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.
Latest articles by Richard Barrett
DADGAD guitar tuning: an introduction to the (not quite) open tuning favored by Jimmy Page
By Richard Barrett published
Here are five ideas to get started with DADGAD tuning, so you can get on with the important business of writing the next Kashmir
Bored with pentatonics? This lesson in superimpositions will make you think again
By Richard Barrett published
Get more out of the guitarist’s favorite scale and make it sound fresh again by learning how the notes relate to each other and their underlying chords
Crosspicking is an advanced picking technique that will lend your licks an authentic country flavor – test your picking skills with this lesson
By Richard Barrett published
You can apply crosspicking techniques to all kinds of styles, from country to the blues, bluegrass and more
Keith Richards' use of open G tuning is the stuff of guitar legend – take a leaf out of his book with these 5 must-learn shapes
By Richard Barrett published
No sixth string required…
Introducing polychords – the mind-bending guitar shapes that will take your playing into new harmonic and melodic worlds
By Richard Barrett published
Polychords are a neat way to expand your musical vocabulary and can be used in your rhythm and lead playing, as the great Larry Carlton has demonstrated time and time again
Your solos and rhythm playing will benefit from learning chords across the fretboard – and major 7ths are a great place to start
By Richard Barrett published
The major 7th chord is a favorite among guitarists of all stripes, including Nile Rodgers – here are 5 ways to take the shape to the next level, and your overall playing along with it, too
How to play gospel blues guitar and make something original – and thrilling – out of electric guitar's oldest art form
By Richard Barrett published
This lesson draws from the playing of B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan and John Mayer in its off-grid timing and unexpected blues trademarks
30 beautiful acoustic guitar chords you need to know
By Richard Barrett published
Increase your musical vocabulary and expand your compositional horizons, in each and every key
How to tell the difference between add chords and altered guitar chords
By Richard Barrett published
Here are five chords with names to test the brain and a sound that's kind to the ear. Add them to your chord vocabulary now
Take your guitar solos to the next level with these genre-spanning tips
By Richard Barrett published
Soloing ideas for lead guitar in rock, blues, acoustic, metal and more to make you a better player now
How to use chromatics in a blues guitar solo
By Richard Barrett published
A working knowledge of the in-between notes can get you out of a jam when in a jam
5 easy ways to create complex sounds from simple chords
By Richard Barrett published
Using open strings to embellish your chord work can yield magical results
How to use chords in a blues guitar solo
By Richard Barrett published
We all think of the blues solo in terms of which notes sit atop which chords, but reversing that proposition – and building chords into the solo itself – generates some tasty new phrasing ideas
How to play acoustic blues in open D tuning
By Richard Barrett published
Open minds with open tunings can bring new shades to the blues, and in this acoustic piece inspired by Molly Tuttle and Jimmy Page, we bring bluegrass, blues and folk to the party
Learn 5 guitar chords that evoke the golden age of Hollywood
By Richard Barrett published
These chords have an orchestral quality that radiates a certain silver screen soundtrack magic
4 soloing ideas you can learn from Leslie West
By Richard Barrett published
Scale the blues-rock mountain and balance on the edge of major and minor tonalities with this lesson in the style of one of rock's greatest players
Learn 5 Lydian chords that can add mood and atmosphere to your playing
By Richard Barrett published
Joe Satriani is a fan. Danny Elfman, too. And by learning these chord shapes, you can drop some Lydian magic into your songwriting for dramatic effect
Jazz up your chord progressions with this introduction to voice leading
By Richard Barrett published
Thou shalt Joe Pass with this lesson in gradual transitions between chords, which allow you to move around the fretboard for new musical ideas
Learn the vibrato styles of 5 giants of the blues
By Richard Barrett published
Welcome to vibrato bootcamp, where we'll be looking at how B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Gary Moore, Peter Green and Paul Kossoff shook those strings
Learn 5 Eric Johnson chords that utilize his trademark ‘shell’ voicing for big ambient clean tones
By Richard Barrett published
Got a wicked clean tone but don't know what to play? Step right this way...
Learn the essentials of 12-bar acoustic blues
By Richard Barrett published
It's time to dig out the flattop and learn the blues with this exercise that combines elements of Eric Clapton, Robert Johnson, and Skip James
4 guitar tricks you can learn from Jimmy Page
By Richard Barrett last updated
With Led Zeppelin, Page drew from all quarters of the musical landscape, but his exhilarating style was rooted in the blues
How to play blues like the early electric guitar masters
By Richard Barrett published
This lesson takes electric blues back to the start, when electricity found its way to the guitar and players such as John Lee Hooker and Hubert Sumlin changed the world
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!