Lessons

KT Tunstall’s 5 guitar tips to boost your songwriting skills

By Jason Sidwell published 23 February 26

Learn KT's five go-to guitar techniques: from power strumming to rich chords, colorful picking, and unison vocal/guitar riffs.

Demystifying 13th chords, the voicing that Stevie Ray Vaughan used to stunning effect in Lenny

By Richard Barrett published 17 February 26

This primer in 13th chords will give you five voicings to use in your playing – and an explanation on how they get their name

How to play slide guitar in standard tuning

By Charlie Starr published 12 February 26

Charlie Starr of Blackberry Smoke demonstrates how slide playing in standard and drop D tuning can be the best of both worlds

What is “Dead thumb” fingerpicking? Jared James Nichols explains

By Jared James Nichols published 11 February 26

Jared James Nichols is a master of “Dead thumb” fingerpicking. The Blues Power fingerstylist explains how it gives the him freedom to cut loose

How to let it rip like the late, great Gary Moore

By Richard Barrett published 4 February 26

Time to show the Marshall amp no mercy and engage the Tube Screamer – this solo lesson works mid '70s Thin Lizzy into Parisienne Walkways and Still Got The Blues and doesn't hold back

“I met him in 1990 when I was 13 years old. We became lifelong friends”: Joe Bonamassa pays tribute to B.B. King

By Joe Bonamassa published 1 February 26

Bonamassa says King was the kind of player who could say it all with one note – “Just one stinging vibrato and you know it can only be him”

Players like Steve Hackett are masters of extended chords/harmony – here’s how you can use them too

By Richard Barrett published 30 January 26

Today in extended chords 101, we look at 11th chords – both minor and major – and explain how these “harmonically dense” voicings look on the fretboard

Cory Wong reveals how to solo over chords in a meaningful way

By Cory Wong published 27 January 26

Wong explains how outlining notes in the chord progression helps find a solo that's melodically on-point and just what the song calls for

“Sometimes simplicity wins the day”: Joe Bonamassa on the art of writing a heavy guitar riff

By Joe Bonamassa published 16 January 26

In his latest GW video lesson, the blues-rock superstar recalls how some of his heaviest riffs came together, and to your shock – and maybe even horror – they were written in standard tuning