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Red Hot Chili Peppers survived 5 guitarist swaps, and each one shook up their sound. Here’s how the band’s guitar style evolved with each personnel shift – and what you can learn from them, too

By Jamie Hunt published 22 September 23

From Hillel Slovak to the second coming of John Frusciante, we trace the RHCP funk-rock sound through five guitarists

5 ways to use Mixolydian scale – the Goldilocks mode loved by the Cult, AC/DC and Eric Johnson

By Jenna Scaramanga published 20 September 23

Everything from feelgood rock to funk gets better with Mixolydian, a mode used to great effect by everyone from Guns N' Roses to Kool and the Gang

Learn the vibrant guitar styles of bossa nova, tango and rumba with this lesson in South American rhythms

By Jon Bishop published 18 September 23

Expand your musical vocabulary with this guide to six of the most important South American guitar styles

With credits spanning Miles Davis to John Mayer, John Scofield is one of jazz guitar’s most idiosyncratic players – and his mind-bending solo phrasing is a must-learn

By John Wheatcroft published 17 September 23

A John Scofield lesson is a lesson in melodic choices. In this tab and audio lesson, we dive into his genre-spanning style to hone your jazz chops

A Flying V pioneer who inspired Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, Albert King was king of the blues – find out why with this lesson in his vocal playing style

By Phil Short published 11 September 23

King was a player who could say more with less, with a vibrato that give his licks a vocal quality, and this lesson with tab and audio unpacks his style

Every guitarist wishes they were better at fingerstyle – and this lesson may make you want to ditch the pick for good

By Chris Bird published 8 September 23

Whatever style of music you play, these workouts will improve your fingerstyle technique – and that counts for both electric and acoustic guitar

Bonnie Raitt may be best known for slide, but she's an expert fingerpicker, too – and her Americana-indebted style will improve your acoustic playing

By Stuart Ryan published 6 September 23

In this video and tab lesson, we unpack the acoustic fingerstyle approach of one of America's great songwriters, and give you ideas for how to embellish chords and use inversions

Michael Romeo is one of the world's elite shredders – test your soloing skills with this lesson on his devastating abilities

By Charlie Griffiths published 4 September 23

Influenced by the orchestral sweep of John Williams and the neoclassical madness of Yngwie Malmsteen, the Symphony X mastermind is a formidable shred talent, and this tab and audio lesson isn't for the fainthearted

“This guitar is a real ‘blues machine’, and I really love it!” Joe Bonamassa explains why every blues player needs to try a Gibson ES-345 as he shares his favorite licks

By Joe Bonamassa published 1 September 23

The Varitone control makes this semi-hollow unlike anything else in the Gibson catalog – Joe Bonamassa shows us the tones and licks that made it such a classic electric

Close up of a woman playing an acoustic guitar

There’s no such thing as an ‘acoustic guitar chord’ – but these 12 shapes sound amazing unplugged

By Chris Bird published 30 August 23

Learn a dozen chords that will expand your musical vocabulary and enhance your songwriting – and the best bit? They’re not that difficult

John Mayer is one of the most lyrical soloists playing today – learn his tricks to crafting memorable leads

By Andy G Jones published 28 August 23

Mayer is a player who wears his influences well but always brings his own twist – we take look at how he applies this to his solos, and how you can, too

Your solos and rhythm playing will benefit from learning chords across the fretboard – and major 7ths are a great place to start

By Richard Barrett published 25 August 23

The major 7th chord is a favorite among guitarists of all stripes, including Nile Rodgers – here are 5 ways to take the shape to the next level, and your overall playing along with it, too

“I love anything with a killer solo you can jam out to”: Welcome to the Sophie Lloyd masterclass, where the Machine Gun Kelly guitarist and YouTube shred sensation will give your rock chops a serious workout

By Sophie Lloyd published 24 August 23

In this Guitar World exclusive, Sophie Lloyd takes you behind her rhythm and lead techniques on monster single Do or Die and shares her tips on how to hone your skills

Pat Metheny is a true master of guitar, and every player can learn from his awe-inspiring fusion approach – expand your chops with these key concepts

By John Wheatcroft published 18 August 23

We put Metheny's blues motifs, subversion of genre, his use of slurs and slides, unisons, and the targeting of crucial chord tones under the microscope – tabs and audio included

With blistering technique, a great ear for melody and an incredible rhythm guitar pocket, Steve Lukather is one of rock guitar’s all-time greats – upgrade your skills with his must-learn licks

By Martin Cooper published 16 August 23

Lukather is a play-anything session player and the box-office guitar behind Toto, and this lesson offers two approaches for incorporating his virtuoso stylings into your playing

His liquid jazz-blues playing style made him one of the most sought-after session guitarists of all time – learn the secrets behind Larry Carlton’s most memorable solos

By Andy G Jones published 15 August 23

Famed for his work with Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell and Michael Jackson, Carlton is a true guitar legend who can switch codes between jazz, blues and pop then back again like there was nothing to it – and now you can learn how to do it, too

No, arpeggios aren’t just for jazz and shred solos – here are 5 ways you can use them to freshen up any style of guitar playing

By Jenna Scaramanga published 14 August 23

Your riffs, rhythm parts and solos can all benefit from a minor 7 arpeggio injection

Eddie Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page are some of guitar’s greatest trailblazers – learn their styles and level up your playing with this rock guitar deep-dive

By Jon Bishop published 11 August 23

The styles of Slash, Eric Clapton, Ritchie Blackmore and a suite of other rock gods are placed under the microscope for this comprehensive lesson – tabs and audio included

Jeff Loomis is one of metal’s most technically audacious players – and learning his techniques can really up your shred game

By Charlie Griffiths published 10 August 23

Improve your alternate picking, arpeggios and tapping skills with these 5 lessons in the style of the Arch Enemy virtuoso

Chris Rea is an underrated blues-pop force – his soulful slide playing is well worth investigating

By Phil Short published 9 August 23

Inspired by the blues greats, the UK singer-songwriter developed a melodic open E slide style that’s very much his own

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