Sweep Picking Part Two
Hopefully, after reading Sweep Picking Part One and trying the exercise, you now have a basic idea of what sweep picking is all about. So next, we will look at some basic shapes to get you started.
Remember, each of these shapes is an arpeggio- meaning that its closely based on a chord (or, actually, only consisting of chord tones), therefore, with each of these shapes, I will be referencing the chord shape that they are taken from. Those of you who know your chord theory will appreciate this, but, if you dont, and theres something you really just dont get, I suggest trying a different lesson, as you dont sound like you're ready for this kind of thing yet.
Here
is the first exercise: 
Here is how it sounds: Exercise 2- A minor |
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This shape is a variation on the last example exercise, which is taken from an A minor chord at the 12th fret. What we do here is add the minor 7th to the top (the G on the 15th fret) which then allows us to come back down more easily. Make sure your legato is up to scratch for this one! Theres nothing worse than having the sweep part perfect and loud, but being unable to accomplish the hammer-on and pull-off combination on the high E string! If this part is sounding quiet, you should try some legato exercises first, and get that up to a good standard before trying this exercise again.
Here
is the second exercise: 
Here is how it sounds: Exercise 3- C major |
The second exercise is very similar to the first, but we have changed one note- the note on the G string- making the underlying chord a C major. This is also a good metal lick if you take the top two strings and just play those over and over, ignoring the note on the G string. Guitarists that use this idea include: Randy Rhoads, Kirk Hammett, Zakk Wylde (although Zakk does tend to alternate pick his way through the lick), and I'm sure its been used by countless others!
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