Techniques
Latest about Techniques

The blues scale isn’t just for blues – it’s been used in some of rock and metal’s biggest riffs and solos, too. Here’s how to make it work for you, no matter what style you play
By Simon Barnard published
It’s one of the essential guitar scales, and this lesson takes the blues scale from its classic context to place it in the style of Joe Satriani, Cream-era Clapton and Dimebag Darrell

Guitar solos feeling uninspired? Learn how you can breathe new life into your licks and make sure your solos always sound like they’re going somewhere
By Total Guitar editors published
Turn your attention to the more musical side of lead guitar with four ways to develop a solo

Intro licks are different to solos – they have to be concise and melodic, with a real start and end. Here's how to open your solos like the pros
By Stuart Ryan published
These five ideas will get you thinking about crafting intros like Joe Bonamassa and friends

“The Gibson SG took me about 30 years to figure out… it’s completely different from a Les Paul”: Joe Bonamassa explains how he learned to love Gibson’s solid guitar – and teaches you his favorite SG licks
By Joe Bonamassa published
It might have taken Bonamassa a minute (or a few decades) to fall for the SG’s charms, but now he has in a big way, and this video lesson offers a taste of what the Gibson double-cut can do

5 ways to improve your major pentatonic licks
By Simon Barnard published
Inspired by the great Albert Lee, this lesson takes another pass at the major pentatonic and offers some practical approaches to make it shine in your playing

Improve your blues soloing now with 10 tasty B.B. King-inspired intro licks
By Stuart Ryan published
With B.B. King, an intro was a meal in itself. Here are 10 examples with tab and audio on how you can grab your audience's attention from the first bars of your solo

Tosin Abasi is one of modern metal's most forward-thinking and creative minds – and his groundbreaking selective picking technique will really test your abilities
By Charlie Griffiths published
Get ready for a physical education for the fingers and a full brain workout as we unpack the Animals as Leaders guitarist's signature techniques, e.g. tapping, thumping, splitting the atom...

“This is a rare instrument and a cool example of something Jimi would have played back in 1969/1970”: Joe Bonamassa teaches us his favorite Hendrix-inspired licks on a very special Stratocaster
By Joe Bonamassa published
Class is officially in session at Nerdville as JoBo reaches for his “bronchitis Strat” for a primer in Hendrix blues-rock that will make you a better player

Matteo Mancuso's mind-bending technique has taken the guitar world by storm – learn how to increase your fingerpicking speed to nail his extraordinary licks
By Declan Zapala published
It's time to build speed without the pick, with a little help from the hottest guitar player in the world right now – and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Ditching the pick adds a whole new set of colors to your guitar palette – and these 10 fingerstyle jazz licks will class up your playing (even if you’re not a jazz guitarist)
By Arianna Powell published
Pickup Music’s Arianna Powell shares a wealth of tasty jazz ideas that will work in any genre
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