essential licks

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Mike Campbell (left) and Tom Petty (1950 - 2017), both of the group Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, play guitar as they perform onstage at Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York, March 31, 1983
How Mike Campbell's throwaway lick shaped a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers classic

By Janelle Borg Published

Campbell's guitar noodling and Petty's ear for a good hook resulted in their first Top 40 hit

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Guitarists
Sue Foley performs during 2023 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at Fair Grounds Race Course on May 05, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana
Sue Foley shows you how to stop your blues solos from sounding “scaley”

By Janelle Borg Published

Foley has shared her go-to early Chicago blues lick that, according to her, always does the trick

Guitarists
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Essential Guitar Licks: Stevie Ray Vaughan's "The Sky Is Crying" Bends

By Guitar World Staff Published

Pick up a useful, Albert King-inspired bending lick by Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Lessons
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Essential Guitar Licks: Albert King Funk-Blues à la “Born Under a Bad Sign”

By Guitar World Staff Published

Learn a blistering funk-blues lick in the style of the late, great Albert King.

Techniques
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Essential Guitar Licks: Slippery Duane Allman-Style Mixolydian Slide Lick

By Guitar World Staff Published

Learn a terrific, slippery Mixolydian lick in the vein of the late, great Duane Allman.

Lessons