Sweep Picking Techniques in Metal Guitar

Part of the Video Series How to Play Heavy Metal Guitar

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Learn how to use sweep picking in heavy metal guitar playing in this free video lesson.

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Sweep Picking Techniques in Metal Guitar
Hi this is Gary Schutt and I’m going to talk to you about sweep picking. Sweep picking is when you take a chord; break it up into single notes and me an arpeggio out of it and you want to play each note separately in the chord in the sweeping motion to do with your right hand as one constant motion down the strings, or up the strings. We’re going to play this, A minor up on the 12th fret. We’re going to break it up into single notes. You’ve got your A –C –E –A –C –E and the octave A. You want to pick, hammer, down stroke, down stroke, down stroke, down stroke, down stroke, hammer, then coming back down you want to pick, pull off, up stroke, up stroke, up stroke, up stroke, pull off. Now the tricky thing about this form is that you have to bridge your 3rd finger when you’re playing the D and G strings, this will make it a little tricky. This is what I like to call a cheat sweep because it’s a simpler version of a long arpeggio, you play an A, we’re going to do A major, you’re going to play an A, C sharp and then your middle finger is going to bar itself for the next 3 strings and then the E on top and then the A on top of that so that there’s a lot less motion with your hand going on. It’s a hammer on, a bar, pick – pick – pick – pick, then hammer on. Now watch my right hand. Down stroke, hammer on, down stroke, hammer on, down stroke, down stroke, down stroke, down stroke. Its one constant sweep, same thing coming back up, it’s one constant motion.

About the Expert

Expert: Gary Schutt has a degree in songwriting from the Berklee College of Music. Gary has written over 150 songs, has 5 CDs, and 1 DVD currently available. Read More