Guitar Techniques

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Carlos Santana and Jimi Hendrix

“Santana, right? I love your choice of notes”: Carlos Santana recalls the time he met Jimi Hendrix

By Matt Owen published

The PRS signature artist was certainly no stranger to praise as an emerging musician, but his meeting with Hendrix proved to be particularly influential

(from left) Snowy White, Michael Landau, Lee Ritenour and Tim Renwick perform onstage

The guitarists who recorded with Pink Floyd (whose names aren't David Gilmour, Syd Barrett or Roger Waters)

By Jackson Maxwell published

A number of session kings – and a one-time member of Thin Lizzy – all made six-string contributions to the band's catalog

Eddie Van Halen

Two-hand tapping is one of the most versatile guitar techniques you can learn – here are 5 ways to make it work for you

By Simon Barnard published

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

Al Di Meola playing acoustic guitar on stage in 2019

Al Di Meola in stable condition after suffering heart attack on stage

By Matt Owen published

The virtuoso has since posted a statement on social media, reassuring fans he's “receiving the best care possible”

David Gilmour and Roger Waters performing live in 2005

“Bob Ezrin has lied through his teeth about it for years”: Roger Waters rejects claims that David Gilmour’s iconic guitar solo in Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb was his first take

By Matt Owen published

Waters' comments come after The Wall producer told Total Guitar that “the second solo in Comfortably Numb, which may be the best solo of all time, is actually a first take”

John Entwistle of The Who on stage, performing their album 'Quadrophenia', Ahoy, Rotterdam, 11th May 1997. He plays a Status Graphite Buzzard Bass guitar.

“I think a bass solo can be as exciting as a guitar solo – if not more”: Listen to John Entwistle’s live bass solo on The Who’s 5:15

By Nick Wells published

John Entwistle proves why bass solos aren't always a bad idea

Steve Vai performs live in 2001

“Without a good ear at the helm, you could find yourself musically adrift at sea”: Steve Vai shares his course on ear training for guitar players – the ultimate guide to improving your musicality

By Steve Vai published

Developing your ear is one of the most important lessons you can learn as a guitar player – and there is no better teacher than Steve Vai

Eric Clapton, Brian May, Jimi Hendrix

15 icons of electric guitar tone – and how they can inspire your playing

By Jon Bishop published

Go behind the players with some of the most legendary guitar sounds in history – and learn how you can steal their style and make it yours

Vernon Reid

“This situation is unacceptable”: Vernon Reid has launched a campaign to give under-appreciated guitar geniuses more recognition – and it’s working wonders

By Matt Owen published

Five influential players have been highlighted by the Living Colour guitarist – and now their online profiles have exploded

Jimmy Page, live at Earl's Court in 1975

The pentatonic scale is the most important scale for guitarists – and these 40 licks will take your rock and blues chops to the next level

By David Gerrish published

When it comes to the guitar, the pentatonic is the one scale to rule them all, and despite its ubiquity, the possibilities are limitless – as our deep dive tab and video lesson demonstrates

Larry Carlton

Introducing polychords – the mind-bending guitar shapes that will take your playing into new harmonic and melodic worlds

By Richard Barrett published

Polychords are a neat way to expand your musical vocabulary and can be used in your rhythm and lead playing, as the great Larry Carlton has demonstrated time and time again

Paul Gilbert

“Typical scale practice is downright damaging for expressive playing… That’s not how singers sing”: Paul Gilbert shows you how to make your guitar solos more vocal and expressive

By Jon Bishop published

In this exclusive video lesson, the legendary virtuoso treats you to a masterclass on transferring vocal phrases to the guitar

Bob Dylan plays a surprise set at Farm Aid 2023

Bob Dylan turns in a rare electric guitar performance as he surprises Farm Aid 2023 with the Heartbreakers backing him

By Jonathan Horsley published

Dylan was joined on guitar by Mike Campbell as they both rocked T-styles during an unbilled set that gave us performances of three classics from 1965

Eric Gales, Samantha Fish and Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram at Crossroads 2023

I’m Going Down: Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram calmly recovers from tonal calamity as he joins Eric Gales and Samantha Fish onstage at Crossroads 2023

By Matt Parker published

The trio of blues maestros took on a standard beloved by Jeff Beck at what has fast shaped up to be the guitar event of the year

Kirk Hammett playing Greeny

Kirk Hammett rarely plays guest solos, but he teamed up with folk-rockers Goodnight, Texas to deliver “an absolute vintage wah solo” on Greeny – hear it now

By Matt Owen published

Hear how the Metallica maestro helped the band usher in a heavy new sonic direction with the help of one of music's most famed Les Pauls in this Guitar World exclusive premiere

Jeff Beck performs at DTE Energy Music Theater on July 31, 2018 in Clarkston, Michigan.

The whammy bar could be the key to unlocking your voice on the guitar – learn 5 ways to make it work for you

By Simon Barnard published

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

John Mayer performing onstage at the 2023 Crossroads Guitar Festival

John Mayer trades solos with H.E.R., covers Grateful Dead with his blues trio, and reunites with the Fender Monterey Stratocaster (again) during jam-packed Crossroads 2023 concert

By Matt Owen published

Mayer brought his rhythm, lead and tonal A-game to the star-studded festival, during which he had an especially busy itinerary

Joe Bonamassa and John McLaughlin at Crossroads 2023

“We’re going to pay tribute to the man himself right now”: Joe Bonamassa and John McLaughlin honor Jeff Beck with a hair-raising rendition of Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers at Crossroads 2023

By Matt Parker published

The two guitarists paid tribute to the departed icon, performing Beck’s signature tune

Guthrie Govan

“Some of what you practice should sound s**t, because then you know you’re working on something that needs to be worked on”: Guthrie Govan on the art of improvisation – and how to make practice as effective as possible

By Matt Owen published

The Aristocrats virtuoso is one of the finest guitar players of our generation, so when he offers advice on becoming a better player, we listen

Kim Thayil

“We’re doing this because Black Sabbath did it. Neil Young did it. Van Halen did it. Are you going to tell Eddie Van Halen he wasn’t playing guitar properly?” Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil recalls his battles with drop-D trolls

By Michael Astley-Brown published

Thayil brought drop-D tuning to the mainstream with the grunge guitar revolution – but he had to contend with “purists and nitwits who would write into guitar magazines saying, ‘Drop D is cheating; you’re not really playing if you do that!’”