This is Why You Suck at Guitar, lesson 4: Your Sweep Picking Sucks
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- Опубліковано 23 лип 2024
- Check out my Patreon page here: / benellerguitars
Twitter/Instagram @BenEllerGuitars
Because you, my loyal audience, asked for it! Its all for you, Damien! I've been hit with a tidal wave of messages from folks with totally shameful sweep picking who need some help getting their shit straightened out. And that is exactly what i intend to do in this mega-sized TiWYSaG lesson! Terrible, messy, inaccurate mindless sweeping is one of my least favorite things in the world to hear. Its typically how young guitar players "shred" without actually putting the time or effort into learning any scales, and its usually done VERY badly. My usual 10 minutes wasn't enough to get your sweeps turned into something presentable, so i blew the doors off of this one for you guys. Hope you enjoy. We will cover the absolute most important things you need to know: how to hold your pick, how to drag that sumbitch across the strings, how to keep your fretting hand from ruining your life, and what kind of tone to use when practicing. So buckle up, and turn your Line 6 Spider III off of that ridiculous INSANE setting for gods sake. And brush that hair out of your eyes so you can better see how you've been doing this shit wrong.
I proudly use my Ibanez RG470, Dimarzio Super 2 bridge pickup, Kemper Profiler, Matrix GT800FX power amp, Avatar 2x12 speaker cab, and horse hair sweaters. And bourbon. Because your sweeps drive me to it.
"Shredicus Maximus, the King of Guitar Center"
I lost it
I would like this comment but you're at 420
😂
Epic
Using delays for this can be fun too - if you make a mistake it gets thrown in your face a few times.
Cue Zephyr holy shit I never thought about that
lmao
you mean like this? ?v=sOEs38McXPQ
diabolic
LOL!
I've been struggling with arpeggios to the point where my wife, kids, and my cats all left me, and I now live in a cave in the forest, powering my amplifier through a series of extension cords which I use to siphon power directly from the nearest nuclear reactor.
This is the best (and funniest) video I've seen yet on arpeggio technique. Thank you very much for posting it.
Chris McKay you must be my new neighbor 😂
did you get sweep cancer?
This guy cracks me up. Good practical stuff!
Frank Zappa Frank?!?!?! You're my idol!!!
+Frank Zappa Such a shame for people to be disowned for their sweep picking. I bet their father was John Petrucci. LOL!
I have friends at guitar center who call those people Janitors.
hahahaha that is awesome
hahahahaha
No joke, this dude was playing Iron Maiden at guitar center.
He didn't do the gallop in Trooper and his friend went up to him and went "Dude, if you don't gallop, you're a poser!"
and that shit had me rolling!
@@daoyang223 Duggadug duggadug duggadug.....
A video titled "This is why you suck at guitar" that is less pretentious than most of the other lessons out there. This is one of the best videos i have seen on sweep picking. It really gives insight with occasional jokes. Great video.
cheers, thank you!!!
agreed. funny tuts are so much better
THE best on sweep picking if you ask me :)
7:22 "your mom uses the wrist.... very effectively"... haha
Nerve Damage true :)
This is old already, but no less hilarious.. Top notch lesson too
Still laughing
@@danshow5507 ua-cam.com/video/8uFtnDVh4QY/v-deo.html
Me too
@@BenEller oh I see you have met my mother to.
LOL that intro was gold. I was watching it thinking "i hope this guy doesn't think this sounds good"
Dude you should write articles too! This is win!
Thanks Chris! I really appreciate you sharing. Your videos are great! i would love to write articles too, that would be a lot of fun!
your sweep lesson was really good too i was watching it all night and im working to the slaves of substance solo :/ but your helping me get there :) thanks Chris
Hi chris
I don't think Sir Ben would translate well to the page.... Not enough gain.
