Frosted Mini Sweeps

What does a shredder do when they wake up, if their goal is smiting all other guitarists before them? Why, consume a big bowl of KILLogg's Frosted Mini Sweeps, of course! In this post, I'll show you how to use the sweeping technique to create small patterns within one position while crossing all six strings; it's terrifying. Get your spoon ready.

While you can look at this first example as a sequence of arpeggios, it's easier to simply think of it as being derived from D minor pentatonic (D F G A C), with a couple of notes from D natural minor (E and Bb) thrown in. Observe:

The picking pattern is really simple and repetitive throughout the descending (down up up up down) and ascending (up down down down up) sections, but you'll want to watch out for the left hand. While everything's nice and close, keeping in position, the numerous instances of rolls (12th fret on one string to 12th fret on the next) can prove troublesome; it's real easy to lose articulation here. Practice those parts especially slow, aiming to have the initial note stop sounding before you hit the next.

Problem number two is that the example is all quintuplets; 5 notes per click on the metronome. If you aren't used to playing these, I recommend practicing the example as 16th notes grouped in fives (so, exactly what's written, but 4 notes per click). In fact, playing a more "normal" rhythm like 16th notes grouped in odd numbers will have a tremendous effect on your ability to play odd-tuplets, but I'll discuss that in more detail later. For now, so let it be written, so let it be done.

On to the next example, an idea I like to use based on flavor #2 from this dashing fellow's post. Check it:

Looks and sounds deadly, but it's just D minor pentatonic all the way through... with sweeping... and large legato stretches... grouped as septuplets...

Yeah, yeah, calm down... once you can get the first 7 notes ascending and descending, the rest is pretty easy. Use your index finger for all 10th fret notes, middle for 12, ring for 13, and pinky for 14 and 15. If you aren't used to playing septuplets, and no sane individual is, please practice the example as 16ths grouped in 7s, similar to before. Now, I did say please. Don't make me get all Mr. Grady and have to correct you.

Practice these ideas, and then see where else you can transplant them; for example, using the picking from pattern one in any of the 3 note per string mode shapes will yield interesting results. If you have any questions/comments, I wanna hear 'em!  Have fun!