Latest articles by Jimmy Brown
11 alternate and open tunings every guitarist should know
From drop D to DADGAD and beyond, these essential tunings will help you approach your guitar in a different way, and as a result, level up your playing
Led Zeppelin's 50 greatest songs
An overview of the gems of the catalog of hard rock’s most innovative group, with a focus on the guitar playing, songwriting, and arranging genius of the quartet’s visionary founder
The best guitar songs of 2024 – as chosen by Guitar World editors and pro players
With the help of pals including Eric Gales and Vernon Reid, we run down the songs that lit up the guitar-o-sphere this year, including a remarkable hardcore breakthrough, a virtuoso collab for the ages and the prodigy that everyone’s talking about
The 25 greatest Allman Brothers Band songs
From Dickey Betts’ iconic instrumentals to the tracks that made ABB one of rock’s most revered jam groups, here are the best Allman Brothers Band cuts from across their catalog – and the stories behind them
The Beatles' 50 greatest guitar songs
Charting George Harrison, John Lennon and Paul McCartney's very best six-string moments from the Fab Four's sprawling catalog
How to play 5 Christmas songs on guitar – with tab and chords
In the spirit of the Axemas season, we’ve compiled a handful of solo guitar arrangements of popular Christmas songs, including Deck the Halls, Silent Night and Jingle Bells
How creating chains of dotted-eighth syncopations can revolutionize your rhythm playing
It's time to go against the grain with some tricky rhythmic phrasing
Shake up your rhythm playing with shifting 16th-note accents
This “rhythm-within-a-rhythm” approach can add dynamism to your playing
How 16th-note rests can shake up your rhythm guitar playing
This introduction will take you from the basics to more tricky syncopated rhythm lines
How to use a capo on guitar
Here are some tips for better intonation, and how to think of key when using a capo
Improve your rhythm playing with this guide to 16th notes, the roots of chug
Count in the next stage in your rhythm guitar evolution
How a capo can make 5 classic songs easier to play
From Eagles' Desperado to Aerosmith's Dream On: here's how a capo can make playing these hits simpler than ever
Bolster your rhythmic arsenal by learning how to cycle dotted-quarter syncopations
Learn a technique employed in songs like the Cars' Good Times Roll and David Bowie's Suffragette City
How to play slide guitar like the world's greatest players
Learn slide guitar in the style of Duane Allman, Ry Cooder, Rory Gallagher, Derek Trucks and more
How to build dramatic tension with dotted-quarter syncopations
Mastering rhythms within rhythms can make for much more interesting compositions
Accelerate your rhythmic understanding with this lesson on eighth-note syncopations
We break down a widely used rhythmic tool, and how bands like Black Sabbath, AC/DC and Deep Purple use the concept in their riffs
Sharpen up your theory with this primer on eighth notes and rests
Get to grips with the most widely used rhythm in popular music
How mastering the concept of rests and ties will make you a better musician
Your comprehension of this fundamental aspect of rhythmic notation is crucial if you're looking to write and read music
How to borrow chords from a parallel minor key and lend your songs a bittersweet edge
Learn a songwriting trick used by everyone from Eric Clapton to The Beatles
How to tune your guitar by ear
Train your ears with our guide to tuning a guitar for beginners - no tuner required
Beginner guitar: lock down your rhythm playing with this lesson in basic note durations
Everything you need to understand the concept of timing in popular music
Shake up your songwriting by borrowing chords from a parallel minor key
With examples of the technique employed in famous songs across different genres
How to tune your guitar to drop D tuning by ear
Don't have a tuner lying around? Fear not! Learn this all-powerful alternate tuning the easy way
