Sweep picking is one of the most coveted techniques on the guitar and has become surrounded with myth and legend. While it's true that it takes real dedication and a good deal of practice to completely master sweep picking, it's nowhere near as difficult to learn when you know the secrets behind it.

Imagine you're at a large gathering of people waiting for a band to come in and perform. The band cancels at the last minute leaving everyone disappointed and bored. The gathering needs some live music and you're the only person there who can play the guitar. An acoustic guitar is available but you have no songs ready and nothing prepared. Would you be able to entertain the audience and keep them engaged for an hour without preparations, without a repertoire, and nothing but an acoustic guitar?

From the beginner or intermediate standpoint, becoming a master seems like an impossible goal. As I've said on a few occasions, this is because it would take many lifetimes to achieve mastery if your progress continued at the same rate as it does when you first start out. However, since we know there are masters of the guitar, we can easily deduce that the rate of progress actually increases exponentially over time.

It's time to get out of the guitar playing rut. This is how to get the rut behind you and start having fun again. By guitar instructor Dan Mumm.

Practice method is one of the most critical aspects of mastering any instrument and, while people are reminded to practice often, there is never enough emphasis put on optimal practice technique. People tell you to practice but what they don't tell you is that if you aren't practicing correctly, practice can get you nothing but years of frustration.