Sweep Picking Motion Drill – 3 Strings

How to Practice

1. 1Mute all three strings lightly with the palm of your fretting hand.
2. 2Downstroke the G string and let the pick fall through onto the B string — don't lift between notes.
3. 3Continue the same downward motion through B onto the high e string.
4. 4At the high e, reverse direction: upstroke e, land on B, then upstroke B back to G.
5. 5The whole six-note sweep should feel like one smooth wrist movement in each direction.
6. 6Do not stop at any string — the pick should be in continuous motion throughout the cycle.

Tips & Techniques

• •Think of the down sweep as letting gravity pull the pick through the strings, not forcing it.
• •The turning point at the high e is where most beginners stall — keep the motion fluid.
• •Use the minimum pick depth: just enough to catch the string, no deeper.
• •Slow down until every hit is equal in volume — only then increase tempo.
• •Once the motion feels natural, add fretting to turn this into real arpeggios.