Latest articles by Jon Bishop
![Three funk guitar maestros [l-r]: Hamish Stuart of Average White Band crouches down to play his Telecaster; Nile Rodgers of Chic gives the audience some love; and Claydes Charles Smith of Kool and the King holds it down with sunglasses on in an archive B/W live shot.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JiG8AhR8Xa2U8sYe6rBRm7-840-80.jpg.webp)
The glitterball guitar heroes of ’70s funk were masters of rhythm guitar – and their techniques will make you a better player
Unpacking the techniques pioneered by the likes of Nile Rodgers, Hamish Stuart and Claydes Charles Smith
How Carmen Vandenberg’s signature approaches can elevate your riffs and solos
The Bones UK guitarist is a specialist in baritone licks, pitch-shifted leads, heavy fuzz riffing and all sorts of unorthodox techniques, and we've got a handful of ideas to help you steal her style
Philip Sayce channels the blues licks of the greats – and his masterclass will supercharge your pentatonic solos
The Canadian maestro is your instructor today, and for this lesson you're going to be digging deep for some Texas sizzle and red-hot pentatonic turnarounds
Instrumental guitar was pioneered by Link Wray, Les Paul and Hank Marvin – and they shaped the sound of every guitarist who followed
We pay tribute to the kings of twang with this electric masterclass in early rock ’n’ roll instrumental guitar
Open G minor chords: 5 shapes you need to know
Tuned D G D G Bb D, open G minor will give you a fresh perspective on the instrument, and with it new chord shapes to learn
Open C chords: 5 shapes you need to know
Used by the likes of the Goo Goo Dolls, Open C tuning is a simple way to find fresh chord voicings – here are 5 to get you started
10 licks that prove the acoustic guitar can handle anything from folk to metal
Become an acoustic polymath and be comfortable in any musical company with this lesson in styles spanning boygenius to Genesis
Open Csus2 chords: 5 shapes you need to know
With its low C tuning on your sixth string, open Csus2 is a powerful tuning, used to great effect by powerhouse acoustic folk players such as Martin Simpson
Open Gsus4 tuning chords: 5 chords you need to know
A must-learn tuning for folk acoustic styles, open Gsus4 makes for easy chords that sound amazing
Open Aadd9 tuning: 5 shapes you need to know
A favorite of Australian virtuoso Alan Gogoll, this tuning will expand your acoustic horizons and add a touch of magic to your chord voicings
Open G tuning chords: 5 shapes you need to know
Loved by the likes of Joni Mitchell and Keith Richards, open G makes a good tuning for bottleneck blues, and these chords are essential voicings for exploring its musical potential
Open D tuning chords: 5 shapes you need to know
A favorite of Mumford & Sons, open D tunes your guitar to DADF#AD and makes a great platform for fingerstyle blues excursions
DADGAD tuning chords: 5 shapes you need to know
Retuning your guitar can fuel your creativity, and when it comes to alternate tunings, DADGAD is a great place to start – especially on acoustic
What do the finest blues guitarists have in common? These are the technique secrets behind 30 of the most iconic players
Starting from ’50s electric blues pioneers, we're bending the blues scale into different shapes, with 30 licks taking us up to the present day as the art form continues to evolve and thrive
From boogie riffs to alternate tunings, here are 14 ways to play like Aerosmith’s Joe Perry
Simply unbutton your shirt, wear your guitar low, and walk this way for a masterclass the Aerosmith guitarist's signature style
Ardeshir Farah is a nylon-string acoustic wizard who fuses Iranian and Western music – and his techniques will expand your solos’ horizons
Farah is a player who will comfortably blow your mind – this lesson is for moderate/advanced players looking to up their alternate-picking game, scalar knowledge, and rhythmic subdivisions
Your whammy bar can also be an amazing slide, capable of all kinds of mind-bending soundscapes
Welcome to the Fabio Golfetti video masterclass, where you’re going to use your whammy bar like never before
The Beatles were pop trailblazers and studio experimentalists, but the Fab Four also had a heavier side
This lesson takes you into the three guitar styles of John Lennon, George Harrison and Paul McCartney, from electric 12-string work to slide solos
![Iconic Strat players: [L-R] Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Nile Rodgers, H.E.R., Mark Knopfler](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vp5uxsU7V2ncHPAsNUdT5A-840-80.jpg.webp)
These 15 pioneering Fender Stratocaster players made the model their own – learn their trailblazing approaches
Learn the signature styles of 15 Strat-wielding icons – including Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Nile Rodgers, H.E.R., Mark Knopfler and more
Technique, theory, taste and feel are the key ingredients in any guitar solo – work on these elements and you will play better, more expressive leads
There's no messing around with this tab and video lesson: it’s time to workshop some lead guitar ideas and get your solos spotlight-worthy
Steve Morse is the guitar virtuoso's virtuoso – and his technique masterclass will push your upper-fret bending and phrasing to the limit
The former Deep Purple guitar legend checks in with an exclusive track – and tab to help you play along
The turnaround is a cornerstone of any good blues or jazz solo – and YouTube guitar tutor royalty Tim Lerch will up your game with these must-learn licks
Your next jam session is about to get a whole lot classier with these jazz-inflected blues turnaround ideas
Gigging guitarists spend the majority of time playing rhythm, not lead – so here are 21 ways to improve your rhythm guitar chops
Chords, picking, strumming, riffs, single-note accompaniments, timing: you can never practice rhythm playing enough, and this boot camp will hone your skills in all sorts of styles
Philip Sayce is a modern blues-rock master – from daredevil overbends to tremolo picking with fingers, his licks will take your pentatonic soloing to a new level
Schooled in Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix, the Canadian Strat sage teaches you some of his most raucous licks in this exclusive lesson
