Josh Smith

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“I aim to paint myself into a musical corner and then try to find an interesting way out”: Introducing the ‘handcuffs’ approach to soloing – a simple way to improve your lead guitar playing

By Josh Smith published 14 March 24

Josh Smith shows you an arresting approach for establishing a melodic narrative in your blues solos

“When I listened to Danny Gatton’s mind-boggling licks, I realized that they depended on a different technique. It just wasn’t possible to flatpick most of them”: Josh Smith presents a crash course in hybrid picking and fast-paced jump blues soloing

By Josh Smith published 21 December 23

Smith’s guide to modern blues soloing takes things up a notch, analyzing the blistering technique of jump blues god Danny Gatton

Josh Smith shows you how to follow your musical inner voice and connect the dots in a blues guitar solo

By Josh Smith published 17 November 23

The blues maestro shows you how to combine chromaticism, diminished patterns and ii-V-i's – but don't be alarmed: it's easier than it sounds, and opens up the doors for radical guitar improv

“If you want to get a visceral reaction from an audience, the bottom line is that you have to make your guitar sing”: Blues playing getting stale? Incorporating ideas from jazz guitarists will take your solos to the next level

By Josh Smith published 13 November 23

At some point it is inevitable: our blues playing starts to get old. Josh Smith walks you through concepts to expand your blues vocab and help your solos stay fresh over those changes

Kirk Fletcher makes a triumphant return to the stage following his recent stroke – and his blues chops were in full working order as he jammed with Joe Bonamassa in Tulsa

By Jonathan Horsley published 9 November 23

The modern blues maestro suffered a stroke onstage in July, with Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith launching a fundraising auction to support Fletcher with his medical bills

“I want to pass on the blues vocabulary that stood the test of many tough audiences”: Modern blues master Josh Smith teaches you the secrets to better solos

By Josh Smith published 24 October 23

In this modern blues masterclass, Josh Smith introduces nine essential solo approaches that will help you find your own sound and voice

“Know your history. But don’t be cliché and try to do what the guys in Chicago did in the ’60s. We don’t need more of that”: Josh Smith is on a mission to save the blues – he names 10 guitarists who are pushing the genre forward

By Andrew Daly published 26 September 23

The defender of the blues faith names the players bucking the clichés and preventing the genre going stale, and explains why anyone who says Joe Bonamassa can't play the blues is “full of s**t”

Photos of Francis Rocco PRESTIA & Josh Smith

“Rocco Prestia could have held that 16th-note pattern in his sleep – it’s airtight” Halestorm bassist Josh Smith picks his top 5 bass albums

By Nick Wells published 31 August 23

From Tower Of Power to The Beatles, Josh Smith reveals the influences that helped shape his heavy-riffing bass style with Halestorm

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

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

How to use chromatic passing tones as connective tissue in guitar solos

By Josh Smith published 14 July 23

Please join us in the chroma-zone, where you will find new ideas for where to take your solos in a country or jazz setting

Joe Bonamassa playing a Fender Stratocaster live

Joe Bonamassa just dropped a new single – and it features one of his “best-ever guitar solos”

By Matt Owen published 16 June 23

Twenty-Four Hour Blues is the lead single from Bonamassa's upcoming album, Blues Deluxe Vol. 2, which features Josh Smith and Kirk Fletcher

How to use chromatic approaches to expand your blues soloing vocabulary

By Josh Smith published 15 June 23

Josh Smith is here to make you a better blues player by showing you the musical value in outlining chords in your lead playing

Carmen Vandenberg, Joanne Shaw Taylor and Joe Bonamassa have covered BB King track Ain't Nobody Home

Joe Bonamassa, Joanne Shaw Taylor and Carmen Vandenberg play an electrifying game of blues tag in this cover of B.B. King’s Ain’t Nobody Home

By Matt Parker published 9 June 23

The three players trade licks and smiles – all backed by Josh Smith – on this classic King cover, albeit seemingly unaware of the irony that they’ve crowded in a room to do so

Seymour Duncan Josh Smith Flat V1 pickup set

NAMM 2023: Josh Smith and Seymour Duncan release the Flat V pickup set – an unorthodox blend of Tele-style single coils

By Matt Owen published 31 March 23

The pickups – which first arrived in the blues titan's Ibanez signature model – feature a unique combination of Alnico 2, 3 and 4 magnets in order to facilitate dynamic, expressive playing

Hone your hybrid picking with this lesson in the style of the great Danny Gatton

By Josh Smith published 10 February 23

Josh Smith is our guide in mixing flatpicking with fingerpicking for a piece that references Gatton's style along with James Brown

Josh Smith and Poly Effects finally unveil the Flat V – a wild two-channel gain pedal that took more than two years to make

By Matt Owen published 17 January 23

Combining analog tones and intuitive digital controls, the Flat V looks like it could be one of the most tonally diverse, sonically nuanced overdrive pedals on the market

Jackson drops chug-friendly new seven-string signature model for Northlane’s Josh Smith

By Matt Owen published 8 December 22

The uniquely finished axe sports signature Bare Knuckle pickups, and seeks to solve a common issue associated with the seven-string template

Josh Smith teases new-look, freshly spec’d version of his Ibanez FLATV1 signature guitar

By Matt Owen published 23 November 22

Is a cream-colored, P-90-equipped version of the blues virtuoso's signature six-string on the way?

How Supersonic Blues Machine are evolving the art of blues guitar and doing everything in their power to stop the genre becoming a "museum piece"

By Robin Davey published 26 October 22

LA’s superstar blues collective currently features guitar royalty Josh Smith, Kirk Fletcher and Ana Popović – they join us for a roundtable discussing the blues scene, competition, and the pros and cons of the new age of guitar stars