7:22 "Your MOM uses the wrist...Very effectively".
fucking kek.
the way he adjusted to stare directly into our souls as he said it
that delivery tho
***** Well I guess you're going to have to deal with it.
Not to mention that it's not relevant just to WoW for a looooong time and is used on the internet instead of lol/lel or what the fuck ever.
***** I actually have seen it plenty on UA-cam.
But meh, I wrote this comment a few months ago so, you know, whatever...
0:00 nice cover of CAFO
+zamkowicz best comment
Lol I live aal but that song is pure wankery
😂😂😂
Finally found a video of someone explaining this properly. A lot of videos i saw didnt explained it complete, or "forgot" to mention steps, or just showed off. Now my family, ancestors & my dog wont be ashamed of me anymore. Thanks Ben.
Dude your so fucking funny I cant believe it. I laughed a thousand times, I remember watching your vids on strumming and alternate picking a long time ago and already laughing my ass off and now again. I laughed so many times and than out of nowher "you dont want the notes to overlap ... like tom cruises teeth in the 80th" like wtf you have my humour
Haha thanks a lot my man!!
Just one more question. At the end with full and empty technique. When you basically relax the finger, do you leave it on the string or slightly lift it up. My little finger is the biggest bitch when it comes to this
+Ben Eller What's the tab for that kick ass opening lick in all your vids?
This is the only video in existence where a guitarist goes in depth with the picking hand.
It's usually "hold it like this and sweep. Don't forget, you sweep, not pick"
My sweep picking sucks so bad....my girlfriend suggested I become a drummer.
LOL
xD
Jeff Devenyns Priceless comment.
Could be worse. She could have suggested you became a BASS player.
4JayeP Borden Ouch
Threats from Al-Qaeda because of sweep picking XD
part 2! This is Why You Suck at Guitar, lesson 4.2: Your Sweeps STILL Suck!
you sir, are amazing ! Honestly these videos, are fun and have a great way of teaching :) Been playing the heavy guitar for 7 years my self and never been teached.
Before i started to watch your videos, was i stuck with sweeps and my advanced picking, but thanks to your encouraging videos, ive overcome my lack of skills, thank you !
Oh on another note i know my english gramma sucks, I hope you'll understand ;) Looking forward to the next one :D
Your English is great dude! Thank you so much for watching. Be sure to share with your friends!
ya dingus!
lol who the fuck does this boob wiley guy think he is
***** Something ells me you're a troll who can't even sweep as it is... MUCH LESS play guitar..
This guy is fucking hilarious LOL "your mom uses the wrist."
Very effectively
IMO. This is by far the BEST sweep picking lesson video I’ve come across as it covers every minute but important aspect of the technique. Thanks for this… no surprise why it’s still here after 8 years
you dont want to lose control of your rock and roll
The lean back and pregnant pause after the mom comment. This is mastery.
hahaha cheers!
Yeah, that was great! Classic!
My wife divorced me because of my sweep picking...
rough!
That thumb rule is indeed a good rule of thumb.
Why are are there so many stupid people in the comments? Sweeping IS musical, it DOES involve theory and improv. In fact, good sweeping involves quite a bit of forethought. Sweeping is only one piece of the musical puzzle, sure, but that doesn't make it pointless or "show-offy atonal shredding." A good musician knows how to use advanced technique properly, just like Uncle Ben does with your mom ;)
Andy Wilson hahahaha BOOMSHAKALAKA
You're contradicting yourself. Improvisation, by its' nature, is an unplanned solo. I'd recommend reading Alan Holdsworth's comments on improvisation. As he is a guitar heroes' guitar hero, I'd give his opinion much credence.
In all fairness, most players don't understand that. They also don't understand that simply mixing and remixing what one already knows isn't technically improvisation.
So, if sweeping requires quite a bit of forethought, it isn't remotely close to improvisation.
