All Thumbs: Rockabilly Fingerstyles
by Arlen Roth When I play country or rockabilly on electric, I inevitably slip into the alternating-bass “Travis picking” style. But while Merle Travis and m...
guitar lesson
12 Essential Blues Turnarounds
by Andy Ellis Are your blues a little tired? Crave some fresh sounds? Nothing rejuvenates a 12-bar groove faster than a fancy turnaround, and we’ve got a doz...
The Metal Pentatonic Workout
by Rusty Cooley Metal is a lot different today than it was in the ’80s. Back then, things were brutal. If you didn’t know how to solo, you weren’t even looke...
Essential Stevie Ray Vaughan Licks
Stevie Ray Vaughan was the last great blues guitar innovator, a guy who grabbed the collective consciousness of six-stringers and fans alike, and we're still wa...
Bop-a-Billy Basics
by Jude Gold & Brian Setzer If you could pour Brian Setzer’s explosive mixture of rock, country, jazz, and rockabilly into the gas tank of a muscle car, you’...
Demystifying the Art of Django Gypsy Jazz Guitar
by Andy Ellis & John Jorgenson John Jorgenson has a highly eclectic résumé. The masses know him as the lion-haired guitarist in Elton John’s band, but he’s a...
Q&A On Left Hand Form & Development – Part 2
by Jamey Andreas Click here to see Part 1 of this series on Left Hand Form & Development Question 4: Knuckles Parallel to Strings
My guitar teacher has t...
Rockabilly Jazz
by Jim Campilongo The best Rockabilly players know how to spin jazzy lines over simple blues progressions. Let’s see how this works. Start by recording Gu...
Fire & Flow: Jimmy Herring’s Ultra-Hip Improv Tips
by Jude Gold Few things are more explosive than Jimmy Herring’s solos. Except, perhaps, his telephone, which is always blowing up. Headliners such as the All...
Keith Richards: Rhythm of a Rolling Stone – Part 2
by Joe Deloro This time we look at his acoustic wizardry! Throughout Keith Richards’ recording career with the Rolling Stones, his work on the acoustic guita...
Keith Richards: Rhythm of a Rolling Stone – Part 1
by Joe Deloro Blazing a gold and platinum trail through the pop jungles of the world for 32 years and counting the Rolling Stones long ago carved their claim...
10 Jump Blues Solos You MUST Know
by David Blacker From Charlie Christian to Hollywood Fats, Duke Robillard, Gatemouth Brown and many more, the unmistakable vocabulary of Jump Blues bridges t...