VIP members and higher:
Practice this for a few days, and then record yourself on video playing it once you’ve got it down, and post in the ShredMentor Discord, and I’ll give you personal feedback. Also, keep an eye out for my BONUS lesson on this challenge as it gets closer to Friday.
This challenge ends Friday, March 14 2025 at 11:59pm.
This week’s challenge involves not only 2 separate techniques, but using them together seamlessly.
Each one will establish specific fretboard knowledge and motor memory.
Ascend this sweep:
Then descend this scale:
using LEGATO (all pull-offs, only picking the first note of each string).
Accenting:
While this entire pattern IS compatible with TRIPLETS (ONE-trip-let TWO-trip-let), in the video, I’m actually accenting this as SEXTUPLETS (which I count as ONE-and-TWO-and-THREE-and).
The entire pattern consists of FOUR sets of SIX:
-
Six notes ascending (the sweep)
-
Three successive HEXACHORDS in harmonic minor.
Sweeping Tips:
-
For this specific shape, use your PINKY for the highest note on both the 5th and 1st strings. If you try to use your ring finger for that first hammer-on, you’ll run out of fingers by the end of the sweep arpeggio. There’s no other way in this case!
-
DRAG your pick across the strings in ONE fluid motion. DO NOT make a bunch of separate down-strokes, as if you were chugging in a riff; that completely defeats the purpose of sweeping. Just let your pick FALL through all the strings like a very slow, single strum.
Legato Technique Tips:
-
The first pick-stroke of this pattern should be an up-stroke, since that’s what naturally happens as the final pick-stroke of the sweep arpeggio — this is the note you’re starting your legato run from.
-
PULL-OFFS ARE LITTLE PLUCKS. Most guitarists get this wrong, and try to merely “lift” their fingers off of the string, and any sound that this produces is a mere accident, hence the unreliable results. The only way to get your pull-offs to be consistent is to slightly PLUCK the string with each finger AS it’s leaving the string.
-
WHISPER with your pick if/when you use it, but even that is optional. IF you’re going to pick at all, only pick the first note of each string.
-
MAINTAIN THE ACCENTING! How, though? Pluck just a little harder with your pull-offs when playing notes that fall on accented (or sub-accented) beats, and pluck lighter on non-accented beats. Deliberate accenting like this helps you develop dynamics in your playing.
-
BONUS: If you’re interested in ECONOMY PICKING, substitute the legato with economy picking, and just pick UP-DOWN-UP on every string, dragging your pick through the final up-stroke of one string in one motion through the first up-stroke of the next string.
