How to Sweep Pick: Beginner's Guide 

I put a lot of thought into this video. I very much wanted to create a sweep picking tutorial that addressed the mechanics of the technique at its most basic level. Too many videos out there either dive right into big sweep shapes (Don't do this!!!!!) or completely gloss over the very technical and hugely important focuses within. Please like and share and thanks for watching guys!! :D PART 2 HERE: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-pAc1f4h37L4.html Sweeping isn't that hard once you can do it. I'm speaking purely in terms of economy of motion. When people struggle with sweep picking there are usually 1 or more of these 6 errors: 1. Notes aren't same duration 2. Notes aren't transitioning cleanly 3. String noise isn't being muted 4. Sync sucks 5. Arm/wrist motions aren't suitable for the technique 6. Incorrect pickslanting If you want access to my HUGE video course "Sweep Picking Master", you can get it now on the MetalMastermind platform: metalmastermind.com/sweep-picking-master/

I seem to be very efficient at one string sweeping

Hands are shaking because you know they wanna play some badass tunes.

4:48 Oh shit ambulance is Coming

Absolutely awesome video. I'm an intermediate-level guitarist already but I'd never given sweep picking much practice. By the end of the video I already have a basic grasp of the technique to work on and improve. Couldn't have asked for a better lesson - especially for free. This guy needs a medal.

Damn dude, I've tried to start learning sweep picking a number of times, just to immediately be put off by "beginner" 5 string examples with little to no insight into picking and muting outside of letting the pick drop to the following string. Glad I decided to give one more look and came across your video. The building blocks you provide are immensely helpful in getting the basic technique down, and I will forever be grateful.

You're a wizard, Alfred.

Goodness, better than a 20 dollar lesson. I just need to learn to shred. That's all I need in life.

Been playing 30 yrs and never got a handle on sweeping. Good job here. Very helpful

Don't be nervous! You are doing well teaching peeps

One of the very few people that just gets straight to the point and explains it clearly without being extremely vague and comedic like these other "lessons" out there, thanks man

Wow... I went through many other sweep-picking tutorials and couldn't really find any that were as beginner friendly as this one. Props to you bro!

Since Alfred Potter introduced these lessons specially 20 Neo classical licks Being his student on youtube i was able to learn and understand solos in few months.. *He is the most Honest Hardworking Guitar Teacher and ofcourse one of the best Guitar Wizard out there*

Quit guitar because mechanical engineering at my school was becoming time consuming. Went to play guitar after graduation, and my memory kicked in what I was taught 10-years ago-- all because of your lessons. You don't know but your lessons are very helpful especially in your website. Thanks, Mister Potter.

Thank you SO much. For the first time, I think I might possibly be able to learn to sweep. You have removed the fear factor that has been intimidating me for so long when it comes to this technique.

I love how your guitar is dirty and shows the mileage you've put on it. Just like a good tool should be!

Man, I just unlocked how to sweep and I'm mad stoked. Months of honing previous techniques to get it down Time and time again, I would look at different resources to try learn - but no one has gone in depth / break it down (n no ego even tho mans beast) Llike the pick slanting - brilliant. Don't think I've come across anyone else mention it so much, and with my posture I'm working on, it was a huge fundemental insight to crack it. Drilling n hearing neutral etc in my head Ultimately want to say thank you, mate - prolly wouldn't have got it down for a while longer without your instruction. Truely wish your channel recieved more reception than it does - killer material/licks. Rock on, mate ✊

Wow, Anthony really changed alot ever since he left smosh

I've seen alot of videos from alot of big guitarist and yours was the one that made sweep picking click thank you so much keep up the great work.

anyone can sweep you just have to sit with a metronome and practice a lot. I'm far from perfect but the more metronome you the better get

Everything explained accurately, in a detailed way, clearly visible and accompanied by exercises. Couldn't expect more. You're a great teacher!

Trust me, This is the best tutorial I've ever seen on RU-vid. Thank you very much.

Best tutorial,on RU-vid on sweep picking

Seems like one of the best tutorials out there. I guess I can give sweep picking another try.