I don't sweep pick. I understand the technique, and it's not too difficult for me to do. I don't do it because, to me, everyone doing the exact same thing sounds the same as each other. Incorporating a three string sweep into a solo possibly could set one apart from the rest of the pack...providing they have some grasp of melody, and the proper usage of other techniques.
It's a tool, in other words. Unfortunately, however, many young players, in their attempts to become "quick as quickly as possible" focus on this so they don't have to deal with such things as alternate picking and synchronizing their hands, which is a fairly long process. Speed is just a tool. It isn't everything, and, for that matter, it isn't necessary to be able to play blindingly fast to be considered a great guitarist.
That doesn't mean somebody is too lazy to shed until they're blazing fast, either.
Case in point:
Brian May of Queen. His more famous fans include Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and Yngwie Malmsteen. Any one of these three can technically play circles around him...yet, he is their hero.
rklewis2 Interesting take on this. It would be helpful if you could post a link to or paste Holdsworth's thoughts on improvisation. I believe the clearest and most widely applicable form of improvisation is speaking, particularly when speaking fast and "off the cuff." In general, you have an idea of what you want to say, but no idea how you're going to get there. You may want to express an idea, concept, or emotion, but the exact tools or paths you use to get there is up to your subconscious pulling from your past experience (i.e. active vocabulary). So, in that sense, perhaps sweep picking may be less improvised in and of itself, but that may change as it requires less forethought once it's been practiced to the extent that it's "second nature." This technique is so quick that it would take utter mastery to truly improvise something moving across 5-6 strings with not repeated notes and all notes moving very quickly. I'll be interested to continue this line of thought.
rklewis2 I don't agree with you. Sweeping can indeed be part of improve depending on how you think about it. If you know what key you're supposed to use and what mode you're in, you can pick out a sweep pattern in a brief second. Improvisation does take thinking....quick thinking. I don't care if or when players use it as long as it sounds tasteful.
Andy Wilson I honestly think it's because they're jelly that they can't play it because they take lessons from their step dad.
Reminds me of my favourite guitar joke:
"Q: How many (usually metal) guitarists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: One Hundred. One to change the light blub and the other ninety nine to try and show them how to do it better".
lol nice!
What a brilliant lesson! I've seen lots of stuff about sweep picking but nothing that breaks it down to this level. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Dan Carden thanks so much for watching and commenting!
Ben, this is one of the best lesson videos I've even come across. you're right, other teachers just don't tell you all the small details about what each finger is doing and feeling. please keep up the great work! thanks!
I love watching your older videos. Im having trouble with doing unintentional pull offs and so glad you addressed it. My family might let be back in for the holidays now. Thanks Uncle Ben.
LOVE the presentation style in this video. You've got a talent sir. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
thank you Casey!
Best guitar teacher ever.
James Austin thanks James!!!
Really excellent presentation - well spoken, nice dashes of humor, but most importantly, the most concise and in depth break down of sweep picking I've seen - really good stuff.
Very comprehensive with great detail and I've studied many videos. Completely agree with your analogy on the emphasis to all phases of these lessons, exelent. !
This video has really helped me out man. You've earned a new subber man :^) I've noticed a lot of improvement in my sweep picking, in fact my parents have as well and have even decided to take me back into the family. Thanks man! I thought I was disowned for good! :'D
Thanks Chris Zoupa for bringing me here, man this lesson is sick you deserve much more attention keep it up!
Chris is great! Glad he brought you here :) stay tuned for much more!
Wow, amazing video. Really pointed our my glaring mistakes. Thanks for taking the time to do this.
Loosening up my grip on the pick has helped me so much, Ben. Thank you for making these entertaining and helpful videos.
I have been struggling to get good sounding sweeps for a while and your video is hands down the best tutorial I have found on youtube. Thanks man
Nik Bates cheers Nik, thanks!
Ben Eller Same here. I've played classical for 10 years, but the transition to electric has been really tough for me. Your videos really do help :)
Toby Rogers The knowledge you gain from classical training should help you tremendously though.
