<![CDATA[ Latest from Guitar World in Lessons ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons Thu, 07 May 2026 14:56:48 +0000 en <![CDATA[ The simple trick that adds sparkle to your songs: Nashville Tuning explained ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/techniques/nashville-tuning-explained ofm4Cas9CX8eGBQ75XvFFH Thu, 07 May 2026 14:56:48 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Without the added bends, this riff would sound a little stale and boring”: Spiritbox's Mike Stringer shows you how syncopated bends can add extra spice to your metal playing ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/mike-stringer-spiritbox-syncopated-bending QDb52jyL9t4pjzeNMFyXPD Wed, 06 May 2026 14:34:07 +0000 <![CDATA[ Dare you join us at the crossroads? Welcome to the acoustic blues masterclass ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/techniques/acoustic-blues-masterclass Z8zkXvYZh5SGtwFvxMxwTc Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:52:33 +0000 Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:54:10 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Think The Pretenders, Tom Petty or Sam Fender”: 5 easy open-position alternate chord voicings that will give you extra jangle ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/chords/5-easy-open-position-alternate-chord-voicings b5sfmpuyonuMcSrKJ5tYyj Wed, 22 Apr 2026 09:10:21 +0000 <![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[ “Protect your body and mind the way you would protect your gear”: How to stop burning out before you stop the music ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/tips-advice/music-industry-burnout-advice mADEhuGU3WxRVhc99HJMoD Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:38:28 +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[ "What if your best song is the one you haven't written yet?" Songwriting For Guitar's free two-day live event will make you a better songwriter - here's how to sign up ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/songwriting-for-guitar-two-day-live-event-how-to-sign-up sAYySV9dbuHqTsmhHAooGG Wed, 08 Apr 2026 10:04:53 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I am 10 times the player when I hold a guitar pick the ‘wrong’ way”: A blues guitar hero showed me how he held his pick – and it changed the way I played guitar ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/tips-advice/how-holding-a-guitar-pick-differently-changed-my-playing AQw8hpU7ad2PZVr9qiiCvM Sun, 05 Apr 2026 07:10:00 +0000 Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:59:54 +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[ “It’s about building intensity… think of Jeff Beck shifting to Billy Gibbons!” How to solo over one-chord blues ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/techniques/how-to-solo-over-one-chord-blues HMhNkmSmCHzSbM9qmJdK6P Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:15:00 +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[ “This can be the area that spawns the most intimidating names”: 5 altered chords you need to know – and how they get their names ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/chords/5-altered-chords-you-need-to-know PD3h8dCCdcM4hwuEZN6ACd Thu, 12 Mar 2026 11:15:00 +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[ “Very accomplished playing that isn’t widely discussed in blues circles”: What we can learn from Mike Oldfield about breaking free of the pentatonic box ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/mike-oldfield-inspired-blues 2dAeLhC6z7iHfTSibairpd Tue, 24 Feb 2026 11:20:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I can’t play proper barre chords. It’s a blessing in disguise – I’ve ended up finding more interesting chords”: KT Tunstall’s 5 guitar tips to boost your songwriting skills ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/techniques/kt-tunstall-5-guitar-tips 9houwbpWACxq9btNFg2E3E Mon, 23 Feb 2026 15:55:19 +0000 Tue, 24 Feb 2026 13:23:26 +0000 <![CDATA[ “In the world of extended chords, this is as far as we can go”: Demystifying 13th chords, the voicing that Stevie Ray Vaughan used to stunning effect in Lenny ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/chords/13th-chords-demystified q52kvjdw4BEXXBUn3YCVWL Tue, 17 Feb 2026 11:54:09 +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[ “A twist for the fingers as well as the brain”: Players like Steve Hackett are masters of extended chords/harmony – here’s how you can use them too ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/extended-chords-11ths fSK2U6uhtd9sSB6uAArgvJ Fri, 30 Jan 2026 16:14:07 +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[ “Tools to name the weird and wonderful chords you may encounter on the fretboard”: Demystifying chord names, starting with a Hendrix and SRV favorite, the maj9 ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/chords/demystifying-complex-extended-chord-names Kywbrn2znWzWUVR2xxyYLU Wed, 14 Jan 2026 11:06:18 +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[ “Albert King once advised Gary Moore to ‘play every other note’”: Why keeping it simple can improve your blues solos ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/techniques/why-keeping-it-simple-can-improve-your-blues-solos yFoGSmm2wm8nXVFG7ibULn Wed, 07 Jan 2026 12:48:17 +0000 Wed, 07 Jan 2026 12:53:10 +0000 <![CDATA[ Speed bursts are the path to Shred Heaven: boost your rock chops with 6 jaw-dropping examples (that won't break your fingers) ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/techniques/shred-speed-bursts abBbsahLMHuDMr5ovthyiA Tue, 06 Jan 2026 16:55:01 +0000 Tue, 06 Jan 2026 17:10:41 +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[ Master the 12-string guitar: restringing, tuning and strumming made simple ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/techniques/master-the-12-string gqUDu79PGS7GdtU2Gk7KFX Fri, 12 Dec 2025 16:00:00 +0000 Sat, 13 Dec 2025 00:28:30 +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[ “There is a lot of fun to be had by putting random alternative bass notes under a chord”: Pete Townshend, RayDavies and David Bowie all used thirdinversionchords – here’s why (and how) you should, too ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/chords/third-inversion-chords 8KdmbaqV9ymfX2AGNxL5YA Wed, 10 Dec 2025 15:25:56 +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 challenge anyone to beat TrueFire’s Black Friday annual subscription deal for value – $6.58 per month to access over 80,000 online guitar lessons is unbelievable ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/black-friday-truefire-deal dACtkU6HxFzufjB8wBjTk9 Thu, 27 Nov 2025 18:33:38 +0000 <![CDATA[ “A single-note solo played over just bass and drums runs the risk of sounding empty… The solution is to include some chord tones”: How to use triads in blues solos like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/techniques/how-to-use-triads-in-blues-solos pmiofWdGMbockKmJzvx4tJ Wed, 26 Nov 2025 10:57:13 +0000 Wed, 26 Nov 2025 17:11:03 +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[ “I was tired of not having a great tone. I could never figure out why I don’t sound good. So I started to experiment with how I pick”: Great tone starts with the pick – just ask Steve Vai. Here’s how honing your picking can improve your tone for free ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/techniques/improve-your-pick-tone kVHV8UxSKDoPVGBuGFwVnn Tue, 18 Nov 2025 16:02:00 +0000 Mon, 24 Nov 2025 11:49:00 +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