Yngwie Malmsteen: You can't really call that sweep picking!”

As Yngwie Malmsteen released his album Tokyo Live in April 2025, he sat down for a discussion with Guitar Player contributor Jonathan Graham to discuss the album, his guitar history, his influences — snd why you can’t really call the technique behind his blazingly fast passages sweep picking. #yngwiemalmsteen #sweeppicking #neoclassicalmetal Visit GuitarPlayer.com for more. 00:00 – Coming Up… 00:23 – Yngwie Malmsteen Interview Start 00:37 – The Secret to a Great Live Record 02:13 – Most Challenging Song in Yngwie’s Set Right Now 04:04 – Recording “Now Your Ships Are Burned” 07:22 – Early Memories of Playing in Stockholm 09:10 – Eric Clapton Was Yngwie Malmsteen’s First Favourite Guitar Player 10:26 – Learning Classic Guitar Parts by Ear 14:31 – Yngwie on the First Time He Heard Himself Recorded 15:53 – The Importance of Recording Yourself Playing for Development 17:28 – Natural Talent vs. Hard Work 19:03 – Yngwie Doesn’t Sweep-Pick 20:38 – How Yngwie Visualises the Guitar Fretboard 22:59 – Yngwie Nearly Joined David Lee Roth’s Band, UFO, and KISS? 24:47 – Being Part of the G3 Tour 26:24 – Where’s the Duck? 27:53 – A Purely Classical Follow-up to ‘Inspiration’ / New Music on the Way