If you can apply the huge variety of scales and modes used In classical to electric you have a recipe for becoming a great well rounded guitarist. I think for you it's just going to be drilling the muscle memory aspect. As a guitarist of 14 years, having only spent my first 2 years learning classical guitar, I can say confidently that it's one of the best things you can do to develop a grasp on music theory.
ALL THIS TIME I'VE BEEN FUCKING NOT MUTING THE STRINGS ! -.- The joys of the self taught guitarist :L. well... Thanks man!!! I finally got it down!!!!
at least you didn't learn alternate picking improperly, try snuffing out that bad habit. . .
sigh. . . .
you could do what I did and sell all your guitar stuff in order to eat, not play for 6 years, and pick it back up. I'm pretty much a clean slate! The knowledge is there for me but the muscle memory I formed with all my mistakes is gone lmao
i prefer guitar to eating though, much more so
Jordan S oh how I envy you
My dad said, "Son, if you ever go hungry remember you have a Fender strat of mine. Don't you sell it, play it to eat like the bluesmen of the past"
This is one of the best video about sweep picking I've seen! You've got all the really important and useful stuff to know in there... plus, it's not overly long and you are really funny! Thanks Ben!
I've been trying for about 6 years have watched so many different videos on it I finally found yours and it was how I was holding my pick your a god thank you
Your mom uses the wrist!
Lmfao I burst out laughing, was not expecting that shit
7:22 Had me laughing so hard, I had to repeat it
Salvador Mora haha cheers!
I second that! More lessons please!
Best sweep picking advice I have ever witnessed,been doing this for 30 plus years and your lessons are the best
I have never seen someone teach and convey his points so good like that. You are very clear and descriptive.
This is amazing, thank you.
"Overlap like Tom Cruise's teeth in the 80s" I nearly dropped my guitar laughing
LOL "your mom uses the wrist... very effectively." Great lesson!
hahahaha thanks man glad you enjoyed!
This is literally THE BEST sweep picking lesson I've ever seen. Sweeping has always come naturally to me (I honestly have more trouble with alternate picking, but I'm improving) and any time I've played in public, someone will ask me how to sweep. Never really knew how to explain what I was doing; now I know exactly how to put it into words for someone else. Thanks a lot! Definitely checking out your other videos.
This is the best sweep picking tutorial ever !! I mean it , I have seen a lot of other sweep living lessons , like a hell lot . This is THEE best sweep tutorial ever.
Hey, thanks for the advice. I've been playing guitar for about 7 years, and still haven't had the patience to learn to sweep pick (I know the basic motions, and how to fret some sweep arpeggios); some of the tips you've shown here will be very helpful in finally learning. Great video!
great! thanks Cameron!
made me laugh hard and finally fixed my picking technique all at the same time
well done, sir
thank YOU sir!
Great banter. Really great banter. And some sage words on technique to boot.
I've been watching your stuff, and I gotta say man these are the best instructional videos on the internet. Clear, funny and informative. Thank you dude.
Nice work, great humor !!!!
By the way, talking about yo mama's wrist action….yo mama left her cell phone on my night stand again, but it's ok…I gave it to your sister to take home. : )
Steve Stockmal BOOM! hahahaha
"Your not doing yourself any favors playing through a line 6 spider amp on the insane setting with the gain all the way up" as I look to my right and am doing just that😂😂😂 great lesson those few things cleaned up my sweeps substantially
Wow i really like your lessons most UA-camrs just give you the tab and say do it but your in depth way of teach is very much appreciated along with your humor
Great video! Very good advice and some good humor mixed in there. I am going to try out all of recommendations.
This was funny and useful. You can't ask for more.
Just the tip
Your lesson is detailed and articulate. Well done. And love your sarcasm. Kept me giggling all the way through !! Thanks. :-)
Ben, you've only gone and done it again! Helped me progress. Watched this ages ago but really took my time to watch it again.
