CATEGORIES

My 2021 Jake Kiszka
Total Guitar

My 2021 Jake Kiszka

Voted the number one guitarist of 2021 by TG readers, the Greta Van Fleet star discusses the art of the five-minute solo and explains why playing live is all the practice he needs...

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7 mins  |
January 2022
My 2021 Josh Middleton
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My 2021 Josh Middleton

It was a great year for the Architects guitarist, as the band scored their first number one album and his latest signature model was launched

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3 mins  |
January 2022
My 2021 Samantha Fish
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My 2021 Samantha Fish

Samantha Fish ventured out of the blues-rock box in search of new sonic territory with her genre-bending album Faster. She also found that lockdown helped her fall back in love with playing...

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2 mins  |
January 2022
My 2021 Tash Sultana
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My 2021 Tash Sultana

This year saw the Australian singer-songwriter make an international breakthrough with the album Terra Firma. And yet, Tash says, “I’ve only really been recognised as a guitarist recently.”

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6 mins  |
January 2022
Riffs of 2021
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Riffs of 2021

A truly outstanding year for heavy music saw these mammoth riffs make TG's top five...

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2 mins  |
January 2022
Solos of 2021
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Solos of 2021

From blues battles and shredding prog metal heroics to Nigerian psych-rock, these are 2021’s finest solos...

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2 mins  |
January 2022
Songs of 2021
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Songs of 2021

Albums are an artist’s grand statement, but a truly great song will always stand out...

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2 mins  |
January 2022
Total Guitar

50 The Beatles Greatest Guitar Songs

The Beatles – the greatest, biggest and most influential band of all time. No band has inspired more people to play guitar than Beatles.

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10+ mins  |
December 2021
JOHNNY HEALEY (JOHN)
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JOHNNY HEALEY (JOHN)

“Lots of two-piece bands fall into the trap of being quite bluesy,” says Johnny Healey of the amusingly named John, “whereas we’ve always had a punk, hardcore influence. I don’t want to just play power chords – I want to play nice, pretty chords with sevenths in and stuff, but with loads of overdrive, and really fast!”

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2 mins  |
December 2021
MAGICAL GEAR TOUR
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MAGICAL GEAR TOUR

The Beatles revolutionised popular music. Here are the main guitars and amps they used to do it...

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10 mins  |
December 2021
10 GREAT BEATLES GUITAR MOMENTS YOU'VE NEVER HEARD BEFORE
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10 GREAT BEATLES GUITAR MOMENTS YOU'VE NEVER HEARD BEFORE

Wild slide guitar, flamenco-inspired rhythm, raw 12-bar blues and more - the inner workings of The Beatles revealed

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4 mins  |
December 2021
“WE'D JUST HIT OUR GUITARS SOMETIMES. ACTUALLY HIT THEM!”
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“WE'D JUST HIT OUR GUITARS SOMETIMES. ACTUALLY HIT THEM!”

Wet Leg are creating a buzz with filthy songs and a novel approach to playing

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4 mins  |
December 2021
“REALLY, IT'S JUST ONE EXTRA STRING...”
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“REALLY, IT'S JUST ONE EXTRA STRING...”

DREAM THEATER’S JOHN PETRUCCI ON HIS NEW EIGHT-STRING GUITAR AND THE CHALLENGE OF PLAYING IT

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3 mins  |
December 2021
Carlos Santana
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Carlos Santana

AS ONE OF THE MOST CELEBRATED GUITARISTS ON THE PLANET FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, HIS EPIC CAREER IS ALSO A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY.“SOME PEOPLE PRACTISE CHORDS OR THEORY,” SANTANA SAYS. “I PRACTISE MAKING MELODY BECOME ETERNAL...”

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8 mins  |
December 2021
FENDER PLAYER TELECASTER AND STRATOCASTER PLUS
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FENDER PLAYER TELECASTER AND STRATOCASTER PLUS

Fender’s Mexican series steps up with a premium line featuring expanded tones and bold finishes Are they worth the upgrade?

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7 mins  |
December 2021
“THE CONCEPT OF RHYTHM GUITAR HAS BEEN LOST IN MODERN METAL.”
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“THE CONCEPT OF RHYTHM GUITAR HAS BEEN LOST IN MODERN METAL.”

The new album from Trivium is a master-class in complex riffing and balls-out shredding. Guitarists Matt Heafy and Corey Beaulieu reveal how it was created – with what they call ‘organic improvisation’...

