In her latest lesson, virtuoso Nili Brosh analyzes techniques and approaches made famous on records from the venerated '80s record label.
Chops: Advanced
Theory: Intermediate
Lesson Overview:
• Work through sweep arpeggios in the style of Jason Becker.
• Add more chromatic notes to your improvised solos.
• Make your riffs more compelling with unexpected rhythmic subdivisions.
Click here to download a printable PDF of this lesson's notation.
Shrapnel Records introduced the world to some of the most virtuosic rock and metal guitarists to have ever plugged into a high-gain amp. Starting in the ’80s, an era that has subsequently become infamous for guitar gods, Shrapnel’s founder Mike Varney carefully selected the cream-of-the-crop players for his unique record label.
Some Shrapnel alumni are best known for sweep picking, others for insane alternate picking, and yet others for emphasizing legato fretwork. But all of them are known for playing a lot of notes in a very musical way. What made many of these players great, in my opinion, is that each took a unique approach to playing and writing within the fairly specific “shred” genre.
Want to acquire some tricks of their trade? Let’s take a look at key ideas and techniques used by several of Shrapnel’s heaviest hitters.
Most people associate Shrapnel guitarists with technical lead playing, but before we go there let’s first visit the often-overlooked art of playing rhythm. In my opinion, Paul Gilbert and Bruce Bouillet of Racer X were absolute masters of creating rhythmically exciting and unexpected metal riffs. These were often based on strong rhythmic hooks that included subdivisions and interwoven exchanges, and took surprising aural twists and turns.
Ex. 1 is a Racer X-style riff in A minor that illustrates the basic idea of taking one rhythmic pattern and throwing in surprise subdivisions. This riff’s main rhythmic pattern is based on three-note groupings of 16th-notes. In the first measure we encounter a new subdivision on beat 4. Hear how those 32nd-notes surprise the ear? It’s a great example of what Racer X was known for.
Another example of this effect is in the riff’s second fill. We have a 16th-note triplet run to wrap up the first repetition (starting on the “and” of beat 3 in measure 2), and again, the change in subdivision from the main 16th-note pattern creates an additional rhythmic twist.
Click here for Ex. 1
Now that we’ve had a dose of rhythmic content, let’s shift over to the kind of lead playing that makes many listeners’ jaws drop. Because he introduced pop and R&B-inspired chord changes and funky rhythms to what was fundamentally a hard rock and metal label, Greg Howe is arguably one of the most distinctive Shrapnel artists. To make things even more interesting, he favored an innovative tapping technique and infused his playing with chromatics.
Inspired by the record Introspection, Ex. 2 is a Greg Howe-style lick over a series of dominant 7 chords. Hear how the chromatics are interwoven between E7 and B7 chord tones on the weak parts of the beat? This is a common jazz guitar technique, but it’s made very Howe-ish thanks to Greg’s grooves, feel, and note choices.
Next over A7 comes one of Greg’s most famous tapping techniques. This line also demonstrates his “hammer-on from nowhere” technique, which means that the hammer-on note isn’t approached by a previously picked note. Finally, we have another of Greg’s famous tapping techniques over the F#7. Here, we take three-note-per-string scales and instead of picking every note or playing full-on legato, use a hammer-hammer-tap pattern to cover the ascending phrase.
Click here for Ex. 2
Another Shrapnel powerhouse is Tony MacAlpine, who is famously known for his blazing picking and his blend of classically inspired themes and contemporary instrumental music. Ex. 3 pays tribute to his approach to arpeggios.
The opening phrase is one of my favorite Tony-isms. We’re creating a major 7 arpeggio, in this case Dmaj7, by only using the lowest two strings. Keep in mind that there’s absolutely no picking here—it’s strictly legato and tapping. But the real interesting thing about this kind of line is the context in which Tony often uses it. Here, we’re in a Bm tonality, so we can use a D major arpeggio (Bm’s relative major) and still stay in the key.
Click here for Ex. 3
We’ve explored a variety of tapping and arpeggio ideas, but haven’t yet encountered one of the most common staples of the Shrapnel guys: alternate picking licks! Many of the Shrapnel guitarists are well known for playing long, scalar runs in which they pick each note. If used wisely, this can be one of the simplest ways to enhance your playing, as these runs are mostly pattern-based and primarily built on the three-note-per-string scale fingerings.
