<![CDATA[ Latest from Guitar World in Artist-lessons ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:17:58 +0000 en <![CDATA[ “It can be at least as fast as straight flatpicking, if not faster, and also easier to do”: Used by everyone from Brad Paisley to Buckethead, hybrid picking makes impossible-sounding licks a reality – here's how to introduce it into your lead playing ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/how-to-introduce-hybrid-picking-into-your-lead-playing CQamme5xedganax6JaKMhP Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:17:58 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Ithought, ‘Is the guitar in open G tuning?’ But I soon discovered it wasn’t a standard guitar at all”: Charlie Starr on the magic of the B-Bender – and 5 bender-inspired licks you can play on any electric ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/charlie-starr-b-bender-style-licks AsVhbiFUEzdSAMYGgYrJNJ Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:15:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ Philip Sayce: The 5 techniques that define my sound ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/philip-sayce-the-5-techniques-that-define-my-sound dCRXRboB9JsuBk4XxE6nQG Fri, 03 Apr 2026 15:10:00 +0000 Tue, 07 Apr 2026 10:54:32 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It will take time to build up the accuracy that the riff demands”: Welcome to Mike Stringer’s downpicking bootcamp ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/mike-stringer-spiritbox-jaded xQeiiWt32yB8peirNmPNWQ Thu, 02 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ Paul Gilbert: What I learned and taught at GIT ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/paul-gilbert-git-lesson buTM3gegNzYtLexgxnSsEJ Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:10:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “There are many approaches Slash could have taken for his solo – I thought it was cool he did his own thing”: How Joe Bonamassa and Slash channeled B.B. King and the Edge for an iconic cover of an iconic tune ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/joe-bonamassa-u2-bb-king-when-love-comes-to-town 9Kj4kuitSZ2ef5fj58Kqx6 Wed, 25 Mar 2026 16:10:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “With the solo, my mindset is that we’re at the start of a musical journey, and it’s my mission to tell a story”: Jared James Nichols on his melodic soloing ideas every guitar player can take from Eric Clapton, Joe Bonamassa and SRV ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/jared-james-nicholes-melodic-soloing-like-eric-clapton ZHbnkebXZ3vzSZTfWykV8W Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:21:54 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Legend has it that, while recording, Clarence said, ‘Hey, I need another finger to play this chord!’” Charlie Starr on the origins of the B-Bender – and how you can play those licks without one ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/charlie-starr-b-bender-licks-on-regular-guitar EDbrqiD9SZ73SCjWceh7Yo Tue, 17 Mar 2026 16:10:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The tune was inspired by legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius’ Teen Town”: Cory Wong on why doubling the bassline is one of the “most badass” things a guitarist can do ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/cory-wong-doubling-basslines-on-guitar WfwAxuvhCkjmKgLf3XogHL Wed, 11 Mar 2026 16:10:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Every lick he plays sounds perfect, like it’s etched in stone. But I’m sure that he simply improvised everything”: How to play B.B. King’s greatest song (with some help from Joe Bonamassa) ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/how-to-play-bb-king-the-thrill-is-gone 3Hu4UNawX5TboubUFqkYZ7 Tue, 10 Mar 2026 11:35:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ Bopping blues and greasy grooves: Ally Venable's rhythm guitar tips and secrets ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/ally-venable-blues-rhythm-guitar-tips RJ7woBzySJv9ZFYkuaB9pf Sun, 08 Mar 2026 20:00:00 +0000 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 09:47:03 +0000 <![CDATA[ Big jumps for a bigger sound: Steve Morse’s masterclass on wide intervals ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/steve-morse-wide-interval-masterclass Y5C9aEAxREZLaWVhG2WsPn Tue, 03 Mar 2026 15:54:24 +0000 Tue, 03 Mar 2026 15:58:23 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Many guitarists are wary of getting into slide playing. This is a great way to dive in”: How to play slide guitar in standard tuning ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/how-to-play-slide-guitar-in-standard-tuning yvdJat39wbWHKAe2qpe35f Thu, 12 Feb 2026 16:10:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Once you have it down, you can explore improvised melodies along with the steady bass pattern”: What is “Dead thumb” fingerpicking? ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/jared-james-nichols-dead-thumb-fingerpicking tASLKkzxJ4k44gXr3XpgVj Wed, 11 Feb 2026 16:10:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Though Gary was capable of great delicacy and accuracy on the instrument, this solo was inspired by his more fiery moments”: How to let it rip like the late, great Gary Moore ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/gary-moore-soloing-lesson Vosbawoj8zaH4F39KXPgUE Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:27:15 +0000 Wed, 04 Feb 2026 22:15:40 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I met him in 1990 when I was 13 years old. We became lifelong friends”: Joe Bonamassa pays tribute to B.B. King – and shows us why blues starts and ends with the King ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/joe-bonamassa-bb-king-tribute toobzrQRGxjWpjbPrwCFyQ Sun, 01 Feb 2026 22:00:00 +0000 Mon, 02 Feb 2026 16:47:30 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It can make the solo sound and feel like an integral part of the song”: Cory Wong shows you how to solo over chords in a meaningful way ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/cory-wong-guitar-solos-with-meaning DK4wZ7cQG3KSsT63NbjyfJ Tue, 27 Jan 2026 15:35:33 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Sometimes simplicity wins the day. Our namesake song, Black Country, was written by accident”: Joe Bonamassa on the art of writing a heavy guitar riff ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/joe-bonamassa-the-art-of-writing-heavy-guitar-riffs ZnUp6CMiFhWLQKB4aj6reh Fri, 16 Jan 2026 17:01:06 +0000 <![CDATA[ “We play three to four hours a night or more. I study in real time, 100 gigs a year. That's a great deal of practice”: Bob Weir's 6 principles of rhythm guitar ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/bob-weir-rhythm-guitar-principles iGAL3Lxfyb3cVdf3UUb5Nj Tue, 13 Jan 2026 18:08:38 +0000 Wed, 14 Jan 2026 09:49:03 +0000 <![CDATA[ “There is something really special that can happen when three musicians are playing off of each other and interacting in real time”: Jared James Nichols on why playing in a trio opens up your soloing approaches ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/jared-james-nichols-on-why-trios-let-guitar-players-stretch-out-with-their-solos wW9Wz68q6bQqczsYkJDQui Tue, 13 Jan 2026 15:29:03 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The downstrokes and palm muting give the riff a very specific sound and feel that’s almost marimba-like”: Cory Wong on how you can use double-stops in a melody or solo ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/how-to-use-doublestops-in-a-melody-or-solo n4F32wcZYPjzXN9jkHGiHA Thu, 08 Jan 2026 17:27:08 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The chord shapes are a little different than normal, but therein lies the beauty of an open tuning”: Charlie Starr’s open G slide soloing masterclass ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/charlie-starr-on-soloing-with-slide-in-open-g-tuning NDpAssJQkCyi43dwGvFEgX Mon, 05 Jan 2026 16:34:14 +0000 <![CDATA[ “When Iheard that, my first thought was, ‘Well, you can’t do that on a piano!’” Jared James Nichols teaches an essential guitar playing skill – how to bend the strings expressively ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/jared-james-nichols-on-how-to-bend-your-strings-expressively rs9dFyXwdtxJbJE2bJ8WUC Tue, 23 Dec 2025 16:05:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I didn’t want to copy Keith Richards or Rich Robinson from the Black Crowes. I wanted to try to find my own guitar voice”: Charlie Starr on how to make open G tuning work for you ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/charlie-starr-on-the-joys-of-open-g-tuning QVbMCF73NGpEfiLnG7YfXi Sun, 21 Dec 2025 16:00:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I don’t need tons of gain on my guitar because everyone else is distorted!” Joe Bonamassa reveals the secret to writing heavy riffs – and his methods might surprise you ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/joe-bonamassa-how-to-make-your-riffs-heavier B528PKKRGbZuNkskMx8N4V Thu, 11 Dec 2025 15:45:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “My inspiration for this tune was Flight of the Bumblebee, but through a funky lens, as if Tower of Power had written and recorded the melody”: Cory Wong on how to arrange guitar and keyboards ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/cory-wong-on-how-to-arrange-guitar-and-keyboards SBu4kd2e79YdbTEbqENBMd Thu, 04 Dec 2025 16:03:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I love to utilize unison bends, inspired by players like Ted Nugent, Pat Travers and Johnny Winter”: Jared James Nichols shows you how to build