Latest articles by Simon Barnard
It worked for the Beatles on Yesterday – add intrigue to your songs and solos with the melodic minor scale
Get to grips with this invaluable and interesting addition to the songwriter's vocabulary used by Paul McCartney and jazzers alike
Loved by Yngwie, Santana and Slash, the harmonic minor scale is an essential part of every guitar player's vocabulary
Whether you're checking into the Hotel California or sheltering from the cold November Rain, the harmonic minor scale is right there with you. This lesson demystifies it with examples you can use now
How string skipping can present your playing with new melodic possibilities that were previously out of reach
String skipping can introduce fresh arpeggios and wide interval phrases to your playing. Look no further than Sweet Child O' Mine for an example of its musical effectiveness
Only bending strings with your second and third fingers? Strengthening your first and fourth fingers will help you express yourself like the greats
Blues heroes like Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan used their first and fourth fingers to bend – without support – to powerful effect. And with a bit of practice, you can learn their expressive solo techniques, too
Improve your syncopation now with this lesson in funk guitar 101
Taking small chord shapes, single notes and 16th-note strums, we unpack the essentials for funk guitar and target those offbeats for rhythmic intrigue in your playing
How the guitar riff has developed since the 1950s – and what you can learn from its evolution
From Chuck Berry to Dave Grohl via Johnny Marr, Jimmy Page and more, this rhythm guitar masterclass offers a decade-by-decade study in the evolution of the riff
Want to be a good rhythm guitarist? You need to know your 7th chords – and the CAGED system can help you find them all over the neck
It's time to throw some shapes on the fretboard, navigating using the CAGED system, and deploying chord choices that makes players like John Frusciante such great rhythm players
Get to grips with double-stops in our definitive lesson on the cornerstone technique
Playing two notes together is an essential addition to any guitarist’s arsenal – and can be used in any kind of style
These fast guitar licks sound harder than they actually are
We all know speed is not the be all and end all, but sometimes more is simply more. This lesson will take you to the edge, maybe beyond, following in the footsteps of Steve Vai, Eddie Van Halen and Gary Moore
The blues scale isn’t just for blues – it’s been used in some of rock and metal’s biggest riffs and solos, too. Here’s how to make it work for you, no matter what style you play
It’s one of the essential guitar scales, and this lesson takes the blues scale from its classic context to place it in the style of Joe Satriani, Cream-era Clapton and Dimebag Darrell
The minor pentatonic is the ultimate guitar scale, but it can get stale quickly. Here are 5 ways to get more from it
Plot an escape route from your routine licks with this tab and audio lesson
5 ways to improve your major pentatonic licks
Inspired by the great Albert Lee, this lesson takes another pass at the major pentatonic and offers some practical approaches to make it shine in your playing
Slide guitar is the ultimate test of feel – see if your skills are up to scratch and fine-tune your expressive playing with these genre-hopping licks
Be it bottleneck blues, pop-style melodies or rootsy riffs, slide skills are a must-have for any guitarist. Sharpen yours up with this slide deep-dive
Reach further on the fretboard and expand your playing possibilities with these guitar finger stretching exercises
Reduce pain and increase your vocabulary of chords and techniques with this Andy Summers and Allan Holdsworth-inspired lesson – just be sure to warm up first
These guitar finger exercises will improve your finger independence and dexterity, and make you a better player
Get your fingers working independently of each other and the fretboard will really open up
Two-hand tapping is one of the most versatile guitar techniques you can learn – here are 5 ways to make it work for you
Tapping lit up the guitar world with Eddie Van Halen, but in this lesson, inspired by EVH, Joe Satriani, Nuno Bettencourt and more, you'll find all kinds of ways to add this legato superpower to your game
The whammy bar could be the key to unlocking your voice on the guitar – learn 5 ways to make it work for you
We look at the whammy bar styles of Duane Eddy, Steve Vai, Eddie Van Halen, David Gilmour and Jeff Beck – and how you can incorporate them in your own playing
Everyone from Charlie Christian to Yngwie Malmsteen has used arpeggios in their guitar solos – here's how you can do it, too
If the fingering and coordination can be tricky at first, the rewards from mastering arpeggios are great, allowing you to freestyle across a chord's notes while staying harmonically honest
5 ways to improve your guitar arpeggios
It's time to take your rhythm game to the workshop as we take a look at arpeggios and how great players have used them in their chord work
5 ways to improve your hybrid picking technique
Make like Brad Paisley, Danny Gatton, Brent Mason et al and combine pick n' fingers to play both bass and melody, skip strings effortlessly, and add a little country sizzle to your playing
5 ways to improve your sweep picking technique
Sweep picking is a technique that stumps many, infuriates others, but is unmatched for delivering fluid arpeggio runs. This lesson follows in the pick sweeps of Synyster Gates, Frank Gambale et al
What is economy picking and how can it benefit your guitar playing?
A more efficient way to pick, economy picking will make you a more fluid player, whether you’re playing jazz and fusion or shred à la Yngwie Malmsteen
5 alternate picking exercises that will speed up your guitar playing
Alternate picking is among the most vital guitar techniques – just ask Paul Gilbert. Fine-tune your approach with these drills spanning surf, rock, country and neoclassical metal
