Latest articles by Richard Barrett
These 5 shapes showcase the range of acoustic sounds and textures this open tuning grants access to
Stay cosmic with this lesson in how Carlos Santana took the blues as practiced by B.B. King and Peter Green, plus the new radical rock styles of the '60s, and put his signature spin on them
Jimmy Page often employed dissonant chords with Led Zep and you can, too. You don't even need to know the name of the chord to use them
No-one plays the blues like Buddy Guy – but that doesn't stop us trying. We look at four ways the blues icon approaches his solos. Warning: it's going to get fiery
Increase your musical vocabulary and expand your compositional horizons, in each and every key
Lukather might have made his name in box-office rock and pop, but the blues underpins it all, and this quick-fire tutorial with tab and audio unleashes some serious soloing heat
Exploring the lead guitar style of John Sykes, a player who – like Page, Blackmore, and Moore – balanced flair with power
These chord voices are so cool they're worth the stretch
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
Inversions are essential for jazz players, virtuoso cats such as Martin Tyler, but they are super-useful for any player looking for a fresh chord voicing. Let's take a look and demystify them with 5 ways you can play a Bmaj7
Expand upon traditional blues approaches with this lesson in the style of Joe Bonamassa and Eric Johnson
Inspired by Eric Gales, Joe Walsh, Earth, Wind & Fire and Motown, this blues lesson puts the rhythm first
Altered chords should not scare anyone. Here are five shapes to explore when looking for a chord with some dramatic dissonance
Because sometimes you need a chord with a little more harmonic intrigue, we take a look at the theory behind embellished chords and how they can be used in everyday playing
Listen to SRV, Mayer and Jimi Hendrix and you'll hear players who are masters of mixing rhythm and lead – an invaluable skill for anyone in a jam. We look at four ideas for upping the ante in your blues rhythm game
Players such as Jimi Hendrix had extensive altered and extended chord vocabularies to draw upon
It was Clapton's work with John Mayall that electrified the Free guitarist's imagination. Then it was Marshall stacks, a Les Paul and a wicked vibrato…
The Who's Pete Townshend made very effective use of suspended chords in tracks such as Pinball Wizard – and when you know the difference between your add9 and you sus4 maybe you can, too
By using various voicings of the same chord, you can expand your fretboard knowledge and spice up your chord progressions
Looking for an entry into slide playing but don't want to retune your guitar and give it a setup? This tab and audio lesson in plain ol' EADGBE will help you develop your slide vocabulary
Knowing the difference between slash chords and polychords can give you a much greater understanding of harmony
They are so commonplace that we take the theory behind them for granted. Here are five 7th chords, the theory underpinning them, and some ideas for modifying them
We're always talking about harmonious chord pairings, but these discordant shapes will bring tension and surprise to your playing
