I always get frustrated when I hear someone talking about sweep arpeggios. Though there are plenty of licks and examples out there, no one has ever really broken down the mechanics of the technique. As a result, guitarists have had to figure them out by trial and error.

Here are licks that will clean up any guitarist’s picking technique and give them the control and accuracy to improve their ability to achieve the speed and fluidity they desire. Though there are exceptions to this rule, make sure the alternating pick strokes are accomplished with firm, yet relaxed grip of the pick and a rotation of the pick hand wrist similar to that of turning a key in a door.

Delta blues giant Robert Johnson (May 8, 1911–August 16, 1938) is one of the most fascinating and mysterious performers in music history. He created an essential body of blues guitar music, recording 29 songs in 1936 and 1937 that would exert a powerful influence on the likes of Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards, Johnny Winter and many others. In this edition of In Deep, we’ll examine the variety of picking techniques and tunings that Johnson used to craft his timeless, deeply emotional music.

As many readers begin to dig deeper into learning jazz guitar harmony and voicings, you will undoubtedly come across various 9th chords, Maj9, m9, 9 etc., in your jazz-guitar explorations. Since these chords pop up time and again, it is important to have a variety of 9th chords under your fingers so that you can bring them into your comping, chord melody and chord soloing ideas when needed.