Mastering Tapping and Sweep Picking: The Story Behind My Most Popular Guitar Instrumental 🎸

If you're passionate about tapping, sweep picking, and guitar instrumentals, you’re in the right place. Today, I’m diving into the backstory of my most beloved instrumental track, Instrumental Nr. 1—a song that started as a technical challenge and evolved into a fan favorite, even getting shared by Guitar World.

Not only will I break down the tapping techniques and sweep picking elements that make this song unique, but you can also download it for FREE—just keep reading to grab your copy!

How "Instrumental Nr. 1" Pushed My Tapping and Sweep Picking to the Next Level

Released on my YouTube channel in August 2013, Instrumental Nr. 1 quickly gained a following among guitarists who loved fast, expressive lead playing. Many asked me how to play it, and one fan even surprised me by tabbing it out!

But this song was never meant to be just a song—it was originally a guitar exercise to expand my own playing.

The Challenge: Breaking Out of My Comfort Zone

In 2012, while touring in the UK, I found myself feeling technically stagnant. My solos had become predictable—my tapping rarely went beyond two strings, and my sweep picking was mostly used as an introduction to lead lines.

That wasn’t enough for me.

I needed to push my own limits, so I set out to write something that forced me to go beyond where I was.

Tapping and Muting: A Major Technical Test

At its core, Instrumental Nr. 1 is a tapping, sweeping and muting challenge. The goal was to create something that explored as much of the fretboard as possible while maintaining clarity and precision.

Key Technical Challenges in This Song:

✅ Finger Strength & Muting: Unlike standard two-string tapping, I wanted to tap all over the fretboard. This meant I had to develop better muting techniques to control unwanted string noise and even finger strength.

✅ Tapping on Lower Strings: Just like pinch harmonics are easier in certain places, tapped notes don’t ring out as well on lower strings. This forced me to refine my left-hand control to make sure every note was articulate.

✅ Sweep Picking & Transitioning Between Techniques: While tapping was the song’s main focus, I wanted to incorporate sweep picking seamlessly into the composition, blending these techniques in a musical way.

It was one of the hardest things I had ever written for myself—but that’s what made it worth playing.

Recording the Song: Precision Under Pressure

After months of practicing the piece, I faced the next big challenge—recording it! 🎙️

Initially, I performed Instrumental Nr. 1 live, but the industry standard required studio-quality tracking. So, I borrowed a computer and used my home recording setup to capture the song as precisely as possible.

After countless takes and constructive feedback from my favorite engineer, I finally released it.

I had no idea it would become one of my most popular guitar instrumentals—but here we are!

The Key to Guitar Mastery: Pushing Your Limits

This song represents something important: Growth as a guitarist comes from pushing past your limits.

Many of my songs started as exercises—things I couldn’t yet play, but that forced me to evolve technically and creatively.

✅ If you’re looking to clean up your sweep picking, check out my full course Sweep Picking Secrets: The Virtuoso Formula for a step-by-step guide.

✅ If you want to hear Instrumental Nr. 1, I’m giving it away as a FREE download for a limited time! Just click here to grab your copy.

🎸 Creativity leads the way. Technique will follow. Keep challenging yourself, and you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish!

🔥 What’s the hardest tapping or sweep picking challenge you’ve ever tackled?🎶