time to feed your GAS

I started with 5 string sweeps, then only 3 strings and sweep+tap. I don't know why, but 5 strings is easier for me.

how did we go from a sweet sounding bluesy soulful vibrato from bb king to extreme tasteless random sweeps ? (quoted from your youtube title, no harm intented)

some people just don't care about doing 5-strings sweeps actually... (cf. "freak show excess" by steve vai... where Vai kind of make fun of the whole thing ) even though it remains impressive for the guitar players, it doesn't really sound good in most kind of music.. (IMO)

Haha, I don't know how we got here either. I don't worship sweeps, i'm more of a tapper myself. I just like sweeps because they are IMO a very difficult technique. If you can nail sweeps down, you're know you're on the right track TECHNIQUE-wise, not necessarily musically-wise. But still, its a very subjective matter.

i find alternate picking harder than sweep picking >.<
oh and serpent ash's 5 string sweeps are bbq sauce

it is subjective indeed, so besides musicality, i must say it's a good achievement to reach such good sweep technique after less than 2 yrs it shows some extreme dedication to the instrument.
don't become the next rusty colley though...

Thanks man, although I wouldn't really consider my sweeping good yet. Don't worry, no one can become the nect Rusty Cooley. Why would anyone want to anyway?

thanks. the pain is actually from fretting and vibrating the same note for quite a while, and also the fact that i never use my index to bend strings. i have small hands too, a wide neck doesnt help either, so i probably doing the same as you. the hardest part is to kill off the habit of vibrating with only the finger.

i agree about that. 3 years ago i thought shredding/sweeping was godly and thats what i practiced everyday, till i mastered the 5 string sweeps (minor and major scale). but then i realise its hard to incorporate them when u write a solo or improv over a backing track, and musically it sounds like shit. i then got into blues soloing and its SO MUCH better, playing and listening wise.

This post has been edited by archinkent: Sep 8 2008, 02:50 PM

well if you can vibrate with one finger i dont see why thats a problem, anchor the finger down but instead of using your finger to do the vibrato you twist the wrist instead.

hahahha thats why i never bothered to shred, im no bluesman but somehow despite all the speed and fretboard skillz. sitting down with a penta and playing it with thrills and vibratos somehhow just makes me feel a lot nicer, since im playing for personal pleasure i just decided to screw getting better shredding and jsut wank the pena the way i love it.

+3kk:
lol, but after awhile u ll get bored, so its time to increase ur licks palette with major and minor as well as some modes...

it's extremely difficult to vibrate a string with the strength of the finger alone ! Mere mortals are not built for this kind of effort...
Anyway, vibrato is effortless. If you feel any pain, stop right now before injuring yourself.

Bending with the index is not really common, i would say it works for small bends, but big bluesy bends are done with middle or ring finger.
Another method is to detune the string
Another one is to use your trem bar...
And another one, push or pull the head of the neck
You can imagine bending the string behind the fretting finger also...

Play in direction of the south pole, and twist toward the north when bending is required. The increased magnetic field might pull the string for you.

Naaa. I'm just bending your leg.