Guitar legend Yngwie Malmsteen has opened up about a common misconception regarding his technique, saying that what many fans call sweep picking in his playing is actually not sweep picking at all.
As one of the most influential guitarists of the 1980s, Malmsteen changed the electric guitar scene forever. At a time when it seemed like the instrument had been pushed to its limits, he joined a small group of pioneers — including Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, and Joe Satriani — to prove otherwise. His unique fusion of baroque music and rock not only shaped a new genre but continues to inspire guitarists today.
However, while many of his fast, fluid lead runs sound like textbook sweep picking, Malmsteen insists that this label is incorrect. Speaking with Guitar Player Magazine (transcribed by Ultimate Guitar), he explained that his technique is often misinterpreted.
“Well, it’s certainly not explanatory of it because sweep picking means like this [gesturing up and down strokes with the picking hand],” he said. “If there’s two downstrokes in a row, then one up and then down, up — like alternate. And then two down and two up, let’s say.
You can’t call that sweep picking. You could call it a lot. You could call it string skipping, or whatever.”
In essence, what Malmsteen does could be described as economy picking — a technique that blends alternate and directional picking — and occasionally includes two- or three-string sweeps. But to him, it’s not about the label. It’s simply a means to express the music he hears in his mind.
“You see, since I never really was taught, per se, I more or less invented my technique because I never heard anybody play what I wanted to hear in my head,” he added. “So, I didn’t think too much about this, as much as I thought about what it sounded like.”
Malmsteen’s approach to playing wasn’t grounded in music school methods or mimicry of other guitarists. Instead, it was rooted in personal exploration and an effort to give life to the musical phrases in his imagination.
He also clarified another common mix-up in guitar terminology — the difference between sweep picking and arpeggios. Many assume that sweep arpeggios and sweep picking are synonymous, but Yngwie begs to differ.
“But arpeggio, it’s not up and down,” he said. “And not always the same, too.”
In short, arpeggios refer to chords broken into individual notes, while sweep picking is a specific way of playing those notes — typically with a smooth, continuous motion across multiple strings. Not all arpeggios are played with sweep picking, and not all sweep-picked passages are strictly arpeggios.
Malmsteen’s comments highlight not just the complexity of his playing but also the importance of not reducing a unique musical voice to technical buzzwords. His technique is less about fitting into categories and more about pioneering his own musical language.
So the next time you listen to Yngwie shred through a blistering solo, remember: what you’re hearing isn’t sweep picking — it’s something original, something personal, and something that Malmsteen invented to turn his musical vision into reality.
