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sweep picking

A guitar technique used for playing fast arpeggios. One note per string is fretted by the left hand, while the right hand sweeps down/up on the strings in one motion. More than one string cannot ring simultaneously or it will become a chord/whatever.

The difficult part of sweep picking lies within getting your left hand to fret the notes in sync with the right hand's sweeping.
Artists that commonly use sweep picking include Yngwie Malmsteen, Paul Gilbert, and Alexi Laiho
by bryan18 September 20, 2005
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Sweeping Picking

The act of cherry-picking evidence from across a wide range of sources, but only selecting those singular examples that appear to support a broad, universal conclusion, thereby creating the illusion of comprehensive research. It’s a scatter-shot form of confirmation bias that uses geographic or categorical breadth to disguise its selective depth.
Example: "Her case for 'global cultural decline' was built on sweeping picking: one rude tourist in Paris, a viral video of a fight in Bangkok, and a canceled art show in New York. She'd swept the globe for anecdotes, carefully picking only the ones that fit her pre-written thesis of doom."
by AbzuInExile January 31, 2026
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