attn: guitar players

[halfassedjediknight]

it just takes years of practice. i find sweeping easier to do using both hand tap style, plus you can get a hell of a lot more notes in in a quicker amount of time. but that's just me. i taught myself how to play like the great Stanley Jordan, probably the greatest guitarist that will ever live. if you don't know who that is, YouTube him, i promise you wont regret it.

im self taught, been playing since i was 11.

so thats 10 years. and still this sweep picking has eluded my talents.

i like to play a lot of metal type stuff, so tremolo picking is my favorite i guess. haha.

halfassedjediknight Reviewed by halfassedjediknight on 03-28-2007. attn: guitar players why is sweep picking so hard? Rating: 5

[timothylearyisdead]

im self taught, been playing since i was 11.

so thats 10 years. and still this sweep picking has eluded my talents.

i like to play a lot of metal type stuff, so tremolo picking is my favorite i guess. haha.

I've been playing since I was 4, so 15 years now, but I can tell you this: I didn't start turning heads until I stopped playing metal and picked up an acoustic and tried playing the same type of crazy shit on that. It works my friend. Trust me.

[halfassedjediknight]

I've been playing since I was 4, so 15 years now, but I can tell you this: I didn't start turning heads until I stopped playing metal and picked up an acoustic and tried playing the same type of crazy shit on that. It works my friend. Trust me.

i play accoustic too, i play everything. trust me, I am no n00b. haha!

[Breukelen advocaat]

im self taught, been playing since i was 11.

so thats 10 years. and still this sweep picking has eluded my talents.

i like to play a lot of metal type stuff, so tremolo picking is my favorite i guess. haha.

Some of the best players do not sweep at all - they only use alternate picking.

Frank Gambale wrote a good sweep-picking instruction book, it's called "Speed Picking"*. I don't know if it's still in print. Jimmy Bruno did a video on picking which includes sweeping, but I don't have it. He does say, though, on another video, that sweep technique "takes a long time" to learn. It has many other names, including "economy picking".

*Edit - I just checked - Speed Picking is available on Amazon.

[halfassedjediknight]

Some of the best players do not sweep at all - they only use alternate picking.

Frank Gambale wrote a good sweep-picking instruction book, it's called "Speed Picking". I don't know if it's still in print. Jimmy Bruno did a video on picking which includes sweeping, but I don't have it. He does say, though, on another video, that sweep technique "takes a long time" to learn. It has many other names, including "economy picking".

ill look into this book Gambale wrote. gratsi!

[timothylearyisdead]

I don't even use picks anymore, they just get in my way. Plus it's a hell of a lot more fun to play 2 melodies at the same time using both your hands by hammering the notes. Shit if I'm playing a not-so-complicated melody, I don't even bother using my right hand at all, I just hammer out the whole thing with my fret hand.

[Breukelen advocaat]

I don't even use picks anymore, they just get in my way. Plus it's a hell of a lot more fun to play 2 melodies at the same time using both your hands by hammering the notes. Shit if I'm playing a not-so-complicated melody, I don't even bother using my right hand at all, I just hammer out the whole thing with my fret hand.

You sound like you'd be good at the Chapman Stick - now that thing is incredible. Unfortunately, it always has to be plugged into an amp to be heard.

[halfassedjediknight]

i like to use my fingernail for a pick sometimes, not for more strumming but for tremolo picking. not like classical fingernail picking...just like if you had a pick, but without the pick.

but the top of my nail gets all worn down and dusty.

[Breukelen advocaat]

i like to use my fingernail for a pick sometimes, not for more strumming but for tremolo picking. not like classical fingernail picking...just like if you had a pick, but without the pick.

but the top of my nail gets all worn down and dusty.

Maybe try metal or plastic fingerpicks. They're not as accurate as a bare finger/fingernail, but they won't wear down as fast. They're louder than bare fingers, also.

[timothylearyisdead]

i like to use my fingernail for a pick sometimes, not for more strumming but for tremolo picking. not like classical fingernail picking...just like if you had a pick, but without the pick.

but the top of my nail gets all worn down and dusty.

Ouch!