Why using the major third is crucial for your blues-based solos By Andy Aledort When soloing over dom7 chords, the inclusion or substitution of the major third in a minor pentatonic line always sounds good
Improve your shredding skills by connecting string-skipping patterns By Sammy Boller These patterns are easy to link up with your pentatonic scales, and can be very useful for adding some flash into your riffs and solos
How using the augmented chord in a minor drop progression can change your songs By Jimmy Brown Paul McCartney, David Gilmour, George Harrison, Tom Petty and many more have done this in their music, so why shouldn't you?
Explore John Lennon's acoustic guitar technique with the Beatles By Dale Turner Lennon - wielding his Gibson J-160E or Martin D28 - is the man behind many Beatles acoustic classics. Look at what makes them tick
Add tension to your solos with the atonal 'X' scale By Blake Scopino This flexible scale sounds great in a modal jam or fusion context
Go beyond the normal boundaries of the minor pentatonic scale with this lick By Glenn Proudfoot Improve on different techniques, and give your fingers a workout, with this Monster Lick
Metallica's Kirk Hammett: how to play like Stevie Ray Vaughan By Kirk Hammett Learn how to play like a blues guitar legend, from an unexpected source!
Guitar maintenance: 10 ways to keep your electric guitar in top condition By Alex Bruce How to ensure your guitar keeps playing and sounding its best
This compositional trick has been used to great effect by Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, The Eagles, Queen and many more By Jimmy Brown Learn how to walk down scales with contrary motion
15 ways to improve your tone - without breaking the bank By Guitar World Staff Quick and easy ways to get your sound in shape without going broke
Fluid Mechanics: A brief guide to Nuno Bettencourt's most musical and brilliantly flashy tapping licks By Scott Marano Have fun entertaining and impressing your fellow guitarists, non-guitarists and yourself with this incredibly effective set of tapping and soloing tools
Learn a quick-and-easy six note soloing technique By Guitar World Staff Think guitar soloing is too hard to approach? Think again
Breaking down the pentatonic scale into two-string shapes will redefine the way you play By Dweezil Zappa Expand your mind and visualize the fretboard in a whole new way with this in-depth Dweezil Zappa lesson
How to play guitar like ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons By Richard Barrett Learn some red-hot Texas blues with this guide to Gibbons' influential style
Dissect the brilliance of Jimi Hendrix's rhythm guitar playing By Keith Wyatt Learn how Hendrix absorbed the soul guitar greats that came before him, then turned their approach on its head
These smooth BB King licks work for more than just blues By Matt Warnock How to use BB's blues ideas in a jazz context
Dave Mustaine lesson: Learn about exotic voicings, major and minor diads and "upside down" chords By Dave Mustaine Learn some more about exotic voicings, plus major and minor diads, from the Megadeth frontman
The major 3rd is the key to a killer blues solo - here's why By Andy Aledort Get your minor and major pentatonic licks in shape with this essential lesson
Robert Johnson: Unlock the guitar mysteries of the Delta blues great By Andy Aledort Learn the variety of picking techniques and tunings that Johnson used to craft his timeless, deeply emotional music
This monster lick takes the blues scale to ferocious new places By Glenn Proudfoot It's amazing how the same six notes, when played with a new spin, can have such a dramatic impact
