How Do You Sweep At Night?

[TSJMajesty]

Do you pull-off and hammer on the bottom notes, on a down/up sweep? Or pick the bottom note?

In something like this:

OR

I've been working on sweeps, and have been doing them the 2nd way, with a pull-off/hammer-on. But I was watching a lesson on The Glass Prison, and in each sweep where there were 3 notes on the lowest string, the first 2 were picked, then a hammer-on, which is a little more articulate, but not as natural/easy.

 

[la szum]

 

[TSJMajesty]

Another question, for you sweepers..., when the descending part ends in just a single note on that lowest string, I hit that with an upstroke, but the guy giving the lesson said to turn around and start the downstroke on that low note. I can't see why that matters, and to me it's much harder.

 

[TSJMajesty]

I didn't know what it would be, but I saw it comin'.

 

[la szum]

Yeah. Sorry. I'm dumb.

I hear some vicious sweeps on the new DT.

Have fun, Tom.

 

[jaxadam]

I pick it all.

 

[TSJMajesty]

Yeah. Sorry. I'm dumb.

I hear some vicious sweeps on the new DT.

Have fun, Tom.

Haha. All good my man! Some of my stuff is really coming together. (Bout time.)

 

[la szum]

Hell yeah!

I haven't been honing my sword as long as you have, but been happy with
how my right hand is coming along----picking every note.

 

[Los-D]

Do you pull-off and hammer on the bottom notes, on a down/up sweep? Or pick the bottom note?

In something like this:

View attachment 39036OR View attachment 39037

I've been working on sweeps, and have been doing them the 2nd way, with a pull-off/hammer-on. But I was watching a lesson on The Glass Prison, and in each sweep where there were 3 notes on the lowest string, the first 2 were picked, then a hammer-on, which is a little more articulate, but not as natural/easy.

Both. Depends on the melody/sequence. Tapping the root high in the fretboard and pulling off is cool too.

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

Do you pull-off and hammer on the bottom notes, on a down/up sweep? Or pick the bottom note?

In something like this:

View attachment 39036OR View attachment 39037

I've been working on sweeps, and have been doing them the 2nd way, with a pull-off/hammer-on. But I was watching a lesson on The Glass Prison, and in each sweep where there were 3 notes on the lowest string, the first 2 were picked, then a hammer-on, which is a little more articulate, but not as natural/easy.

I'd use down up on the high e and then up down hammer on the low and then the down up pull on the high e.

As for the descending sweep changing directions and going to downstroke on the last.
I believe it comes from most folks prefer outside picking, the down hasore authority and it's easier to locki to time.
Nevertheless ido it the other way around.

Where I do it the "proper" way is when I go up or down a string set consecutively and go back one as in something like (strings)e a d, a d g, d g b, g be
It'll be down down up repeatedly

 

[Dadbodblues]

But I was watching a lesson on The Glass Prison, and in each sweep where there were 3 notes on the lowest string, the first 2 were picked, then a hammer-on, which is a little more articulate, but not as natural/easy.

I think the up > down > hammer on the "A" string here probably stems from the habit of practicing sweeps from the lowest note. I've watched tons of tutorials about sweep picking where they pick the first note (down on the low E or A) followed by a hammer-on.

I do things differently though, depending on the number of strings, when sweeping only on the first 3 strings (E, B, and G) I typically hammer-on on every strings when descending then pick all notes ascending, as in I just do downstrokes. When doing 5/6 string sweeps, from the lowest string (low E or A) I typically pick both notes (up then down) before I go down to A or D, because it sounds better to me and I often lose my timing when I do the pick > hammer method. So in this case where the arpeggio is descending, I would pick all the three notes at the "A" string, the 15-12-15.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Friends don't let their friends sweep.

 

[TSJMajesty]

when sweeping only on the first 3 strings (E, B, and G) I typically hammer-on on every strings when descending

Why? I'm not really understanding the benefit of that at all.

and I often lose my timing when I do the pick > hammer method.

That's the hardest thing for me in general, when it comes to sweeps.
Changing from a fluid motion in one direction, to a quick back-and-forth, then back to the sweep, is one of the most unnatural things for me. It's why I also don't do much economy picking.

 

[Dadbodblues]

Why? I'm not really understanding the benefit of that at all.

Laziness, that's all haha. It still sounds fluid and articulate to me. I think a few famous players also do this, Nick Johnston, Rick Graham, and even Andy James (I think).

 

[Los-D]

Laziness, that's all haha. It still sounds fluid and articulate to me. I think a few famous players also do this, Nick Johnston, Rick Graham, and even Andy James (I think).

It’s useful if you are tapping the highest note (middle finger in this case) to just hammer on the descending notes with the left hand. Or so they tell me

(Example: Tony Macalpine!)

 

[la szum]

There are/were some great Sweepers.

For my money Perpetual Burn-era Jason Becker was at the top.
He did more than your standard Majour and Minour Arps. Just
next level---and shockingly virtuosic---to my ears.




It's a freaking Sweep Tour De Force.

 

[Blix]

There are/were some great Sweepers.

For my money Perpetual Burn-era Jason Becker was at the top.
He did more than your standard Majour and Minour Arps. Just
next level---and shockingly virtuosic---to my ears.




It's a freaking Sweep Tour De Force.

This is peak sweeping for sure, just crazy good.
I also love how Frank Gambale does it, way different genre though! :)

 

[Blix]

Back to the OP's topic, I recorded a quick video of doing alternating pull/hammer vs picking at the bottom of the sweep, at this slow speed it doesn't sound all that different , at warp speed it would be 100% negligible!




And yeah self imposed tele, low gain and slapback only for tonights practice session lol, it's brutal to record this with no gain

 

[la szum]

 

[Los-D]

There are/were some great Sweepers.

For my money Perpetual Burn-era Jason Becker was at the top.
He did more than your standard Majour and Minour Arps. Just
next level---and shockingly virtuosic---to my ears.




It's a freaking Sweep Tour De Force.

In the recent times, Jeff Loomis has those Jason Becker-esque long, flowing sweeps.



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