jeff mcerlain

Rock Guitar Licks and Phrases: Build Solos with Power and Attitude

August 8, 2026

Rock guitar licks are the currency of the genre. Every solo you love, every moment that made you reach for your guitar, likely started with a short, punchy phrase played with absolute conviction.

Guitar Dynamics: How to Make Every Note Matter

July 20, 2026

Two guitarists can play the exact same phrase, in the same key, through the same amp, and produce...

Guitar Vibrato Technique: Fundamentals, Fixes, and Musical Application

July 16, 2026

Every intermediate guitarist eventually notices the same thing about the players they admire most: there’s something in the...

Overdrive vs Distortion vs Fuzz: Choosing the Right Gain Pedal

June 25, 2026

Overdrive vs distortion vs fuzz is one of the most common questions any guitarist venturing into pedals will...

Grainy vintage-style photo of a guitarist on a small club stage

Learning Solos From the Blues Masters

June 3, 2026

The blues masters built their vocabulary one stolen lick at a time. If you're an early-intermediate player who already knows the pentatonic scale and wants to ...

Chord Tones Help Your Blues Solos Follow the Changes

June 3, 2026

If your solos sound like they're floating over the chord changes instead of following them, chord tones are the missing piece. A lot of players...

Blues guitarist mid-solo on a sunburst guitar, eyes closed and face expressing deep emotion, performing in a warmly lit practice space

Mixing Major and Minor Pentatonic Over the Blues

June 3, 2026

If you've ever wondered how a blues guitarist makes a solo sound both sweet and gritty at the same time, the answer usually comes down to one thing...

Blues guitarist on stage in front of a club audience

Blues Phrasing: Bends, Vibrato, and the Power of Space

June 3, 2026

Most guitarists learn the minor pentatonic and then wonder why their solos sound robotic. The notes are right, but something is missing. That missing...