Sweep

[junction1827]

What are some exercies you do (or did) to perfect your sweep picking effect and what arpeggios, and inversions, do you find most useful?

[adamnitti]

hi junction-

i started out with simple triad forms and worked out sweeps for major, minor, and diminished. i worked a lot with duple and triplet rhythms to try and get the synchronization down between the 2 hands. after i was able to do that, then i got into adding 7ths and other scale degrees such as the 2 and 6... i spent some time working on forms that covered 3, 4, and 5 adjacent string groupings on the bass. i also worked with some sliding forms in which i would start with the 7ths and slide to the root to begin the sweeping form. i actually utilize the triad forms the most when soloing, as a flurry at the end of a longer finger-plucked line or phrase.

[metalinthenight]

I've been trying to start with sweeping the triads as you've suggested (saw your video on your website and said "I've got to do that!"). Is there any way that you've found to keep the strings from ringing as you sweep from one string to the next?

[adamnitti]

Originally Posted by metalinthenight

I've been trying to start with sweeping the triads as you've suggested (saw your video on your website and said "I've got to do that!"). Is there any way that you've found to keep the strings from ringing as you sweep from one string to the next?

believe it or not, i actually use the forearm of my plucking hand to help with the muting... it's close to the body/neck already when i'm doing that technique, so it's not so inconvenient to utilize contact there... hope that helps-