George Benson's "Sweep and Slide" Arpeggio Shape: How He Plays Fast Lines
Oct 30, 2026Short answer: George Benson's "sweep and slide" shape is a four-note arpeggio that you sweep across the strings, then slide the last note down a half step. Over G7(♭9), for example, play a B diminished arpeggio (B D F A♭) and slide the A♭ down to G. Benson uses it over dominant, minor, minor 7♭5 and major chords, and a favorite way out of it is four descending chromatic notes on the next string into the resolution. It's easy to play fast because the sweeps and the even number of notes per string keep the picking hand smooth.
I play three of these ideas at the start of the video. What they have in common is something I'm calling the sweep and slide arpeggio shape. ▶ 0:11
What is the sweep and slide shape?
Take an arpeggio, sweep through it, then slide the last note down a half step. ▶ 0:44
I came across it while transcribing a bunch of Benson solos for the master study series I'm doing on him. On all kinds of chords (dominant 7, minor 7, minor 7♭5) Benson keeps using this shape to play fast ideas. Once I started applying it, it was very simple to add to my playing. ▶ 1:04
Over a dominant chord: the diminished version
Play it as if the chord is G7♭9 (or G7alt). Start on B, the 3rd, and play a diminished arpeggio: B D F A♭, then slide down to G. All of those notes are in G7♭9. ▶ 1:27
Because it's a diminished arpeggio, you can move it in minor 3rds and the notes stay the same. That gives you four starting points over the same G7 from one shape: ▶ 1:58
| Start on | Arpeggio |
|---|---|
| B | B D F A♭ |
| A♭ | A♭ B D F |
| F | F A♭ B D |
| D | D F A♭ B |
Some of them I play as triplets, some as eighth notes; that depends on what else you're improvising. ▶ 2:42
Over a ii-V-I in E♭: F-7, B♭7, E♭Maj.7
The shape isn't only for diminished or 7♭9 chords. Here it is over a short ii-V going to E♭: F-7, B♭7, E♭Maj.7. ▶ 3:15
| Version | The line | Lands on |
|---|---|---|
| Pivot from the 3rd | A♭, then C E♭ G (sweep), slide G down to G♭, then F E E♭ | D |
| Pivot from the root | F, then A♭ C E♭ (sweep), slide E♭ down to D, then D♭ C B | B♭, the 5th of E♭ |
| No pivot | Low F A♭ C E♭ (the start of an F-7 arpeggio), slide to D, then D♭ C B | B♭ |
In the first version, you pivot from A♭ to C, sweep, and slide down. One way Benson loves to get out of the idea is four consecutive chromatic notes on the next string. It's a great resolution to E♭ major, it sounds cool, and it's simple to play fast: the sweeps and the even number of notes per string keep everything comfortable for the right hand. ▶ 3:27
The second version is a slightly different left-hand shape but the same concept: start on F, the root of the minor chord, sweep up like an A♭ triad, slide down to D, then the chromatic notes, ending on the 5th of E♭. You've heard Benson do that a million times. You can also slide into the F with your pinky if you want to add some attitude. ▶ 4:02
The third version skips the pivot and just starts like an F-7 arpeggio. ▶ 4:57
Fingering
In that no-pivot shape I don't use my pinky: I stretch with my ring finger, shift, and reach. If you use the pinky, you'd probably slide with your middle finger, and that's a harder reach. Slide with your index finger and it's much easier. You can bring the pinky back in if it's comfortable for you. ▶ 5:22
When the same idea starts on the higher F, the pinky is actually more comfortable, because the string set changes. ▶ 6:03
Over a major chord: think relative minor
To use it over a major chord, translate the major chord into its relative minor. Instead of E♭ major, think C minor, and play the same shapes. ▶ 6:03
| Starting note | The line over E♭Maj.7 | Lands on |
|---|---|---|
| E♭ (3rd of C minor, root of E♭) | E♭ G B♭ D, slide to D♭, then C B A | B♭, the 5th |
| C, high (root of C minor) | C E♭ G B♭, slide to A, then A♭ F F♯ | G, the 3rd |
| C, low (no pivot) | C E♭ G B♭, slide to A, then A♭ F F♯ | G, the 3rd |
You do have to change the ending. Going all the way down from the E♭ start could work if you want an E♭Maj.7♯11 sound, but on this one I change the order of the last four notes to enclose B♭ and end on the 5th. ▶ 6:42 From the C start, going straight down would end on F, which could be nice as the 9th, but if you want a chord tone, use another enclosure into G, the 3rd of E♭ major. ▶ 7:27
