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Old 03-12-2018, 10:53 PM
AgedAngel AgedAngel is offline
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Default Fingerstyle "sweep picking"

I started playing guitar years ago (rock), shifted to classical, and have never been very good at it.

After a long detour into playing harp professionally (hence the "angel" part of my forum name...I'll leave the "aged" part to your imagination) I've come home to guitar and have found that I have quite a number of pieces of all sorts that I've learned in the past and forgotten. I'm trying to relearn them. I'm still not very good.

Back when I was playing metal and rock, I came across Frank Gambale's "Chopbuilder" DVD and was impressed with the speed and fluidity of the playing, even though it's just scales and arpeggios and such. I wondered whether it was possible to play the complete workout using classical technique.

I've had some success (and completing the workout is on my bucket list), but I'm looking ahead to the section devoted to sweep picking arpeggios, and have spent some time puzzling over how to do this with nails.

I tried using my thumb for all the downstrokes and my middle finger for all the upstrokes, but the effect was so alien to my hand that my brain wouldn't register it.

Then I recalled the lutenist technique of finishing a piece with a rolled chord, thumb on the bass strings, fingers on the trebles, ending with a ring-finger reverse drag from high to low. Some lutenists will repeat this several times for a really extra special flourish.

It occurred to me that this might be adapted to sweep-picking, i.e.: pppima up and then aaaaaa down. Or, for a sequence of sweep arpeggios: pppima up and aaaaa down, with p then starting the next arpeggio. Of course, for that sweep arpeggio effect, the notes are played individually (fingered very rapidly) rather than held.

Sorry for bending your ears about this, but has anyone else experimented with this sort of technique? Any successes? If I don't have to reinvent the wheel, I'd rather not.

AA
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Old 03-13-2018, 09:35 AM
Bax Burgess Bax Burgess is offline
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Seems that you're in the lead on this one. Do you have robust, articulated strings, such as Thomastik-Infeld Classic N Superlona CF128, on an articulated guitar, such as a flamenco blanca? I'm guessing that would help with the attenuation of each note.
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Old 03-14-2018, 09:25 PM
AgedAngel AgedAngel is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bax Burgess View Post
Do you have robust, articulated strings, such as Thomastik-Infeld Classic N Superlona CF128, on an articulated guitar, such as a flamenco blanca? I'm guessing that would help with the attenuation of each note.
Nope. Just straight classical Savarez or D'Addario strings and standard action on a Kohno Concert and a Yamaha Silent. Nothing fancy, just dogged, persistent practice.

I'm getting some results, but it's still not fast enough.

Fooling with this, I did realize that in some ways it bears a vague resemblance to what little I know about Flamenco technique.

AA
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Old 03-14-2018, 09:30 PM
Bax Burgess Bax Burgess is offline
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What's the flamenco technique that suggests sweep picking?
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Old 03-14-2018, 10:38 PM
AgedAngel AgedAngel is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bax Burgess View Post
What's the flamenco technique that suggests sweep picking?
There's a section in "Pumping Nylon" wherein the author discusses Flamenco's massive use of the thumb. He even gives an elaborate piece wherein about 80% of the notes are played with the thumb.

That's about all I know. Apologies for my ignorance.

AA
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Old 03-15-2018, 12:19 AM
dosland dosland is offline
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Maybe someone's looking for something like the flamenco rasgueado, not my area of expertise but several people around will be able to enlighten.
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Old 03-23-2018, 11:16 PM
rob2966 rob2966 is offline
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Look up Ben Woods on YouTube. He combines metal and flamenco and performs exactly what you are asking, sweep picking without a pick. Here is a link.

https://youtu.be/yztnTQmVakE

Later
Rob
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Old 03-26-2018, 01:37 AM
Guitar Slim II Guitar Slim II is offline
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Funny, something like this came up in a lesson.

For conventional classical technique, there are generally two "defaults" -- finger alternation for consecutive notes played on the same string, and one-finger-per-string (thumb on bass) for cross-string arpeggios. (FYI, these aren't "rules" per-se, as they get broken all the time, even on easy beginner pieces).

Regardless, it's not unusual to "drag" the same finger from one string to a lower string -- it can smooth out an awkward string change at tempo, and also (as the OP noted) create arpeggio and rolled-chord effects. It's the closest analog I can think of to sweep picking in conventional CG technique.

And just had another thought. I imagine those who play fast scales with p and i (thumb and index) might incorporate some sweep style picking (as opposed to strict alternation). Anyone know?
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Old 03-26-2018, 04:34 PM
AgedAngel AgedAngel is offline
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Thanks to all for the suggestions. I'll be sure to look into them.

(Looking now: the Ben Woods video was particularly helpful! Thanks again!)

AA
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Last edited by AgedAngel; 03-26-2018 at 05:07 PM.
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