Guitar Techniques Features

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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

Joe Perry performs in concert with Alice Cooper at the HEB Center on July 29, 2019 in Cedar Park, Texas.

“Steve Vai is phenomenal – I’m not sure he gets the credit that he should”: Aerosmith’s Joe Perry names 8 guitarists who shaped his sound

By Andrew Daly published

As the rock ’n’ roll legends gear up for their farewell tour, Perry names the trailblazers who inspired his trademark rock guitar swagger: “There are some wizards on YouTube that are incredible, but these guys are the ones that started it all”

Steve Hunter (left) and Lou Reed perform at Marni in Brussels, Belgium in November 1973

“I still remember writing the intro to Sweet Jane sitting on a couch in my living room”: How a session guitar legend resurrected Lou Reed’s career with hard-rock lead heroics – and help from Blood, Sweat & Tears’ Steve Katz

By Jackson Maxwell published

He was the ghost player on Aerosmith's Train Kept a Rollin’, and defined many a classic Alice Cooper album with his stinging, melodic leads, but Lou Reed's ferocious Rock ’n’ Roll Animal live album may just be Steve Hunter’s finest hour – and contains one of the most underrated twin-guitar solos of the ’70s

Robert Fripp

“We’re not taking the p***, playing silly rock riffs. I work hard to honor the original players”: How prog icon Robert Fripp ended up covering – and loving – Megadeth, Metallica and Slipknot

By Amit Sharma published

The King Crimson leader’s madcap Sunday Lunch video series with wife Toyah Willcox saw him tackle some of the biggest rock and metal songs of all time – and return to standard tuning after 35 years away. He shares the similarities between his and Dave Mustaine’s guitar style, why Kirk Hammett is such a “stunning player”, and what happened when ZZ Top pulled the plug on King Crimson…

James Burton

“An absolute groundbreaker as a player”: His Telecaster mastery was the backbone of records by Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson, and countless others – watch James Burton demonstrate his incredible chicken pickin’ technique

By Jackson Maxwell published

Beloved by Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Pete Townshend, Brian May, and innumerable other rock guitar giants, Burton's skill and list of stage and studio credits are mind-boggling

Alice Cooper (L) and Steve Hunter performing live on stage at the Alexandra Palace on October 29, 2011 in London.

“Joe Perry had hit a block, so I was called in to play on Train Kept a Rollin’. They said, ‘Don't tell anyone – no-one can know’”: From Alice Cooper to Peter Gabriel and Aerosmith, Steve Hunter has led one of session guitar’s most remarkable careers

By Andrew Daly published

The session veteran tells his greatest war stories: how he wrote the epic intro to Lou Reed’s Sweet Jane, what he taught Jason Becker for his stint with David Lee Roth, and why he believes losing his sight made him a better guitar player

Stanley Jordan performs onstage, with two guitars

Steve Hackett called him “probably the most proficient tapper out there”: Watch underrated tapping genius Stanley Jordan apply his masterful technique to Stairway to Heaven – on two guitars at once

By Jackson Maxwell published

The visionary virtuoso put a jazzy and classical spin on a technique most often associated with hard-rock, and applied it to a bold reimagining of the Led Zeppelin classic

Jacob Collier and his five-string Strandberg guitar

“Everything about the design appeals to me”: Jacob Collier on why he created his wild 5-string Strandberg – and how he unlocked a new musical language with its unusual alternate tuning

By Matt Owen published

The multi-instrumentalist is dipping his toes into rockier waters for his upcoming album, and he’s got the perfect axe to do so. Here’s how one of 2023’s most unorthodox custom builds came to life

Link Wray performs at The Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, California in 1978

“The kids just went ape”: This menacing riff shaped the playing of Jimmy Page, Pete Townshend and Jeff Beck – and had a guitar tone so aggressive it was banned from the radio

By Jackson Maxwell published

Finally set to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame later this year, Link Wray was a guitar pioneer who – when he released Rumble in 1958 – made the instrument sound more dangerous than anyone before him

Black Sabbath perform in concert, New York, New York, October 29, 1983.

