Hot Electric Guitar How-Tos
How To: Create and build chords on the guitar
For beginners, you may learn a few basic chords here and there, but somewhere in your mind you must think about why do these chords sound like this, why is this an A chord and this a G chord? Well, wonder no more! In this video you will learn how the construction of a chord works, which is basically taking the root and adding a specific formula for what you're looking for. Let's say you want to build an A major chord. Well, you first have to build the triad which is the 1st note of the major ...
How To: Play inversions of triads on the guitar
As a guitar player, you will be faced with various challenges in your career, and one of those are being able to blend in with your rhythm section without stepping on anybody elses toes. One way is playing inversions of triads to give a fresh and unique sound to your rhythm and lead guitar playing. In this video you will learn about rearranging triad shapes to make inversions.
How To: Play and use the Dorian mode on Guitar
Dorian mode is the second mode of the seven modes to learn and is also, in a way, natural minor with a major sixth note of the scale instead of the minor sixth. You can use it over a minor chord progression over the four chord if it's a dominant, among other things. In this video you will learn the basic construction and use for the Dorian scale.
How To: Play "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana on the guitar
Smells Like Teen Spirit is a song that defined a generation in the 90's and paved the way for alternative and hard rock music. In this video lesson you will learn the basics of playing the song, from the intro, the verse and the bridge section. He takes it slow and also displays tab during his lessons to give you a fast experience learning the songs.
How To: Play power chords with open strings on the guitar
As Guitar players, the goal is to be a member of the band when you have to be, and when it's your time shine, you go for it full force! But during those times that you have to hold back and hang with the rhythm section give the idea of open string power chords on your guitar during your rhythm guitar sections to add a feel that will definitely bring out any section of a song (although you might want to consider waiting until the chorus to open up like this.)
How To: Play two signature Blues licks on the guitar
Sure, you can play minor pentatonic over the Blues all day and probably almost get away with it in a live setting. But if you want to play like the greats, you've gotta learn their licks! In this video you will learn two signature Blues licks that almost every player knows, that you can play over any sort of dominant or major slow blues progression.
How To: Play an Freddie King style Blues lick over the IV chord on guitar
They always did say, "simple music is the hardest to play, and Blues is simple music." Playing the Blues requires a specific touch that takes practice as well as a great compilation of licks! In this video you will learn how to play a signature Freddie King lick (ripped off by Eric Clapton, Stevie and other great guitar players, because that's what we do) over the IV chord of the progression (the fourth chord in the scale of the key). The faster you get with it, start to add trills, quick ham...
How To: Mic your guitar amp and get a great sound in a live setting
When playing live, having the BEST sound possible is probably the most important part of the show! (well you know, besides rehearsing and stage performance, but that's a completely different subject!) When you're playing out, you need to be prepared to have a sound man who has absolutely no idea what he's doing or how to mic anything, including your amp. In this video you will get a full walkthrough of the different mics that you can use including dynamic mics and condenser mics, and differen...
How To: Play Weezer's "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" on guitar
Want to play Weezer's "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" on the acoustic guitar? See how it's done with this free video guitar lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords in tab notation. While this tutorial is geared toward those who already have some knowledge of the guitar, players of all skill level should be able to follow along given adequate time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing this Weezer song on your own guit...
How To: Play "Undisclosed Desires" by Muse on an electric guitar
Want to play Muse's "Undisclosed Desires" on the electric guitar? See how it's done with this free video guitar lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords in tab notation. While this tutorial is geared toward those who already have some knowledge of the guitar, players of all skill level should be able to follow along given adequate time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing this Muse song on your own guitar, watch this video tutorial.
How To: Play "Resistance" by Muse on an electric guitar
Want to play Muse's "Resistance" on the electric guitar? See how it's done with this free video guitar lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords in tab notation. While this tutorial is geared toward those who already have some knowledge of the guitar, players of all skill level should be able to follow along given adequate time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing this Muse song on your own guitar, watch this video tutorial.
