Guitar Techniques

Eric Gales (left) and Joe Bonamassa onstage at Railgarten in Memphis, Tennessee on January 28, 2022

Watch Eric Gales and Joe Bonamassa treat an intimate Memphis crowd to a 13-minute, dueling solo-fueled I Want My Crown

By Jackson Maxwell published 31 January 22

Gales invited his friend – and fellow blues guitar maestro – to the stage at the release party for his new, Bonamassa and Josh Smith-produced album, Crown

Periphery’s Jake Bowen shows you how to layer multiple guitar parts to create a lush soundscape

By Jake Bowen published 31 January 22

In his inaugural instructional column, Bowen explains how a clean tone, some sweet chord shapes, reverb and delay can conspire to create something huge and magical

Steve Vai tore a tendon in his shoulder while making pizza

By Sam Roche published 31 January 22

The injury-prone virtuoso made the admission almost a year after holding a chord for so long he had to undergo surgery

Hear Steve Vai put his bonkers steampunk triple-neck through its paces on Teeth of the Hydra

By Michael Astley-Brown published 28 January 22

The eagerly anticipated Hydra showcase appears on new album Inviolate, which is out today

Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder join forces for their first new album together in 57 years

By Jackson Maxwell published 27 January 22

Set for an April 22 release, Get On Board: The Songs Of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee is the duo's first full-length studio collaboration since the debut LP from their long-defunct band, the Rising Sons

Eric Gales, one of the greatest electric guitar players on the planet, reveals he actually prefers playing acoustic

By Matt Owen published 27 January 22

The bluesman says he has a whole acoustic double album in reserve that will "take the world by storm"

Audio from the Beatles' iconic 1969 rooftop performance to arrive on streaming services for the first time

By Sam Roche published 27 January 22

The legendary Savile Row show will arrive on Spotify, Apple Music and other major streaming services from January 28

Steve Vai reveals the most difficult aspect of playing Eddie Van Halen’s guitar parts

By Matt Owen published 27 January 22

Vai has detailed the challenges of playing EVH's “perfectly orchestrated” parts with David Lee Roth

Harness the attitude of Johnny Winter with this lesson in his swaggering blues style

By Phil Short published 27 January 22

You'll need a little fire in your belly to replicate Winter’s style, so dig in hard to these blues workouts

How to play ragtime blues guitar

By Richard Barrett published 24 January 22

Learn the solo acoustic guitar style pioneered by trailblazing players such as Big Bill Broonzy and Memphis Minnie

Don Wilson, co-founding guitarist of instrumental rock trailblazers The Ventures, dies aged 88

By Sam Roche published 24 January 22

Wilson was the last surviving founding member of the band, which formed in 1958

Expansive Bill Frisell biography, Beautiful Dreamer, announced

By Matt Parker published 21 January 22

The new book includes extensive interviews with the innovative guitarist and his famous fans, including Paul Simon, Gus Van Sant and Justin Vernon

Watch Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen perform Iron Maiden's Wasted Years at their debut Smith/Kotzen gig

By Matt Owen published 21 January 22

Smith revisited the Iron Maiden classic – lifted from the band's 1986 album Somewhere In Time – with the help of his new bandmate

Rock icon Meat Loaf dies aged 74

By Sam Roche published 21 January 22

The singer behind Bat Out of Hell, one of the biggest-selling albums of all time, has passed away, his family has confirmed

How to play guitar like 10 Chicago blues greats

By Andy Saphir published 20 January 22

Inject some authenticity into your blues playing as we turn back the clock with this lesson on the styles of Buddy Guy, Magic Slim, Otis Rush and many more

Mike Dawes (left) and Tommy Emmanuel perform live at the Triple Door in Seattle

Watch Tommy Emmanuel and Mike Dawes give Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit a virtuosic acoustic makeover

By Jackson Maxwell published 19 January 22

At a recent Seattle gig, the acoustic masters took on the ultimate grunge standard, and re-tooled it beautifully to fit their respective styles

John McLaughlin live at Montreux Jazz festival

John McLaughlin: The Montreux Years sees the guitarist select his key performances at the legendary Swiss festival

By Matt Parker published 19 January 22

The new live collection has been handpicked by McLaughlin himself from shows with Mahavishnu Orchestra, Paco de Lucia and The 4th Dimension

Joe Satriani announces new album, The Elephants of Mars, unveils expansive first single, Sahara

By Matt Parker published 19 January 22

“I want to show people that an instrumental guitar album can contain far more creative and entertaining elements than I think people are using right now,” says the virtuoso of his 19th solo effort

Watch Mateus Asato treat Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah to sublime slides and lush licks in new instrumental cover

By Matt Owen published 19 January 22

Today’s standout neo-soul guitarist also showcased a new song – The Cure – and offered an update following his social media departure last year

Shake up your progressions with 5 chords that are neither major nor minor

By Richard Barrett published 18 January 22

How using the Hendrix chord and the sus chords favoured by Andy Summers can add intrigue and options for your songwriting