Guitar Tricks Blog

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There’s a certain feeling that only classic rock can capture. In this lesson, Mike Olekshy dives into that exact feeling with an original tune inspired by artists like Joe Walsh, Led Zeppelin, and Montrose. The result is a track that blends blues-based rock guitar with funky rhythmic elements, syncopated grooves, and chromatic movement to create something that feels instantly familiar while remaining uniquely its own.

The Practice Streak Tracker is a new feature that records your consecutive practice days on Guitar Tricks. Each qualifying activity you complete extends your streak by one day, fills your guitar pick icon, and unlocks a new tier title. The goal is simple: show up every day and watch your streak grow.

Drawing inspiration from legendary bands like Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Uriah Heep, Mike Olekshy explores what makes classic doom riffs feel so massive, ominous, and hypnotic. This isn’t about modern precision metal or ultra-tight high-gain rhythm playing. Quite the opposite.

In this lesson, Anders Mouridsen and Barrett Wilson tackle a powerful solution to feeling stuck: learning to move diagonally across the fretboard instead of staying locked inside vertical pentatonic patterns. It’s a simple shift in perspective that instantly makes your playing sound smoother, more connected, and more expressive.

Creating your own riffs isn't just for songwriters or advanced players. Writing riffs is one of the fastest ways to deepen your understanding of the guitar and make the things you already know even more useful. 

Why do open position chords sound so messy with distortion? It's because they have the thirds in them. If you want it to sound cleaner, like AC/DC, leave out those thirds with a simple muting trick!

Many players assume alternate tunings are advanced techniques, but the truth is, they really aren't. They're a simple way to kickstart your creativity. Whether you’re writing songs, building fingerstyle arrangements, exploring slide guitar, or just trying to break out of a practice rut, alternate tunings give you instant access to sounds that standard tuning doesn’t naturally provide.

In this episode, Guitar Tricks instructors Anders Mouridsen and Barrett Wilson take on one of the most talked-about concepts in guitar playing: phrasing. They break the concept down into simple, practical ideas any guitarist can understand and master.

Rhythm is one of the most important skills in guitar playing — and also one of the most overlooked. In this lesson and conversation, Anders Mouridsen and Barrett Wilson take an honest look at a problem most players deal with: struggling to stay in time, rushing through parts, or feeling disconnected from the groove.

Anders and Barrett turn Silent Night into a delicate, lullaby-like duet: soft harmonies, shimmering textures, and just enough sparkle to make time slow down. Every note feels suspended in the air, like fresh snow drifting quietly to the ground.

Anders and Barrett break down the big question every player eventually faces: "Which Type of Guitarist Are You?" In this conversation, they explore the different paths you can take. Anders says you should recognize what actually matters to you. Because once you know the style that lights you up, you can stop chasing every lesson under the sun and focus on the skills that move you closer to the music you want to make. Clear path, better progress, more fun playing.

Instead of running up and down patterns, triads give you direct access to the actual chord tones that make your lines sound musical — not mechanical. And the best part? It’s easier than you think. You don’t need to memorize the whole neck. Just start with a couple of triad shapes, connect them, and watch your rhythm and lead playing both open up.

Want your playing to sound like music instead of “strumming some chords and hoping for the best”? In this video, Anders and Barrett break down how real guitar PARTS are created—those specific, intentional lines that make a song come alive.