Sometime back I started a thread on thegearpage.net titled “Outlaw sweep-picking?” and I meant it – sort of. I meant it in the sense that 9 out of the 10 times I’ve seen or heard sweep-picking in the rock arena, it’s been pure “wankage.” It may even detract from all-important TONE.
There’s no feeling associated with these uber-distorted notes buzzing by at the speed of sound, same as you can’t appreciate the look of a hummingbird when it’s zipping by. Or maybe it’s along the lines of, “Just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you should.”
Whatever the case, the folks at thegearpage (some of whom got pretty passionate about it!) made some good points – like how certain people use sweep-picking tastefully, notably jazz dudes. Okay, fair enough. But I’ll bet that when most folks hear the words “sweep-picking,” they think of out-and-out shredding. They don’t think of Steve Vai, Joe Satriani or Frank Gambale.
They might be more likely to think of John Petrucci, a man of monster technique who in the following Guitar Center video teaches people how to sweep-pick (bear in mind that John is a highly-regarded player, and deservedly so). I’m not a sweep-picking fan, but I like some of Dream Theater’s stuff so I watched the vid.
The two-note thing is kind of cool. Beyond that I confess he lost me. Totally. (No offense to John – not intending to pick on him here at all. Just thought it was important to see someone “of stature” doing it.)
After watching it, I ask you – should sweep-picking be outlawed? Maybe on a warning system – three infractions of tasteless or unnecessary wanking (recorded, not live?) and get a one-year suspension?!
"Sweeping" is only one of many "wanking" techniques that seem to be nothing but a substitute/cover-up for a lack of authentic good guitar playing, and which seems to be going on a with way too many (most) wanna-be/so-called "guitarist' today!