3 Easy and Unique Sweep Picking Patterns for your Sweep Arsenal

sweep picking patterns for shred guitar — Mute those unused strings!

Hello my fellow Shredder! If you’re looking to learn some new and unique sweep picking patterns or simply take your sweep skills to the next level, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve got a few unique sweep picking patterns for you to try that I came up with a couple years ago to help me master the technique.

These proved very effective for me and I like how they sound so much, I still use them pretty regularly to this day.

Sweep picking can be a challenging technique to master, but with practice and dedication, you’ll be shredding like a pro in no time. In this article, we’ll go over some advanced patterns and exercises to help you improve your sweep picking skills.

But before we dive into the nitty gritty, let’s go over a quick refresher on sweep picking (you can find my sweep picking tips post here).

Sweep picking involves using either an up or down picking motion to play notes on a series of different adjacent strings (lending itself very well to playing arpeggios), with a smooth, sweeping motion.

You can think of it as being similar to strumming chords, except the “strum” motion is replaced by a more precise down or upward picking motion that allows each string to ring out individually.

The importance of muting strings

Before you play through the sweep picking patterns that I’ve put together for you, there’s one more things you need to know.

To get a clean sweep, you have to avoid having more than one note ring out at the same time, such as in a chord. This can be achieved by only having one finger down at a time with a fretting hand and/or using your palm or other fingers to mute the strings that aren’t being played.

Ever seen a Shred virtuoso with something wrapped around the neck of their guitar near the nut or first fret? That’s a little device known as a string dampener, string mute or fret wrap. A string dampening device like these can mute or muffle the open strings to allow for a much more clear result when using techniques such as sweep picking or 2 hand tapping.

Here is one of the most popular modern string dampening devices, the fret wrap:

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Sweep Picking Pattern #1: D7 Arpeggio

This D7 arpeggio starts on the 10th fret of the 6th string and uses the legato techniques of hammer-ons, a slide, and a pull-off to add some extra flair. Check out the tab:

Sweep picking patterns D7 — D7 intermediate sweep picking pattern by *yours truly*

Sweep Picking Pattern #2: Em7add2 Arpeggio

This Em7add2 arpeggio starts on the 5th string and uses hammer-ons and pull-offs to add some extra flavor. Don’t worry about the complex name of the arpeggio. Just try it out slowly and work it out note for note. Here it is:

sweep picking patterns Em7add2 — Em7add2 sweep picking pattern from me to you

Sweep Picking Pattern #3: A Sus2/4 to A#11 Arpeggio

This A Sus2/4 to A#11 arpeggio starts on the 5th fret of the 6th string and, as the name suggests, switches from one arpeggio type to another. Again, don’t get hung up on the name. A more complicated name doesn’t mean that it’s more difficult to learn. Practice slowly before attempting to play it fast. Here are the tabs:

How I “mastered” sweep picking and learned to make my own Sweep Picking

Patterns

I remember when I first set out to master the art of sweep picking. It was a daunting task, to say the least. But, as with all things, a little bit of guidance can go a long way. That’s where Dan Mumm’s “Sweep Picking Mastery” course came in.

I first became enamored with sweep picking after watching one of Mumm’s videos for his song “A Glimpse Beyond.” The tapping parts were manageable, but the sweep arpeggios seemed impossible. Even on the slow sequenced part, I couldn’t wrap my head around how Mumm was able to play it so fast and cleanly. And the thought of memorizing so many different sweep picking patterns seemed like an insurmountable task.

  Dan Mumm's Instrumental Masterpiece "A Glimpse Beyond" (updated mix version which sounds so much better than the original)

But after working through Sweep Picking Mastery, everything started to click. It taught me how to start small and work your way up to more complex patterns, and it simplifies the process of learning advanced sweep patterns by learning how to think of them in smaller and more basic parts. I learned how those smaller and more basic arpeggio shapes repeat across the fretboard, which allowed me to learn and created my own more complex patterns much more easily.

Breaking down and expanding sweep picking patterns

sweep picking patterns from a neoclassical shred guitar master — A Neoclassical Shred Guitarist

Even if you haven’t worked through Sweep Picking Mastery, you can benefit from these same ideas by changing how you look at sweep patterns.