How To: Play "Uprising" by Muse on an electric guitar
Want to play Muse's "Uprising" on the electric guitar? See how it's done with this free video guitar lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords. While this tutorial is geared toward those who already have some knowledge of the guitar, players of all skill level should be able to follow along given adequate time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing this Muse song on your own guitar, watch this video tutorial.
How To: Play the minor pentatonic and move the scale up and down the neck on guitar
Learning all of the patterns of the pentatonic is important, but if you're stuck to just playing them in their box shaped patterns, you can really find yourself getting stale and insecure in your playing. So break out of the box with this video! Learn how to connect your pentatonic patterns up and down the neck with ease and add an extra breath of life to your improvisations!
How To: Play a melodic style of rhythm guitar with Paul Jackson Jr.
Paul Jackson Jr. is one of the tastiest session musicians alive and has played with hundreds of artists over the span of his career including most of the guitar work on Michael Jackson's Thriller album! In this video he explains the secret to his style and how to pick apart chords and play the very basic components of each chord to create a more sonically sound rhythm guitar part that doesn't step on anybodies toes but is catchy enough to be noticed in the mix.
How To: Play Johnny Cash-style country rhythm guitar
Even if you're a metal head or a shredder, you can't deny how cool it is when a good ol' country picker gets up there and rips it up! Johnny Cash was one of the few modern Country singers who brought electrified country into the mainstream for his time. If you're looking to add a few country-fried licks to your arsenal and learn how to do some basic country guitar, check out this video lesson! You will learn how to alternate between the root and fifth of the chord to simulate the bass, as wel...
How To: Play funky R&B and blues rhythm guitar
Funk, R&B, Blues, these are the styles of music that grooves the hardest and are the most about feel and less about technicality. Not only that, but the various inversions and triad groupings used in those styles can easily be transferred into Rock, Pop, Jazz, Metal and so many other styles. In this fantastic video lesson you will learn the basics to playing rhythm guitar in these styles.
How To: Play funk rhythm guitar
Funk guitar is an interesting creature, you're not always playing chords, and you're not always playing lines, it's a happy medium of playing parts of chords, with single note rhythms, muting and pocket playing. If you've ever wanted to get a basic idea of how to play funk this video lesson is for you! You will get a great over view of the basics of funk including common lines, common chords, and muting techniques as well!
How To: Solo over Jazz changes using melodies and focusing on key centers on guitar
Jazz is a complicated style of music that takes a completely different style of thinking and playing to even do it somewhat decently. Soloing in its own right is the toughest, but there's a great way of getting started, and thanks to Jeff Richman from Musician's Institute, you will learn how! In this amazing video lesson, he goes through showing you the various ways of using melodies and key centers to really bring out your solo over any sort of Jazz Changes.
How To: Improvise over Jazz changes using chord tones with Jeff Richman
Soloing over a large amount of Jazz changes can be tough, with the chord changes sometimes spanning through two or three different keys. One trick to soloing in Jazz to solo over the chord tones of the chords that are being played. You can either use only the 3rd and 7th the chords, as well as using triads and arpeggios. In this amazing video lesson from Jeff Richman from Musician's Institute, you will learn how to apply all these techniques over Jazz changes.
How To: Use a metrenome to improve your internal clock with Pathik Desai
Even though this video is for guitar, learning how to improve your internal clock to feel tempos and measures is important for ALL instruments. If you can't sync up with a metrenome you can't sync up with the drums, and quite frankly no one will want to play with you at that point. But don't worry, if you're having trouble with your timing and are looking for a way to help improve your internal clock, Pathik Desai from Musician's Institute, has a great lesson in store for you! You'll learn so...
