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Billy Duffy of the Cult wears a black western shirt and plays his signature Gretsch White Falcon onstage in london, with orange stage lights in the background.

With Bob Rock and Rick Rubin at the helm, he recorded some of rock’s most iconic riffs, and launched side-projects with Jerry Cantrell, John Corabi and The Alarm’s Mike Peters – how Billy Duffy’s guitar playing built a Cult following

By Martin Cooper published

Duffy’s unique playing style has made the Cult one of rock’s most enigmatic artists, and this video lesson goes deep inside the Sonic Temple to spill the secrets to his rhythm and lead approaches

Jim Hall wears a brightly patterned shirt as he plays a jazz box onstage

Pat Metheny called him “the father of modern jazz guitar” – here's how Jim Hall revolutionized modern jazz

By John Wheatcroft published

Hall's genius with a guitar had profound implications for the jazz band format, as six-strings replaced piano in the rhythm section

Bathed in red-orange stage lights, Ty Tabor plays a blue Strat onstage with King's X

King’s X are one of rock’s most singular bands, and Ty Tabor is a master guitarist who fuses the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix in his supernova style

By Jamie Humphries published

Ty Tabor combines drop-tuned riffs with Beatles-esque harmonies and groove, and this video masterclass unpacks the King’s X guitarist’s influential rhythm and lead style

Close-up of guitar playing

5 dissonant guitar chords that hold unexpected delights

By Richard Barrett published

We're always talking about harmonious chord pairings, but these discordant shapes will bring tension and surprise to your playing

Concert Of Carlos Santana In Bercy, Paris in Paris, France on May 29, 2000.

Loved by Yngwie, Santana and Slash, the harmonic minor scale is an essential part of every guitar player's vocabulary

By Simon Barnard published

Whether you're checking into the Hotel California or sheltering from the cold November Rain, the harmonic minor scale is right there with you. This lesson demystifies it with examples you can use now

Kenny Wayne Shepherd gives off SRV vibes wearing a leather jacket, hat, and playing a battered Fender Stratocaster

How Kenny Wayne Shepherd became a modern-day master of the Stratocaster

By David Gerrish published

That Overdrive Special you bought on Reverb is going to pay for itself once you take this lesson in the former child prodigy turned maestro's style

Donnie Laudicina teaches a James Brown-inspired funk rhythm figure

Learn the ‘chanking’ funk approach popularized by game-changing James Brown guitarist Jimmy Nolen

By Donnie Laudicina published

You can chank us later for this lesson in an approach that could revolutionise how you execute your rhythm guitar manoeuvres

GTC365 Philip Sayce video masterclass

Philip Sayce channels the blues licks of the greats – and his masterclass will supercharge your pentatonic solos

By Jon Bishop published

The Canadian maestro is your instructor today, and for this lesson you're going to be digging deep for some Texas sizzle and red-hot pentatonic turnarounds

Against a backdrop of celestial stage lights, John Petrucci plays a riff on his signature Ernie Ball Music Man JP15 7-string

Everybody knows John Petrucci for his God-like shredding abilities, but the Dream Theater virtuoso’s next-level rhythm playing deserves more attention

By Jamie Hunt published

We examine the different approaches Petrucci takes for world-building with metal riffs – playing in different time signatures and executing them with on-point precision

A black and white action shot of Link Wray behind dark sunglasses, bending a note on a Gibson SG and making it squeal

Instrumental guitar was pioneered by Link Wray, Les Paul and Hank Marvin – and they shaped the sound of every guitarist who followed

By Jon Bishop published

We pay tribute to the kings of twang with this electric masterclass in early rock ’n’ roll instrumental guitar

Trey Anastasio is bathed in sunlight as he plays his Languedoc custom-build at 2024s Sea.Hear.Now Festival

Trey Anastasio masterclass: nail the Phish frontman’s unique approach to songwriting and soloing

By Jeff Jacobson published

Anastasio draws from influences across the musical spectrum. This lesson breaks down his dynamic soloing and songwriting approach

Brian Setzer has some fun as he wears a red neckerchief and plays a round-up orange Gretsch onstage

5 shapes to try using 6/9 chords – a voicing loved by the likes of Brian Setzer and a perfect closer

By Richard Barrett published

What are 6/9 chords? Well, it might sound complicated but they simply have the 6th and 9th of the parent scale, and their stacking of 4ths gives them a sound like no other

John Renbourn performs on an acoustic guitar

Open G minor chords: 5 shapes you need to know

By Jon Bishop published

Tuned D G D G Bb D, open G minor will give you a fresh perspective on the instrument, and with it new chord shapes to learn

Arms outstretched, John Rzeznik of Goo Goo Dolls works the crowd with an Ibanez acoustic

Open C chords: 5 shapes you need to know

By Jon Bishop published

Used by the likes of the Goo Goo Dolls, Open C tuning is a simple way to find fresh chord voicings – here are 5 to get you started

A black-and-white image of David Grissom playing his signature PRS

How fret-hand muting can clean up your picking technique – especially with gain

By David Grissom published

Texan maestro David Grissom shows us how we can tidy up our hybrid picking and help accentuate syncopated rhythms in our playing

A close up of the body on a Art & Lutherie Roadhouse Tennessee Red acoustic guitar

10 licks that prove the acoustic guitar can handle anything from folk to metal

By Jon Bishop published

Become an acoustic polymath and be comfortable in any musical company with this lesson in styles spanning boygenius to Genesis

Jeff Beck wears mirrored aviators and plays his white Strat with the reversed neck

How Jeff Beck made his whammy bar sound like a slide – his soloing secrets revealed

By Richard Barrett published

Nobody could bend notes like Beck – he took a glissando approach to blues-rock guitar, using the whammy bar when others might have used a slide

A portrait of Martin Miller with his signature Ibanez, a village in the background

Introducing Rhythmically Dependent Alternate Picking, the lead technique that makes fast guitar lines flow better than ever before

By JTC Guitar published

Fusion master Martin Miller takes you on a crash course through RDAP, an approach that ensures you keep the groove going no matter where your playing takes you

Pat Metheny grimaces as he plays his signature Ibanez jazz box onstage in Spain

Learn how Pat Metheny's supreme soloing approach can elevate your jazz game

By Nick Mellor published

In this deep dive into the fusion master's style, we’ll be exploring essential jazz concepts that will inject your solos with fresh ideas

A black-and-white image of David Grissom playing his signature PRS

Trying to craft a memorable solo? Revisit hooks from a song’s melody

By David Grissom published

David Grissom grabs his PRS, gets in front of the camera and shows us how his solos don’t let any melody go to waste