Simon Barnard delves into a fluid and super efficient technique that allows your pick to glide across the strings creating long, flowing lines.

Aussie jazz-rocker Frank Gambale is the acknowledged master of sweep picking

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When it comes to using a plectrum there are two main ways of doing so; alternate picking and economy picking. Whereas alternate picking uses a strict succession of up and down strokes to play single-note lines, economy picking takes a different approach where the choice of whether to pick up or down is directed by which string is being picked. For example, when tackling an ascending three-notes-per-string scale, the pick strokes will follow the pattern of down-updown on each string, meaning that the third note on each string is played with a downstroke while the plectrum continues the same downward motion to strike the first note on the next string. When descending a three-notes-per-string scale, the picking pattern would be up-down-up on each string. Try playing a three-notesper-string scale with both alternate and economy picking so you can see and feel the difference.