How To: Play funk in 7/8 time on the guitar with Ross Bolton
Every once in a while you're going to run into an odd meter song, and one of the most common is 7/8 (7 eighth notes per measure). If you listen to a lot of Frank Zappa then odd meter is nothing new to you. If you're not familiar with odd timing, or are having trouble lining up, this amazing guitar lesson from Ross Bolton, an instructor at Musician's Institute, can help you out. In this video you will learn how to count 7/8 meter as well as play it and apply it to funk guitar.
How To: Add rhythmic variety to your solo on guitar with Jeff Marshal
Just playing the same sixteenth notes over and over and over again in your solos can become stale after a while, and even if you learn every scale and every lick in the world, if you play them all with the same rhythmic dictation, it can get stale fast and you will lose a lot of your audience members! In this fantastic video lesson, Jeff Marshal, instructor at Musician's Institute, gives you an in depth look into adding rhythmic varieties into your solos.
How To: Apply a shape shifting technique to your solos one the guitar with Dave Hill
Soloing is something that every guitar player should learn. Being able to solo on command is crucial to being a great professional musician period! If you know all five of your patterns and are still just playing in the box patterns without much movement, then this video will help break you out of your cage! Dave Hill, a teacher at Musician's Institute, goes into great detail showing you how to use a technique called "Shape Shifting" by moving your lines through each of the patterns on the ne...
How To: Play melodic funk rhythms on the guitar with Dave Hill
Funk music is about the pocket and about the groove. As a guitar player, your job is to try to fit in the best that you can with the rest of the rhythm section, which means not stepping on other peoples toes. But when it's your time to shine, being able to use a little melody in your funk rhythms can go a long way! In this amazing video, Dave Hill, a teacher at Musician's Institute, goes into detail on how to not only play the three note triads of the chords you're playing over but also all t...
How To: Do hybrid shredding on the guitar with Greg Harrison
In the world of shred, blues, jazz, rock, heck, in any world where you play guitar, one of the toughest, and interesting methods for picking is called hybrid picking, a combination of using both your pick and fingers to get more notes and more inventive and interesting licks and rhythm guitar phrases. In this video, Greg Harrison, a teacher at Musician's Institute, gives you an in-depth lesson on using hybrid picking with shred guitar to really increase speed and also add a new flavor to your...
How To: Play triad nuggets on the guitar with Dan Gilbert
Being a good rhythm guitar player isn't always about just knowing the chords, knowing how to break them apart and use their basic components in a creative was is also incredibly important. In this incredibly detailed video, teacher at Musician's Institute, Dan Gilbert, gives us a lesson on using triads as a base for licks and inventive ways of playing over a chord progression.
How To: Play galloping harmonics on the guitar with Jude Gold
A cool technique on the guitar is Galloping Harmonics, combining the galloping rhythmic figure with harmonics and making it a little funky with some slap guitar, originally made famous by Regi Wooten! In this video, Jude Gold, head of GIT (Guitar Institute of Technology) at Musician's Institute completely breaks down the entire process of learning how to get the sound, the feel, and the technique down.
How To: Play various harmonics on the guitar
Various guitar players have made harmonics, and pinch harmonics, a popular guitar technique that has inspired a generation. Guitar players like Zakk Wylde, Andy McKee, Eddie Van Halen, and other amazing players have all contributed their own style of incorporating them into their songs. It's a simple technique of holding your finger over the fret wire without pressing down. It has to be over the fret wire, not while your finger is actually in the fret. In this fantastic video you'll learn how...
How To: Build dexterity and strength in your hands on the guitar to solo faster
A key element to making any guitar player, whether lead or rhythm, a great player is having good muscle memory and plenty of dexterity and strength in both your left hand and right hand. For those just getting started, or for those who have been playing for a while but are still having a hard time pulling off bends or holding down chords and barre chords, it's crucial to exercise your hands and build that dexterity and strength. In this fantastic video you will learn various exercises to help...