A simple alternate-picked line in B minor, Ex. 4 starts with a six-note scale shape that’s copied across three octaves. You’ll find this fragment (the first three beats of the first measure) on many Shrapnel albums. Keep in mind that strict alternate picking is crucial for the accuracy and cleanliness of a lick like this, so be sure to practice it slowly.
Because these lines work so well in the three-note-per-string fingerings, they’re often conducive to some sort of triplet subdivision. The kicker with such licks is that they’re very pattern-based and can end up sounding too much like an exercise. Use them wisely and musically.
Click here for Ex. 4
And last but not least, what would a column on Shrapnel be without a mention of the legendary Jason Becker? For dedicated shredders, his playing and spirit need no introduction, but if you need one, check out this trailer for the excellent documentary Not Dead Yet.
Ex. 5 is a workout in Becker-style sweep arpeggios. One point that was unique about Jason’s particular approach to sweep picking is that he extended certain arpeggio shapes further than other players did. In this example, all of the shapes extend down to include two notes on the 5th string. It’s fairly rare to see the Bm and E shapes extend down that far, but that’s part of Jason’s nuanced magic. The key to successfully playing sweep arpeggios lies in the picking pattern. It’s always a specific, non open-ended pattern that isn’t as simple as just constant downstrokes and upstrokes. A hammer-on or pull-off is included every time there’s two notes played on the same string.
Click here for Ex. 5
Keep in mind that playing anything cleanly and accurately lies in practicing very slowly, in time with a metronome. These guys were all masters of fast playing, but I believe they were standouts because they used their chops in clever and musical ways, and that composition was their first priority. So when you’re sitting down with your metronome to blaze through these licks, just remember that music comes ahead of technique.
Racer X
This blazing live performance of Racer X’s “Scarified” from 1988 illustrates how Paul Gilbert and Bruce Bouillet varied the rhythms within their warp-speed riffs.
Greg Howe
Greg Howe improvises an incredible solo over his tune “Come and Get It.” Check out 0:45-0:48 for a great example of one of his signature tapping techniques.
Tony MacAlpine
Here’s Tony MacAlpine playing “Pyrokinesis” with an excellent view of his fretboard. Marco Minnemann plays the drums on this track and MacAlpine plays everything else. Look for his tapped arpeggios sequences and notice how he weaves them into both the melody and the solo.
Jason Becker
The legendary Jason Becker performs a dazzling mix of feisty, extended-range arpeggios in this clip from a guitar clinic in 1989.
Everything you'll need to know to create lines in the style of Frank Gamble, Jason Becker, and Yngwie.
Advanced
Beginner
- Learn to use a rest stroke.
- Map out triads on the top three strings.
- Create lines in the style of Frank Gamble, Jason Becker, and Yngwie.
Sweep picking allows us to play licks that normally would be extremely difficult, if not impossible. In a nutshell, sweep picking is playing across several strings with a single, fluid pick stroke. Sounds simple, right? Well, it's important to focus on keeping the movement fluid and not execute separate pick strokes in the same direction—and that's what this lesson will help with.
A good way to practice sweep picking is to work on rest strokes. Play throughthe string and let the pick rest on the next string. Without separating the pick from the string you'll then play the next string with a pick stroke in the same direction, again focusing on playing through the string and letting the pick rest on the next string. Of course, this only works while you keep playing in the same direction, but it will help you develop a fluid picking motion.
In this lesson we will not only work on rest strokes but ideas that only cover three strings, so as to not overcomplicate things. Half of the exercises will be basic drills to get you started and comfortable with the technique while the other half are more advanced licks to practice.
Let's dive right in. Ex. 1 is a G major arpeggio (G–B–D) played in the "C" position of the CAGED system. I like to sweep through the ascending section as the directional change feels more natural to me that way, but feel free to play the lowest note with an upstroke as well if that feels more comfortable to you.
