Short Description: There are many stories doing the rounds since ages about this method of picking. Some are true while some are absolute figments of imagination. This article tries to put things in proper perspective.
There are so many stories floating around in the music world about sweep picking. I mean stories that it distorts sound, tosses rhythm out the window and stuff like that. Here is a chance to check out the facts firsthand and I'm sure you'll grab that opportunity with both hands.
Let's assume you're playing a major scale having three notes per string. When you employ alternate picking technique you would go down/up/down right through the scale. But if you are sweep picking, you'll pick down/up/down on the first string followed by DOWN/up/down on the higher pitched string and DOWN/up/down on the next string below it while ascending the scale. So, there will be two consecutive down strokes when strings are changed.
And while descending the scale, if you're sweep picking you'll pick up/down/up, UP/down/up, UP/down/up. Again you perform two same pick strokes consecutively while changing strings. This is the crux of sweep picking.
When this method is approached correctly it's most logical way to pick. All of us have learnt in school the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. What we do in this method is to directly go to the string we want to pick without getting tied down by the down/up/down approach which is strictly followed in alternate picking method.
But there are some guitarists who want to remain in the comfort zone of predetermined pattern which is the hallmark of alternate picking style. They say their fingers automatically, rather, instinctively pick at right string and they simply don't have bother about it at all. This leaves them with more free time to improvise and be creative. I feel it's more a dogma than any real logical reason.
There are also certain other common problems which many players face and generally tend to avoid sweep picking.
The most commonly heard refrain is sweep picking causes the sound to be sloppy. This happens not due to any inherent flaw in this technique but because most of them try to practice too fast. If instead they start off by picking slowly they'll get crystal clear sound. Speed is not a big issue. It can be easily generated once picking is perfect. The other real problem is inability to mute the notes that are not played. This obviously distorts the sound quality. But you can overcome this easily by pressing either your palm or thumb on the strings that are not picked.
The biggest problem in my opinion is not to sound as if you are strumming while your pick bounces across the strings. Each note should have a definition and though the arm moves in a continuous motion across the strings you should be able to play the arpeggio slowly and in time while each note is distinctly heard.
There are so many stories floating around in the music world about sweep picking. I mean stories that it distorts sound, tosses rhythm out the window and stuff like that. Here is a chance to check out the facts firsthand and I'm sure you'll grab that opportunity with both hands.
Let's assume you're playing a major scale having three notes per string. When you employ alternate picking technique you would go down/up/down right through the scale. But if you are sweep picking, you'll pick down/up/down on the first string followed by DOWN/up/down on the higher pitched string and DOWN/up/down on the next string below it while ascending the scale. So, there will be two consecutive down strokes when strings are changed.
And while descending the scale, if you're sweep picking you'll pick up/down/up, UP/down/up, UP/down/up. Again you perform two same pick strokes consecutively while changing strings. This is the crux of sweep picking.
When this method is approached correctly it's most logical way to pick. All of us have learnt in school the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. What we do in this method is to directly go to the string we want to pick without getting tied down by the down/up/down approach which is strictly followed in alternate picking method.
But there are some guitarists who want to remain in the comfort zone of predetermined pattern which is the hallmark of alternate picking style. They say their fingers automatically, rather, instinctively pick at right string and they simply don't have bother about it at all. This leaves them with more free time to improvise and be creative. I feel it's more a dogma than any real logical reason.
There are also certain other common problems which many players face and generally tend to avoid sweep picking.
The most commonly heard refrain is sweep picking causes the sound to be sloppy. This happens not due to any inherent flaw in this technique but because most of them try to practice too fast. If instead they start off by picking slowly they'll get crystal clear sound. Speed is not a big issue. It can be easily generated once picking is perfect. The other real problem is inability to mute the notes that are not played. This obviously distorts the sound quality. But you can overcome this easily by pressing either your palm or thumb on the strings that are not picked.
The biggest problem in my opinion is not to sound as if you are strumming while your pick bounces across the strings. Each note should have a definition and though the arm moves in a continuous motion across the strings you should be able to play the arpeggio slowly and in time while each note is distinctly heard.
About the Author:
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