“I don't know whether we played it properly, but the audience loved it”: When Black Sabbath regularly covered Smoke on the Water – and unwittingly inspired Spinal Tap's Stonehenge

By Jackson Maxwell published

Sabbath's ill-fated Born Again tour featured comically oversized props “as big as the real Stonehenge”, onstage spills, and a crowd-pleasing hard-rock crossover

Mr Big's Lean Into It album

“Paul was tuning his guitar at one point, and I said ‘What key is that in?’, added a bassline and that became a song”: The good luck and creative chaos behind Mr Big’s Lean In To It

By Mike Brooks published

The Lowlist "Like a chainsaw going through chocolate pudding”: Mr Big's Lean Into It caught an unstoppable rock band at the top of their game…

The Lowlist
Dre DiMura

Introducing nu-disco shred, a fresh genre of guitar playing that combines ’70s pop and ’80s soloing – and where dancing while you two-hand tap is an absolute must

By Michael Astley-Brown published

Nile Rodgers meets Eddie Van Halen in these tap-happy fretboard freakouts – creator Dre DiMura explains what inspired his daring mashup and why “tradition can be a prison”

Lowell George plays slide guitar on the German TV show Rockpalast in 1977

Eric Clapton and Van Halen covered his songs, and he led Jimmy Page's favorite American band: Watch overlooked guitar genius Lowell George demonstrate his slide technique on German TV

By Jackson Maxwell published

A guitarist for Frank Zappa before forming and taking the reins of Little Feat, George's influence has long overshadowed his recognition

Musician playing acoustic guitar on dark background

How should you learn guitar scales – and why should you bother?

By Justin Sandercoe published

Some people argue it really doesn't matter if you can't tell a pentatonic from a gin and tonic. Justin Sandercoe, one of the world's most successful guitar teachers, weighs in...

Nuno Bettencourt

3 ways to shred like Nuno Bettencourt

By Charlie Griffiths published

Ever wonder how you'll ever set the fingerboard alight like the Extreme maverick? Well, keep these three approaches at the forefront of your mind, and one day...

Gio Guido playing fingerstyle guitar

Introducing the “up-and-down” fingerstyle approach – a new guitar technique designed to get you playing faster than ever

By Matt Owen published

The brainchild of Gio Guido, up-and-down fingerpicking is inspired by Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin – but takes things one step further

Orianthi performs in concert with Carlos Santana at Dos Equis Pavilion on May 06, 2023 in Dallas, Texas.

"I'm finally getting up there with Eric Johnson… and the amp goes to s**t!" Orianthi on her A-list collaborations and the guitarists who shaped her sound

By Andrew Daly published

The Aussie virtuoso reflects on playing with Steve Vai and Santana, meeting B.B. King, and why Gary Moore was a pioneer of blues-metal soloing

Greg Howe

Greg Howe: “I realized that I wasn't going to push pure technique any further than Paul Gilbert or Jason Becker. So, I thought, 'OK, what am I going to do after that?'”

By Andrew Daly published

The master guitarist reveals how he's moving forward after the tragic death of his fiancé and manager, how he blended John Scofield and George Benson with Van Halen, and the solo album he hopes people have forgotten

Nuno Bettencourt

Nuno Bettencourt shares his top tips for playing better guitar solos: “I always see the solo as its own song”

By Jenna Scaramanga published

Having masterminded some of the greatest guitar solos in rock, the Extreme guitarist wants to pass on a little wisdom to help you when the spotlight is on

B.B. King (left) and Gary Moore

"You are hot tonight, young man": when Gary Moore (and Greeny) played The Thrill Is Gone with B.B. King

By Matt Parker published

The blues titans' 1992 collaboration yielded what must rank as one of the greatest call and response sequences ever committed to tape