Guitar Nine Columns: Guitar Technique

X marks the spot with ways to gain freedom of expression and develop an ability to create original solos.

Every musician has to do it and while some dread it, many others do it religiously.

Fact: Music is easy. Fact: People complicate it.

Solo ideas and strategies that will help you build a memorable solo.

Improve your legato technique with Zammit`s exercises.

Mike Campese introduces you to techniques from his 2010 CD.

Scott Allen explodes the myth of the pentatonic scale being only appropriate for beginners.

Here are exercises to develop and improve your speed on the guitar.

Tom Hess offers three reasons why you may not be getting big results from taking guitar lessons.

Here is a great way of acquiring some useful improvisational tools, improving your technique, and more.

Zammit`s back with the second part of his challenging and beneficial chromatic exercises.

Mike Campese gives you exercises and tios on how to pedal your way to musical nirvana.

Ysrafel covers vibrato technique in great detail in this informative lesson.

Here are more exercises to develop and improve outside picking and alternate picking.

Music is a synthesis of technique and art; making sure you include both in equal measure.

Inspired by Jeff Beck`s cover of "A Day In The Life"? Learn how you can play more melodically.

Scott`s tackles the unteachable, and talks about adding bends, slides, and killer vibrato to your solo work

A mind game method for creating the right solo for the song.

Zammit`s back with the first part of his challenging and beneficial chromatic exercises.

Mike Campese helps you to increase your speed and technical facility.

All of the things you need to do, or practice, in order to reach you playing goals.

Ideas that make good melodic sense whether you play them fast or slow.

Explore some other (more advanced) variations of the same sequence, with Tommaso Zillio.

Paul Tauterouff breaks things up a little bit to talk about some rockin` rhythm guitar ideas.

Ysrafel explodes a few myths about learning music theory.

It`s not what you play, it`s how you play it. Read this column for more as it applies to your solos.

Taking you behind the making of Scott`s upcoming album "From The Blindside".

Five steps to better phrasing and cooler guitar solos.

How to get a better handle on the fretboard by concentrating on one string at a time.

Without stamina and strength, the fretting hand won`t respond and will let you down! Use Zammit`s trills workout to build your hand.

Mike Campese takes you through another section of this excellent Niccolo Paganini piece.

Canadian guitarist David Martone uncovers video tips and techniques as he describes recording gear demos.

Getting the most from a single sequence, with Tommaso Zillio.

Guy talks about the odd, weird and even useful augmented chord.

The alternate picking of arpeggios can be a very tough technique to master - here`s a unique way to approach the problem.

Mike Campese takes you through this short, but excellent, Niccolo Paganini piece.

A two-part Invention done by one of Dan Sorber`s all-time favorite composers: J.S. Bach.

Paul Tauterouff takes even more three-note sequences and turns them around to create new sequences that sound much more interesting.

Canadian guitarist David Martone demonstrates his unique approach to two of his favorite techniques: tapping and hybrid picking.

Even more of Greg`s personal uses and insights into this somewhat eclectic scale.

When you are forced to make soloing decisions quickly, you may often end up making bad musical choices which distort your creativity.

Here`s guidelines for making the most of backing tracks when learning and improvising.