Total Guitar editors

Total Guitar editors

Total Guitar is one of Europe's biggest guitar magazines. With lessons to suit players of all levels, TG's world-class tuition is friendly, accessible and jargon-free, whether you want to brush up on your technique or improve your music theory knowledge. We also talk to the biggest names in the world of guitar – from interviews with all-time greats like Brian May and Eddie Van Halen to our behind the scenes Rig Tour features, we get you up close with the guitarists that matter to you.

Articles by: Total Guitar editors

Images of Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eddie Van Halen playing guitar onstage

From Stevie Ray Vaughan, to Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen – the cover song is a musical rite of passage for every great player, but it's not without its challenges... here are 6 tips for nailing a cover version

By Total Guitar editors published

With a cover song, you've already got a head start – the song is already written – but that creates its own challenges. Here is how you can put your own spin on another artist's track

Ed Sheeran

25 acoustic guitar songs that will take your unplugged skills to the next level

By Total Guitar editors last updated

Expand your repertoire with tips and tricks for 25 classic acoustic songs, ideal for beginners and intermediate players

Guitar Playing

Guitar solos feeling uninspired? Learn how you can breathe new life into your licks and make sure your solos always sound like they’re going somewhere

By Total Guitar editors published

Turn your attention to the more musical side of lead guitar with four ways to develop a solo

Santana at Woodstock

How to improvise on guitar: 5 easy ways to improve your solos

By Total Guitar editors published

Making it up as you go along is harder than it looks. Here's how you can improve at improv and quick, with five examples and three ideas of where you can take your improvisation from there

Jimi Hendrix onstage at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 24th February 1969.

Jimi Hendrix smashed the barriers between lead and rhythm guitar with his revolutionary chord work. Learn how the most influential guitarist of them all worked his voodoo style with this essential chord lesson

By Total Guitar editors published

Learn about the often overlooked rhythmic foundations of the guitar icon’s world-changing playing

6 easy electric guitar mods

From de-glossing your neck to swapping out tuners, here are 6 easy ways to mod your electric guitar

By Total Guitar editors published

These small tweaks could make a big difference to your instrument

A side-on view of a well organised pedalboard

11 ways to get more from your delay and reverb pedals

By Total Guitar editors published

Reverb and delay add space and ambience but they can do much more. Here we look at approaches for more extreme sounds – and some applications for better tone in a mix

Source Audio guitar pedals

8 ways to get more from your modulation and filter pedals

By Total Guitar editors published

If you have set and forget your chorus and flanger and would sooner step on a rattler than the wah pedal, this might make you reconsider modulation

Acoustic guitar gig

How to assemble the ultimate live acoustic guitar rig

By Total Guitar editors published

From how to banish feedback to sweetening your tone through EQ, get yourself gig-ready now

Stevie Ray Vaughan

“Without tone, there really isn’t anything”: How to nail Stevie Ray Vaughan’s guitar sound on a budget

By Total Guitar editors published

Short of cash but seeking Texas-sized blues tone? These affordable guitar rigs will get you started

Matt Bellamy

10 guitar lessons you can learn from Muse’s Matt Bellamy

By Total Guitar editors published

It’s time to plug in, baby, and take a closer look at Matt Bellamy’s supermassive guitar techniques

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Inside the new issue of Total Guitar: The metal issue! Guitarists from the biggest metal bands on the planet speak about their quests for ultimate heaviness!

By Total Guitar editors published

Also in issue 363! Interviews: Machine Head, Amon Amarth, Lamb Of God, Arch Enemy, Slipknot and more! Reviews: Epiphone, Gretsch, Cordoba, Walrus Audio. Learn songs by Black Sabbath, John Mayer, Larkin Poe and Breakestra. PLUS! Win an Epiphone Slash Les Paul Standard in stunning Appetite Burst finish!

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Inside the new issue of Total Guitar: Muse – How two metal titans inspired their heaviest songs yet!

