How is your sweep picking?

[Quencho092]

Re: How is your sweep picking?

just have a listen to Guthrie Govan. THAT IS REAL FUSION! He takes all those extreme guitar techniques that many people talk down or call cheesy because they're labeled as 'shred' or because they simply can't execute them, and he uses them to build VERY palatable, always TASTY phrases.

I have respect for people with a good repertoire of techniques and articulation methods, even more so when they use it in a melodic context, rather than a step by step context. For example, you have a guy that is good at sweeping/tapping/trem picking. If he does a solo that consists of a sweep section>tapping section>HIGH SPEED TREM PICK SECTION>bluesy lick, it's obvious that he's just playing a repertoire of techniques.

On the other hand, you have someone who constructs a tasty legato melodic phrase, uses a sweep to articulate a target note that highlights the next chord change, plays a tasty variation of the initial phrase, mixes in a tap to get a 3rd or a 9th on top of the next lick chained together seamlessly, it no longer sounds like a 'shred guitar techniques video'.

CONTEXT! People who use sweeps to add a subtle 'sheets of sound' effect to their music and to highlight melodic phrasing get two thumbs up from me

 

[Quencho092]

Re: How is your sweep picking?

BTW im a terrible sweep picker. I have 4 note arpeggios DOWN PAT across the fretboard, MAJ7, DOM7, half diminished, diminished, min7, but I fail at making those seamless multi string sweeps.

Especially that trademark sound where the notes blur together, halfway between an econopicked arpeggio and a chord. It's a great device for adding variety, someday I'll have it down.

 

[Revelation777]

Re: How is your sweep picking?

You missed out an option in the poll

It fits my musical style, but I hate it.

Im in a band with a young guy who, when asked to write a solo for a song, no matter the song, will always use sweep picking, a la Chris Broderick. I cant stand it. Ive actually found myself playing much slower lead lines than I would normally do just to offset that.

Marty Friedman and Jeff Waters are my guitar gods - Chris Broderick et al make me want to stop listening to music.

I agree. I play metal and harder stuff but I loathe sweep picking because most of the time it is done so distastefully. That's great that you can hit every single note in 2 scales in 3 seconds, but does it actually sound good? lol

Most of the time, people are more amazed at the skill than the actual music of those types of solos. Kudos to the guys who keep people focused on the music by integrating sweeps instead of force-feeding them to everyone.

 

[El Dunco]

Re: How is your sweep picking?

I use sweeps sparingly through my bands first album (which you can buy/listen to in the thread I made for it in Tips and Clips hint hint hint hint hint hint).

Using an MIA Stratocaster.... with singles.... through a Fender Twin. Turned all the way up...

 

[xntrick]

Re: How is your sweep picking?

i suck at it big time, but i have been working on a simple 2 string sweep as i do luv the neo-classical sound and unfortunately that style uses sweeping quite a bit.

 

[blueman335]

Re: How is your sweep picking?

Sweep picking doesn't fit what I do. Nor does tapping, plam mutes, or pinch harmonics. Call me old-fashioned...I can see what Crusty's saying, that techniques can overshadow the expressiveness. To me, metal style solos sound cold and robotic, seems like they're all technique. There's a human element in blues solos (which fit in a number of genres), even though from a technical perspective most are pretty basic. A few tasty licks and well-placed bends go a long ways. A creative blues lead player, like Matt Schofield for example, is infinitely more interesting to me than a metal guy playing five times faster.

 

[Jessie's ghost]

Re: How is your sweep picking?

Sweep picking doesn't fit what I do. Nor does tapping, plam mutes, or pinch harmonics. Call me old-fashioned...I can see what Crusty's saying, that techniques can overshadow the expressiveness. To me, metal style solos sound cold and robotic, seems like they're all technique. There's a human element in blues solos (which fit in a number of genres), even though from a technical perspective most are pretty basic. A few tasty licks and well-placed bends go a long ways. A creative blues lead player, like Matt Schofield for example, is infinitely more interesting to me than a metal guy playing five times faster.

