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
Why diminished phrases can be your secret weapon in a blues chord progression By Josh Smith published 8 August 23 Josh Smith offers a road map for harmonically interesting blues guitar playing, offering fresh ideas for connecting notes between chords
Everyone from Charlie Christian to Yngwie Malmsteen has used arpeggios in their guitar solos – here's how you can do it, too By Simon Barnard published 7 August 23 If the fingering and coordination can be tricky at first, the rewards from mastering arpeggios are great, allowing you to freestyle across a chord's notes while staying harmonically honest
“It’s fun, and things can get swampy in a hurry”: Joe Bonamassa teaches you the fundamentals of slide guitar By Joe Bonamassa published 6 August 23 The blues ace takes you through the basics of how to play slide guitar, including muting, tuning and the “dreaded intonation”
You've heard it in The Muppets and Ren and Stimpy – now learn Delibes' quirky masterpiece Pizzicato By Declan Zapala published 3 August 23 We reduce an orchestra to just six strings with this guitar arrangement of Delibes' iconic movement – the classical piece that will impress the cartoon superfan in your life
How to play gospel blues guitar and make something original – and thrilling – out of electric guitar's oldest art form By Richard Barrett published 2 August 23 This lesson draws from the playing of B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan and John Mayer in its off-grid timing and unexpected blues trademarks
10 ways to make your guitar chords more interesting By Charlie Griffiths published 1 August 23 Learn how chords can tap into emotions and you can improve your rhythm chops – and songwriting – fast
Jared James Nichols is the wild man of modern blues-rock – let your solos loose with 6 of his most ferocious licks By Jon Bishop published 31 July 23 In this exclusive lesson, the Epiphone signature artist teaches you 6 licks that will take your blues-rock solos into uncharted territory
How to create melodies that connect relative major and minor chords By Andy Aledort published 28 July 23 Pull solo ideas from both sides of the happy/sad spectrum of tonality
Joe Bonamassa has collaborated with some of today’s finest blues players – learn their soloing secrets with this epic lesson By Andy Saphir published 27 July 23 The JoBo Rolodex is filled with top blues guitar talent, and here we explore seven solo examples inspired by close contacts Eric Gales, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Kirk Fletcher and many more