How To: Improvise over II, V, I chord progressions in Jazz on the guitar
If you're just getting started with Jazz, the most basic chord progression, and most popular, is the II V I progression (the two chord, the five chord, and the one chord of the progression). Improvising over it can be as easy as merely using the major scale of the key you're in, all the way to adding altered and chromatic notes to really give it that Jazzy sound. In this video you will get a basic idea of the different licks and runs you can perform over a II V I progression with just using t...
How To: Play "Walk This Way" by Aerosmith on the electric guitar
Want to play Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" on the electric guitar? See how it's done with this free video guitar lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords in tab notation. While this tutorial is geared toward those who already have some knowledge of the guitar, players of all skill level should be able to follow along given adequate time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing this Aerosmith song on your own guitar, watch this video tutorial.
How To: Play "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix on the electric guitar
Want to play Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze" on the electric guitar? See how it's done with this free video guitar lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords in tab notation. While this tutorial is geared toward those who already have some knowledge of the guitar, players of all skill level should be able to follow along given adequate time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing this Hendrix song on your own guitar, watch this video tutorial.
How To: Play "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin on electric guitar
Want to play Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" on the electric guitar? See how it's done with this free video guitar lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords in tab notation. While this tutorial is geared toward those who already have some knowledge of the guitar, players of all skill level should be able to follow along given adequate time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing this Led Zeppelin song on your own guitar, watch this video t...
How To: Play "Heartbreaker" by Led Zeppelin on the electric guitar
Want to play Led Zeppelin's "Heartbreaker" on the electric guitar? See how it's done with this free video guitar lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords in tab notation. While this tutorial is geared toward those who already have some knowledge of the guitar, players of all skill level should be able to follow along given adequate time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing this Led Zeppelin song on your own guitar, watch this video tutorial.
How To: Play "Black Dog" by Led Zeppelin on the electric guitar
Want to play Led Zeppelin's "Black Dog" on the electric guitar? See how it's done with this free video guitar lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords in tab notation. While this tutorial is geared toward those who already have some knowledge of the guitar, players of all skill level should be able to follow along given adequate time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing this Led Zeppelin song on your own guitar, watch this video tutorial.
How To: Play "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath on an electric guitar
Want to play Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" on the electric guitar? See how it's done with this free video guitar lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords in tab notation. While this tutorial is geared toward those who already have some knowledge of the guitar, players of all skill level should be able to follow along given adequate time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing this Black Sabbath song on your own guitar, watch this video tutorial.
How To: Play "Enter Sandman" by Metallica on an electric guitar
Want to play Metallica's "Enter Sandman" on guitar? See how it's done with this free video guitar lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords. While this tutorial is geared toward those who already have some knowledge of the guitar, players of all skill level should be able to follow along given adequate time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing this Metallica song on your own guitar, watch this video tutorial.
How To: Play "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple on an electric guitar
Want to play Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" on the electric guitar? See how it's done with this free video guitar lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords in tab notation. While this tutorial is geared toward those who already have some knowledge of the guitar, players of all skill level should be able to follow along given adequate time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing this Deep Purple song on your own guitar, watch this video tut...
How To: Improvise over altered chords using melodic minor on the guitar
Altered chords are a great spice to add to any song, especially in Jazz and Fusion. But trying to improvise over them in a solo can be disastrous if you aren't playing on the key tones of the chord, you will just create a large amount of a-tonal and diminished notes that you might not want in your lines. In this great video you will learn one great technique to keep in mind when improvising a solo over an altered chord using melodic minor of the note a half step up from the root of the altere...
How To: Play "Hurt" by Johnny Cash (NIN cover) on guitar
In this tutorial, we learn how to play "Hurt" by Johnny Cash (NIN cover) on guitar. Start with an A minor, then go to a C, then D, and back to A minor. These are the main chords of the song. You will play these as the intro to the song, one after the other. You will play this nine times for all the verses and the intro together. The only time this will change is at the end, when it goes from C to G to A minor. You can add in the lyrics to the song as you continue to play, then you will have l...