Steve's Sweep

[budt]

On closer inspection, its even more ingenious than one would think. Steve "invented" a way to play extended harmony all over the neck with just one grip, sweeping and leading with the pinky. Once you know the secret, you can play extended harmony (in any key) without even knowing the theory!

I'm glad someone has explained this to me. It makes so much sense! And of course makes me realise how brilliant Steve actually is.

I only stumbled upon it because I was working on Zoot Allures (which is a little different), myself. And Steve had transcribed Big Trouble, himself and showed his exact fingering. Then I was working on some sweeps in other solos and the light bulb went off.

And like you all have noticed, he uses it a lot. Its often transcribed/tabbed wrong when it comes up. Any time you are working on a Vai solo and hit a sweep section see if this fits. Once you know the tonic, that is ...

Here is how I made the leap from minor to major:

All E minor positions are relative to G major:

------2-5---------7-10-------9--12------14-17------19-22--
------3-----------8-----------10----------15----------20------
------4-----------9-----------11----------16----------21------
------2-----------7-----------9-----------14----------19------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Note how the first two positions are utilized to transpose, for this example. Sweep a brief G major triad into a fragment of Steve’s idea and end with whammy bar madness:

“Big Trouble” outro lick in G major:

----------2---5---10---7----------10-10-(wb)---------
---------3---------------8----10(b)---10-(wb)--------
--------4-----------------9------------------------------
---0---2-------------------7-----------------------------
--2-------------------------------------------------------
-3--------------------------------------------------------

Of course, just shift it up for proper key:

“Big Trouble” outro lick in E major:

--------------11---14---19--16----------19--19-(wb)----
------------12-----------------17-----19(b)--19-(wb)--
----------13--------------------18------------------------
----9---11------------------------16----------------------
--11-------------------------------------------------------
-12--------------------------------------------------------

[ibzguitarist]

budt, do you specialize in music theory? I don't seem to understand a thing.

[budt]

budt, do you specialize in music theory? I don't seem to understand a thing.

No. As far as music theory goes, intermediate at best.

Now let me complete my thought and we can retire this thread to posterity:

Recap: Steve "invented" a way to play extended harmony all over the neck with just one grip, sweeping through the grips and shifting positions with the pinky (or index). These aren’t chord voicings that anyone would necessarily choose, they just fit the grip when you use it in the right positions.

Example in E minor:

(.......…… “Em9”.……..…...........…… “Em11” … “Em13”…………….……………….)

-----------------2-----5--sl--10-----7------------------9-----12--sl--17—12-h-17-p-12-------
---------------3------------------------8-------------10--------------------------------------------
-------------4----------------------------9---------11----------------------------------------------
----0--h--2--------------------------------7--sl--9-------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-0-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0-



( ……….... “Em9”.…….……..........…. “Em11” ..…. “Em9”…………............…. “Em13” ……)

-------------------14---17-sl-22---19----------------------14---17-sl-12---9-------------------
-----------------15---------------------20----------------15-------------------10----------------
--------------16----------------------------21----------16------------------------11---11-------
----12-sl-14----------------------------------19-sl-14------------------------------9-----9--v--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-0--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

…….….......^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^…………………………………………
…….…...... (This section can be repeated at will) ………………………………………..

Sometimes transcribers/tabbers don't pick up on it cause Steve might sweep through a grip before the other fingers land, and then you just hear the note(s) barred by the index finger. But the grip is the intent.

[Devon8822]

[/quote]----------8-11---------------
--------9------------------
-----10---------------------
---8-----------------------
--------------------------
--------------------------

Still nobody has said what arpeggio this is?

[Bakerman]

With lowest note as the root it's an 11sus (you might see it labeled 9sus or 7sus2-4 as well), Bb11sus there.

You could also say it's the minor pentatonic scale (m7(11) arpeggio) of the 3rd string note, or the major pentatonic scale (6/9 arpeggio) of 2nd string note. That way, if you know which pentatonics work in a certain key/mode, you can think about the notes on just 1 string to find where this pattern fits the key. If it's a mode of the major scale, you don't have to think any further than which minor or major chords fit, the added 7th and 11th (for minor chords, locating root on 3rd string) or 6th & 9th (for major chords, locating root on 2nd string) will be in key.

[budt]

My point was in the way Steve uses it. Here is your example in Bbm. Every grip has the same fingering. The trick is in where to put them. There is a pattern here that you could apply to any tonic, and then sweep and slide to your heart’s content, as it becomes part of your muscle motor memory.

Bbm minor positions:
(all Bb’s boldfaced)

----1-4-----3-6------8-11---13-16---15-18-----
----2-------4---------9-------14-------16---------
----3-------5--------10------15-------17---------
----1-------3---------8-------13-------15---------
-----------------------------------------------------
------------------(6)--------------------------(18)-

The secret pops out at you when you analyze every grip as if has a Bb root. Every one of them has a root, a 5th, and an 11th. Note how there are three grips in a one-octave span (in this example, 6th to 18th fret). So the root, 5th, and 11th show up three times. The 7th and 9th show up twice, the 3rd and 13th only once. And you get this extended harmony sound in a very convenient way.

[Satriani_is_god]

Yes he does

[Devon8822]

Could someone tell me the notes that it contains? that will help me understand it better... so like, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, etc... thats not right what i just said, but an example. what is this arpeggio comprised of? thanks

[budt]

Could someone tell me the notes that it contains? that will help me understand it better... so like, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, etc... thats not right what i just said, but an example. what is this arpeggio comprised of? thanks

Here are the three grips in a one-octave span (6th - 18th fret) in Bb minor.
Analyze each grip as if Bb is the root:

------8-11---C-Eb-----9th—11th--
------9-------Ab-------7th----------
-----10-------F--------5th----------
------8-------Bb------root--------
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------


-----13-16----F-Ab------5th—7th--
-----14-------Db--------m3rd-------
-----15-------Bb-------root--------
-----13-------Eb--------11th--------
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------

-----15-18---G--Bb--“13th”—root-
-----16-------Eb-------11th---------
-----17-------C---------9th----------
-----15-------F---------5th----------
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------


Bb minor – Bb C Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db Eb F Gb Ab
Note – The 6th (Gb) is raised to G natural for the “13th”.

You get this extended harmony sound by sweeping through the grips and sliding from one to another. The fact that each grip has the same "shape" - or fingering - is what makes it really convenient. You just have to know where to put them - in this example (see D string - the index finger is used as a barre) they go on the 8th, 13th, and 15th frets. The pattern of course, transposes to all keys.

[theollieb]

This is like how all harmonic shredders use
17-13------------13-17
--------15----15--------
------------14-----------
-------------------------
-------------------------
-------------------------
and

-15-12---------------
--------13-----------
-----------12---------
--------------14-------
------------------15-12

Lol the only two sweeps I can play while sounding good.