Hybrid Picking Guitar: The Complete Beginner-to-Advanced Guide (Exercises, Techniques & Licks) By James Stratton © 4/6/2026 What Are the Benefits of Hybrid Picking? Hybrid picking offers several advantages that make it one of the most valuable techniques a guitarist can learn. Increased Speed and Efficiency Because multiple fingers can attack different strings simultaneously, hybrid picking […]
What to Look for When Buying Your First Guitar | Beginner Guitar Guide By James Stratton © The right first guitar makes learning feel smooth, motivating, and addictive. The wrong one makes every chord feel like a fight. Walking into a guitar shop for the first time is overwhelming — and choosing the wrong instrument […]
The 50 Greatest and Most Influential Guitar Albums of All Time The Records That Changed Guitar Forever From Delta blues and jazz fusion to heavy metal, indie rock, and progressive experimentation, these are the albums that changed how guitarists think, play, record, and write music. Some albums entertain you. Others completely change the way you […]
Sugar at O2 Forum Kentish Town, London – 23 May 2026 Review: A Triumphant, Ferocious Return After 31 Years There are reunions, and then there are events that feel like correcting a historical wrong. Last night at the sold-out O2 Forum Kentish Town, Sugar — Bob Mould, David Barbe, and Malcolm Travis — delivered the […]
Stuck as an Intermediate Guitar Player? The Simple Blueprint to Finally Make Real Music You know your open chords.You can play barre chords without too much buzzing.You’ve memorized the minor pentatonic scale.You can even play a few full songs. By most standards, you’re not a beginner anymore. So why does it still feel like you’re […]
The Guitarist’s Body: How to Practice Without Destroying Yourself Everything your guitar teacher never told you about injury prevention, physical mechanics, and playing guitar for life. Written By James Stratton 20/05/2026 You finish a two-hour practice session feeling unstoppable. Your fingers are flying, your timing is locked in, and for the first time in weeks, […]
Mastering Guitar Solos: The Complete Guide to Position, Phrasing, Expression, and Advanced Construction Whether you’ve been playing for two years or twenty, the guitar solo remains one of the most personal, expressive, and technically demanding things you can do on the instrument. A great solo doesn’t just show off speed or technique — it tells […]
The Ultimate 20-Week Beginner Guitar Learning Journey: From Zero to Hero Learn Guitar Step by Step — Even If You’ve Never Played Before Written By James Stratton 18/5/2026 There’s something unforgettable about picking up a guitar for the first time. The strings feel unfamiliar, your fingers stumble awkwardly, and every chord seems impossible. But then […]
Mastering the Guitar Fretboard: The Ultimate Guide to Learning Notes, Scales & Neck Navigation Why Learning the Guitar Fretboard Changes Everything Many beginner and intermediate guitar players struggle with the same problem: the fretboard feels confusing and impossible to memorize. The guitar neck can look like a random collection of dots, strings, and shapes with […]
Mastering Funk Guitar: Techniques, History, and Groove Essentials Funk guitar transforms the guitar from a melodic or harmonic instrument into a percussive, rhythmic powerhousewithin the groove. Unlike flashy solos or complex chord progressions, funk emphasizes pocket, precision, syncopation, and movement. Originating in the 1960s with James Brown, funk guitar became a central part of the […]
