Tom Hess

Arpeggios and Sweep Picking

To be a true shredder, you have to understand the whole concept of arpeggios and sweep picking. And, there is always the fact that sweeping arpeggios sound awesome. This first video that I include below, draws on your knowledge of diatonic progressions. And even though Siggi may not be as smooth as many other guitar teachers, I think the ideas he is demonstrating in his video are quite useful for those trying to break into the whole arpeggio domain.

SIGGI MERTENS: ARPEGGIOS

Okay, that chord that Siggi was struggling to identify is actually a minor 7 flat 5 chord, or otherwise known as a half diminished chord in the diatonic progression. Remember, the diatonic progression is

Major 7th, minor 7th, minor 7th, Major 7th, Dominant, minor 7th, and minor 7th/flat 5

As a guitar player, you want to be extremely familiar with this progression, and Siggi’s incorporating this in his lesson on arpeggios is a great way to reinforce the study of the diatonic progression.

To clean up your arpeggios, it is a good idea to use a metronome to help slow things down and gradually build your playing back up to speed over time. So, if you do not own a metronome, I highly recommend picking one up. Using a metronome can take months and even years of frustration out of your playing, because it helps you to execute exercises properly in time.
This next video by Tom Hess is far more advanced than the last, in that it aims to focus in on how to approach sweeping a specific arpeggio. Tom stresses the importance of paying attention to what your picking hand is doing as he walks you through this superb exercise.

TOM HESS: SWEEP PICKING GUITAR MASTER CLASS