Lessons

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Steve Lukather solos on his natural finish Ernie Ball Music Man Luke signature guitar at a recent Toto show – the band's logo is emblazoned across Planet Earth in the background.

4 searing blues guitar solo ideas in the style of Steve Lukather

By Richard Barrett published

Lukather might have made his name in box-office rock and pop, but the blues underpins it all, and this quick-fire tutorial with tab and audio unleashes some serious soloing heat

Artist Lessons
Minor Pentatonics

Every player uses the minor pentatonic – here’s how you can leverage the guitar's most-used scale in your own playing

By Stuart Ryan published

Every player is aware of the minor pentatonic, but not everyone knows how to make the most of it. These examples – in the style of some prolific pentatonic players – will help you master the shape everyone uses

Techniques
Sue Foley is photographed against a black background and holds her beat-up Paisley Telecaster

Sue Foley shares some blues you can use with 6 essential licks that all blues fans should know

By Sue Foley published

Sue Foley's inaugural GW column kicks off with a bang! Blues you can use, people. This part one of a two-parter introduces essential walk-up licks to build your soloing vocabulary

Artist Lessons
Cannibal Corpse guitarist Erik Rutan playing in his home studio

The brutal shred-fest that has quietly become one of our biggest playthrough videos

By Scott Rowley published

Four years ago, we published this video of Erik Rutan. It's since become one of our most-watched videos

Musical Tips & Advice
Joe Bonamassa [left] hits a high note on his 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard. He wears a dark suit and shades. On the right, Rory Gallagher is pictured at the 1975 Reading Festival, and solos on his number one Strat.

Joe Bonamassa explains the slide guitar genius of his hero and icon, Rory Gallagher

By Joe Bonamassa published

In this tab and video lesson, Joe dons a metal guitar slide and unpacks the late Irish blues legend's glissando magic

Artist Lessons
Cory Wong and the Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay II

Cory Wong on collaboration and how to stack and blend guitar parts that complement the song

By Cory Wong published

Looking for the perfect part to play with another guitarist? Wong says it's all about finding the compositional "hook" – and he has some practical examples to show us

Artist Lessons
Cut-out black and white images of T-Bone Walker and B.B. King on a purple and blue background. Text reads 'Bl-azz?! Where blues meets jazz.'

Bend it like B.B.: What you can learn from these 6 blues and jazz guitar greats

By Alex Farran published

Bends, embellishments, arpeggios and more – from Charlie Christian to BB King and George Benson, how to unlock the genius of the jazz and blues icons

Techniques
Erja Lyytinen

Erja Lyytinen shares her 6 go-to slide licks for unlocking more expressive soloing

By Jon Bishop published

She wowed Sonny Landreth and Carlos Santana called her the “future” – Erja Lyytinen shares her 6 go-to slide licks for unlocking more expressive soloing

Techniques
John Sykes hits a note and feels it under a blue stage light, as he plays his Les Paul Custom onstage with Thin Lizzy.

“The passion of Gary Moore with riffs inspired by Zeppelin”: The searing lead guitar of ’80s rock’s great journeyman

By Richard Barrett published

Exploring the lead guitar style of John Sykes, a player who – like Page, Blackmore, and Moore – balanced flair with power

Artist Lessons
Pro Tips

How to get better at guitar – 10 proven ways to improve your playing fast

By Dre DiMura published

These small details can separate an amateur-sounding guitarist from a professional one

Techniques
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