A Simple Method For Learning Sweep Picking With Just 10 Minutes A Day of Practice
Finally: A method for learning sweep picking that works without having to practice for 30 hours a day...
Sweep picking... maybe one of the most fun and coveted lead guitar techniques...
But why is it so, so difficult to learn?
What if everything you've been taught about sweep picking so far has been (nearly) completely wrong?
Why Is Learning Sweep Picking So Difficult?
I remember when I was first trying to learn sweep picking, I was putting in hours a day of practice, doing all the arpeggio exercises I could find and watching videos to try and figure out how to improve my technique, but for some reason it just wasn't clicking...
I just could not work out what I was doing wrong...
Maybe it was me? Maybe I just wasn't cut out for it...?
Well I kept going, eventually got the hang of the technique (I didn't really understand what I was doing right...), some of my students wanted to learn it so I tried teaching them...
And guess what? They struggled to learn it...
Why were the traditional methods of learning sweep picking failing?
The Truth: 99% of sweep picking lessons have nothing to do with sweep picking. They're demonstrating arpeggios.
Arpeggios are patterns we make with the fret-hand. Sweep picking is primarily a motion done with the pick-hand.
Once I figured that out, I could start experimenting with creating exercises that would teach the pick-hand part of sweep picking... the actual sweep picking!
And integrating that with the fret-hand... and THEN learning arpeggio shapes was easy!
It really felt like the wool had been lifted from my eyes when I figured this out.
Don't beleive me? Here's what 99% of sweep picking lessons do
I see these on YouTube sometimes, they're usually pretty popular videos... and unfortunately very misleaing (this could well be why you've been struggling)
"Here's the technique fast" followed by some shredder (who admittedly can play very well!) ripping through an arpeggio...
"Here's the technique slowly" followed by them DOING SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT
No wonder no-one learns anything from these videos...
Now don't get me wrong, there is no ill-intent on the part of the player demonstrating, they're trying to be as helpful as possible, but the problem is they have expert amneasia...
They're so good at sweep picking they have embeded the skill completely into their subsconscious... and they no longer remmeber what it is they are actually doing!
In their mind they're "just" playing through an arpeggio ("just do this"... man I hated it when teachers asked me to do that then watched me fail at it!)
But as a student trying to learn the technique, you need to know:
- The correct pick-hand motion
- The correct fret-hand motion
- The three steps involved with playing a single note with sweep picking technique
(Yes playing one note with sweep picking requires your right and left hand move through a three-step process)
And knowing that isn't good enough... you need a set of exercises to train this technique into your subconscious
In An Introduction to Sweep Picking, we break down the technique in excrutiating detail, so that you understand every step of the process, then you go through a simple 5-10 minutes a day training program for a few weeks to train the specific motions of sweep picking into your subconscious, before applying that technique to a series of two string arpeggios all over the guitar neck.
An Introduction to Sweep Picking
This 51 page book contains a detailed description of sweep picking, breaking down every single motion involved, alongwith a training program to learn the technqiue and an extensive series of arpeggio exercises to train the technique on. Also included is a mini video course to demonstrate the exercises (Access after checkout)
You will get:
- Complete breakdown and explanation of technqiue
- 4 lessons on the fundamental technique
- Video demonstration of fundamental technique and training exercises
- 4 workbooks of training exercises, each broken into 9 sections
- Appendix on changing key and large stretches
- Details on the practicalities of technique
- Major, minor and dminished triads
- How to apply this technique to harmonised scales (this is the fancy music theory words for what you really want to do!)
Here's a breakdown of what we'll cover:
Economy picking, alternate picking and sweep picking... what's the difference?
We start off by getting crystal clear on what we are doing and why.
We aren't making a judgement on which technique is best, we simple state what is involved with each and the advantages and concerns of each technique.
The first step in learning anything is understanding
Fundamental Technique
The first part of the book will cover four simple exercises that you need to know in order to be able to sweep pick.
They just need five to ten minutes a day of practice... but make it focussed practice!
You'll also get video demonstrations of exactly what to practice and how, so that you know exactly what you are doing.
In fact - for the first two weeks you won't be using your fret-hand at all!!
