We're starting with a pretty simple sweeping exercize for a couple reasons.
For one, you almost definately know the CMaj7 chord. Pretty chord, right?
Well, we'll take this pretty chord and turn it into a cool intro, or outro!
Or something you can use in your solos.

So, what is a "sweep"? You basically play the notes in a scale or chord in
one "sweeping" motion, instead of the regular strum, or picking you usually
do. All in one direction.

So your fingers will be rocking on and off the fretboard.
Doing a series of light pull-offs and hammer-ons!

Like this . . .






You can play all strings as pictured above. But in these exercises,
we'll only be playing the top 4 strings. The more promanent fret markers.
To sweep the chord, you pick DOWN on the 4th string, and in one motion,
continue "strumming" or sweeping through the strings and play strings 4-1.

BUT . . . you don't put your fingers firmly on the strings. If you do,
it's just going to sound like you strummed the chord! What you do is . . .

Press the string you're about to pick. After you pick it, relax the pressure
just enough so the string stops ringing. You can actually press the strings
like you were going to play the chord, then just release each string as
you play each one.

Just slightly lift each finger after you pick it. Just enough to stop it
from ringing.

The object is, you play each string. Each note plays distinctly, for a short time,
and only the string you just picked rings out. It makes a choppy, kind
of broken up sound. And once you can do this, you can play a lot of really
cool licks, really fast! PLUS . . . it sounds really cool!



So, pick string 4 DOWN, keep your hand moving and as you pick string 3, lift
off the 4th string. Keep sweeping down and hit the 2nd string, muting string 3.
Then hit string 1 and let it ring!

Again, if you apply pressure to all of the strings and let each note ring out,
you're just strumming the chord! You want to arpeggiate the chord, let each
string ring only until the pick hits the next string.

Once you get it, it'll be pretty easy.

Not necessarily fast! You can sweep slowly, or really fast. Depends on
what you're playing, and the sound you want, and the tempo of the song.

You usually hit the 1st note of your aweep, then time it so you hit the
last note "on time". These are 4 notes. Let's say you're target note in a
solo is the B on the 1st string, 7th fret. You pick down on the 4th string,
C, and sweep down so "on time", you hit the B note. The other 3 notes are
kinda like ghost notes. Just quick, short notes played just before the target.

Like, you're playing some notes. Let's say even timed 8th notes. When you
go for the high B, in time, you play all 4 notes in the same time interval,
ending on the B.

OK, now you try! But know this. The faster you sweep, the easier it gets
to do, and the more it will sound like . . . sweeping! So starting out
slow . . . it'll sound more like just picking notes. BUT . . .

Remember to pick in ONE direction! And don't "pick" each note like it's
a separate note! Pick the first note and then the next note in ONE motion!
ONE downward motion, sweep 4 notes/strings in time, evenly!

Keep your "non-flexible" pick short! Don't let too much stick out!


Rotate your hand just a bit so you pick the strings on a bit of an angle.
So you glide over the string! If your pick is flat, perpendicular to the
strings, you won't play smoothly!


And one more thing. When you're sweeping down, the pick should angle UP
a bit. So the tip is pointing UP. And pointing slightly DOWN when sweeping UP!

You just slightly roll your wrist so the pick points up a bit, sweep
across the strings, down. Then simply roll your wrist again so the
pick is pointing down, and sweep up!


Cmaj7 arpeggio, Strings 4 to 1. C E G B Frets 10 9 8 7 Fingers 4 3 2 1


"SWEEP" DOWN 4 3 2 1 ~ then UP 1 2 3 4
Sweep Exercise 1: Cmaj7 . . .

Unlike other workshop drills, in this one, you play ALL drill tracks. But as
all workshops, stop when you start messing up. So you'll be playing "some"
of each track! Even the ones that are too fast now. You'll get farther in time!

5a CM7Arp1 Sweep 1.MP3

5b CM7Arp1 Sweep 2.MP3

5c CM7Arp1 Sweep 3.MP3

5d CM7Arp1 Sweep 4.MP3


Sweep Exercise 2 . . .

Sounds like . . .

REMEBER: Lift your finger slightly after you play each note!!
As you sweep back up, press each string just before sweeping it!
And list OFF the finger for the note you just played!

So your fingers will be rocking on and off the fretboard.
Doing a series of light pull-offs and hammer-ons!

Your turn! Quik Up & Down Sweeps

So, when you end a song in a major key, you can add a sweet little phrase!
You just need to know what fret to play the arpeggio! *Check out my Music
Theory 101 Overview Tutorial if you don't know!*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

But what if it's in a minor key! We better add a new arpeggio! This one's
also really cool, albeit, a little more challenging. But not hard!

Emin7: E minor 7 is a sweet chord, too! And we'll also be sweeping this one!
But then we'll start working on picking patterns. They'll be easier because
you worked on these sweeping techniques!

Here's what this exercise/chord arpeggio looks, and sounds like.



Those of you who are working the Pentatonic Master Class Workshop will . . .
1). See the similarity to the Minor Position 1 Penta Box.
2). Have little difficulty getting this because . . . you ARE working it!

NOTE: We could play this without playing the 10th fret, adding the D, the 7th.
But it's cool to play the 7th. And sliding up to the 12th to end on the octave
also sounds cool. So we're gonna for this exercise.

SWEEPING DOWN . . . We start this on an UP! So on the 5th string,
you pick UP, then start your sweep down.

U D D D . U D D U ~

Say it while you read it:
UDDD UDDU SLIDE (UP DOWN DOWN DOWN, ETC.)

~~~~~~~~~
SWEEPING UP . . .

D ~ U U U D . U U D

Say it while you read it: D SLIDE UUUD UUD

Sweep Exercise 3: Em7 . . .

Just play it up, then down.


A bit faster . . .


And a bit faster . . .


Yeah, a bit faster . . .


~~~~~~~~

NOTE: Em7 and G6 have the same notes.
EGBD & GBDE. SO THIS IS A TWOFER!

Go to Part 2 ~ Contact Info ~ DRILLS SECTION

Work on the sweeping drills below each day until you can do them fairly well.
Then proceed to Part 2. But continue doing these each session before you go
to Part 2.

OK, let's work on the Pentatonic Boxes! Boxes 1 through 5!
We'll cover the picking strategy for each box!

Picking Workshop, Part 2


CONTACT ME . . .
Email me any time! ~/~ Wayne on Facebook

DRILLS SECTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5a CM7Arp1 Sweep 1.MP3

5b CM7Arp1 Sweep 2.MP3

5c CM7Arp1 Sweep 3.MP3

5d CM7Arp1 Sweep 4.MP3


Sweep Exercise 2 . . .

Sounds like . . .

Your turn! Quik Up & Down Sweeps

Sweep Exercise 3: Em7 . . .

Just play it up, then down.


A bit faster . . .


And a bit faster . . .


Yeah, a bit faster . . .


~~~~~~~~

NOTE: Em7 and G6 have the same notes.
EGBD & GBDE. SO THIS IS A TWOFER!

Click here to auto-scroll back to beginning of this drill section.
Click here to auto-scroll back to TOP, beginning of this INTRO page.
Picking Workshop, Part 2

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