Pay attention to how certain sweep patterns are similar to others and try simplifying them first to playing just the first, last or middle 2 strings as a 2 string sweep pattern, 3 strings as a 3 string sweep pattern and so on before adding each additional string.

Once you have that down, you can start expanding on them by adding additional hammer-ons, pull-offs or tapped notes either to extend the range or add other intervals to create more complex arpeggios. It sounds complicated when I try to explain it, but it’s actually really simple when you understand it.

The three patterns included as tabs in this article were developed thanks to my studies in “Sweep Picking Mastery.” It’s essentially a formula for building new patterns.

And while Mumm’s “The Sweep Picking Compendium” tab book includes hundreds of sweep arpeggio patterns, I found that “Sweep Picking Mastery” gave me everything I needed to know (although I’m sure the compendium is great and I’m sorry Dan if you ever read this!).

And there you have it! Three intermediate level sweep picking patterns to add to your arsenal and hopefully some useful insight into how I learned to sweep pick and to make my own sweep picking patterns.

Remember, practice makes perfect, so don’t get discouraged if you struggle at first. With dedication and hard work, you’ll be sweep picking like a pro in no time.

Shred on!

-Anton

Two string sweep picking: a technique so simple, even a caveman could do it.

caveman shredding with 3 hands — Hmm… this caveman might be overthinking it a bit…

Don’t let its simplicity fool you – when done correctly, two string sweep picking can add a unique and impressive flair to your guitar playing.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. “Anton, are you serious? Two string sweep picking? That’s for beginners!”

Well, let me tell you, my skeptical friend, two string sweep picking is not just for beginners. In fact, most advanced guitarists incorporate this technique into their playing in some way or other to add variety and complexity to their solos.

Believe it or not, the great shred masters have internalized it to such a degree that it can even be used unconsciously. You know, ever heard of economy picking?

But I know what you’re really thinking. “This is so boring Anton! I want to learn flashy, impressive guitar techniques, not something as basic as two string sweep picking.”

Okay… let me tell you a little secret.

Well, first off, don’t be such a darned contrarian! I’m trying to help you out here! Secondly, remember that the key to impressing your audience with your guitar playing is not just in the flashy techniques you use, but in how you use them. And trust me, with a little practice, you can use two string sweep picking to add some serious flair to your playing and even to play Shred passages that you wouldn’t have been able to play otherwise.

At this point you’d better be thinking something along the lines of “I’m convinced. Teach me some two string sweep!”

Alrighty then, if you insist!

how to play a 2 string sweep pattern

It’s actually quite simple. First, you’ll want to start with a basic two string dyad, or two notes of an arpeggio on adjacent strings. Aa 3rd or 5th are a good place to get started. Next, instead of picking each note individually, you’ll pick downward or upward on both strings in succession using a sweeping motion. It doesn’t have to be fast, just make sure you get the notes to change cleanly from one to the next with a smooth picking motion.

Think strumming a chord a but more slowly to give time for each string to be heard on its own. But it’s also important to only keep one finger down at a time so that you don’t get any bleed over. Only one note should be heard at any time.

Here are a few simple examples. First we have a simple 2 string dyad that uses downstrokes. After that we have the same pattern in reverse with upstrokes. Then we combine the two together with some legato, using a hammer/pull.

2 string sweep dyad with down strokes — 2 string sweep pattern with downstrokes

two string sweep dyad with upstrokes — 2 string sweep pattern with upstrokes

2 string sweep pattern with legato hammer-pull and up and down strokes — combined 2 string sweep pattern with legato hammer/pull

And that’s it! With a little practice, you’ll be able to smoothly and cleanly incorporate two string sweep picking into your playing. Just remember, the key to making this technique impressive is in the execution, so be sure to practice until you have it mastered.

So there you have it, folks. Two string sweep picking – a simple, yet effective technique for adding some extra flair to your guitar playing. Give it a try, and it will open up a lot of new avenues for your Shred solos and even give you some fresh ideas to get the creative juices flowing!

Shred on!

-Anton