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Sweep Picking, String Muting and Hand Resting

 
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Hylian



Joined: 23 Sep 2009
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 2:17 am    Post subject: Sweep Picking, String Muting and Hand Resting Reply with quote

Hello everyone,

I have been able to start sweep picking by not using much finger/wrist motion and having all the sweeping motion come from from my arm instead. This allows me to use the palm of my hand to mute all the unwanted strings as well. Is this the correct way to do it or am I developing a bad habit?

This technique has served me well for the top 5 strings, but starting from the low E string is proving to be a problem. I'm used to resting my hand on the guitar body when playing the low E string, and this forces me to change my angle. Is it a good idea to rest my hand on the guitar when playing on the low E string or should I get used to keeping my hand at the same level all the time?

Thanks!
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elydian



Joined: 14 Jun 2008
Posts: 12
Location: London

PostPosted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 2:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU-91BE_9RY

That's how Mattias does it, so I certainly wouldn't call it a bad habit.
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Hylian



Joined: 23 Sep 2009
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 2:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you very much! So I am on the right track.

How do you solve the 6th string problem though?
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elydian



Joined: 14 Jun 2008
Posts: 12
Location: London

PostPosted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 8:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm not sure I get what you mean when you say 'rest your hand on the guitar'. My right hand tends to rest on the bridge just behind where the strings end. Do you mean you rest it above the bridge?
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Hylian



Joined: 23 Sep 2009
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 1:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I generally rest my hand on the lower strings in order to mute them, except on the 6th string, which has no other lower strings, so my hand falls a bit and rests on the guitar body.
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Insomnia



Joined: 05 Sep 2009
Posts: 12
Location: Sweden

PostPosted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 3:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I personally find it really difficult to "rest" your arm on the guitar while sweeping, I prefer letting the motion start at the elbow, but still use a little wrist, I can't really explain how I do it. But I don't like 100% wrist anyway.

//Insomnia
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elydian



Joined: 14 Jun 2008
Posts: 12
Location: London

PostPosted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 5:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hylian wrote:
I generally rest my hand on the lower strings in order to mute them, except on the 6th string, which has no other lower strings, so my hand falls a bit and rests on the guitar body.


So I just picked up my guitar and had a look at my hand. My hand tends to rest across most of the strings so that most are muted most of the time. In order to control which strings are muted I actually roll the palm of my hand up and down slightly to free and mute strings as the pick travels down and up through them. So for example, when the pick hits the low E string, the thumb side of my palm is lifted off the bottom strings but is muting the top strings, and as the pick sweeps down through the strings, I lift my palm off off the higher strings in turn and roll the the thumb side of my palm back down onto the bottom strings to mute them again. It's quite difficult to explain without some kind of picture of the motion, But I hope you can get what I'm trying to explain.

Additionally to this, the left hand is usually positioned in a way so that the fingers which aren't playing are resting on the strings in position, muting the unplayed strings. So by some kind of combination of left and right, no unwanted strings sound.

In terms of my general approach to sweeping, most of the sweep comes from the wrist but with a slight amount of arm due to the fact I raise and lower my arm slightly as to not address the strings at a too acute angle. This is merely the same arm movement that I would usually use to position myself to address strings with any picking technique.
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