A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an introduction to the 12 bar blues. This is the most commonly occurring chord progression in the blues, and one you need to get under your fingers if you want to progress as a blues guitarist. Once you know that chord progression back...
If you are really serious about your guitar tone, it is worth investing in a boutique amp. Boutique amps are hand built and hardwired, often just by one person or a small team. They are made using very high quality components and are constructed in a way that is not...
I have to admit, I was at first a little reluctant to write an article on how to sound like John Mayer. Mayer is not a traditional blues guitarist. His music is aimed at a wide audience, and as a result, a lot of it is closer to pop music...
If you want to play blues guitar, you need to start by learning the 12 bar blues. The 12 bar blues is the structure upon which blues music is built. It has been used since the inception of the genre and appears in almost every iconic blues song ever written....
I have wanted to sound like Gary Clark Jr. ever since I first heard him a couple of years ago. His massive guitar sound blew me away. It is raw, powerful and perfect if you want to play hard blues rock. Refreshingly, it is a sound that is not that...
Fuzz is one of the most iconic and instantly recognisable guitar sounds. Ever since fuzz pedals were first popularised by guitarists like Jimi Hendrix in the 1960s - they have become a key feature on pedalboards worldwide. Arguably they are more popular now than ever. For guitarists like Gary Clark...
In the quest for quality tones, I think guitarists often overlook reverb pedals. Instead they favour overdrive and boost pedals. These are important - and you can find some of my top recommendations for overdrive pedals here. But if you really want a killer blues tone, you need to add a...
I don't think there is a single guitarist in the modern era who has not wanted to sound like Jimi Hendrix at some point in their playing career. He is unquestionably the most iconic guitarist of all time, and one who has influenced every guitarist that is playing today. Most...
One mistake that I have consistently made in my quest for vintage blues tones is buying the wrong amp. As a young player I was sucked in by the bells and whistles of digital modelling amps. After that, I made the mistake of buying a very large valve amp. I...
I have wanted to sound like Joe Bonamassa since I first became aware of him around 5 years ago. I heard songs like 'Stop!' and 'Sloe Gin', and became enthralled by both his playing, and the quality of his guitar tone. To my mind, Joe Bonamassa is one of the...
The world of guitar slides is not easy to navigate. As is...
When it comes to choosing guitar strings, players seem to...
If you want to get started playing slide guitar, the first...
If you want to dial in a killer blues tune, I would...
Over the course of his career, B.B. King crafted some of the...
Learning to navigate around your guitar fretboard is...
In my opinion, Eric Johnson is one of the most gifted...
If you want to create effective blues guitar solos, I would...
In recent years, guitar pedals have come to play an...
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