Awkward sweep positions

[cuckingfrazy]

I can sweep/sweep tap competently and know a lot of sweep positions, but there is one that i cant get the hang of. Its when you use the same fret over different strings, for example;


||-------------------12h14p12-----------------|
||o---------------14----------14--------------|
||-------------14----------------14-----------|
||----------14----------------------14--------|
||o-0h12h16----------------------------16p12-|
||---------------------------------------------|

How do you get it without letting the notes ring?

[steve1]

I'm not great at sweeping, but for that I do what i'd descibe as a rolling barre

[ImaDjentleman]

finger rolling? that's super basic bro, and i mute with my picking hand a lot

[MaxOfMetal]

It's going to be hard to place exactly what hand positioning and technique you'll need to use without knowing what you'll be playing just before and just after, but I'd do that particular sweep like so:


||-------------------12h14p12-----------------|
||o---------------14----------14--------------|
||-------------14----------------14-----------|
||----------14----------------------14--------|
||o-0h12h16----------------------------16p12-|
||---------------------------------------------|
1 4 3 3 3 1 3 1 3 3 3 4 1

Key:
1 = Pointer
2 = Middle
3 = Ring
4 = Pinky

Now, with your ring finger you're going to want to "roll" it perpendicular to the direction of the strings, and parallel to the direction of the pick.

To mute it properly, you're going to want to roll your finger off of each note on the 14th fret of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th strings just enough to kill the note. It's basic fretting hand muting with your picking hand silencing it further.

[mikemueller2112]

I thought this thread said "Awkward sleep positions". I don't like sleeping all curled up in public, looks weak. But yeah, finger rolling troubled me for a while. Work at it mega slow, and it's a combination of rolling finger off, and muting with the picking hand in order to get the note separation needed to not sound like you're getting ass-raped by a walrus.

Be very conscious of the muting of the strings when you're working at it slowly. It will allow for the muscle memory to be developed so when you're working at more musical tempos, it will sound clean.

[cuckingfrazy]

Thanks guys, that has helped a lot

[Trespass]

Hate to be the odd guy out on convention, but I use different fingers for same fret sweeps.

Most of the time it looks like fingers 1-2-1-2, but I'll do any combination that sets me up properly for the next note.

I find this to be much cleaner and consistent, and having used it for years now, kick it out pretty much anywhere on the fretboard without thinking about it. It does get a little tight in the super high frets (17-24 usually).

I'll still use the barre/finger roll, but only moving from one string to another, not for more than two strings.

[mikemueller2112]

Originally Posted by Trespass

Hate to be the odd guy out on convention, but I use different fingers for same fret sweeps.

Most of the time it looks like fingers 1-2-1-2, but I'll do any combination that sets me up properly for the next note.

I find this to be much cleaner and consistent, and having used it for years now, kick it out pretty much anywhere on the fretboard without thinking about it. It does get a little tight in the super high frets (17-24 usually).

I'll still use the barre/finger roll, but only moving from string to another.

That's a good point. I still think working on his fretting hand rolling technique would still be time well spent. Patterns like that in a sense forced to me to work on rolling once I started sweeping. I was always terrible at it, so I took a few steps back and worked at it, and it's helped me across the board.

That being said, general rule of thumb is to do whatever works best. Only reason I wouldn't recommend your way (in his case) is because if you are doing a Major pattern like that in the higher frets where it is tighter, rolling is probably your best option (unless you have skinny fingers, then go for it I guess).

Obviously my word isn't gospel, I'm no master of the technique, just my $0.02.

[Cremated]

This is my first post but I struggled woth this for a while and finally figured it out. If you're going for the 'rolling' technique, it's all about your first knuckle on whichever finger you're using. You want the first knuckle the one directly below your fingernail/fingertips to collapse by bending the knuckle. This will also help on arpeggios that have notes on the same fret across multiple strongs. So something like D 14 G 14 D 14, where you go down a string,and back up on the same fret. You can bend your first knuckpe and collapse it to hit the higher note then bend it back to stand it back up to hit the lower note. Practice with every finger and nearly any sweep or arpeggio will become a lot easier for you. I typed this on my phone so sorry for errors and i hope it makes sense. Its all about the knickle collapse though in a rolling bar.

Ps. If youre using this technique you want to use some of the meat of your rolling fingertip to mute the string that you just rolled off of. So when you collapse to a higher string, your rolling fingertip should be pressed lightly against the lower string you rolled off of. Not hard enough to fret but resting gently above or against it.

[Davey]

I'd do the rolling method too. Although the fingering I'd choose personally would be:
1 4 2 2 2 1 4 1 2 2 2 4 1

[penguin_316]

Originally Posted by Davey

I'd do the rolling method too. Although the fingering I'd choose personally would be:
1 4 2 2 2 1 4 1 2 2 2 4 1

Using your 2nd finger for the roll instead of your 3rd will be so much easier for most people.

1 4 2 2 2 1 "2" 1 2 2 2 4 1

I would change the quoted fingering though. Normally that sweep would have a 17th fret on the high E for the sweep, in which case I would use my pinky...but he put a 14 on the high E there, so I would use my middle finger for that.

[Davey]

Originally Posted by penguin_316

Using your 2nd finger for the roll instead of your 3rd will be so much easier for most people.

1 4 2 2 2 1 "2" 1 2 2 2 4 1

I would change the quoted fingering though. Normally that sweep would have a 17th fret on the high E for the sweep, in which case I would use my pinky...but he put a 14 on the high E there, so I would use my middle finger for that.

My mistake, thought it said 17! I agree with your revised fingering

[Aevolve]

Most diminished sweep shapes have a roll-barre of 2 strings in them:
|-----------------9--h14--9------------------|
|--------------10------------10--------------|
|-----------11-------------------11----------|
|-------11---------------------------11------|
|9-h12----------------------------------12-9-|
|---------------------------------------------|
I would suggest practicing that shape and then expanding the idea to 3 consecutive strings.

[pentecost]

My intuition agrees w/ using the middle for the roll. The ring is the by far the weakest digit, and the 16-14 articulation is more efficient & ergonomically sound with the middle. As always, YMMV and whatever works works .

(Sorry for the nerd alert, I do some ergonomic analysis on contract )

[nkri]

Originally Posted by mikemueller2112

Work at it mega slow, and it's a combination of rolling finger off, and muting with the picking hand in order to get the note separation needed to not sound like you're getting ass-raped by a walrus.

That's definitely not the analogy I was expecting.

[Konfyouzd]

Roll the middle finger and let your wrist on your picking hand mute as you go along the strings... That's one of my favorite sweeps bc it's relatively easy. The other major arps are harder for sure. You don't get to flop your fingers across the strings sequentially in those.

[Maniacal]

Peaches - What diminished sweeps have a roll in them?

That is a minor arpeggio.

[Konfyouzd]

^ This...

The diminished sweeps always seem like stacked instances of the same exact pattern. No rolls required, though.