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Beyond Blues: How to Play “Bird” Blues
Lessons

Beyond Blues: How to Play “Bird” Blues

Saxophonist Charlie “Bird” Parker’s challenging version of a 12-bar blues is one of his most enduring contributions. Learn how to navigate these tricky changes by combining bebop and blues.

Decorate Like Django
Lessons

Decorate Like Django

Even if you aren’t into Gypsy jazz, there are a wealth of inspiring ideas to glean from Django’s impossibly fast lines.

Johnny “Guitar” Watson’s Stinging Blues
Lessons

Johnny “Guitar” Watson’s Stinging Blues

Watson was a pivotal influence on Frank Zappa, Etta James, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, among others.

Beyond Blues: Scotty Moore’s Raucous Rockabilly Licks
Lessons

Beyond Blues: Scotty Moore’s Raucous Rockabilly Licks

The legendary Elvis sideman was a pioneer of rockabilly guitar, and his approach to merging blues and country influenced generations of guitar pickers. Here’s how he did it.

Future Rock: Economy-Picking Pentatonics
Rock

Future Rock: Economy-Picking Pentatonics

Rethink your approach to pentatonic shapes by pushing the limits of your picking.

The Shred Decoder’s Guide to Sweep Picking
Lessons

The Shred Decoder’s Guide to Sweep Picking

One of modern rock’s most buzzed-about shredders shares his insights on an often-misunderstood topic.

Obsessive Progressive: John Petrucci
Lessons

Obsessive Progressive: John Petrucci

Progressive metal’s most influential guitarist combines immaculate picking technique with aggressive tones to create the most technically demanding licks around.

Beyond Blues: “Rhythm” Changes and the Blues
Lessons

Beyond Blues: “Rhythm” Changes and the Blues

Learn how to bridge jazz and blues by tackling one of the most popular progressions around.