String-skipping sweeps


finger_cruncher
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finger_cruncher
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02/26/2004 8:29 pm
Ok, here's a string-skipping sweeping arpeggio:

E |----------------13--H17--13--------------------
B |--------------x-------------x----------------------
G |-------14-H17-----------------17-H14-------------
D |---15--------------------------------15------
A |-------------------------------------------------
E |-------------------------------------------------

Can anyone do this blazing fast? I've got it pretty fast, but you can see there's an inevitable muted rake (x) in there and I don't like the sound of it (with distortion). But it's a great pattern for another form of major sweeping. What are your thoughts?


# 1
finger_cruncher
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finger_cruncher
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02/26/2004 8:31 pm
Friggin' guitartricks script messed it up. Those notes obviously don't run into each other.

:P
# 2
Pantallica1
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Pantallica1
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02/26/2004 10:00 pm
Michael Angelo and Chris Impelitterri use these "broken arpeggios" a lot.

It's kind of a neat dimension to add to your playing and they sound pretty cool as well.

Hard to get them going at a blazing speed though, takes a lot of practice.
Sometimes I hit notes only dogs can hear.
# 3
Death55
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Death55
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02/26/2004 10:43 pm
Yeah, those string skipping sweeps are very hard to get fast. Another one michael angelo does is this one :

E |--12p15-------------------12------------------------------
B |----------------------------12p15----------------12------
G |-----------12p16----12h16---------------------------------
D |-----------------14----------------12p16----12h16---------
A |-----------------------------------------14---------------
E |----------------------------------------------------------

This sounds really cool when played fast. I can only play it at a medium tempo though.




[Edited by Death55 on 02-26-2004 at 05:46 PM]
By virtue of their electrical properties, tubes generate a special waveform when they're saturated, which is why tube engineering has tremendous tonal advantages over solid state or DSP solutions, particularly for crunch and lead sounds. Tubes enter the saturation zone gradually or softly, which lends tube-driven tone its trademark yet totally unique character.
# 4
Death55
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Death55
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02/26/2004 10:45 pm
Originally posted by finger_cruncher
Friggin' guitartricks script messed it up. Those notes obviously don't run into each other.


ahhh, it messed mine up even more. Hope you can understand that :(
By virtue of their electrical properties, tubes generate a special waveform when they're saturated, which is why tube engineering has tremendous tonal advantages over solid state or DSP solutions, particularly for crunch and lead sounds. Tubes enter the saturation zone gradually or softly, which lends tube-driven tone its trademark yet totally unique character.
# 5
sambob
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sambob
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02/27/2004 12:55 am
Rakes?

I don't even bother.

Admittedly, I pick very little... but I just see it as a waste of time picking a muted note like that. Just give it a try NOT sweeping, in fact, on that entire arpeggio (the very first one) I only use the pick three times (when I'm picking at all), others I'll just pick the very first note and just leave the rest up to my left hand.

I can get them pretty fast, 16th triplets at around 150 bpm (just tried), but its not really a 'technique' that I use all that often. Although, I much prefer the way Chris Impellitteri uses it to the way Michael Angelo does, check out http://www.sambob.net/impellitteri.txt

Try to pick as little of it as possible.
# 6
sambob
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sambob
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02/27/2004 1:06 am
Also, something I like to do a lot (got it from Shawn Lane)...well, you have to look at how you're breaking up the arpeggio. In most arpeggio 'shapes', theres USUALLY one note on the string. In this case there two notes on the top and the bottom. If you're already for sure hammering on one note, why not add more? On the example finger cruncher posted (F major), you could say, rather than hammering on from 14 to 17,hit the 15 in there too, so it'd go 14 15 17. Then when you get up to the high e string, hit the 15 too. Can be done just as quick, gives a really cool sound with little extra effort. Or bring up your picking hand and tap the next note in the chord after you hammer on the 17th fret. Once again, little extra effort, big extra results. Or if you want it even quicker, and can stretch your fingers a bit, just hammer on the 20th fret. Not a big stretch in that position, but lower on the guitar neck, it gets more difficult.
# 7
Autark
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Autark
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02/27/2004 12:01 pm
Confusing!!!

Greg Howe uses broken arpeggios a lot!
# 8
basics
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basics
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02/27/2004 7:03 pm
With the help of this thread and a couple metal lessons over on the main page I now understand the sweeping fundementals. It kind of neat. Why didn't you people just say: To sweep is just a matter of changing your stroke direction at each end of the riff - economizing your picking and allowing for hits and pull offs inbetween to make it even faster. You're just dragging your pick up and down the strings. You could probably do 4 hitons per string pluck if you're fast enough in a sweep (or pulloffs), as sambob was saying, not just at the top of each run right? Easy, given time to get this technique up to speed.

[Edited by basics on 02-27-2004 at 02:07 PM]
# 9
basics
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basics
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02/27/2004 7:28 pm
For example (and I know this isn't on topic but bear with me):



|---------------------------------------------------7----
|------------------------------------7 h 10------------
|---------------------------8----------------------------
|----------------9---------------------------------------
|7 h 10--------------------------------------------------
|---------------------------------------------------------

... And back down again. That may be simple but it's a sweep right? The bottom E (where you start the downstroke) and the top B (where you start the up stroke) are the two places where you change picking direction right? Yes or no will do, or a 'you're way off buddy' if need be.
# 10
TheDirt
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TheDirt
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02/27/2004 7:32 pm
You got it basics.

However, you might want to consider hammering onto and pulling off of either the 10th or 12th fret on the high e string.
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# 11
basics
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basics
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02/27/2004 8:01 pm
Yeah, I can see why that'd be more economical, because otherwise, I hit that top B with the downstroke and then have to come all the way back up to the A with the upstroke, losing time and probably making it sound disjointed once I work it up to speed. Do all sweeps follow this patten? ie. hit/pulloff at the tops and bottoms of them?
# 12
basics
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basics
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02/27/2004 8:31 pm
I'm going to switch over to the 'sweeping' thread. If i'd've seen that first off I probably wouldn't've written anything in the first place, but thanks for the feedback.
# 13

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