Keeping up with the best guitar lessons, contests, stories, and more!
Looking to add a bit of flair to your guitar playing? Premier Guitar has a lesson on playing Caprice No. 24, by Niccolò Paganini. It’s not just for shredders—it’s for anyone wanting to take their guitar playing to the next level!
Gus G. performs “What Lies Below, ” and offers detailed information on its various aspects. This guy knows how to play! Watch the video here.
Want to play like John Petrucci? His technique is flawless and his tone is pristine. Watch this video to learn the secret!
This week’s selection of gear giveaways feature some great finds from Sweetwater, Calton, and Disc Makers!
Needing to upgrade your mic locker? Then head over to Sweetwater and enter this ribbon mic giveaway. These great mics are included in the giveaway:
AEA R88 – large stereo ribbon microphone
AEA R84 – large mono ribbon microphone
N22s – matched pair of modern active ribbon mics
RPQ – 2-channel ribbon mic preamp
Contest ends August 31.
Lowe Vintage Instrument Company is offering the chance to win and design your own custom Calton case for the instrument of your choice. If you’re not familiar with these cases, they’re basically indestructible and cost more than a lot of instruments! Head over to Facebook to enter.
Disc Makers has a giveaway they’ve coined as the “Power Trio Giveaway.” This includes an Ibanez TM302M Talman Guitar, Ibanez TMB600NT Talman Bass, and a Tama IP52KCBK Imperialstar 5-pc. drum kit (with complete hardware and cymbals). Visit Disc Makers to enter. Contest ends September 30.
This week’s selection of guitar lessons combines the shredding mechanics of Michael Angelo Batio, the blues of Jody Worrell, and the Jazz-Metal of Dave Davidson. Enjoy!
Troy Grady, the creator of the series Cracking the Code, has just released a new lesson on the technique of Michael Angelo Batio. Studying the subtle motions, while it may seem tedious, can shed light on how these players achieve such a great level of speed and precision.
Blues guitarist Jody Worrell has a new lesson over at Guitar Compass on how to play a blues rhythm riff using sliding double stops.
Jazz in Metal? Absolutely. This lesson from Guitar World shows how you can design more complex harmonies in metal using basic jazz chords.
This week, I have an interesting selection of guitar lessons for you. To begin with, let’s take a look at some tips for playing slide guitar. Nashville-based musician, John Bohlinger has a video on Premier Guitar’s YouTube channel that takes a look at some examples for playing better slide guitar.
Classical guitar players will enjoy this video from Gary Ryan. He offers some simple warm-up tips that are great for both the beginner and seasoned player.
From Guitar World, guitarist Jeff Gunn demonstrates how you can use your guitar to create the sounds of other instruments. Personally, it should be a lesson in playing in the style of other instruments rather than sounding like them, but it’s still interesting to watch.
American Musical Supply has partnered with Fender to bring you this awesome giveaway featuring the gear of Johnny Marr’s rig, worth almost $3,000! They don’t list how long the contest lasts, so I’d recommend entering soon! Click here to enter.
Fishman is offering an incredible opportunity to win a 1960 Evolution Electric Guitar from Michael Kelly, which comes equipped with Fishman Fluence Multi Voice Pickups. Like Fishman on Facebook and then enter to win. Contest ends August 31!
Here’s a beautiful guitar that you can win—valued at nearly $3,000, the signature Johnny Winter guitar by Dean Zelinsky is stunning! This guitar is a one-of-a-kind prototype, so best of luck in winning it! Enter here. Contest ends October 23!