Arpeggios are where SWYBRYD technique really comes into its own. The combination of picked notes, hybrid-plucked notes, and sweeps lets you cover an arpeggio shape in a way that is both faster and more musical than pure sweep picking or pure alternate picking alone. This lesson walks you through a structured approach to building that blend into an A major arpeggio shape.
What you’ll get out of this lesson: A step-by-step method for integrating hybrid plucking into an ascending arpeggio, starting with one finger and gradually adding more until the pick can sweep its way back down from the top. Apply the same approach to all the arpeggio shapes you already use.
The A major shape and the basic motion
The exercise uses an A major arpeggio shape starting with the pinky on the 12th fret of the A string. The ascending notes are: 12 on the A, 11 on the D, 9 on the G, 10 on the B, 9 on the high E — with a hammer-on to 12 on the high E at the top. Coming back down, re-pluck the high E with an upstroke, pull off, and descend back through the shape to the low A. The shape itself is an open C-type form moved up the neck.
Building up the hybrid picking — one finger at a time
The key principle Marshall Harrison uses is to start with the pick doing most of the work ascending, then gradually replace picked notes with plucked fingers as confidence builds. The progression is:
- Step 1: Down, down, down, down ascending — then use only the middle finger to pluck the high E at the top. Hammer on to 12, then sweep back down.
- Step 2: Add a second finger. When you reach the B string, pluck with the middle finger. When you reach the high E, pluck with the ring finger. Hammer on to 12, sweep back.
- Step 3: Add a third finger. Now only two down strokes with the pick are needed for the ascending part — the top three strings are all plucked.
You can also reduce the exercise to just the top four strings starting on the 11th fret of the D string if the full shape feels like too much at once.
Starting off with one plucked note on the top string, then going to two plucked notes on the top two strings, three plucked notes on the top three strings — you’re adding in a new finger each time, and getting used to jumping that pick over.
Getting the pick jump right
As more fingers take over the ascending notes, the pick has to jump further to sweep back down from the top of the arpeggio. This jump is the technical challenge of the exercise. Practise it slowly enough that the pick lands cleanly on the right string every time. The sweep back down should be smooth and even — not rushed after a hesitant jump.
Taking it further: Once this approach is comfortable on the A major shape, apply it to all your existing arpeggio shapes — minor, dominant 7th, minor 7th, diminished. The framework (ascending with hybrid fingers, sweeping back down) is the same regardless of the arpeggio quality. You can also try starting with the fingers on different strings each time to build flexibility.
Your homework: Take this A major shape and work through all three steps this week. Spend at least five minutes on each step before moving to the next. By the end of the week, aim to be comfortable with the full three-finger ascending version at a tempo where the sweep back down is clean and even. Then pick one other arpeggio shape from your existing repertoire and begin the same process.