Articles by Shawn Persinger
Eclectic Effecting 101: How to Use Stock Pedals to Unlock New Sounds
February 10, 2018
A hands-on guide to using chains of pedals to create enigmatic, spooky, and downright crazy sounds.
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Punk-Rock Madness: It’s More than Power Chords
October 7, 2017
Push past the power chords and learn about some of the genre’s most underappreciated players, including Robert Quine, Viv Albertine, and Richard Lloyd.
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The Guitarist’s Guide to New-Wave Guitar
June 3, 2017
The 1980s were full of iconic tones and riffs from players like Andy Summers, Johnny Marr, and Adrian Belew. Let’s see if we can borrow a bit of that vintage mojo to craft compelling new riffs.
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Three Sides to Solo Guitar
March 11, 2017
Armed with a strong melody and an understanding of simple harmony, you can effortlessly move from ethereal to swinging arrangements.
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Digging Deeper: The Other Side of Paganini
August 6, 2016
Neo-classical shredders aren’t the only ones able to glean inspiration from Paganini. Learn how a simple theme can cross genres and styles.
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How “Freebird” Taught Me Everything I Need to Know About Rock Guitar Soloing
April 9, 2016
These fast pentatonic runs lie at the heart of rock guitar.
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Electric Etudes: John McLaughlin
December 5, 2015
Even with a wealth of theoretical concepts at his fingertips, Mahavishnu’s leader still plays from the gut.
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Kick Out the Jams: Two Chords and the Truth
October 10, 2015
Even if the harmony is boring, you can still play exciting guitar.
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Digging Deeper: Crafting Layered Guitar Parts
June 6, 2015
Such studio masters as Jimmy Page and Robert Smith are known for weaving multiple guitar parts into compelling sonic tapestries.
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Fretboard Workshop: Revisualize the Pentatonic Scale
May 16, 2015
Draw inspiration from Paul Gilbert, Eric Johnson, and Joe Diorio and forge a new approach to a time-tested scale.
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Digging Deeper: Practicing with Loops
April 11, 2015
Move past the metronome and improve your groove with these creative tips.
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Digging Deeper: Open-G Tricks
March 14, 2015
Get inside one of the guitar’s most versatile open tunings.
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Digging Deeper: Twin-Guitar Harmonies
February 7, 2015
You don’t need two guitarists to play compelling harmonized lines.
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Digging Deeper: A Whole-Tone Primer
October 4, 2014
An ambiguous scale that has more applications than you might think.
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Electric Etudes: Jerry Garcia
August 9, 2014
Few guitarists could expand, develop, and improvise melodies like Uncle Jerry.
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Digging Deeper: African Guitar 101
June 14, 2014
Discover the subtle secrets of Africa’s most virtuosic guitarists.
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Rhythm Rules: Gypsy Jazz Primer
April 26, 2014
Decode some of Django’s musical mojo by exploring the basics of his rhythm guitar style.
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Acoustic Adventures: Leo Kottke's Invisible Thumb
March 15, 2014
Discover the secrets of fingerstyle master Leo Kottke.
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Digging Deeper: Inside the Harmonic Minor Scale
February 1, 2014
From Yngwie to Primus, artists in nearly every genre have dabbled with the mysterious and sometimes dissonant sound of the harmonic minor scale.
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Jazz Boot Camp: The Evolution of the “Rhythm” Changes
November 9, 2013
Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm” has served as a harmonic foundation for tunes by everyone from Charlie Parker to Coldplay.
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