Finally, I can get my family to talk to me again! Thanks for the in depth detail. I'm guilty of the wrist flailing moving from downstroke to upstroke. Gonna get that fixed.
that's great news Greg!!
i love how you said line 6 spider 3 insane setting gain maxed, 30 second previous thats exactly how i had it.
hahahaha it sure is fun to play on, but it does us no favors for improving our playing, its true!
:DD
This is so old, yet I watched it again. Thank you Ben.
Wahahahaaha! That Intro killed me! Btw its always a blast watching & learning from your vids! Thanks a lot for your unselfish efforts to educate us! 🤘
great video series Ben... and funny as hell too, Bº). About the "hair tie" thing though.... while you're right that it shouldn't be necessary live, and would be cumbersome to move it above and below the neck at the appropriate times anyway, in the studio is another matter... I actually learned the idea of doing this from Marty Friedman, when i picked him up from the airport and drove him to the studio and worked as an assistant on the session during the True Obsessions tracking. The studio is a microscope, and the extra little help is great, even if you're already very good at muting with your hand, as Marty definitely is. He told me that he and Jason both used bandanas to mute their strings during solo tracking.
Obviously when i referenced Jason i was referring to Cacaphony tracking sessions.
totally follow you dude! Yeah man, the ol hairband is great in the studio for getting the cleanest and clearest takes possible, its true. I guess what i am cracking on is the legions of players i see out there who use it as a shortcut rather than working on cleaning up their playing; players who can't play cleanly without something dampening the strings, that is. I see it waaaaaay too often! Thank you so much for watching dude, and that is sick that you got to chill with Marty!
I'm sure Marty was glad to hand with James!
You got great teaching skills, sir!
You got them mad commenting skills, sir! Thank you!
Hello Ben, GREAT lesson and funny as hell. Thank you so much! Looking forward to more, Jason.
great sense of humor! loved the lesson. as an old guy that's never been in a program or had a regular instructor, this is awesome info..
Damn the sarcasm is really funny!
haha thanks for watching, man!
"Rule of thumb" , I see what you did there .
Great video, Mr. Eller. My sweep picking progressed to a certain point and I couldn't get past there. After watching your video I realized why my sweep picking was a pile of shit and have made the necessary adjustments to not suck. Keep the videos coming. You have a good way of explaining things.
I looked through every video on UA-cam figure out what I was doing wrong with my left hand hand thank you man helped me soo much!!
You never reply to my telepathic messages, unsubbed.
dude, i did the lesson you requested, its up now on Redtube! you know i can't post videos of that nature on UA-cam! I even cover your question about using a rubber glove.
@@BenEller Boom, roasted!
I have to agree with you there about using the arm instead of the wrist. If you're bending the wrist, you're also changing the angle at which the pick hits the strings- which I don't like, personally. It not only slightly changes the tone, but it makes it awkward to then go straight into anything else!
Also, I'm glad someone else has to put some kind of vibrato on notes after they've been held a while! I can't stand the harsh, unmusical sound that a note makes as it dies away!
i totally agree! some players don't seem to suffer from this, but i know i do. And yeah the vibrato is kinda automatic! haha can't turn it off...
I thought the vibrato might be a reflex! Lol I have exactly the same thing, it's usually either rock, or classical style vibrato (depending on what I'm playing).
Vibrato, is good, though! One of the 'not so bad' habits to get into, I think.
Great stuff - Excellent instruction - *great teaching style* - and thanks for sharing!
By far the most thorough lesson on sweep picking I've ever seen.
"Your moooom uses the wrist!"
hahaha somebody had to tell you!
Before I watched this video, I made the mistake by posting a video of me sweep picking on Instagram resulting in me losing almost all my followers, a comment from my great grandmother telling me to kill myself, and eventually getting my account banned... Hopefully after watching this I will be able to redeem myself
Right On Ben! "GREAT Instruction". Thanx for the upload.
practicing some of these right now and also taking notes. I've been progressing further with sweep picking since I've found this video. thank you so much
"All that garbage is probably why no one wants to talk to you in public." lol These videos are hilarious!