See, you got it all wrong. MY genre is better than YOURS. :soapbox:

:joke:

You know what, though? I think a little palm muting fits in nicely in blues and classic rock. Not James Hetfield palm muting, but the kind that's used sparsely, for accent, and can be done with as little gain as you want.

I'll go as far as saying that the occasional sweep can fit into blues, as well. Make the speed and the note choice fit the song, and you could do it pretty tastefully.

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: How is your sweep picking?

See, you got it all wrong. MY genre is better than YOURS. :soapbox:

:joke:

You know what, though? I think a little palm muting fits in nicely in blues and classic rock. Not James Hetfield palm muting, but the kind that's used sparsely, for accent, and can be done with as little gain as you want.

I'll go as far as saying that the occasional sweep can fit into blues, as well. Make the speed and the note choice fit the song, and you could do it pretty tastefully.

I totally agree. Even pinch harmonics sound great in low gain blues. I love hearing good blues players think outside their boxes and utilize all the techniques. THAT makes for some interesting music.

 

[blueman335]

Re: How is your sweep picking?

You know what, though? I think a little palm muting fits in nicely in blues and classic rock. Not James Hetfield palm muting, but the kind that's used sparsely, for accent, and can be done with as little gain as you want.

I'll go as far as saying that the occasional sweep can fit into blues, as well. Make the speed and the note choice fit the song, and you could do it pretty tastefully.

True, there's many kinds of blues and there's room for variety. I personally don't want to incorporate sweep picking into my style, but there's no reason why another blues player couldn't.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: How is your sweep picking?

Sweep picking doesn't fit what I do. Nor does tapping, plam mutes, or pinch harmonics. Call me old-fashioned...I can see what Crusty's saying, that techniques can overshadow the expressiveness. To me, metal style solos sound cold and robotic, seems like they're all technique. There's a human element in blues solos (which fit in a number of genres), even though from a technical perspective most are pretty basic. A few tasty licks and well-placed bends go a long ways. A creative blues lead player, like Matt Schofield for example, is infinitely more interesting to me than a metal guy playing five times faster.

That's kind of a cliched thing to say. Metal soloing is'nt all about technique and there are plenty of players who incorporate bluesy licks and tons of feel into their playing, while employing a bunch of other techniques and tricks as well..it's just being creative. That's what i love about metal, it's a melting pot of creative idea's. When it comes to guitar playing there's input from flamenco, classical, blues, Jazz ...the works. How much input from other styles is there when it comes to the blues? Oh yeah, and the metal guys's are the close-minded ones.

There are a lot of brilliant blues and Jazz players out there, but also a lot of brilliant metal ones...I don't care for the fact that that's downplayed so much...like the metal guitar guys are poor/retarded cousins or something while on the other hand we have the Jazz/blues masters...who actually have "feel"

 

[jalguitarman]

Re: How is your sweep picking?

I do pretty good with it if I use the right sized broom. For some reason my strings wear those brooms out rather quickly!

 

[blueman335]

Re: How is your sweep picking?

That's kind of a cliched thing to say. Metal soloing is'nt all about technique and there are plenty of players who incorporate bluesy licks and tons of feel into their playing, while employing a bunch of other techniques and tricks as well..it's just being creative....I don't care for the fact that that's downplayed so much...like the metal guitar guys are poor/retarded cousins or something while on the other hand we have the Jazz/blues masters...who actually have "feel"

I like the blues-influenced, Hendrix-influenced metal players, like Iommi and Satriani. It's the when guys use the pure metal style that they lose me.

I think one of the reasons metal players may be looked at as 'poor/retarded cousins' is that some (but certainly not all) put too much emphasis on their image (monster masks, morbid band names, ridiculous make up, covered in tatoos, etc). Some of those guys are very talented players, but it gives the genre a stigma and diverts attention away from their musical skills. That a self-induced problem.

