Why play sweep on the guitar?

Answer 1

Sweep picking is a technique that is popular in metal and progressive guitar playing that allows the lead guitarist to play runs such as arpeggios much faster than if they picked normally. It's largely viewed as a flashy technique and doesn't really have much place in many forms of music, but technically fast and/or complex genres such as speed metal and progressive rock lend themselves well to the effect that sweep picking gives. As with everything in music, it's all a matter of personal preference and taste. Contemporary Guitarists like Alexi Laiho of Children of Bodom and Herman Li of Dragonforce, as well as older guitarists like Yngwie Malmsteen, use sweep picking frequently.