Diversify your playing with these 10 genre-hopping licks

Guitar Playing
(Image credit: Brothers_Art / Getty Images)

As guitarists, we’re often guilty of playing the same old styles of music, and not branching out as much as we could. While we’re not suggesting you must set your sights on being a multi-genre virtuoso, brushing up on a few leftfield licks can help all players – soloists and songwriters alike – improve their chops and stylistic awareness. 

Think of your playing development as a session guitarist might, and it starts to make sense: the lessons learnt from tackling new styles of music can be applied more creatively elsewhere. 

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Charlie Griffiths

Charlie Griffiths plays guitar in acclaimed prog-metal outfit Haken, and has a wealth of experience handling corporate and session gigs for genres as diverse as rock, heavy metal and pop. He has been a regular contributor to Total Guitar, Guitar Techniques, and Guitar World for over a decade, and released his debut solo album Tiktaalika in 2022.