Sweep Picking & Rakes | Free Online Guitar Lesson

lesson summary

Lesson 8 of 26 in our Rock Series: Sweep Picking & Rakes

In this lesson, Matt shows you various techniques & exercises to help you master the art of sweep picking & string raking.
Chapter 1: (7:38) Introduction Dragging the pick across three or more strings in one fluid motion for the purpose of playing fast arpeggios is a technique referred to as sweep picking.

Before you begin to practice this technique, keep in mind that it is one of the most difficult guitar techniques to master. Few guitarists can perform this technique well due to the amount of practice time necessary to perfect it. When learning any new technique, patience is key! Also, remember that technique is a means to a musical end. It doesn't matter how fast you can play something if it doesn't sound like music. Make sure your sweep picking is clear and musical before you attempt to speed it up.

There are several important technical aspects that must be observed in order to pull off sweep picking effectively. Let's take a look at the right hand first.

Right Hand Technique

1. In order to decrease the amount of friction between the pick and the strings, the picking hand must be slightly tilted from its normal position. When performing a down-sweep, tilt your hand towards the floor so that the thumb is pulled slightly away from the strings. This will prevent the pick from getting stuck on an individual string. When sweeping upwards toward the bass strings, tilt your hand the other way. When going up, your thumb should be tilted towards the strings.

2. Sweep arpeggios must be played with the very tip of the pick only. If too much of the pick makes contact with a string, you run the risk of getting it caught, and the arpeggio will not sound smooth.

3. The pick must gradually "fall" across the strings. In other words, the velocity of the right hand must remain constant as the pick drags across the strings. You must not separate the motion of the pick into individual strokes. Do not momentarily pause on each string!

4. When more than one note occurs on a given string, alternate picking must be used on that individual string. Then, resume picking in one direction.

Note: Check out the Supplemental Content for arpeggio patterns that occasionally involve playing more than one note per string. Chapter 2: (3:41) Left Hand Technique The main reason why guitarists perform sweep arpeggios poorly is because they fail to realize that the left hand component is just as important as the right. Follow these rules to ensure that your arpeggios sound smooth and fluid.

1. The left hand must prepare each finger before the string is plucked with the right hand. The left hand finger must fret the note just milliseconds before it is plucked. Otherwise, an unwanted hammer-on sound might be produced.

2. Each string must be muted after it is played by slightly lifting the left hand from the string. Do not let the strings ring together at all! If the same finger is to be used to fret the next string, do not lift it up. Instead, "roll" your finger by lightly pulling it down to the next string. Be careful that you don't create unwanted pull-offs while doing this.

3. The sweep arpeggio should sound like a series of rapid single notes, not a slowly strummed chord.

When Are Sweep Arpeggios Used?

A. Sweep picking is most commonly used in the context of a guitar solo. Scale-based lines can be interchanged with arpeggio-based lines to create variety within a solo. Check out an excerpt from Kirk Hammett's "Creeping Death" solo to see an example of how this works.

Note: This can be found under "Supplemental Content."

B. Sweep arpeggios are also used in substitution for strummed chords, to create melodic textures. The intro melody to Phish's "You Enjoy Myself" was composed using nothing but a series of sweep arpeggios.

Note: Click the "Supplemental Content" tab for a transcription of this introduction.

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Phase 2 of our teaching method focuses on genre specific techniques and skills. After you have mastered all of the lessons and topics covered in Phase 1, you then move onto your preferred genre of music. Our phase 2 lessons are taught with the overall idea that you are already equipped with a basic understanding of the guitar, how to play notes, read tablature, and position your finger correctly.

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