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8 mins  |
December 2021
“WE'RE DIRTY NEANDERTHALS PLAYING HEAVY METAL, BUT THERE'S A DEEP SIDE TO MASTODON”
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“WE'RE DIRTY NEANDERTHALS PLAYING HEAVY METAL, BUT THERE'S A DEEP SIDE TO MASTODON”

"With an unorthodox two-guitar attack and a mountain of gear, a band in mourning created a monumental double album. How Mastodon" dug deep: by guitarist Bill Kelliher

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10+ mins  |
December 2021
Improvising's Not Easy - And Ninety-five Per Cent Of It Was Just Sh*t!”
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Improvising's Not Easy - And Ninety-five Per Cent Of It Was Just Sh*t!”

Australian psych rock band Pond have a strange approach to creating songs – applying modern editing to old-fashioned jamming. Multi-instrumentalist Jay Watson talks us through it...

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5 mins  |
November 2021
ABBA'S SECRET WEAPON
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ABBA'S SECRET WEAPON

Guitarist Janne Schaffer reveals his role in the biggest hit-making machine of the 70s

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10 mins  |
November 2021
RELEASE VALVES
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RELEASE VALVES

Blackstar unveils what it says are the “world’s most advanced valve pedals”

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2 mins  |
November 2021
James Dean Bradfield
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James Dean Bradfield

HE STARTED OUT PLAYING A LES PAUL TO SOUND LIKE THE SEX PISTOLS’ STEVE JONES. NOW, HE’S CHANNELING ABBA ON THE NEW MANIC STREET PREACHERS ALBUM AND DECLARING, “I LOVE MY STRAT!” JAMES DEAN BRADFIELD OPENS HIS ‘GUITAR DIARY’ TO TG AND EXPLAINS THE ORIGINS OF HIS SOUND. “IT’S NOT MAGIC,” HE SAYS. “THERE’S NO THEORY. IT’S JUST F*CKING AROUND!”

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9 mins  |
November 2021
“WE'RE A VERY RIFF DRIVEN BAND”
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“WE'RE A VERY RIFF DRIVEN BAND”

For sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell, the creative nucleus of Larkin Poe, the best songs come from riffing, natural chemistry, and playing cover versions as a way to raise their own game

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9 mins  |
November 2021
“ALL MY TRICKS FOR WRITING COME DOWN TO THE FACT THAT I'VE GOT A GREAT RECORD COLLECTION”
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“ALL MY TRICKS FOR WRITING COME DOWN TO THE FACT THAT I'VE GOT A GREAT RECORD COLLECTION”

The Wildhearts frontman Ginger channels everything from Motorhead to ABBA. His advice: “Educate yourself...”

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6 mins  |
November 2021
“I START A SONG FROM A SPACE THAT FEELS CALM”
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“I START A SONG FROM A SPACE THAT FEELS CALM”

The War On Drugs leader Adam Granduciel reveals how he wrote their brilliant new album - and why he loves to record with one “magical guitar”.

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7 mins  |
November 2021
“SONGWRITING IS LIKE TRYING TO CATCH LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE”
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“SONGWRITING IS LIKE TRYING TO CATCH LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE”

Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell is a master of the art who believes a great song requires only three key elements: “The riff. The melody. And something to say.”

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8 mins  |
November 2021
“WHEN YOU WRITE A MELODY, IT'S LIKE YOUR SOUL TALKING”
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“WHEN YOU WRITE A MELODY, IT'S LIKE YOUR SOUL TALKING”

Sam Fender was ten when he started on guitar – playing Nirvana and Oasis songs on a Peavey Strat copy. 17 years later, he’s a major star acclaimed by Elton John and Paul Weller. He tells TG about the creative process and the gear he used for his new album Seventeen Going Under...

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10+ mins  |
November 2021
“YOU'RE NOT WRITING FOR OTHER PEOPLE. IT SHOULD BE WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN”
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“YOU'RE NOT WRITING FOR OTHER PEOPLE. IT SHOULD BE WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN”

How to write the heaviest metal songs without reverting to formula, by Bullet For My Valentine guitarists Matt Tuck and Padge

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7 mins  |
November 2021
JOCELYN GOULD
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JOCELYN GOULD

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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2 mins  |
September 2021
I ❤ The 80s
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I ❤ The 80s

A track-by-track guide to the slick sounds and classy guitar playing on Mayer’s new album, Sob Rock...

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3 mins  |
September 2021
Kim Thayil
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Kim Thayil

AS SOUNDGARDEN’S LEAD GUITARIST, KIM THAYIL’S HEAVY, DARK AND PSYCHEDELIC GROOVES SET THE TONE FOR ALT-ROCK. NOW, ON THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BAND’S CLASSIC ALBUM BADMOTORFINGER, HE REVEALS THE ORIGINS OF HIS UNIQUE SOUND. HIS MOTTO: “I LIKE NOISE!”

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10+ mins  |
September 2021