To me, if you're an above-average player (and many of them are) that's the focus, music, and forget the other crap, which is an unnecessary distraction. I'm so sick of the 'doom and gloom' aspect to metal. Good God! Where's the originality or creativity in that??? Band after band after band. It's gotten to be like a combination of professional wrestling and chessy 1950's monster movies. That's a major turn off. I'd listen to some of it, but so much of it is a circus. And maybe I shouldn't tune out the whole genre because there are some bands there that I would like. I just don't want to wade thru the nonsense to get to the good stuff.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: How is your sweep picking?

I think image is a part of every genre...metal guys have their morbid band names, facepaint or whatever , while a blues guy is more likely to wear a loud, awful glittery jacket, blind man's shades, feathered hat and huge vulgar looking rings with his name &/or "blues" encrusted in diamonds on it because that pimpin' iimage is what's expected of him and part of the blues culture.

He'd obviously look ridiculous singing "Mama, you done me so wrong" with a painted face/leather pants/studs etc.

Hendrix made a name for himself by being the most "extreme"/outrageous and gimmicky blues player of his time....loud distortion, wah pedals, whammy bar abuse, ****ing/setting fire to/smashing guitars ...that's what helped set him apart and put him on center stage at the time.

Players should be judged by their skill level and how their music affects you rather than what genre they belonng to and how negative or outrageous that genre is perceived to be...which by the way, as a metal fan, I think just adds to my enjoyment/the experience as a whole..

Stuff can be dark/gloomy/macabre/played at warp speed and still be incredibly emotional and moving....it does'nt need to be pentatonic scale based to have fire or soul...

 

[Diego]

Re: How is your sweep picking?

Sweep picking doesn't fit what I do. Nor does tapping, plam mutes, or pinch harmonics. Call me old-fashioned...I can see what Crusty's saying, that techniques can overshadow the expressiveness. To me, metal style solos sound cold and robotic, seems like they're all technique. There's a human element in blues solos (which fit in a number of genres), even though from a technical perspective most are pretty basic. A few tasty licks and well-placed bends go a long ways. A creative blues lead player, like Matt Schofield for example, is infinitely more interesting to me than a metal guy playing five times faster.

What do you think of this solo? Skip straight to 1:00.
I think you'll appreciate it. Friedman has emotion and tension in spades on his solos.

 

[Varg]

Re: How is your sweep picking?

I'm so sick of the 'doom and gloom' aspect to metal. Good God! Where's the originality or creativity in that??? Band after band after band. It's gotten to be like a combination of professional wrestling and chessy 1950's monster movies. That's a major turn off. I'd listen to some of it, but so much of it is a circus. And maybe I shouldn't tune out the whole genre because there are some bands there that I would like. I just don't want to wade thru the nonsense to get to the good stuff.

I have a feeling you are only hearing the bands like Slipknot and lumping an entire genre in the "crap" pot because of the modern po-faced bands.
I am pretty sure you would enjoy Iron Maidens soloing for example.

Watch this from 3:00, there are THREE awesome solos in this, by two seperate guitarists - (yeah its a strat for two, but its Paul Kossoffs old one!)




Modern bands in the genre seem to take themselves too seriously but classic metal was always served with a large slice of humour and Spinal Tap-pery.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: How is your sweep picking?

^^ :headbang:

@Diego: yeah! The way Friedman bends his notes never ceases to amaze me...he's such an incredible player..



I'd posted this years ago...

A bunch of pretty much unknown but awesome metal guitar players...melody, feel, technique...these guys ooze it

 

[Varg]

Re: How is your sweep picking?

^^ Nice!!

@Diego: yeah! The way Friedman bends his notes never ceases to amaze me...he's such an incredible player..



I'd posted this years ago...

A bunch of pretty much unknown but awesome metal guitar players...melody, feel, technique...these guys ooze it

And I will assume Im not alone in my worship at the altar of Jeff Waters with your username there. :headbang:

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: How is your sweep picking?

haha...definately not man ...you are'nt alone at all

 

[Filipe Marquez]

Re: How is your sweep picking?

It all comes down to what you need to play in order to feel good. Now bashing people for their loved techniques (be whole note bending or 16th triplets at 240bpm), that is not cool at all. :14:

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: How is your sweep picking?

I would've used this as a tasty example of Friedman/Becker's feel with sweeps involved: