Michael Angelo Batio talks about how he learned to sweep pick, and demonstrates what he developed in a video lesson from Guitar World.

Pretty cool to watch. Listening to Michael teach is almost hypnotic.

Now, if you're a beginner when it comes to sweep picking, I do NOT recommend learning Michael's lesson just yet. I would search for 3 string sweep picking shapes first.

CLICK HERE for an older lesson I did on 3 string sweep picking shapes.

If you can already do smaller sweeping shapes, like 3 string ones, then you'll be better prepared to tackle the 5 string shapes shown, by Mr. Batio, in this video:

CLICK HERE for the tabs accompanying this lesson.

Troy Grady taught me that I do two way pick slanting. I had no clue, after nearly 20 years of playing, that I did this technique.

I have never even HEARD of this technique.

I also did not know that fast scale runs, just straight up and down 3 notes per string patterns, was something a lot of people struggled with.

The two way pick slanting allows fast alternate picking and keeps you from having your pick get stuck in between any two strings. When we pick, we actually tend to have either an upward pick slant, or downward pick slant. (watch the video to see what that is)

So, if you are one of those people who struggle with playing fast scale runs with 3 notes per string, you may find this video helpful.

Now, the video is 30 minutes long, but it's very entertaining. If you want to skip ahead to the big revelation of two way pick slanting, where Troy Grady found this technique being implemented by Michael Angelo Batio in Speed Kills, it starts at about 12:30.

Without a doubt, Michael Angelo Batio is one of the best technically advanced guitarists there has ever been, and probably ever will be. 

The following is a video lesson taken from a DVD called Speed Kills where Batio teaches you picking techniques for speed and shredding. Highly recommended!

Shown in this excerpt are some alternate picking exercises. Alternate picking is a technique that must be learned in order to play fast and to shred. Why not learn from one of the fastest there ever was?