TrueFire's Guitabulary

B.B., one of the few bluesmen to establish himself as a household name, uses the Mixolydian mode (think of it as a major... Read more

With his stinging, soulful solos and flawless pocket, Robben Ford has an uncanny knack for making complex music seem sim... Read more

Okay, time to head out to the country. You don't become a C&W picker without mastering Travis picking, where your th... Read more

When Charles plays a chord-melody arrangement, people invariably ask, "How'd you do that?" Here, he shows you how. The s... Read more

Here's an intro to Doc's style, which involves explosive flatpicking-speed with taste-on acoustic guitar. Whether folk s... Read more

You don't need a rack full of gear to generate amazing guitar textures. Just listen to Chet Akins. With his bare hands, ... Read more

His majesty's regal style is examined in 11 hefty examples covering his inimitable vibrato, favored variation on the blu... Read more

Here, Dan encourages you to break free of other guitarist's arrangements and approach a song with originality in mind. H... Read more

Since the early 60's fingerpicking has been synonymous with American folk music, the steelstring flat-top guitar, and th... Read more

Dan serves up two beautiful traditional guitar tunes that you can play slow and steady: "Soldier's Joy" and "Wildwood Fl... Read more

If you can play a blues, funk, reggae, or swing-jazz shuffle, you’re familiar with 12/8 time. You may even understand th... Read more

From Dave Brubeck's "Take Five," to the Allman Brothers' "Whipping Post, to Zappa to Rush, odd time signatures pop up oc... Read more

You can't really be bluesy without getting slurry and slide-y. That's where double-stops come in. They work great as cho... Read more

In this "Lick of the Month" from Berklee instructor and noted author Charles Chapman, you'll learn an extremely useful t... Read more

The first time you play a C#dim7—such as the one in Ex. 1a—you may find yourself wondering why you’d ever need such a di... Read more

Major and minor triads are the building blocks of harmony, with a simple, emotionally direct sound. Bob Stanton shows yo... Read more

Elfin Brit Adrian Legg is one of the most inventive pickers on the planet. He sat with Joe Gore and described his method... Read more

Adrian Legg's beautiful, harp-like arpeggios are featured in this example. Using a capo at the fifth fret and combining ... Read more

Adrian Legg's column is a diatribe about the virtues of the acoustic guitar and the "macho materialism" of the electric.... Read more

You know the cliche image of the idle-minded secretary who works on her nails to kill time. Well for classical guitarist... Read more