# 3-String sweep gothic workout from hell



## Chris (Apr 21, 2004)

This is my 3 string sweep practice pattern. It's harder than it looks. I split it into 4 parts, descending and ascending.

Sound clip: 3 String Sweep Practice Run

Part 1:

```
E--12--8--------8--10--8-------12---] 
B--------10---10---------10---10----]
G-----------9---------------9-------]
D-----------------------------------]
A ----------------------------------]
E-----------------------------------]
```
 
Yeah, tablature on the web fucking sucks. More to come.


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## Chris (Apr 22, 2004)

Part 2:



```
E--10--7-------7--8--7---------7---] 
B--------8---8-----------8---8-----]
G----------7---------------7-------]
D----------------------------------]
A ---------------------------------]
E----------------------------------]
```
 

I do a quick combo of each part inbetween so the patterns blend together with a couple of quick pulloffs on the high E.


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## Metal Ken (Jun 27, 2004)

Hope you dont mind if i tab something i like out, maybe i can get some sound clips later, but its sorta in this vein...

```
Amin                                                 
|-12-8---------8-12-8---------8-8-12-8----8-8-12-8----8-|
|------10---10--------10---10----------10----------10---|
|---------9--------------9------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------|

Gmaj 
|-10-7-------7-10-7-------7-7-10-7---7-7-10-7---7--|
|------8---8--------8---8----------8----------8----|
|--------7------------7----------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------|

BDim                                             
|-13-10----------10-13-10----------10-10-13-10----10-10-13-10----13-|
|-------12----12----------12----12-------------12-------------12----|
|----------10----------------10-------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|

AMin
|-12-8---------8-12-8---------8-8-12-8----8-8-12-8----8--|
|------10---10--------10---10----------10----------10----|
|---------9--------------9-------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------|
```


Until i can get my new soundcard to record - - http://goldypage.angen.net/tehsweep.mid
There's the midi


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## oRg (Jun 23, 2005)

I wrote a similar excersize awhile ago. I figured I'd post it here for those interested.

e|----12-15-12-------|----11-15-11-------|----11-15-11-------|
B|--13--------13-----|--13--------13-----|--14--------14-----|
G|o-------------12--o|o-------------12--o|o-------------12--o|
D|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
A|o-----------------o|o-----------------o|o-----------------o|
E|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
B|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|

e|----12-15-12-------|----12-15-12-------|----12-15-12-------|
B|--14--------14-----|--13--------13-----|--13--------13-----|
G|o-------------14--o|o-------------14--o|o-------------15--o|
D|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
A|o-----------------o|o-----------------o|o-----------------o|
E|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
B|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
The cool thing about 3-string arpeggios is that you can use triadic shapes to build your arpeggios.

As always play each shape over and over again until your hand is familiar with the shape and be sure to move the shape up and down the fretboard and play it in different keys. Start slow and work your way up.

[edit]
sorry I forgot to check the date of these posts. Sorry for bringing up an old thread.
[/edit]


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## Kane (Jun 24, 2005)

I want to play sweeps, but I've never really figured out how to do the whole pluck, mute, pluck, mute, pluck, mute thing... Any tips? I also never really got the concept of sweeping arpeggios, since yer supposed to sweep your pick in one direction then the other. Does this mean swept arppegios are suppose to be hammer-ons?


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## Shawn (Jun 24, 2005)

Chris and HBer, those are pretty cool patterns you got there. 
When I get home from work, Im going to give 'em a shot. By just looking at them, it looks like alot of fun. I love sweeps.


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## Drew (Jun 24, 2005)

Kane said:


> I want to play sweeps, but I've never really figured out how to do the whole pluck, mute, pluck, mute, pluck, mute thing... Any tips? I also never really got the concept of sweeping arpeggios, since yer supposed to sweep your pick in one direction then the other. Does this mean swept arppegios are suppose to be hammer-ons?



Because it's not seperate "plucks." Rather, it's a single unbroken pick stroke that follows your fretting hand across the neck. If it helps to think of them as like hammer-ons, then go right ahead... provided that you keep in mind that, as your fretting hand comes down on a note, your pick happens to be sweeping over that string at the EXACT same time. 

Try them REALLY slowly, at first. A good drill, courtesy of Petrucci, I think, to really isolate the "sweeping" motion with minimal fretting hand thought- 


```
|----------13-10-------------------13-10-|
|-------12-------11-------------12-------|
|----11-------------12-------11----------|
|-10-------------------13-10-------------|
|----------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------|
```

Done correctly, it should feel like your pick is "falling" through the strings. 

-D


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## Shannon (Jun 24, 2005)

So, I got bored and decided to take all you guys' examples and Power Tab them. Enjoy.


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## Kane (Jun 24, 2005)

> Because it's not seperate "plucks." Rather, it's a single unbroken pick stroke that follows your fretting hand across the neck. If it helps to think of them as like hammer-ons, then go right ahead... provided that you keep in mind that, as your fretting hand comes down on a note, your pick happens to be sweeping over that string at the EXACT same time.