Dude, this had to be the best freaking sweeping lesson I have found. Thank you for this detailed explanation. I will be sure to practice this everyday. Thanks so much.

sound of your stomach picked up and amplified by your guitar pickups at 6:23 😁. happens to me all the time

Thank you over the years . You've made me better. If I ever get famous, I'll remember all the RU-vid guitarist that got me where I am .

Best tutorial for sweep picking on RU-vid. Despite how hard of a technique it is to get down, this helps a lot and I just whipped out the metronome. Thank you! this helps a LOT.

I know this is an old video, Alfred, but I have always wanted to get this down (over 20 years) and you got me started by explaining it a little bit better than most. Great video, man. Thanks.

I’ve literally been playing the guitar for 14 years and always avoided sweeping. Lately I’ve noticed some holes in my technique and figured I’d add some new shit to my Arsenal. This video seriously explained it so perfectly that it kinda demystified the whole air around sweeping and helped me push that skill. So hell yeah haha. Thanks man.

I have watched several videos on sweep picking lessons, and this is by far the best. This was broke down step by step to understand the right way to sweep. Thanks!

Thank you so much for this simple explanation. I'm slowly getting down the palm muting part. took me a while and your explanation keeps me on my 2 feet and I don't need additional tutorials. No further comments needed for this video.

You're great at explaining and giving examples. Not to mention your great choice of pace and suggesting pauses. Going to sub to your channel thanks for the vid!

you should start getting some pro equipment and make a bunch of tutorials and you will be huge. Dood this helped me so much. you can make this channel big!!! \m/

Thanks for opening the biggest door for me in years,,had given up trying to do this style and now I can finally do it cleanly. ,,some players use 'lessons to show what they can do but only very few teach with nothing else in mind but to really help others,,cool guy and a fantastic teacher ,thanks so so much !

this guide alone has helped me immensely over the year. It is well done, easy to understand and very professional.

selective muting is too hard given sweep picking is supposed to be about relatively fast arpeggios. I just let my left hand fingers mute strings by lifting them slightly. The only time I would mute is if I just leave my pick hand in the mute position for all the strings and actually MUTE them while sweeping. But maybe I'm weird.

First video I've seen of yours so far. Just started trying to learn this technique and it's like Thor teaching me guitar. You are such a great teacher, man. Soothing and helpful without the frustration. 😎⚡🤘👍

I have to say that you explained this better than anyone. So really you never play 2 notes, you only pick one note and either hammer on or pull off to produce the second note, and the picking hand always goes all the way up, or all the way down I am still having trouble getting to mute the previous string now, but you have made a good tutorial. thanks

I'm going to need to keep coming back to this one. Thanks, dude.

as a guitar music teacher too another you rock , me hopes its all cool for you your passion and articulation are truly the bees knees

Great lesson and demonstration man! Sweeps are probably the most challenging guitar technique.

Well. Any video where I pick up two or more useful things gets a thumbs up. Nice work.

That's the best tutorial on this I've seen, and most of the others I had to pay for. Good job.

You sound like Thor

find the sweet spot then play the g string? hehehe

Wow! Best tutorial for sweep picking I've ever seen! Thanks so much!

Thank you, Alfred. This is just what I needed, a slow walk through the basic mechanics of this exciting technique.

dude really It worked! :D it took 3 weeks 5 days and 17 hours :)

You look like you'd come to a dudes house to give him guitar lessons just to steal his wife lol very helpful lesson though thanks man

been playing guitar for as long as i can remember - mostly oldschool blues - watched this video - used what i already knew combined with your explenation and in a very short time i could actually sweep ick - more or less :) ty

This helped me out so much! You are the only one I have found that has went into full detail and actually seem to care about guitar playing. Great video man. Subscribing for sure! Good playing too!

It's perfect for me I'm a beginner at sweeps .thanks again.

3:58 Clean Note Transitions 5:44 2 String Example 6:50 3 String Example

Thanks Alfred for this absolutely amazing guitar lesson keep making great vids!

Great lesson, that's the right technique. The rest stop stroke is really the only way to get those notes spaced evenly.

I could never get into sweep picking because I felt it was too complicated for me to learn, I can play most of pantera's solos and aic's solos so im looking to get better I feel sweep picking is the next step. Thanks for this video I may be able to learn this now! (subbed)

Hey Alfred, Thumbs up!!

