“Sweet Chords” are first-position chords that have in common the notes D and G (fret 3) on the two high strings. These chords tie together well because of the commonality of the two pedal tones on top. They’re also considerably easier than normal first-position chords to switch between because the switches involve only the first and second fingers.
If you’re familiar with the song WONDERWALL by Oasis you’ve heard these chords in action.
Examples of Sweet Chords:
Sweet G E-3 A-2 D-0 G-0 B-3 E-3
Sweet C E-X A-3 D-2 G-0 B-3 E-3
Sweet D E-X A-0 D-0 G-2 B-3 E-3
Sweet Em E-0 A-2 D-2 G-0 B-3 E-3
Sweet A E-X A-0 D-2 G-0 B-3 E-3
In the course of work that I do with special needs students who have limited hand motion I’ve developed an open tuning that I call Sweet Tuning. This tuning is normal on the E, A, D and G strings while providing the constant notes for Sweet Chords on the B and E strings as part of the tuning.
As a result, chord changes in this tuning require only the first two fingers on the fretting hand. This makes them perfect for beginner guitarists because they can achieve fairly complex chord sounds with a minimum of effort.
Because you’re likely to break the B and E strings trying to tune them up a full minor third, this tuning requires tuning the E, A, D and G strings down a whole step. Then the B and high E strings are tuned up one half step, as shown below:
Normal Tuning Sweet Tuning
E down 1 whole step D
A down 1 whole step G
D down 1 whole step C
G down 1 whole step F
B up 1 half-step C
E up 1 half-step F
The final step is to capo on fret 2, which returns the tonality to the key of E.
This is a fun tuning to play around with. Start with the chords shown below and take off from there.
Sweet G E-3 A-2 D-0 G-0
Sweet C E-X A-3 D-2 G-0
Sweet D E-X A-0 D-0 G-2
Sweet Em E-0 A-2 D-2 G-0
Sweet A E-X A-0 D-2 G-0
[photo: Sloanpix]
Most open tunings call for the re-tuning of the existing strings on the guitar to notes other than the standard E A D G B E. “High stringing” calls for a different approach—the notes of the strings stay the same, but the bottom four strings are replaced with strings that are one octave higher than usual. This tuning is also commonly known as “Nashville tuning”.
Fingerpicking can open a world of new possibilities for your playing. It allows you to break chords down to their individual notes and then deliver the notes in varying order with rhythm and syncopation. You can create intricate patterns, delicate or driving, that are captivating to listeners. I still remember being blown away by the talent of my 10-year-old friend Howie Hoffman at summer camp who could fingerpick lightning-fast patterns on his banjo. Here was a kid my own age who could wail! He immediately became a major inspiration behind my own desire to be a good player.
As a musician, it’s critical to play in time and not drift off the beat by rushing or dragging. But, that said, there are times when you can purposely use rushing or dragging to your advantage.
The term “playing legato” on guitar refers to playing long, continuous runs using a combination of hammer-ons and pull-offs to create a smooth stream of connected notes. For most guitarists I’ve met, the hammer-ons come naturally and easily. A good hammer-on is played by picking the first note and then attacking the following notes by hitting the string with your fingertips with some velocity and then holding the string down to sustain each of the notes for as long as you want.
Practicing with a metronome is the long-established method for learning to keep solid time. Playing scales and chord progressions with the metronome forces you to recognize any tendency you might have to speed up or slow down while you’re playing and helps you correct it. Metronome practice also allows you to gradually and effectively improve the speed of all your techniques.
For those about to jam, we salute you.
I recently wrote a post listing the 
Picks that are not flexible are widely considered to be the best for fast picking and speed riffs because the tip of the pick is always exactly where you expect it to be as opposed to thinner picks whose tips drift from side to side as they move through the strings. 
Okay, I’m the first to admit it—many of the greatest rock guitarists used long straps that positioned their instruments somewhere just above their knees and played with their arms extended straight downwards in ape-like fashion. Think Slash, Keith Richards, Chuck Berry. And that’s why many of the current generation of rockers follow that example. It’s iconic and it looks cool. But, it creates a lot of technical problems.