Ok... If that's a sweep then I think I can do it fairly well. I've got no problem with scales and modes, doing 3 or 4 notes per string. The area that I've been confused about has to do with the arpeggio's that have more than one note per string. You say my picking hand needs to sweep over the string at the exact time I am fretting the note, but what if it is an arpeggio with 2 notes on the same string? How do I sweep both of them without doing a hammer on? Or, am I supposed to find the corresponding note on the next string and work my way up or down the fretboard to accomodate the sweeping technique? I worked on the first and second example on this thread last night and have them down smooth and quick, so if that's a sweep arpeggio then I guess I am farther along than I thought.


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## Drew (Jun 24, 2005)

Kane said:


> You say my picking hand needs to sweep over the string at the exact time I am fretting the note, but what if it is an arpeggio with 2 notes on the same string? How do I sweep both of them without doing a hammer on?



You don't - some guys alternate pick consecutive notes on the same string, breaking up the "sweep" motion, while others hammer-on and pull-off, "pausing" the sweep and timing it so it flows right. Basically, do whatever feels (or sounds) "right" to you. 

-D


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## Chris (Jun 24, 2005)

Hmm, I never did post the last two parts of this.


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## Kane (Jun 24, 2005)

Okie doke, thanks.


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## Vince (Jul 14, 2005)

Chris said:


> This is my 3 string sweep practice pattern. It's harder than it looks. I split it into 4 parts, descending and ascending.
> 
> Sound clip: 3 String Sweep Practice Run
> 
> ...




You see, Chris, this is where you and I would differ a little on technique, mainly because of my shortcomings. I SUCK ASS at sweep picking when there's more than one note per string. My legato technique is good at normal tempos, but I just can't do that fast while trying to mute the strings.

What I would do is maybe a little different. This is how I would interpret your pattern there...


```
E--12--------------------12--12--------------------12--] 
B------13-------------13--------13--------------13-----]
G---------14-------14--------------14--------14--------]
D------------14-14-------------------------------------]
A -------------------------------------12--12----------]
E------------------------------------------------------]
```

The first sweep is the same notes, the second sweep is a variation with an A in the bass, as opposed to the E. Not a full chord, yes it's a 4th inversion (or a power chord) but it fits my style of play better.

Anyway, that's just my variation 'cause I suck at Chris' version


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## fatherbrennan (Aug 31, 2005)

My two cents is its better to pick all the notes when sweeping, that is when two of the notes fall on the same string, than to hammer on and pause the sweeping motion. Not that hammering on sounds bad, because Ive heard people play that way and it sounds fine. My philosophy on it though is that a hammer on does sound different than a picked note, so if you want your arpeggio notes to sound uniform and really clean its better to learn to pick them all so they have the same sound. Hammering on may be easier, but I think its worth the extra practice time to pick all those notes, not to mention it helps get your picking hand that much better trained so to speak to do more complicated picking patterns.


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## fatherbrennan (Aug 31, 2005)

Oh by the way, for people new to sweep picking: Ive seen a lot of people recommend that you mute the strings with your picking hand while sweeping. That definitly works for some, but Ive found it much better to just mute with your playing hand. In other words, after you play a note lift your finger off that note gently so that the string gets muted. Its hard to explain without seeing it in action, but when I sweep I dont mute with my picking hand at all, I mute only with my playing hand. It works very well for me, Ive gotten pretty damn fast at sweeping and after you get over the initial awkwardness of the movements, it starts to feel like a really easy way to play.


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## Drew (Aug 31, 2005)

One of the best sweepers I've ever spoken with on this, a bloke who posts as "theJonezter" over at www.guitarwar.com, was an advocate of fretboard-only muting, on the grounds that if your fretting technique is right in the first place, you shouldn't NEED to compensate by muting at the bridge. The notable exception here is while playing across harmonic nodes, but in general I agree with the dude. In theory, at elast - in actuality I'm not much of a sweeper, so it's a non-point.


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## Metal Ken (Aug 31, 2005)

fatherbrennan said:


> Oh by the way, for people new to sweep picking: Ive seen a lot of people recommend that you mute the strings with your picking hand while sweeping. That definitly works for some, but Ive found it much better to just mute with your playing hand. In other words, after you play a note lift your finger off that note gently so that the string gets muted. Its hard to explain without seeing it in action, but when I sweep I dont mute with my picking hand at all, I mute only with my playing hand. It works very well for me, Ive gotten pretty damn fast at sweeping and after you get over the initial awkwardness of the movements, it starts to feel like a really easy way to play.


pretty much what i do..except i do have a light mute with my picking hand, cause i do that most of the time anyway unless i want something to ring out.


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## fatherbrennan (Aug 31, 2005)

Sounds like you guys do it like I do then, thats cool. I see mostly in instruction videos that you should mute with your picking hand, but I disagree with that. Seems like much more trouble than just using your playing hand.


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## Drew (Aug 31, 2005)

It also sounds a LOT different, thus suggesting it's not a bad idea to learn both ways. 

Course, then there's Steve Morse, who alternate picks arpeggios faster than I can sweep 'em, lol.


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## fatherbrennan (Aug 31, 2005)

Very true, since they sound so different its definitly a good idea to learn both ways just in case one fits better than the other. Great point Drew.


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