Let me tell that where I often goes wrong due to sweep picking exercises. It appears that each guitar teacher asks you to play slow and steadily increase the speed. I have come close to quitting the guitar altogether as this method of practicing has frustrated me over and over.
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My situation was that I desired to play extremely quickly which did not work out well. For example in my next run through the scale/pattern, I would be able to play at 30bpm semi-perfectly and move right on up to 40bpm. Firstly I tried to use a perfect technique at 40bpm which is one of the worst things you can do as I didn't have it at 30bpm. The reason is that muscles play a lick and remember how your last / how accurate it is, plays at the next riff. Now you want to push this technique to accomplish something more difficult as you are practicing it at a faster level. Now it remembers the way you practiced it at 30bpm which was already imperfect.
To me, this is akin to flunking out of flight school yet still being assigned to pilot the next plane out of JFK. From kennedy to Heathrow.
By now, you have chosen a sweep picking pattern to perfect. You should start by breaking up any really long patterns. believe me this will help you in the long run. By repeating the smaller pieces you have made it simpler to give the piece to your muscle memory. Secondly, you need to grab this small piece and make certain you have selected the correct fingers to play it. I understood i cannot have speed and perfection to play a pattern because i have chosen wrong fingers and they fail me often.
Thirdly, once you have the right fingers in place on your short pattern, begin too slowly and play it at that pace till you get it down perfectly. In case you feel that you cannot get it perfect, make the pattern more short and attempt to use various finger positions. Begin at a slow pace.
You move it up by 1bpm,once you are able to do it easily at that speed. Practice with that speed for two minutes then, if you feel comfortable, increase the speed 1bpm again. While keeping your muscles, hands, arms, and shoulders relaxed, come in this direction. This exercise can be shortened by playing the pattern faster.Utilize this method with each pattern and then merge them all till the time you get your fully mastered sweep picking pattern.
There are certain sweep picking exercises that will have you perfecting the style quickly.
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