Learn the vibrato styles of 5 giants of the blues By Richard Barrett published 21 December 22 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 21 November 22 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 14 November 22 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
How to play blues like the early electric guitar masters By Richard Barrett published 16 September 22 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
Add suspense to your chord progressions with these augmented shapes By Richard Barrett published 1 September 22 The music theory math is easy in this lesson, but can be devastatingly effective
How chords can literally be turned on their heads to produce interesting new harmonic effects in songwriting By Richard Barrett published 11 August 22 Using inversions – or slash chords as they are more commonly known – is a great way of experimenting with familiar chords
Turn up the volume on your blues-rock soloing with this lesson in the style of Joe Bonamassa and Jimmy Page By Richard Barrett published 9 August 22 Boost the gain, dig in, and don't let perfect be the enemy of good in this lead guitar workout
How to apply consecutive scale tones in your playing with cluster chords By Richard Barrett published 25 July 22 Five inspirational ideas to take cluster chords out of the realm of fretboard theory and into something you can put into practice
How Eric Gales’ signature licks can hot-wire your blues playing By Richard Barrett published 11 July 22 Gales’ genre-mashing guitar style is rooted in the blues but takes exhilarating detours through his expansive musical vocabulary. This primer establishes the mood with some jazz chord melodies before tackling his lightning quick picking
How to transform the C major chord into something magical By Richard Barrett published 17 June 22 Few players go weak at the knees at the thought of a C major, but with a couple of different voicings it gives us a world of interesting and versatile sounds to work with
How to journey across the fretboard using wide-interval chords By Richard Barrett published 31 May 22 Take the route less traveled when it comes to chord voicings, and add new shapes to shake up your songwriting
How to get more out of fewer notes in a guitar solo By Richard Barrett published 19 May 22 Here are four blues solo ideas that demonstrate how sometimes less is more, reminding us that the space between the notes is music too
How to play Motown rhythm guitar By Richard Barrett published 2 May 22 R&B, soul, Motown, it all goes well with the blues – and with the following four examples, you can add a little invention to your rhythm game
Funk up your blues with these Joe Walsh-style solo ideas By Richard Barrett published 28 April 22 Four ways to supply fiery blues-rock leads over a two-chord vamp in the style of Walsh, Joe Bonamassa and Gary Moore
Extended guitar chords explained By Richard Barrett published 27 April 22 Adding notes to a chord to enrich harmony can be a confusing topic – and gymnastic for the fingers. We're here to help
Stuck in a power chord rut? Try these 5 smart alternatives By Richard Barrett published 20 April 22 Voicings that go beyond the usual ‘5’ chord can make for some impactful and harmonically interesting sounds
Funk up your chords with these minimal vamp-friendly blues shapes By Richard Barrett published 9 March 22 When the mix is crowded by other instrumentation, simplifying your chords can help your playing stand out
How to play psychedelic Mixolydian blues By Richard Barrett published 4 March 22 This lesson demonstrates how modal approach to blues can open up your musical options, adding some Mixolydian folk spice in the style of Robby Krieger, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix
Make an impact with 5 expansive open guitar chords By Richard Barrett published 1 March 22 It’s time to make some noise as this lesson demonstrates how using all six strings can make for some big open chords in the key of E major
How to solo using the CAGED scale By Richard Barrett published 22 February 22 Using partial chords and doublestops with regular pentatonics, this lesson offers a soloing strategy that's easy on the tendons and big on expression
How to play ragtime blues guitar By Richard Barrett published 24 January 22 Learn the solo acoustic guitar style pioneered by trailblazing players such as Big Bill Broonzy and Memphis Minnie
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