Jon Bishop

Jon Bishop

Jon Bishop is a UK-based guitarist and freelance musician, and a longtime contributor to Guitar Techniques and Total Guitar. He's a graduate of the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford and is touring and recording guitarist for British rock 'n' roll royalty Shakin’ Stevens.

Articles by: Jon Bishop

GTC365 Philip Sayce video masterclass

From “vicious” lines inspired by Stevie Ray Vaughan to ice-cold leads in the style of Albert Collins, Philip Sayce channels the blues licks of the greats – and his masterclass will supercharge your pentatonic solos

By Jon Bishop published

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

A black and white action shot of Link Wray behind dark sunglasses, bending a note on a Gibson SG and making it squeal

Long before shred took hold, instrumental electric guitar was pioneered by players like Link Wray, Les Paul and Hank Marvin – and their groundbreaking contributions shaped the sound of every guitarist who followed

By Jon Bishop published

We pay tribute to the kings of twang with this electric masterclass in early rock ’n’ roll instrumental guitar

John Renbourn performs on an acoustic guitar

Open G minor chords: 5 shapes you need to know

By Jon Bishop published

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

Arms outstretched, John Rzeznik of Goo Goo Dolls works the crowd with an Ibanez acoustic

Open C chords: 5 shapes you need to know

By Jon Bishop published

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

A close up of the body on a Art & Lutherie Roadhouse Tennessee Red acoustic guitar

The acoustic guitar is one of the world’s most versatile instruments – and these licks prove it can handle anything from folk to metal

By Jon Bishop published

Become an acoustic polymath and be comfortable in any musical company with this lesson in styles spanning boygenius to Genesis

Martin Simpson

Open Csus2 chords: 5 shapes you need to know

By Jon Bishop published

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

Molly Tuttle

Open Gsus4 tuning chords: 5 chords you need to know

By Jon Bishop published

A must-learn tuning for folk acoustic styles, open Gsus4 makes for easy chords that sound amazing

Alan Gogoll

Exhausted all the conventional open tunings? Try the adventurous Aadd9 tuning: here are 5 chord shapes you need to know

By Jon Bishop published

A favorite of Australian virtuoso Alan Gogoll, this tuning will expand your acoustic horizons and add a touch of magic to your chord voicings

Photo of ROLLING STONES and Keith RICHARDS, with the Rolling Stones, performing live onstage, playing Fender Telecaster guitar.

Open G tuning chords: 5 shapes you need to know

By Jon Bishop published

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

Marcus Mumford plays a Martin D-45, capo'd at the 7th fret

Open D tuning chords: 5 shapes you need to know

By Jon Bishop published

A favorite of Mumford & Sons, open D tunes your guitar to DADF#AD and makes a great platform for fingerstyle blues excursions

A black and white photo of Jimmy Page playing a Martin D-18 onstage, cigarette in his mouth

DADGAD tuning chords: 5 shapes you need to know

By Jon Bishop published

Retuning your guitar can fuel your creativity, and when it comes to alternate tunings, DADGAD is a great place to start – especially on acoustic

B.B. King wears a white suit and bends a note on his Gibson ES-355

What do the finest blues guitarists of the past 60 years have in common? From B.B. King to Eric Gales, these are the technique secrets behind 30 of the most iconic players

By Jon Bishop published

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

Joe Perry plays a Schecter doublecut electric guitar onstage in 2012

From boogie hooks to alternate tunings and experimental 10-string riffs, Joe Perry’s mastery of the fretboard is often taken for granted – here are 14 ways to incorporate his signature style into your own playing

By Jon Bishop published

Simply unbutton your shirt, wear your guitar low, and walk this way for a masterclass the Aerosmith guitarist's signature style

Ardeshir Farah

“Some of the phrases here are played at breakneck speed”: Grammy-winning virtuoso Ardeshir Farah is a nylon-string acoustic wizard who fuses Iranian and Western music – and his techniques will expand your solos’ horizons

By Jon Bishop published

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

Fabio Golfetti performing live on stage

Your whammy bar isn’t just for divebombs – it can also be an amazing slide, capable of all kinds of mind-bending soundscapes

By Jon Bishop published

Welcome to the Fabio Golfetti video masterclass, where you’re going to use your whammy bar like never before

The Beatles play Top of the Pops for the last time in 1966

The Beatles were pop trailblazers and studio experimentalists, but the Fab Four also had a heavier side – and it laid the groundwork for the rock revolution that followed

By Jon Bishop published

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

These 15 pioneering Fender Stratocaster players made the model their own – and learning their trailblazing approaches shows why the Strat is still one of the most versatile electric guitars

By Jon Bishop published

Learn the signature styles of 15 Strat-wielding icons – including Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Nile Rodgers, H.E.R., Mark Knopfler and more

Carlos Santana

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

By Jon Bishop published

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

Steve Morse is the guitar virtuoso's virtuoso – and his technique masterclass will push your upper-fret bending and phrasing to the limit

By Jon Bishop published

The former Deep Purple guitar legend checks in with an exclusive track – and tab to help you play along

Jazz guitarist Tim Lerch

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

By Jon Bishop published

Your next jam session is about to get a whole lot classier with these jazz-inflected blues turnaround ideas

Guitarist playing Stratocaster on grey background

Gigging guitarists spend the majority of time playing rhythm, not lead – so here are 21 ways to improve your rhythm guitar chops

By Jon Bishop published

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

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

By Jon Bishop published

Schooled in Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix, the Canadian Strat sage teaches you some of his most raucous licks in this exclusive lesson

Eric Clapton, Brian May, Jimi Hendrix

15 icons of electric guitar tone – and how they can inspire your playing

By Jon Bishop published

Go behind the players with some of the most legendary guitar sounds in history – and learn how you can steal their style and make it yours

Paul Gilbert

“Typical scale practice is downright damaging for expressive playing… That’s not how singers sing”: Paul Gilbert shows you how to make your guitar solos more vocal and expressive

By Jon Bishop published

In this exclusive video lesson, the legendary virtuoso treats you to a masterclass on transferring vocal phrases to the guitar

João Gilberto

Learn the vibrant guitar styles of bossa nova, tango and rumba with this lesson in South American rhythms

By Jon Bishop published

Expand your musical vocabulary with this guide to six of the most important South American guitar styles