Best free online guitar lessons 2024: Where learning guitar costs nothing By Simon Fellows published 15 March 24 Many of the finest online guitar tuition sites, apps and channels are yours for free. The only investments you need to make are time and effort!
“Let's do that again!” This compilation of fiery Sister Rosetta Tharpe guitar solos shows how her revolutionary playing inspired blues-rock greats like Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck and the Rolling Stones By Jackson Maxwell published 8 March 24 Though she passed away five decades ago, footage of Tharpe's aggressive, virtuosic and precise fretwork, thankfully, remains
Feel like your playing is stuck in a rut? You need to face up to your weak points – it will make you a more well-rounded guitarist By Joe Dean published 28 February 24 Overcoming plateaus in your guitar practice is about confronting the aspects of playing that you find difficult, and then finding a routine that works for you
Best online guitar lessons 2024: remote learning platforms for guitar players, tested by experts By Chris Corfield last updated 16 February 24 Develop your guitar skills from the comfort of your home, with the help of these online lessons services – options for all levels, reviewed by our experts
Should you play guitar with a pick or fingers? We weigh up the tone and technique benefits of both approaches By Richard Blenkinsop published 13 February 24 Use what you’re born with, or stick with a pick? We take a close look at the tones and techniques associated with playing guitar and bass with fingers and pick
“I had a couple of passes at the solo, and that was it. Keith’s playing great – and it’s unusual to hear me playing at full acceleration outside of Led Zeppelin”: Jimmy Page on his surprise Rolling Stones collaboration, and the gear that made rock history By Chris Bird published 9 January 24 In this all-encompassing 2020 interview, the Led Zeppelin legend reflects on the evolution of his guitar rig, writing rock’s greatest albums – and how the Beatles shaped the sound of Whole Lotta Love
“I don’t like outward complexity – I enjoy being stealthy about it, and Steely Dan are beacons for that”: Meet Sam Vallen, the shredder swiping yacht rock chords and turning them into one of 2024’s best prog-metal albums with Caligula’s Horse By Phil Weller published 9 January 24 The Australian virtuoso explains how writing a dissertation on Steely Dan’s harmonic vocabulary helped him build a record full of ambiguity and tension in Charcoal Grace
Tired? Bored? Small hands? These are the top 8 excuses for avoiding guitar practice – and how to beat them By Pauline France published 4 January 24 A revealing (and possibly triggering) compilation of excuses for not practicing guitar
10 mistakes every beginner guitarist makes By Richard Blenkinsop published 4 January 24 From gear choices to learning paths, these are the most common beginner guitar faux pas that every new player makes – and how you can avoid them
“People think his playing is all about the big riffs, but I always loved his jazzy playing – listen to Planet Caravan. You can hear a lot of passing tones”: Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt says there’s way more to Tony Iommi’s guitar style than riffs alone By Amit Sharma published 4 January 24 The Swedish progressive metal icon pays homage to the dark lord of rock
I love the sound of a good neck pickup – but practicing on the bridge pickup has made me a better guitarist By Joe Dean published 3 January 24 Great tone doesn't necessarily make for a great practice session – here's why
Remembering the guitarists we lost in 2023 By Jackson Maxwell published 26 December 23 We had to say goodbye to a staggering number of guitar geniuses this year. We salute those players and their contributions to the instrument
Why should keyboard players have all the fun? A history of BOSS guitar synths By Stuart Williams published 26 December 23 Your guitar isn’t limited solely to traditional sounds. Roland and BOSS have been at the forefront of guitar-based synthesis for decades – and they’re showing no signs of stopping
“Strat or Les Paul? I’m going to go with Strat. The bar has become a big part of the way I play…” Pete Thorn answers the guitar world’s biggest questions – and names the underrated players you need to hear right now By Scott Rowley published 14 December 23 Is tone in the fingers or in the gear? What’s the best piece of guitar advice you’ve received? What would you like to be better at? Pete Thorn takes our guitar nerd questionnaire…
“The ‘tone stars’ of tomorrow are going to be the ones who can do the most creative programming”: Why digital modeling and AI will be more important than big-name players in shaping the future of guitar tone By Justin Sandercoe published 5 December 23 Justin Sandercoe is an old-school tube lover, but he's exploring both sides of the tone universe, analog and digital – and he's excited about whatever tonal evolution comes our way
“It’s one thing to listen, but when you play these songs, you go, ‘It’s no wonder Eddie had so much fun playing this’”: Tackling Van Halen, reforming G3, recording with Steve Vai – Joe Satriani is gearing up for his biggest year yet By Andrew Daly published 24 November 23 He’s the godfather of shred, but over four decades into his career, Joe Satriani is busier than ever. He explains why he’s playing catch-up after avoiding Van Halen songs in the ‘80s, what his “intentionally excessive” collaborations with Vai have in store, and the biggest struggles he’s facing in covering “the greatest guitar player of all time”
“There’s no replacement for picking up a guitar, feeling those strings under your fingers and building your calluses”: British shred hero Sophie Lloyd teaches you how to become a better player By Amit Sharma published 7 November 23 As first-call player for Machine Gun Kelly, a YouTube six-string superstar and solo artist, Lloyd is one of the world's fastest-rising guitarists. She shares her tips for getting better faster
“All this new stuff they call rock ’n’ roll, why, I’ve been playing that for years now”: How Sister Rosetta Tharpe kickstarted the British blues-rock explosion – in 1957 By Jackson Maxwell published 7 November 23 Though Muddy Waters is typically credited as the one who first brought snarling American blues-rock guitar to the UK, he was beaten to the punch by a year
“Steve Vai tried to school me on string bending, but you just don't do that on bass!” Pete Griffin reflects on his time with Steve Vai, and his latest solo EP By Nick Wells published 3 November 23 The seasoned sideman compares notes on Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Nuno Bettencourt, Zakk Wylde and Dweezil Zappa
“My message to young players is: be who you are. People who get it don't care about rulebooks and stupid internet polls”: Joe Bonamassa names 6 up-and-coming blues guitarists you need to hear By Andrew Daly published 2 November 23 From Latin-influenced shredders to masters of the Chicago style, there are plenty of young six-stringers to be excited about in the blues scene today, as JoBo can attest