Thanks for this, I have 30 years of bad habits to break, your video is excellent.

Definitely one of the best videos around sweep picking! Great work, man!

6:24 I think your hungry bro😂😂😂

At the last exercise - can you play the bottom note (G-string) with an downstroke, essentially starting the downstroke sweep 1 note earlier? Or is there a specific reason for it being an upstroke?

Not the most fancy and entertaining video, but very much detailed and useful... thanks man!

Epic videos, thanks so much!!! I can't wait to check out the other videos in the series!!!

Going in to this a soon as i'm done with exams m8 :)

6:29 ? Why not downstroke? You are making it way too difficult. Up then down, down (SWEEP! ) So you'd have UP, down down, UP, down down as opposed to UP, UP, lift way over a string you don't really have to then down.... if you did UP, pulloff, DOWN, DOWN, UP you have a nice sweep downward, no inside picking (which is hard) and three easy picks in a row right b4 that pulloff. Much easier, imo.

Very informative and easy to follow, I've been playing guitar for years but avoided sweeping like the plague, I think I'm ready to take the step now.

Played guitar for a number of years, but always struggled with learning to sweep pick. Thanks for the guide, been really helpful!

Great video, subscribed. But i just have a question, in the 2/3 string examples are you also muting with the palm of your right hand or just with your left hand by releasing the string? Thanks.

Very ASMR like.

This is the most useful sweep picking tutorial that I have seen! Thanks.

Best explanation and demonstration I’ve ever watched. And I’ve watched many.

Hello, I was wondering what shapes I should use to learn how to sweep pick. Would it make sense to sweep pick a bar chord for example and do you have to move your fingers of the string every time you play the string or do you gently mute it by hovering your finger over the string or should I only use my palm? What intervals do you normally use? I was curious to how you can derive your own licks to sweep over using the major scale. What position should the notes be in to be able to sweep pick them with more ease. Is it possible to improvise using sweep picking? Thanks for reading if you are reading this.

i am more like the blues dude and use to laugh at the metalheads but this is hard :D btw nice video!

this is the BEST video I have ever seen on the basic subtleties of sweep picking !!!! THANK YOU !!!!!! btw I also added this video to my favorite list and I have subscribed to your channel

Dude is one of the chillest guys I've seen.

Finally someone who understands.

cool marshall amp back there, I have same one :D

from the first 42 seconds i can already tell i like this guy

Number one, no one did a full guide like this, thanks 🔥🤘🏽

If sweeping is a beginner move, im lucas mann

I need to have your patience man lol I can learn a lot of things quickly but sweeping is just beyond me right now

Excellent lesson and you explain everything slowly step by step. Thank you so much.

Always found this kind of technique a real mystery, Alfred, but i feel very optimistic with this - thanks for a great video.

great video, great guitar, but you might want to ask lightning mcqueen for some of that rusteez. Only kidding great vid

Rollo ?

Hey man, excellent lesson. Super thoughtful, love your explanation of the basic technique!

wow it took me this long to find someone who explains it the way I need it, THANK YOU

Looking at his hands shaking, tells us he actually just wanted to shred really hard.

This guy sounds like Thor. I like it

It’s a very good series! Thank you!

You rarely see good hockey players who can also coach right. Good vid!

Young James Hetfield teaching how to sweep pick : )) haha

Hi Alfred! I want to know if the picking pattern will make a huge difference, when learning Sweep Picking. Like, if I play the G going up, or down. Will that influence much? (in case of 3 strings sweeping) If I pluck the G string up, my pick would still in between B and G, so I would just move down from there. If I pluck the G string down, I would have to skip the G string, and then play it down (because I would be going up, on the lower strings). Is there a wrong method or any of this two would still give me a good result at the end? I made a quick video here showing what I mean, and I'm beggining to learn, as you can tell: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-REPe0SlfSMM.html Thanks in advance!

thanks alfred , you really did clear it out for me , well done ^^

"pause the video if you need to" you my friend are an awesome teacher. subbing for sure

So when does the booze and women come into effect?

lmao why does this guy look like the Jesus Christ of metal?

Thank you so much this has been a great help. The video show clearly what I was doing wrong and how to improve. Thanks

Awesome video! Thank you for taking the time!