Sweep Picking: Steam Powered: One Book for Commanding Technique

I stuck it out with the exercises for 20-30 minutes a day for about a month and a half. I thought it would take much longer but suddenly during exercise 60 I found that I could get it much faster than before. I decided to try the d-minor sweep from the 3 string section (I was still in the 2 string section) and I nailed it in 5 or 10 minutes. The next day I tried a 4 string sweep and I got it no problem. I’m in total disbelief. I didn’t think I would ever be able to do sweeps.I would have given up but I promised myself I would give it a year. Seriously don’t give up! This book works.I’m definitely still gonna do all the exercises and finish the book but I would say I can do sweeps now.

I just got this book a few days ago so this is more of a first impression. The principle seems sound. You start with exercises for two strings and progress to exercises for all six strings. After working with the book 30 minutes a day for the last 9 days, I am already seeing results. I have other books with some nice sweep-picked lines and this "Sweep Picking" book has made them a little easier to play - encouraging start.At first, at least for me, the only item lacking was a little more guidance on how to use the book. I looked again before I wrote this review and still did not see any information on how long I should stay with a particular exercise, what metronome speed should be sufficient to graduate me to the next exercise, or even when I should move to the next chapter, which adds an additional string to works with. (edited after reading the author's response) But after hearing from the author, I see this was done intentionally so that one can work at one's own pace, whether they are a beginner or an advanced player trying to add a new skill.I can see the wisdom in this, and it is important to note that at this point, the author is available on his website if more guidance is necessary for beginners or those that are trying to learn on their own. A beginner could also consult his/her instructor or some other source for furtherguidance if it is needed.For now, I am studying only the two string sweeps and will stay in this section for a month or so. I do play through around 5 or 6 exercise and have made a little etude out the material. I plan to be patient and not get to six string sweeps for seven or eight months. By Christmas, I plan to have made a hell of a lot of progress on using this technique.The exercises are mostly sweep picking but there are a few hammer-on and pull-offs mixed in as you get into using more strings. As I am sure you know, sweep picking is often combined with these and other techniques by great guitar sweep pickers.To sum it up, the book gives great and information but is not directly tailored to a certain skill level. But it is useful for those at many different skill levels. But, if you need a more specific plan, you will have to take additional steps. Personally, I am applying the principles I have used to learn other guitar techniques and instruction - patience, flexibility, determination, and also seeking out whatever guidance that is available. I am very glad I bought this book.(One more edit) After a month or so "semi-consistent" use, I can feel the little "churning engine" that the author refers to. You get in a spot with a particular exercise/pattern and after awhile, you are churning away at 140 beat per minute 16th notes. I could probably go faster, but I am trying to keep the sound clean and error-free. I just started working a little ahead on the three string sweeps and I have my methodology down. It's working.

Good book. Love the format and how it provides progressive building blocks. Would have easily been a five star book if it had provided some type of audio file or cd. Most guitar instructional manuals include some type of audio examples to insure or at least give confidence to the student that what he or she is playing is correct as the author is attempting to convey. It is also a great selling point. I don't think it would have taken much time or effort to provide a downloadable audio file in the least, consequently adding to the benefit of bringing traffic to a particular website.Either way, not to take from the book it is a really good out of the box tool for anyone either beginning or wanting to hone in and extend their sweeping skills.

under- rated alot of usefull chord outlines and practice performance tips, an excellent shred primer, melodic sensibility guide to sweep picking...no CD but a worthy purchase non the less

I have been playing guitar for 20+ years and have purchased over a hundred instructional books and videos to improve my playing technique. I can honestly say that this is the best material that I have ever come across. I have a bad habit to skipping to the back of books to attack the most challenging exercises, but I'm glad that I took another reviewer's advice and started from the beginning. The book takes you through simple 2 string exercises then progressively builds upon those foundations. It's amazing to see your progress and how it all ties together the further you get into the book. I continue to buy other instructional books but always find myself going back to this one. These techniques will make your playing better period. You need to buy this book.

I have been playing guitar for approximately six years now, but it was not until just recently that I wanted to start learning the formidable and mind-blowing guitar playing technique that is sweep picking. I have read through a plethora of other books and manuals on sweep picking, and I can assure you with utmost sincerity and honesty that no other book or manual or magazine can even begin to compare to the advantageous technique that this book has to offer. The author introduces each chapter of the book with an explanation of the exercises to come in a clear, relevant, and succinct manner, and presents the material in an easy-to-follow format. Whether you have been playing guitar for five minutes, five years, or five decades, if your goal is to become a master of sweep picking and make Yngwie Malmsteen look like an amateur, this is the book for you.

Spent a couple of weeks with this book doing the exercises. My speed of playing increased but I would reach a point where the notes I played sounded more like chords than single notes. Got frustrated, so I started reading online for some more tips and then I realized that you have to lift your left hand fingers after playing the note to sweep. This book does not tell you this until page 22, so the first 21 pages (which contains 172 exercises) I spent a couple of weeks practicing wrong. I give the book one star because the author failed to mention this.

Look like lots of work but it is certainly a fantastic way to do it had a look through the book it’s amazing can’t wait to start

Sweep picking was something I've never got to master. This book get you to work your sweep picking in a way that you cannot fail to get better. It is well made and I've noticed an improvement in my technique in just a few days. I also bought speed picking in this series and it's great!

Ich übe sehr gern rein technische Sachen auf der Gitarre. Dieses Buch ist eine Fundgrube für Übungen und Anregungen dazu, insbesondere wie es der Titel schon zum Audruck bringt, in Sachen SWEEPING. Es gibt keine CD oder MP3s und die bedarf es auch nicht. Die Übungen sind gut erklärt, machen Sinn und führen zum Ziel. Allerdings: Es ist noch kein Meister vom Himmel gefallen und es braucht Zeit und stetiges Üben um eine Technik wie SWEEPING zu beherrschen. Diese Buch ist ein schöner Begleiter auf diesem Weg.

This is simply the best book on sweep picking I have ever seen. The way things are broken down into easy-to-process chunks is great! Thanks for passing this knowledge on!

Ich hatte mich für das Buch aufgrund der vielen 5 Sterne Rezensionen auf amazon.com entschieden...Das aus 64 Seiten bestehende "Buch" ist nichts anderes als eine Ansammlung von Tabs. Von den minimalen Einleitungen mal abgesehen.Es besitzt außer der Einteilung von 2 - 6-saitigen sweep-sprockets nichts, was der Struktur eines Lehrbuches ähnelt. Keine Spur von Skizzen oder Abbildungen der empfohlenen Fingerpositionen, Plektrumposition oder Anschlagdynamik. Für über 20€ wird hier eindeutig zu wenig geboten.