After working on "push throughs" and "the bulldozer" for a couple of weeks, you'll understand why you were never able to learn sweep picking effectively before, and you'll be on the round to ingraining the technique into your subconscious
The awkward to learn but highly effective muting technique that makes it all work...
Part of the difficulty guitarists have in learning sweep picking is purely down to geometry...
The angle that your hand, thumb and pick all make with the strings is absolutely vital to getting that really clean, no-extra-notes-rining-out sound
We'll break this down so that you understand exactly how it works and what you need to be doing
I'll be honest... this is a pain to learn... but once you get it... you get it... and this is one of those 'secrets' behind having a totally ripping sweep picking technique.
Four workbooks, each in nine sections
Now that you've mastered the basic technique, you need to go and play some music with it...
That's where there are extensive books of exercises, covering different triads and progressions in different keys, all over the neck, in differents keys...
All broken down into manageable exercises, so that you can add 10 to 15 minutes a day of sweep picking to your practice routine and make consistent and measurable progress
If you're ready to add this awesome technique to your guitar abilities, get your copy today:
Who Is This For?
This book is for anyone who wants to learn sweep picking.
Whether you've never tried it before, or you've spent months, or even years, struggling with the technique, this book is going to help you make real, measurable progress in a few weeks
The exercises aren't complicated, they don't require 30 hours of practice a day... they're simple approaches that work in solving the problem of how to sweep pick (once you watch the video and try them out you'll understand why this is)
Effective Practice = Effective Results
We all know that in order to improve we have to practice, but the problem is that quite often we don't know exactly what it is we should be practising in order to achieve the results we want.
And when it comes to sweep picking, this is even worse - we often resort to learning more and more arpeggios, spending hours and hours with the metronome...
With no real improvement
But the problem isn't us, we're putting in the work... the problem is we're putting in the work into the wrong things..
We aren't learning the technique, we're learning a bunch of arpeggio shapes...
And we do need to learn those... but doesn't it make sense to learn the techqnieu first....
And only then apply it to some arpegio shapes?
That's what we'll be doing. You are going to have a complete understanding of what the technique is and how it works...
And exaclty how to train it so that you can finally sweep pick on your guitar
What You're About To Work On
- The four fundamental exercises that make sweep picking make sense (with video demonstrations!)
- The awkward muting technqiue that allows you to effortlessly shred (once you crack it!)
- Workbooks on applying the tehcnique to different two string arpeggios all over the neck
- How to play chord progressions as sweep picking (this is the thing you actually want to be able to do!)
An Introduction to Sweep Picking
You will learn to:
- 24 beginner exercises
- 25 intermediate exercises
- 18 advanced exercises
- Details on the practicalities of technique
- Advice on applying dynamics
- Details on how to create over 400 variations of the exercises
- Details on how to troubleshoot problems with increasing speed
- A simple and effective speed training program you can build into your practice routine
14 Day Money Back Guarantee
If you are not happy with your Book, simply contact me within 14 days for a free, no questions asked refund.
Frequently Asked Questions
The eBook is $9USD and the paperback is $19.99USD, for which you get a complete set of exercises that you can use daily, to train your technique.
If you're a guitar player who wants to train their technique with a pick, then this will work for you.
And if it doesn't, simply email us to ask for a no questions asked refund!
This 76 page book contains chromatic exercises for beginner, intermediate and advanced players; that can be used to train lead guitar picking technique.
There are enough exercises and variations to last a lifetime.
If you choose the eBook, you will be able to download your new eBook after checkout.
If you choose the paperback, it will be posted within three working days, and you will receive a tracking link by email when it posted.
More practice is always better, but if you practice these exercises for 10 minutes a day, every day, you will see improvements in your accuracy, timing, speed and playing in general.
Yes! I ship books internationally. Please be aware that local customs and import rules/taxes may apply and that you may be charged on import.
Check your government laws for details.
You will be emailed a tracking number when your book is despatched.
About The Author
Sam has been playing guitar for nearly 20 years and has released several albums across multiple genres. He has taught 100s of students and taught workshops across Europe.
He has studied with dozens of teachers, working through courses and text books.
Sam continues to study, currently working on classical form, and is composing an album of instrumental rock songs.