Ex. 1
Ex. 2 is an A minor arpeggio (A–C–E) in the same position, but this time we're using 16th-notes to create a rhythmically displaced feel. Practice each example separately to really get comfortable with the rhythmic feel of the triplets and the 16th-notes. An often-forgotten aspect to teaching sweeping is rhythm, especially in the picking hand. Zero in on the rest strokes and rhythmic feel. Try to make it groove.
Ex. 2
Now that we've worked on both triplet- and 16th-note-based licks, let's put them together. Ex. 3 alternates between the two. This is a fantastic exercise to really get a feel for the rhythmic intricacies of the picking hand while sweeping. Harmonically, it's a Bdim7 chord (B–D–F–Ab), but remember: In a diminished chord any note can function as the root.
Ex. 3
Since rhythm is such an important and often neglected aspect when talking about sweep picking, let's take a singular approach for Ex. 4. It's the same rhythmic figures as in Ex. 3, but you mute the strings with your left hand. Really try to feel the pulse. I like to alternate a few repetitions of Ex. 3 and Ex. 4. I find that whenever I have trouble with any sweeping section, practicing just the picking-hand rhythm for a few minutes immediately improves my playing.
Ex. 4
Let's dive into more advanced musical examples. If you're new to this technique, spend some quality time with the previous examples and speed them up a bit before tackling these. You don't have to be perfect, but you should be comfortable with the technique. Go back to them every now and then and see how you improved—but don't spend forever on one example. If you get stuck, move on and come back to it after a couple of weeks of having worked on other sweep licks. It'll keep you motivated and expand your vocabulary quicker.
Jason Becker is an absolute sweep-picking legend and Ex. 5 is heavily influenced by his work. It's mostly the same triplet pattern of Ex. 1, but we're moving through different diatonic arpeggios in the key of D. Jason's trademark sweeps move through different inversions of the same arpeggio to create a sequenced or cascading sound. He often outlines specific triads on the top strings to create different harmonies. Here, I added an A major triad over the D chord in measure 1 and a D major triad over G to create movement.
Ex. 5
Perpetual Burn
Another well-known sweeping aficionado from the neo-classical school is Yngwie J. Malmsteen. Ex. 6 is a diminished arpeggio run in E minor—specifically over the V chord, which is B. When you play a diminished arpeggio a half-step above the root of the V chord it creates a dominant sound that resolves nicely back to E. It's a trademark lick that's all over Yngwie's playing and very neoclassical sounding. Also note that Yngwie often crams as many notes as necessary into a bar to get to his target note often creating odd subdivisions that can be hard to count. The septuplets emulate that.
Ex. 6
Yngwie Malmsteen - Arpeggios from Hell
Ex. 7 moves into a more modern sounding approach. It's inspired by the amazing Frank Gambale, who is likely most identified with sweep picking. The line is based on the B minor pentatonic scale and can be used over a Bm7 chord. It's a very angular and fusion-y sounding line that starts out with a few descending sweeps. There is an added 9 in the pattern before we go into full shred mode and sweep through a few more pentatonic positions until we reach the high B. The last two descending sweeps are a bit tricky as you end the first group on an upstroke and start the next group on an upstroke as well. Don't worry if you don't play strict triplets there. It's part of what makes this lick sound cool. There's a lot of barring going on but don't worry too much if some notes ring together. That can create an interesting sound while you clean it up over time.
Ex. 7
The last lick (Ex. 8) is what I call a "circular" sweep because you repeat the lowest and highest note and it's a strict one-note-per-string idea. This example is inspired by John Petrucci's sweeping licks and Finnish virtuoso Mika Tyyskä, aka Mr. Fastfinger. It has an aggressive chunky sound to it due to all the notes being picked and some notes doubled. The progression is D-major to E-major to Gb-minor and to make it more interesting, I changed the highest note around as it hits the 3rd, 11th, 5th and 13th of each chord, creating a nice little melody on the top string.
Ex. 8
Ginger Fox - Full playthrough - Mika Tyyskä Mr. Fastfinger
With diligent practice sweep picking can be integrated into nearly any style of playing. Just remember to really lean into those rest strokes and make the motions as smooth as possible. Keep shredding!