Sweep picking or economy picking is a technique that allows you to play numerous notes at a pace impossible with just alternate picking. Again, this is all about speed. If alternate picking could double your picking speed and lets you hit 2 notes on one go, sweep picking could allow you to hit 4 to 5 notes or even more in just one sweeping direction. Ideal for jumping into octaves a compressing several notes in a beat or a measure.
How do you do this “Sweep Picking” technique? Well, basically, the idea is to hit 2 or more notes on adjacent strings with one swipe or sweeping action. Guitar shredders often use this technique to acquire insane speed on their fretboard making them sound more awesome. That is the basic point of sweep picking but it has more uses other than the sudden speed rush.
Here’s an example of how to do a sweep picking over the Dm arpeggio:
-------------------------5-------5----------------
----------------6-----------------------6---------
---------7------------------------------------7---
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First, we have the Dm chord arpeggio. The involved notes are D, F and A. to sweep pick this, start with the D note and sweep down your pick to the F note and down to the A note. Glide your pick smoothly across the surface of the string without lifting it. Now sweep back up starting with A note up to D note and back to the D note. You just hit 6 notes in two swipes. That is sweep picking.
