Few players are doing more to write the future of blues guitar than Kirk Fletcher – banish clichés with his tasty soloing style By Andy G Jones published 8 November 23 Kirk Fletcher is destroying clichés one lick at a time, and this tab and audio lesson takes an in-depth look at his style
“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
“Learning licks is useful, but if you rely only on licks you will lose the connection between your mind and the instrument”: Matteo Mancuso's soloing skills are something else – these are his top tips for playing better lead lines By Matt Owen published 6 November 23 He's been tipped for greatness by Steve Vai, Joe Bonamassa, Al Di Meola and more. Now, Mancuso shares his soloing secrets
DragonForce’s Herman Li is one of power metal’s most outrageous shredders – put your playing through the fire and flames with this lesson in his videogame-inspired soloing style By Charlie Griffiths published 6 November 23 Melodically OTT, technically on point even when on the trampoline or underwater, Li is one of shred guitar’s greatest showmen
“Please do what you can to help our brother”: Joe Bonamassa launches fundraiser in support of Kirk Fletcher following onstage stroke By Matt Owen published 6 November 23 A Fender signature amp from JoBo's personal collection and a Les Paul signed by some of today's biggest blues artists are being sold to raise funds for Fletcher's ongoing medical care
“As a guitar instrumental, it was totally unique in its mystery”: Jimmy Page performs live for the first time in 8 years, covering Link Wray’s Rumble at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame By Matt Parker published 6 November 23 The Led Zeppelin icon made a rare onstage appearance to pay tribute to a guitarist linked to the very roots of his playing
“You could do anything with a Telecaster”: Joe Bonamassa shares his Telecaster tone tips and tricks – with the help of an exceptionally rare vintage model By Matt Owen published 3 November 23 JoBo breaks down the secret sound of vintage Fender Teles and more in his latest tonal deep dive, which focuses on “one of the best tools you could ever buy”
“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
Gary Rossington shaped the sound of Southern rock with Lynyrd Skynyrd – and his guitar style influenced everyone from the Black Crowes to Metallica By Martin Cooper published 3 November 23 Learn the distinctive pentatonic licks of the Les Paul-toting Southern rock master
“There it was, John’s voice, crystal clear. It’s quite emotional. And we all play on it – it’s a genuine Beatles recording”: The final Beatles song, Now and Then, has been released at last – but is it any good? By Jackson Maxwell published 2 November 23 Built from a John Lennon demo, Now and Then features newly recorded contributions from Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, with additional guitar work from the late George Harrison
“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
Alice in Chains’ Jerry Cantrell does his best Hendrix impression with a grungy, wah-driven Star-Spangled Banner at a Seattle Seahawks game By Jackson Maxwell published 1 November 23 Signature single-pickup G&L Rampage model in hand, one Seattle guitar god tips his cap to another
Best online guitar lessons 2023: remote learning platforms for guitar players, tested by us By Chris Corfield last updated 1 November 23 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
Buddy Guy is one of the most influential guitar players of all time, inspiring everyone from Jimi Hendrix to John Mayer – learn the soloing style of a living guitar legend By Phil Short published 1 November 23 We look at what makes the Chicago great's pentatonic playing essential learning for generations of blues guitarists
You don’t have to choose between rhythm and lead – ‘lead rhythm guitar’ has it all, and funk master Cory Wong is a master of the craft By Charlie Griffiths published 31 October 23 In this exclusive lesson, the Strat maestro shows you how to blur the line between the two disciplines and inject lead hooks into your rhythm playing
Philip Sayce is a modern blues-rock master – from daredevil overbends to tremolo picking with fingers, his licks will take your pentatonic soloing to a new level By Jon Bishop published 30 October 23 Schooled in Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix, the Canadian Strat sage teaches you some of his most raucous licks in this exclusive lesson
“They have one of the best guitar players in the world”: Watch Nuno Bettencourt inject virtuosic two-hand tapping flair into AC/DC’s Highway to Hell during Extreme and Godsmack’s joint cover By Matt Owen published 30 October 23 The two rock outfits shared the stage for a set-closing cover – and gave the Washburn wielder free rein to solo as he saw fit
“The quest to acquire this instrument resulted in the greatest guitar safari of my life”: Joe Bonamassa shows you why he loves his legendary Bolin ’Burst, and shares his favorite licks to play on the iconic Les Paul By Joe Bonamassa published 29 October 23 The blues maestro puts the fabled 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard through its paces in this exclusive lesson
“Yes, that’s a real spider”: Sophie Lloyd’s Enter Sandman (Shred Version) adds extra fretboard flair to Metallica’s thrash classic – alongside some snakes and a tarantula named Rosie By Matt Parker published 27 October 23 The British YouTuber and virtuoso guitarist has upped the shred quota on the iconic Metallica tune
