Sweep Picking
Sweep Picking ( Sweeping or also sometimes called Economy Picking ) is a technique for the electric guitar.
When sweep picking " sweeps " the player with the pick of the picking hand in one direction at least 2 strings.
It was developed in order to play certain sound sequences, patterns, faster or more fluid than the alternate picking on the guitar, by minimizing the movement of the picking hand to the essentials.
Sweeping is best comparable to a chord is played on multiple strings with a single down (or up ) impact. In contrast, the sounds usually do not sound together, but one after another. The attack is carried out in a smooth, controlled speed, the strings just do not sound to be muted.
The strings are gripped by the gripping hand one by one. The damping the strings, which are not yet or no longer resound during the stop takes place as follows: The strings that are on the pitch of the fretted strings are muted with the batting and the strings over the gripped by the gripping hand.
However, it is of course also possible to use the sweep stop to chords fluently with the plectrum to " pluck " and not dampen the individual notes.
By Sweep picking can, inter alia, fast played melodies with large interval steps and arpeggios arise.
The sweep technique can be supplemented fluently and traversed by single hammer-ons, pull-offs and exchange punches. However, this requires a considerable effort exercise, if a player so far is only capable change stop.
When sweeping with change stop you need an odd number (1, 3, 5, 7, etc. ) of notes per string when the basic " direction " of the tone sequence (from " low " to " high " or vice versa) should be retained. The plectrum is taken when changing the string in a striking direction from string to string, then change shocks take place until the player re- enters the string. To change the "direction " of the tone sequence, the games must be an even number (2, 4, 6, 8, etc. ) strike of notes per string.
Mostly Sweeping is however used when playing arpeggios and mainly used in metal and hard rock to mimic figural pieces from the Baroque period. However, this technique can also be observed more often in jazz, fusion and jazz - rock guitarists. Above all, Frank Gambale, a jazz guitarist, regarded as one of the musicians who have made the technology to what it is today.
A major disadvantage of this technique is, however, that the batting partially dictates the clay material that has to play the hand grip next. This then leads to the fact that in typical up and down movements omitted tones in scales or arpeggios, chromatic Füllnoten be added so that the rule can be maintained over the even or odd number of notes per string. So you have nowhere near the freedom as in the alternate picking ( alternate picking ). This one takes the benefit but the tempo in purchasing.
Known users of the sweep picking technique are Synyster Gates, Django Reinhardt, Jeff Loomis, Michael Angelo Batio, Buckethead, Marty Friedman, Frank Gambale, Steve Hackett, Jason Becker, Shawn Lane, Yngwie Malmsteen, Vinnie Moore, John Petrucci, Alex Skolnick, Glenn Tipton, Alexi Laiho, Herman Li, Jari Mäenpää and Steve Vai.