a guitar solo to a powerful climax ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/jared-james-nichols-how-to-build-guitar-solos-to-a-powerful-climax Ksf8dEXP8qNK6caNtQfAE4 Wed, 19 Nov 2025 16:03:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Freddie King and T-Bone Walker both developed exceptional vocabularies of single-note turnarounds”: Sue Foley shows you how to nail classic blues turnarounds – and how to come up with your own ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/sue-foley-turnarounds-blues-guitar ihEG4ccA8Zw2aJoSBSGNe8 Thu, 13 Nov 2025 15:29:43 +0000 Thu, 13 Nov 2025 17:19:14 +0000 <![CDATA[ “These guitars are not just for blues lawyers – you can rock with one of these”: Joe Bonamassa on the vintage Gibson that makes a great power chord guitar ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/joe-bonamassa-gibson-es-350-rock-rhythm-guitar QBb6DJfLid65DVc6qMqthK Mon, 10 Nov 2025 16:36:25 +0000 Thu, 13 Nov 2025 15:09:09 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I’ve seen people cover the tune, and one thing most get wrong about it is they’re not intentional about the sections in the way they should be”: Cory Wong on how to create a bigger, wider sound by layering baritone guitar parts ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/cory-wong-on-how-to-layer-baritone-guitar-parts hbG8kncXYfhuHFz6BXmBxQ Fri, 07 Nov 2025 16:07:00 +0000 Wed, 12 Nov 2025 14:51:47 +0000 <![CDATA[ David Gilmour is a master of melodic bluesy phrasing – here are 3 ways to cop his style in your own playing ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/3-melodic-blues-soloing-ideas-in-the-style-of-david-gilmour Ma7ec6CCC4Fh2jFXcwpVra Fri, 31 Oct 2025 15:05:52 +0000 Wed, 05 Nov 2025 13:34:58 +0000 <![CDATA[ “If a guitarist is just riffing away on minor pentatonic licks, it will make their playing sound ‘scale-y’; you don’t want to sound scale-y!” Power up your blues with a turnaround trick that was a specialty of the great Freddie King ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/blues-turnarounds-freddie-king-style kQLTivPYWvftUYhBp56mWk Thu, 23 Oct 2025 15:52:47 +0000 Thu, 30 Oct 2025 15:20:03 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I use my pick-hand index finger in a Jimi Hendrix-like way”: Jared James Nichols explains how to use open strings and Drop D tuning to bulk up your blues fingerstyle ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/jared-james-nichols-open-string-blues-fingerstyle pHFfpE8W9qf5QB74q7gTha Mon, 20 Oct 2025 16:17:57 +0000 Thu, 30 Oct 2025 14:44:40 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It’s perfect for playing Chuck’s classic songs, like Johnny B. Goode and Maybellene”: Joe Bonamassa on his love for the Gibson ES-350 – and why it's a blues powerhouse ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/joe-bonamassa-gibson-es-350 nfHgjU7f77CMrC3dDDXXmW Mon, 13 Oct 2025 15:05:23 +0000 Tue, 28 Oct 2025 15:49:19 +0000 <![CDATA[ “My objective is to find a purposeful role for each guitar part”: How to layer guitar parts like a pro (with a little help from Cory Wong) ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/cory-wong-on-how-to-orchestrate-guitar-parts anG7LeYSXYrpRwesSYgta5 Sun, 05 Oct 2025 10:08:00 +0000 Wed, 15 Oct 2025 16:18:16 +0000 <![CDATA[ “All of my favorite players – Paul Kossoff, Leslie West, Jimi Hendrix – play with tonal perfection, but it also often sounds like they’re hanging on by a thread!” Jared James Nichols teaches you the wild drop D blues stomp he wrote with Tyler Bryant ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/jared-james-nichols-hard-wired jxtnmwMVvjGa7SD83abk55 Mon, 15 Sep 2025 15:00:00 +0000 Wed, 24 Sep 2025 14:33:14 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Her technique is particularly difficult to replicate because she played ‘upside down’ on a guitar strung for arighty”: Sue Foley salutes Elizabeth Cotten and her favorite female guitar pioneers in this fingerpicking blues masterclass ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/sue-foley-teaches-elizabeth-cotten-piedmont-fingerstyle-blues GYGJhHKTWyiAPftUKd97vP Fri, 12 Sep 2025 15:00:00 +0000 Thu, 18 Sep 2025 15:51:28 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He recorded some of the most important and enduringly popular instrumental guitar music”: Joe Bonamassa pays homage to Duane Eddy – and reminds us why the “Titan of Twang” was a great blues player, too ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/joe-bonamassa-duane-eddy-lesson 5xivEmQ2rrgmFEAtdLs6zJ Tue, 09 Sep 2025 14:57:14 +0000 Wed, 17 Sep 2025 15:50:36 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I look at guitar playing as a dance between both hands. One hand brings discipline, the other brings chaos…” John Butler shares his secrets in this stunning masterclass ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/john-butler-masterclass