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When you play maintaining a fixed picking direction (upward or downward), you are using a system called sweep picking. The huge popularity of this technique among guitarists comes from the fact that this type of picking gives the possibility to play large intervals between notes. This system, in many cases, increases the speed of execution, something of great interest for the users of six (or seven) string instruments.
Even though sweep picking often uses a vertical movement of the pick on the strings, it is necessary to evaluate which picking system you use, because there is an alter-ego of sweep picking, called continuous picking. Lets analyze the differences in the meaning of the two terms.

• Sweep picking is a vertical picking sequence of notes on three or more strings. You can therefore play more consecutive notes, each obviously on different strings, with the down picking (ex. 1) or with up picking (ex. 2), depending on the direction toward the high or low strings respectively.
• Continuous picking is used on two consecutive notes, on different strings (usually adjacent), played with the same type of picking, down (ex. 3) or up (ex. 4). The notes must be on different strings, otherwise we would have normal single string picking.

Initially, the exercises that we will see won't consider this difference, because the main purpose is to develop a good coordination between the fingers and the strings. Some of the exercises, being standards in the application of the sweep technique, you may have already seen. It should be noted that in many cases it is not possible to use exercises that are protected by copyright. In the possible case where material is similar, it is completely coincidental.
In the first exercises, the fingerings will be the same within each sequence, and will be transposed along the fretboard of the instrument. Work very slowly, possibly playing with the metronome at a speed of 60-70 bpm, then gradually increase as you build confidence with this technique.

Ex. #1

In this first exercise you will have to work on two strings using a down-down-up-up fixed picking sequence. Also the fingers of the left hand move along the fretboard, maintaining the same fingering. Pay attention to the fact that the notes must be one after the other. This means that the finger of the left hand, after the note on the string is played, is slightly lifted from that string, but without being completely removed, to stop its vibration. This rule always has to be followed, otherwise the notes will overlap each other, resulting in a messy, undistinguishable sound that loses the melodic character typical of single notes. A lot of practice using this system will give good results.
Play all the exercises up to the highest part of the fretboard.

Ex. #2

Now you should play the same sequence as above transporting onto the third and second string, maintaining the geometry of the previous exercise, and playing to the end of the fretboard.

At this point you can transport the system just analyzed to every pair of strings, using the entire fretboard. Remember, as usual, to play slowly, at least for the first few times, and use a metronome. The next exercises require a lot of extension on the strings, played in groups of three, four, five and six strings.

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