Guitar Nine Columns: Guitar Technique

Stuck recycling the same licks and riffs? Dig yourself out of your guitar playing rut and rediscover the instrument you love.

Emulating your heroes is fine, but consider how far should you take it.

If you`ve got the urge to explore jazz after a background in rock, you`ll need to understand the differences between the two styles. Guitarist Sean Gill gives you the keys to unlock the door to jazz.

Houston guitarist Rusty Cooley figures that with ten fingers, there`s got to be times when you can use over half of them to express your ideas.

Instrumentalist Joe Bochar serves up a thinly disguised look at chromatics.

Guitarist Paul Kuntz is back with some fresh ideas on getting out of playing `in the box` and save untold wear and tear on your frets.

The beautiful part about the tempered music scale lies in it`s flexibility. One of Ken`s favorite tricks is to take one shape, and use it to move up or down the fretboard in a linear way. The similarities in chord shapes will allow you to do the same.

Guitarist Paul Kuntz is back with some thoughts on how to avoid that feeling of being `lost without a map`.

Kick-start your musical development with these essential tips from Curtis.

Learn the essentials of the swept arpeggio from one of the masters of the technique.

Highlighting the ways that other instruments and their players can profoundly effect us.

Gerry Magee continues his multi-part series on expanding your mind, as well as your fretboard, with an article on focusing your mental energy.

Peter Neri on how to get those fingers (and thumbs) flying.

Don Lappin discusses the endless possibilities of the 5-tone tapping technique.

Systematically deaiing with our musical need to improvise.

Sweep those old sweeping techniques under the rug! Marshall Harrison`s got some great ideas in store for you.

You don`t have to be a shredding, virtuoso guitar player to learn proper phrasing, and your solos will stand out from the pack.

How is your timing? Are you about to lose your gig because you always rush the beat? Kevin Slack has an exercise which will help you determine where you stand.

Years of teaching at GIT have taught Joe a thing or three about structuring a solo. No need to travel to Hollywood, we`ve got the lesson right here.

The guitarist on "Twins" offers the first installment on going beyond the flat pick.

G9er Will Landrum is back to teach you the magic of turning a scale into real music.

Learn to walk a tightrope on someone else`s web site--Greigg is here to talk guitar pickups.

Think about it--how to use your head to help your hands.

The guitarist on "Twins" offers the second installment on going beyond the flat pick.

Understand how your body functions when you`re playing guitar, and you can get out more of your practice routines.

Will Landrum is back with an exercise will single handedly improve multiple areas of your playing and thinking.

Check out this excerpt from Niccolo Paganini`s "24 Caprices" for your introduction into the neo-classical style.

Rut busting tips from the guitarist behind the amazing "First Light".

Good advice for building smooth speed from the guitarist behind the amazing "First Light".

Haven`t you always wanted to play what you hear in your head? Be sure to check out super-picker Shane Theriot`s exercise.

Will Landrum is back with a cool right-hand tapping riff, culled from his self-titled CD.

There`s more to the simple plectrum than meets the ear.

How to get that twangin` country crosspicked sound, when the pressure is on.

No, no, no! This is about music! From the guitarist behind the amazing "First Light".

Direct from Canada, Martone`s lesson should help to obtain a change of color over dominant chords.

Get a rhythmic grip on odd meters with this new column from Colin Mandel.

Lower Bach pain? A great exercise for right hand picking as well as left hand fretting technique.

Put down that guitar! How to dramatically affect your playing and creativity.

An original orchestration from "Gilbert Isbin Plays Nick Drake".

Tips on avoiding practice schedule overload. From the guitarist behind the unique "Highway 90" CD.

David Martone`s follow up lesson continues the quest for a change of color over dominant chords.

Add spice to your sonic stew with these harmonization ideas.