For an arpeggio shape to work well, it should have only one note per string. There are some exceptions to this, but for now you'll work on some simple shapes that contain only one note per string.

For major arpeggios, the shapes with roots on the fifth string work well for this purpose. The B-Major arpeggio example in FIGURE 12-10 will get you started. Notice on the musical notation where the pick turns around at the top of the lick. The down picks look like a staple, while the up picks resemble a V.

To make the previous example minor, lower the third (D) to D, and you come up with FIGURE 12-11.

To extend the range of licks you can sweep, you need to add more than one note to a string. This is done with a hammer-on. Look at the example in FIGURE 12-12 of an A-minor arpeggio.

Notice that you added a hammer-on to the fifth and first string. This causes a slight delay in the picking motion. You don't exactly have one finger to a pick stroke anymore. You have to wait for the hammer-on to complete before you pick. Thankfully, the hammer-ons occur quickly, and it doesn't take much to get used to the slight delay.

You can apply sweeping to any of the arpeggios in Chapter 9. You can even create your own. Sweeping doesn't have to be limited to just arpeggios, you can sweep any notes that fall on consecutive strings.

Want to try combining these new extended techniques? For FIGURE 12-13 you'll use a C-minor arpeggio with a hammer-on at the top of the lick, and a tap to extend the lick even further. This lick is definitely not for the faint of heart, but if you're up for a challenge you'll find it here.

The really tricky part of this lick is the tap; the sweep by itself doesn't present any real problems. The tap requires that, after you get to the top of the lick, you move your picking hand to the neck, tap quickly, and then return to pick the rest of the sweep. It's a difficult move, but if you practice this slowly enough, you can master it and impress your friends.