Lessons

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Cannibal Corpse guitarist Erik Rutan playing in his home studio

The brutal shred-fest that has quietly become one of our biggest playthrough videos

By Scott Rowley published

Four years ago, we published this video of Erik Rutan. It's since become one of our most-watched videos

Musical Tips & Advice
Joe Bonamassa [left] hits a high note on his 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard. He wears a dark suit and shades. On the right, Rory Gallagher is pictured at the 1975 Reading Festival, and solos on his number one Strat.

Joe Bonamassa explains the slide guitar genius of his hero and icon, Rory Gallagher

By Joe Bonamassa published

In this tab and video lesson, Joe dons a metal guitar slide and unpacks the late Irish blues legend's glissando magic

Artist Lessons
Cory Wong and the Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay II

Cory Wong on collaboration and how to stack and blend guitar parts that complement the song

By Cory Wong published

Looking for the perfect part to play with another guitarist? Wong says it's all about finding the compositional "hook" – and he has some practical examples to show us

Artist Lessons
Cut-out black and white images of T-Bone Walker and B.B. King on a purple and blue background. Text reads 'Bl-azz?! Where blues meets jazz.'

Bend it like B.B.: What you can learn from these 6 blues and jazz guitar greats

By Alex Farran published

Bends, embellishments, arpeggios and more – from Charlie Christian to BB King and George Benson, how to unlock the genius of the jazz and blues icons

Techniques
Erja Lyytinen

Erja Lyytinen shares her 6 go-to slide licks for unlocking more expressive soloing

By Jon Bishop published

She wowed Sonny Landreth and Carlos Santana called her the “future” – Erja Lyytinen shares her 6 go-to slide licks for unlocking more expressive soloing

Techniques
John Sykes hits a note and feels it under a blue stage light, as he plays his Les Paul Custom onstage with Thin Lizzy.

“The passion of Gary Moore with riffs inspired by Zeppelin”: The searing lead guitar of ’80s rock’s great journeyman

By Richard Barrett published

Exploring the lead guitar style of John Sykes, a player who – like Page, Blackmore, and Moore – balanced flair with power

Artist Lessons
Pro Tips

How to get better at guitar – 10 proven ways to improve your playing fast

By Dre DiMura published

These small details can separate an amateur-sounding guitarist from a professional one

Techniques
Jazz guitar legend Wes Montgomery plays his Gibson hollowbody on a dimly lit stage. He wears a black suit. Montgomery is exactly the kind of guitarist that gets sampled for lo-fi tracks.

5 lo-fi guitar chords to add to your progressions

By Richard Barrett published

These chord voices are so cool they're worth the stretch

Chords
Johnny Marr

Unlocking the power of 7th chords: expand your guitar chords beyond the basics

By Stuart Ryan published

From The Doobie Brothers to The Smiths, James Brown to Metallica, 7th barre chords are fundamental for playing with more color and sophistication

Chords
Molly Tuttle plays a sunburst dreadnought onstage and wears a pink sparkly dress as she performs at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

How to weave crosspicking and Carter picking into your acoustic guitar playing

By Richard Barrett published

In this lesson inspired by Molly Tuttle, Trey Hensley and the O.G. of acoustic folk playing Maybelle Carter, we'll make one guitar sound like two with arrangements alive with rhythm and melody

Lessons
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