Technique · Pro · 8 min
A Minor Sweep, Five Strings
One continuous pick stroke across five strings, each note separate and clean.
How to play it
- Fret the shape at the 12th position: string 5 fret 12, string 4 fret 10, string 3 fret 9, string 2 fret 10, string 1 fret 8 then 12.
- Push the pick through the strings in one downward motion, lifting each finger as soon as its note has sounded.
- Come back up with one upward motion. Stay slow enough that the scorer hears each note on its own.
What the coach checks: Pitch of each note in order. Notes that ring together can blur the reading, which is the point of the drill.
Tab player
Hear the line
Tap any number to hear it. Four clicks count you in.
Your practice room
Find each note
Single-note pitch feedback. Practice waits for each note; Play checks the sequence at your chosen tempo. This does not assess chord quality or fret buzz.
This checkpoint needs 96 BPM or faster and the required accuracy. Slower Play attempts still produce practice scores.
Exercise map · 11 targets
- 1. A3Bar 1 · beat 1 · string 5 · fret 12
- 2. C4Bar 1 · beat 1.5 · string 4 · fret 10
- 3. E4Bar 1 · beat 2 · string 3 · fret 9
- 4. A4Bar 1 · beat 2.5 · string 2 · fret 10
- 5. C5Bar 1 · beat 3 · string 1 · fret 8
- 6. E5Bar 1 · beat 3.5 · string 1 · fret 12
- 7. C5Bar 1 · beat 4 · string 1 · fret 8
- 8. A4Bar 1 · beat 4.5 · string 2 · fret 10
- 9. E4Bar 2 · beat 1 · string 3 · fret 9
- 10. C4Bar 2 · beat 1.5 · string 4 · fret 10
- 11. A3Bar 2 · beat 2 · string 5 · fret 12
Chord names and stroke directions are visual guidance. Rhythm scoring measures attack timing.
Play one note at a time.
Tune first. Audio stays on this device.
Why this drill
A sweep is a single down stroke that falls through the strings, and it only sounds like an arpeggio if each note stops before the next one speaks. Played slowly, it teaches the rolling finger mute that separates the notes.