LifeAmongTheDeadBand haha thanks my man!
Thumbs up for the mom joke. And I have to agree about Paul Gilbert
Paul is the man!
You go into all the little details no one else bothers to.
You're doing great things, keep it up!
Thanks.
NathanCMusicz thanks so much for watching and commenting!
I understand this lesson crystal clear than any other, thanks Ben
Hey Ben, just watched your this is why you suck on sweep picking dude I've been playing guitar for eons and quite well. Professionally I got a few songs published for some movies so I'm an accomplished guitar player but I could never get the whole sweep picking deal for the life of me. All I can say is thank you thank you thank you finally somebody who taught the inside tricks to doing it correctly I'm looking forward to watching some of your other videos in areas that I have problems with I think you've done a great job and my hats off to you. Ron Durant
Hey man thank you so much! Glad I could help you out :)
D fuck. You might be earning a lot so why haven't you taken a guitar lesson. Fake.
You are bullshitting , there's no way you couldn't have known a simple trick all your life..I wouldve figured it out in a cople months of playing. , Such a disgeace
@@ramirroxd6986 Ive been playing guitar a long time and certainly wouldn't call sweep picking a simple trick. Each to their own of course, no matter how "disgeaceful" you think it is, tapping an acoustic guitar isn't hard to me but I see you needed help with that, shall I give you some shit about that? No, I wont.
ROLF!, dat feel when you are shredicus maximus.
Feels bad man.
Who is rolf?
nice tutorial man, I've been playing for a few years now never had any issues on finding what I was looking for and getting it figured out on the guitar until I hit Sweep picking pretty sure your videos on sweeping are just what I needed, thanks a ton and keep up the great videos.
This is the most detailed lesson I've came across on this subject.. I really feel like I learned something. I'm already improving thanks.
"...AKA the King of Guitar Center". I love the guys at GC because they all used to be in bad-ass bands. Just ask them.
Thanks dude nobody is explaining this. Subscribed before you even gave the Paul Gilbert shout out. I freakin' love that guy
althooooooough, Paul says he never sweeps and wouldn't sweep down a chord in one of his videos because he said he'd just screw it up.
Thank you very much, explaining how to hold the pick has made my sweep picking a lot better then what it was before; keep making content.
You're the best! This was the only video that went into detail enough to teach a complete noob. In fact, I've been playing for 7 years but never used a pick, so it's hard at first, but this got me going. Thanks!
I wonder, about the whole progressive muting thing, what about when you're playing in an ascendant motion?
Mr .Bucket Hands watch my "your muting sucks " video, it's got a lot of info!
Ben Eller
Will do, sir! Much appreciation.
But my mom uses her elbow :(
This was a joy to watch! Many thanks Ben.
Never tried to sweep!,but this video is so well explained,that I'm gonna give it another try!
Many Thanks Ben🙏👍🙏✌️
Excellent video Ben. You manage to be usefully instructive and funny. Most instructional videos fail on both counts.
Jack Harbord thanks Jack, that's what i aim for!!!
Anyone else like to practice unplugged
A wise man once said "You don't want to lose control of your rock'n'roll"
it's important! haha thanks for watching!
He who go to bed with itchy butt wake up with stinky fingah!
Revisiting this video during quarantine,the first ever video that taught me how to sweep pick. the progressive palm muting technique changed my life ...Cheers uncle Ben
Key takeways:
1. Slightly angle the pick
2. Right picking hand - palm mute above string at all time
3. Left fretting hand - relax finger keeping it rested on the string right after a note before moving on to the next string in order to keep it muted and clean
4. Elbow motion
5. Start slow
6. Amp settings
7. Use bridge pickup