WuTgnPEsmsU6dh8WtqkAX7 Fri, 05 Sep 2025 15:00:00 +0000 Wed, 10 Sep 2025 14:07:19 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The pick hand is thetimekeeper, and I’ve spent a lot of time working on exercises designed to bolster my strumming competence”: Rhythm guitar master Cory Wong shares his secrets to perfect pick-hand timing ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/cory-wong-pick-hand-strumming-secrets 2E9uR44ZaHpaATUU2dvmD Thu, 04 Sep 2025 14:43:31 +0000 Wed, 10 Sep 2025 14:02:25 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It’s all about the patterns that smoothly and musically ‘walk’ you from onechord to the next”: Sue Foley shows you how to nail blues turnarounds ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/sue-foley-how-to-nail-a-blues-turnaround P7Ra7T5HkQbqsG5DYVxbyN Mon, 25 Aug 2025 10:14:00 +0000 Wed, 03 Sep 2025 11:13:41 +0000 <![CDATA[ “That’s one of the things that made us sound so heavy”: Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song, Kashmir, and The Song Remains the Same are wildly different classic rock staples, but one key element ties them all together, says John Paul Jones ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/john-paul-jones-led-zeppelin-octaves-lesson 8NEpDSx7qKLkG9KoedJkUT Sat, 23 Aug 2025 13:00:00 +0000 Thu, 28 Aug 2025 10:25:52 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I was thinking, ‘Why does it sound different when I play the Mississippi Queen intro, as compared to when he does it?’” Jared James Nichols on why playing behind and ahead of the beat are the key to great blues guitar ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/jared-james-nichols-how-to-play-behind-and-in-front-of-the-beat RQetFmfc9coU9Y88eXDBHT Mon, 18 Aug 2025 09:19:41 +0000 Wed, 27 Aug 2025 15:53:23 +0000 <![CDATA[ “One of my favorite medium-slow shuffles is Jeff Beck’s Rock My Plimsoul... based on the B.B. King blues classic Rock Me Baby”: Joe Bonamassa invites you to join him on medium/slow blues shuffle – don’t worry, he’ll show you the notes ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/joe-bonamassa-medium-slow-blues-shuffle-jeff-beck-style-lesson iVZaCSPjcuYey7bvpqCFqi Sat, 16 Aug 2025 13:27:00 +0000 Wed, 27 Aug 2025 15:15:13 +0000 <![CDATA[ “If I were to strum a full barre-chord voicing for each chord, it would feel too ‘chunky.’ Instead, I do what Nile advised me to do”: Cory Wong on the most important technique you can learn from Nile Rodgers ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/cory-wong-on-what-he-learned-from-nile-rodgers TvsnxkeKbxTAtUF3CfszwH Thu, 07 Aug 2025 13:44:23 +0000 Wed, 13 Aug 2025 15:14:42 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Initially, his strongest influence was the blues. Then his Mexican heritage surfaced and combined with the influences of Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, Tito Puente and Gábor Szabó”: Decoding the magic of Carlos Santana’s supernatural soloing style ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/carlos-santana-blues-guitar-lesson nfEJixYKmd6PwYYSmvSKVk Tue, 29 Jul 2025 15:44:51 +0000 Tue, 05 Aug 2025 12:05:16 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It came from a great deal of eye contact between the two of us”: When it came to Led Zeppelin's most powerful riffs, sometimes what didn't get played was more important than what did, says John Paul Jones ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/john-paul-jones-silence-in-led-zeppelin-riffs CLP8QBMEx5cZqSqKTQ9DkK Sat, 19 Jul 2025 13:00:00 +0000 Mon, 21 Jul 2025 13:53:05 +0000 <![CDATA[ “One of my biggest musical influences is the king of blues power. He also played in an unorthodox tuning, which is still a mystery”: Jared James Nichols on how Albert King's electric fingerpicking changed the game for blues guitar ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/jared-james-nichols-albert-king-fingerstyle-blues-guitar 5yyvXTV9EnEXaLgHFYkkKW Fri, 18 Jul 2025 09:38:44 +0000 Mon, 21 Jul 2025 13:49:21 +0000 <![CDATA[ “‘Blues approved’ licks that work well both as embellishments to rhythm parts or as phrases within a solo”: Sue Foley shows you how to breathe new life into your 12-bar blues ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/sue-foley-blues-guitar-embellishments-12-bar-blues 7oBHygmdQfpAM2mUpCtCG8 Thu, 17 Jul 2025 08:24:51 +0000 Mon, 21 Jul 2025 12:23:22 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Yes, Eric can certainly shred! But more important than his speed is his accuracy. Accuracy will always win the day over speed”: Joe Bonamassa shows you how to connect lead phrases like Eric Johnson ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/joe-bonamassa-on-how-to-connect-lead-guitar-phrases-like-eric-johnson YUYcoih2q2wfoc8YWzRewF Wed, 16 Jul 2025 08:45:05 +0000 Mon, 21 Jul 2025 12:17:02 +0000