technique used in a sweep.

I think bill dickens does it alot, not quite sure though.

http://www.scotthubbell.com/lessons/L13.htm

This guy has some great lessons on his site, I love the sweep/raking methods.

Adam Nitti, awesome sweeper and his Signature Warrior 6.

http://www.scotthubbell.com/lessons/L13.htm

This guy has some great lessons on his site, I love the sweep/raking methods.

Beat me to it. ;)

Joe

+1 I ripped my sweeping technique wholesale from Scott Hubbell's lessons.

Found it.

'Erland' is his username

http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=bajskung is his vids on youtube

good luck

get the name right, would ya? ;)
there`ll be a video on slap sweeping in a little while for those interested.

whats the best RH technique to use?

I can do the 4 finger technique as shown on the youtube videos, however im very slow with it, and i dunno how i'd be able to get it up to speed,really.

http://download.yousendit.com/63A58DD22A43B356

heres a clip of me sweeping. im using the 4 finger technique, 1 on the B, 4 on E, 3 on A,2 on D,and 1 on G, using 1 and 2 as i descend downward. the only trouble i am having is picking up speed(i cant seem to get out of this current pace, and i get sloppy when i move 1 (on the B) to 4 (on E).

comments appreciated

http://download.yousendit.com/63A58DD22A43B356

heres a clip of me sweeping. im using the 4 finger technique, 1 on the B, 4 on E, 3 on A,2 on D,and 1 on G, using 1 and 2 as i descend downward. the only trouble i am having is picking up speed(i cant seem to get out of this current pace, and i get sloppy when i move 1 (on the B) to 4 (on E).

comments appreciated

maybe you should get acquainted with "regular" 4-finger picking - one string at a time - before you start sweeping with it? just a get a metronome (www.metronomeonline.com i.e), put on your favorite film/show and just play back and forth at different tempoes with all four fingers. tapping plain scales up and down, one finger per fret-method , has helped me develop strength in all fingers on my right hand, at least.

Found it.

'Erland' is his username

http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=bajskung is his vids on youtube

good luck


Jesus... thats so good its retarded.

Jesus... thats so good its retarded.


i like to refer to it as " in lack of anything better to do..".

i like to refer to it as " in lack of anything better to do..".

yeah, im sure you don't have many opportunities to use that particular skill often, even in a heavy prog outfit it could for a bit but not if overdone.

oh you mean...SWEEP TAPPING...thats a lot different from Sweeping, which is what i thought you meant.

heres sweeping -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=aqVTCDw9unE
Note, the video may be off from the sound.

oh you mean...SWEEP TAPPING...thats a lot different from Sweeping, which is what i thought you meant.

heres sweeping -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=aqVTCDw9unE
Note, the video may be off from the sound.

If you look through the video's he does both sweep tapping and some Fingerstyle sweeping.

yeah but like. when i think sweeping i think running your finger (usually your thumb) twards the ground and than back up away from the ground with your pointer finger...ask baudin about it. lol

i don`t think the term sweeping has anything to do with your right hand...

i don`t think the term sweeping has anything to do with your right hand...

He's thinking like a guitarist. For my buddy sweeping is ALL about the right hand (Guitarist) for the left its just hammer on's and pull offs.

i thought the term came from doing one arpeggio all the way up, and then go into another arpeggio the way down. alterating between chords.

i thought the term came from doing one arpeggio all the way up, and then go into another arpeggio the way down. alternating between chords.

yea but its called "Sweep picking" for guitarists because you "Sweep" with your hand, in one continuous motion with the pick.

from a technical pain in your ass standpoint, your left hand is sweeping, your right hand is just playing fingerstyle really quickly... now as a fingerstyle player, i DO consider it "Sweep picking" as a bassist, but if you did it that way on a guitar, it basically wouldn't be sweep picking.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=gxEtYj8VU6A

You could watch that, its a guitarists idea of it. John Petrucci, Dream theater.

yeah, i see your point. just mixing up different terminology here :)

Well i mean, realistically... Its more like this. Sweeping on a bass is going to be different then on a guitar. Can you sweep on a bass ? yea, is it different then on a guitar? of course. Can you Slap on a guitar? yeah, just like on a bass? no.

So its all boiled down to what you perceive something as. Generally speaking, "Sweeping" is a "guitar thing" just like slapping is a "Bass thing"


EDIT: Also sweeping (of course) isn't dedicated to arpeggio's solely.

Billy Sheehan does it too. In his Advanced Bass video, he shows how in much better detail. It's pretty cool...you should check it out!

Billy Sheehan does it too. In his Advanced Bass video, he shows how in much better detail. It's pretty cool...you should check it out!

I've always heard that he sweeps too, but had never heard/seen it for myself. What approach does he use?

OK;;;;;

"Real " sweeping technique on bass:
I think Adam Nitti and Franck Hermanny are the best exemples for this technique :

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=gsnSJMzuWEQ
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=NRNMwNgYqvI

There are quite a few approaches to sweeping. Erlend's technique, which is pretty much the same as Troy Tipton's is one way. Another approach is to play down with the thumb and up with the finger/s. Sometimes I use a combination of the techniques and also up and down thumbstrokes, depending on what I am doing. I have also been working on a slap sweep for the double thumb technique. I will be interested to see Erland's video to compare the approach.

As for slap being a bass thing and sweep being a guitar thing, I think the person that said that needs to pay more attention.

Doesn't Mike Watt call his EB the "Thunderbroom"? and away we go...............