Articles by: Richard Barrett

Richard Barrett

As well as a longtime contributor to Guitarist and Guitar Techniques, Richard is Tony Hadley’s longstanding guitarist, and has worked with everyone from Roger Daltrey to Ronan Keating.

Articles by: Richard Barrett

Shake up your progressions with 5 chords that are neither major nor minor

By Richard Barrett published 18 January 22

How using the Hendrix chord and the sus chords favoured by Andy Summers can add intrigue and options for your songwriting

How to break out of the pentatonic box with your solos

By Richard Barrett published 11 January 22

Let linear patterns unlock the fretboard and take you out of your comfort zone

Expand your chord knowledge with these easy three-note Gypsy jazz voicings

By Richard Barrett published 7 January 22

Inspired by Django Reinhardt's ingenuity, we break down five simple three-note Gypsy jazz chords

How to play like Gary Moore – the rock and fusion years

By Richard Barrett published 15 December 21

Learn Gary Moore's style and technique from the mid 1970s through to the late '80s with these licks and soloing examples

How to combine rhythm and lead in a blues guitar solo

By Richard Barrett published 15 November 21

Add variety to your blues playing by bringing the two disciplines together in the vein of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix

How to play vocal guitar solos in the style of John Mayer and Eric Clapton

By Richard Barrett published 5 November 21

A lesson in vintage '80s blues guitar, when guitars were pink, shoulder pads were big, and the melodies bigger still

How to go beyond pentatonics in a blues guitar solo

By Richard Barrett published 8 October 21

Thanks to John Mayer, Journeyman-era Eric Clapton is having a moment, and this lesson lets you climb into that '80s vocal blues guitar style

How to play blues like Ritchie Blackmore

By Richard Barrett published 6 August 21

This solo workout goes deep into Deep Purple MkII-era Blackmore and unpacks his electric blues style in detail

Learn 5 of Alex Lifeson's iconic open-string chords

By Richard Barrett published 22 July 21

How the Rush legend’s pioneering approach can help you achieve wider, fuller sounds

Get gig-ready with these 10 essential guitar warm-up techniques

By Richard Barrett published 25 June 21

Looking forward to hitting the stage again after an enforced time off? Here are some exercises to get your chops back up

How omitting the 5th in chords can open doors to a much wider musical vocabulary

By Richard Barrett published 11 June 21

A little chord theory can go a long way with new voicings freshening your approach to rhythm guitar

Learn the secrets of the blues-rock masters in 4 lessons

By Richard Barrett published 28 May 21

Turn up the volume for this practical lesson in how blues guitar evolved into rock, via Eric Clapton, Angus Young, Gary Moore and Eddie Van Halen

How to play old-school blues

By Richard Barrett published 22 April 21

Learn some six-string rhythms in the style of blues heavyweights Howlin' Wolf and Hubert Sumlin

4 guitar tricks you can learn from Jeff Beck

By Richard Barrett published 15 February 21

Taking a closer look at Beck's Les Paul era, during the '60s British Invasion

4 guitar tricks you can learn from Rory Gallagher

By Richard Barrett published 13 January 21

Touch and feel is everything when trying to master the late Irish blues-rock maestro's style

4 guitar tricks you can learn from Gary Clark Jr.

By Richard Barrett published 24 December 20

Throwing some curveballs in among old-school John Lee Hooker callbacks, Clark's style is fresh, vital and liberating

4 guitar tricks you can learn from Jimmy Page

By Richard Barrett published 22 December 20

With Led Zeppelin, Page drew from all quarters of the musical landscape, but his exhilarating style was rooted in the blues

How to play acoustic guitar like Eric Clapton

By Richard Barrett published 18 December 20

The impossible dream? Maybe, but this primer in Slowhand's style will set you on your way

How to play acoustic guitar like Jimmy Page

By Richard Barrett published 8 December 20

Master the Led Zeppelin guitarist's melodic folk and dissonant style using open tunings and a variety of picking techniques

4 guitar tricks you can learn from Paul Kossoff

By Richard Barrett published 10 November 20

Get familiar with the phrasing and soloing approaches of the prodigiously talented Free guitarist

Man playing Gibson ES-335 electric guitar

How to get the most out of four-note blues solos

By Richard Barrett published 17 September 20

Because the best blues players know that less is more...

5 guitar tricks you can learn from Peter Green

By Richard Barrett published 21 August 20

You might never be able to wield Greeny yourself, but you can still learn the nuances of the blues legend's playing...

4 ways to make a bold statement in a guitar solo

By Richard Barrett published 20 August 20

Add a little intensity to your blues soloing game

Dial your solos up to epic levels with this '80s rock ballad lesson

By Richard Barrett published 14 August 20

Achieve those stadium-shattering leads with this easy-to-follow primer

How to spell out chords and harmony when soloing

By Richard Barrett published 4 August 20

This essential blues lesson is fundamental for keeping the song's rhythm and melody going during your solos