Outlaw sweep-picking?

[WoodyTone com]

I was in high school in the early '80s, and my bands played a lot of VH, Randy Rhoads Ozzy and Rush, among others. The whole sweep-picking thing came a bit after that. After listening to it here and there for 20 years, I still don't like it! Don't like the way it sounds (I'm talking rock/shred here), and really don't see what it contributes to the ability to express yourself on the instrument. Yes, Vai, Gilbert and others do it and it sounds good most of the time -- works for them -- but do thy really NEED to do it?

Pick a side and fire away!

[tokiswartooth]

I think bluzak, and people who have thousands of dollars worth of gear, and absolutely no talent or ability should be banned first. Sweeping can be really annoying, but can be used in a musical way too. Oh yea, it actually takes practice and skill. Not so popular among many forums.

[gixxerrock]

It takes a lot of practice to master. I love it and will occasionally throw it into totally inappropriate places in my solos just because it is funny. I loved the 80s gunslinger mentality, when players could be proud of their chops and have fun on stage.

There is a certain brand of shreddy youtube videos that I can't stand it on. It comes across as a cheap parlor trick with no musical content. But don't blame the sweep picking, it is just a tool.

[SRVTWO]

There are a couple guys who use it well (Nuno comes to mind) but mostly sweeping like said above comes across very non musical. Kudos to those who can use it in a "good" way.
Mike

[67blackcherry]

Originally Posted by gixxerrock

It takes a lot of practice to master. I love it and will occasionally throw it into totally inappropriate places in my solos just because it is funny. I loved the 80s gunslinger mentality, when players could be proud of their chops and have fun on stage.

There is a certain brand of shreddy youtube videos that I can't stand it on. It comes across as a cheap parlor trick with no musical content. But don't blame the sweep picking, it is just a tool.

Now that, sir, is funny!
Years ago, I used to watch some Euro dude, he always played this little blues bar in Huntington Beach, CA; he was amazing, he had Jimi and Stevie DOWN! He'd be ripping through "Voodoo Child", playing all these bad @ss blues licks then he'd throw in these "80's metal god in waiting" licks; sweeps and stuff. I dug it, I thought it was great.

He got really annoyed with me, however, when I told him one night "uh, I don't think Jimi or Stevie ever played any arpeggios..." just to mess with him!

Much like the EVH tapping, the whole sweeping thing got way out of hand. It is tasteful in small doses (ala Nuno) and it does take a lot of skill.

[Gas-man]

Originally Posted by tokiswartooth

I think bluzak, and people who have thousands of dollars worth of gear, and absolutely no talent or ability should be banned first. Sweeping can be really annoying, but can be used in a musical way too. Oh yea, it actually takes practice and skill. Not so popular among many forums.

Y'rup.

For every sweep picker there are hundreds of 40 year old guys playing bluzak (I like this term!).

They are usually the ones repeating the cliches about "playing more with one note"....

[Plague Dog]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbVl3nPbLFE

you mean like this solo?

[dets1]

Originally Posted by Plague Dog

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbVl3nPbLFE

you mean like this solo?

that was pretty annoying.

[tokiswartooth]

Originally Posted by Plague Dog

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbVl3nPbLFE

you mean like this solo?

That was not sweeping, more shredding. Ritchie Kotzen is the man though.

[hudpucker]

"Bluzak"

heheh.

gotta remember this one.

[tokiswartooth]

This would be an example of really anoying "sweeping"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C6Xz...eature=related

[jtm622]

Chet Atkins used to "sweep" ocassionally... and the man was a master at it - the way he did it sounded "smooth as a baby's butt..."

[tokiswartooth]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9PHU...eature=related

Good example of sweeping mixed with great fusion!!!

[SRVYJM]

I love Ritchie Kotchen. Didn't annoy me at all.

I could listen to Yngwie sweep pick all day, and sometimes do. I love swept arpeggios done in a musical setting, like Yngwie does. Sweeping for the sake of sweeping is annoying, but done right, it's the bomb.

I think the bluezak comment is brilliant too. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we've all heard how blues guys can kill it with just one note. I play blues out two to three times a week, and trust me, most of those guys can't kill it with anything. Usually their '' one" note is because their are lost on the fretboard so they just grab anything!

The only time one note does it for me, is when that one note is done with astounding TONE, which IMHO is always on a Strat, on the neck pickup!

Our own TGP gear reviewer here, Jack Devine, comes close with one note at the beginning of this clip, but it's still really not one note, but a slide into a trill. THAT beginning kills me everytime. http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7435374

[SRVYJM]

Originally Posted by tokiswartooth

This would be an example of really anoying "sweeping"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C6Xz...eature=related

True that...