Sweep picking arpeggios

Here are alternatives to the standard 6 string sweeps used in standard tuning. In drop tuning it is a little trickier as we cannot conveniently use the bottom string so we either have to add another note further down on the 5th string, or another note further up on the 1st string. In the video I show the first way with G Minor then G Major, and then the second way.

Sweep picking arpeggio lesson from Drop Tuning Guitar Lessons on Vimeo.

G Minor

--------------8-12-8-------------
-----------10--------10----------
---------9--------------9---------
------10-----------------10------
7-12-----------------------12---
---------------------------------

G Major

--------------9-12-9-------------
-----------10--------10----------
---------9--------------9---------
------11-----------------11------
7-12-----------------------12---
----------------------------------

G Minor with tapping

-----------8-12-T17-12-8-------------
--------10-----------------10----------
------9------------------------9--------
---10---------------------------10-----
12-------------------------------------
---------------------------------------

G Major with tapping

-----------9-12-T17-12-9-------------
--------10-----------------10----------
------9------------------------9--------
---11---------------------------11-----
12-------------------------------------
----------------------------------------

Note: They are only G in Drop C, they are A in Drop D.

To sweep pick it is good to have a finger for each fret unless a stretch is needed, make sure you use all your fingers. The sweeping is the pick motion as you move the pick across the strings in a sweeping motion. Take for example G Minor, you play a downstroke on the 7, an upstroke on the 12, then all downstrokes until 8 on the top string in a sweeping motion, then an upstroke on the 12, downstroke on the 8 then the sweeping motion of upstrokes all the way to the 12 on the 5th string, then it repeats. When you do the sweeping motion you don't pick with your wrist, you move your whole hand in a smooth motion. Try to pick with the very tip of the pick as it is easier to pick faster. Sweep picking is hard and you will need to practice very slowly for a long time before you can sweep fast and accurately. Good luck!