By Total Guitar editors published

Also in issue 362! Interviews: Derek Trucks, Dave Mustaine & Kiko Loureiro, Guthrie Govan, The Big Moon and more! Reviews: Guild Surfliner electric guitar, Universal Audio UAFX amp pedals, Matt Bellamy's latest Manson Meta MBM-2, Soundlad Liverpool Scran drive pedal. Learn songs by Foo Fighters, Blue Öyster Cult, Pharrell Williams and KT Tunstall!

Carlos Santana, Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton were at the forefront of guitar culture in the '60s

The greatest guitar albums of the ‘60s: From Beatlemania to Electric Ladyland, a rock ’n’ roll revolution takes shape

By Total Guitar editors last updated

As chosen by you, here are the albums that defined guitar music in the swinging ‘60s, featuring the Beatles, Cream and some guy named Hendrix... He could play

Sophie Lloyd on covering Pink Floyd

Sophie Lloyd on learning Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb: “It’s the precision of those bends that always blows me away”

By Total Guitar editors published

Lloyd on Floyd! The shred whizz discusses the nuances of David Gilmour’s masterful performance

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Acoustic 2022: Inside the new issue of Total Guitar

By Total Guitar editors published

Also in issue 361! Interviews: Vance Joy, Tash Sultana, Billy Strings, Tim Henson, Steven Wilson, Geordie Greep and more! Reviews: Sheeran By Lowden Equals Edition acoustic, Blackstar St. James EL34 Combo and 6L6 Head, PRS SE Standard 24-08 electric, Fender Dual Marine Layer Reverb pedal. Learn songs by Jeff Buckley, Passenger, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Lamb Of God!

TG Greatest Solos

The 50 greatest guitar solos of all time

By Total Guitar editors last updated

The best lead playing ever committed to record, as voted by you

The best acoustic guitarists in the world right now

The best acoustic guitarists in the world right now

By Total Guitar editors last updated

Meet the unplugged wonders who are changing how we look at the acoustic guitar

The Beatles

Learn 10 of the Beatles' signature chord secrets

By Total Guitar editors last updated

We delve into the wonderful world of Beatles harmony with a look at the trademark shapes and progressions of the Fab Four

Matt Bellamy

What is the greatest song Muse have ever recorded?

By Total Guitar editors published

Is it Plug In Baby? Supermassive Black Hole? Or even the new banger Will Of The People? You decide!

Missing Image for

The Greatest Guitar Albums Of All Time: Inside the new issue of Total Guitar

By Total Guitar editors published

Also in issue 360! Interviews: Jimmy Page, Matt Tuck, Samantha Fish, Mark Tremonti, Joe Satriani, Jake Kiszka and more! Reviews: Epiphone Jerry Cantrell signature Les Paul Custom Wino & Prophecy, Boss RE-2 Space Echo, Positive Grid Spark Mini amp, TC Electronic SCF Gold stereo chorus/flanger pedal. Learn songs by Thin Lizzy, Foals and Post Malone!

Universal Audio UAFX Starlight Echo

How to get 5 inspirational sounds from your delay pedal

By Total Guitar editors published

Our pedalboard primer demystifies delay and will help you take your first steps toward transforming your guitar tone and songwriting with atmosphere, rhythm and space

Billy Strings

How to play bluegrass guitar for beginners

By Total Guitar editors published

Welcome to our bluegrass primer, with rhythm and lead ideas inspired by contemporary maestro Billy Strings to get you started

Cory Wong, John Frusciante, Melanie Faye

How to play funk guitar in the style of John Frusciante, Cory Wong, Melanie Faye and more

By Total Guitar editors published

Take your rhythmic chops to boot camp with this primer on the skills you need to make it funky

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David Gilmour – His Greatest Moments: Inside the new issue of Total Guitar

By Total Guitar editors published

Also in issue 359! Interviews: Kirk Hammett, Matt Bellamy, Tosin Abasi, Mårten Hagström, Grace Cummings, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Jon Gomm, Derek Trucks and more! Gear Reviews: Fender Paramount, Yamaha Revstar, Line 6 DL-4, Walrus Audio Slötvå. Learn songs by U2, Cream, Architects and Bon Jovi!