That's true of any lick you learn: the last little bit, where you resolve, is the part you need to get comfortable adjusting. And that means knowing your chord tones over the harmony. ▶ 6:42
Over a minor ii-V: D-7♭5, G7, C-7
Now take the diminished sweep and slide from the G7 section and work it into a minor ii-V going to C minor, the kind you'd use on a tune like Blue Bossa. Treat the whole start of the ii-V as the sweep and slide, then follow it with four descending chromatic notes, and you end on E♭, the 3rd of C minor. ▶ 8:20
- Starting on A♭ (the same diminished arpeggio, moved down a minor 3rd), it still works, because you end on C, the root of C minor. ▶ 8:58
- Starting on F, you'd end on A, which doesn't fit C minor as well. One option is to slide from D up into E♭. I'm just looking for chord tones I like. ▶ 9:19
- A D-7♭5 version: play D F A♭ C (D-7♭5) instead of D F A♭ B, slide the C down to B, then play two notes per string, A♭ G F E♭, to end on the 3rd of C minor. ▶ 9:53
Why the fingering matters
Going from slow straight into fast sounds crazy, but how you play and pick these shapes really does matter for unlocking speed. If I did this the wrong way, it would be hard to play fast. Doing it the way Benson figured out, it instantly clicks. Some of that is muscle memory and experience, but most of the benefit comes from doing it with the right fingering, and there are a lot of wrong ways to do it on guitar. ▶ 10:20
Where these lines come from: the Jazz Lines Palette
All of these lines come from my Jazz Lines Palette for George Benson, a framework I got from a Corey Christiansen masterclass we did inside Chase's Guitar Academy. You identify an artist's five best lines in each of seven categories: ▶ 10:52
| Category | Lines |
|---|---|
| Major | 5 |
| Minor | 5 |
| Dominant | 5 |
| Long ii-V | 5 |
| Short ii-V | 5 |
| Long minor ii-V | 5 |
| Short minor ii-V | 5 |
| Total | 35 |
Those 35 lines really define how an artist plays, and they give you a great picture of how that artist approaches jazz harmony. ▶ 11:08
At the end of the video I play a Blue Bossa solo study that uses these ideas, so you can practice the concepts as real jazz language. Listen for the sweep and slides. ▶ 12:12
Frequently asked questions
What is George Benson's sweep and slide arpeggio?
It's a four-note arpeggio swept across the strings, with the last note slid down a half step. Over G7♭9, for example, it's B D F A♭ with the A♭ sliding down to G. Benson uses it over dominant, minor, minor 7♭5 and major chords.
How does George Benson play fast arpeggio lines?
Much of it comes from shapes that are easy to pick: sweeps, plus an even number of notes per string, which keeps the picking hand smooth. A common Benson finish after the sweep and slide is four descending chromatic notes on the next string.
How do I use the sweep and slide over a major 7 chord?
Think of the relative minor (C minor for E♭ major) and play the minor-chord shapes, then adjust the last few notes so you land on a chord tone, like an enclosure into the 5th (B♭) or the 3rd (G).
Can I move the diminished version around the neck?
Yes. A diminished arpeggio repeats every minor 3rd, so B D F A♭ can start on B, A♭, F or D and still fit G7♭9. Just check where each version resolves.
Which finger should I slide with?
In the shape I use over F-7, slide with your index finger. Sliding with the middle finger (when you use the pinky) makes the reach harder. Use the pinky when the string set makes it more comfortable.
Keep learning
- How to play fast arpeggios like George Benson: triplet rhythms, linked arpeggios and his two-note-per-string shapes
- George Benson's two-chord approach: why one shape works over a minor chord and its relative major
- How to play like George Benson: his techniques, explained: the full map of Benson's techniques, with a lesson for each
Go deeper
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The George Benson Jazz Lines Palette, his 35 best lines, is inside Chase's Guitar Academy, along with the rest of the George Benson Master Study. You can try it free for seven days.
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Chase Maddox is a jazz guitarist and educator in Miami and the founder of Chase's Guitar Academy. George Benson has called him "an amazing instructor." More free lessons are on his YouTube channel.
