One of the top things we hear from players taking beginner guitar lessons is "my fingers hurt!" Fingertip sensitivity when playing guitar, even just when playing basic guitar chords, is totally normal at first. Don't worry, fingertip sensitivity is only temporary and will go away once you build up some calluses on your fingers. Here are some tips to help with callus building.

The playing style of guitar legend Jimi Hendrix has been analyzed quite a bit over the years, and as a result, there's a huge list of things you can do to replicate his distinctive guitar playing. However, you should always start with the following 5 core concepts that are absolutely fundamental to his playing.

Holding down all the strings is tough because there’s a lot of tension, and playing barre chords closer to the headstock is even more complicated because the strings are tighter and the frets are more spread out. Learn how to play barre chords the right way!

It’s important to know how to find chords within a minor scale so that you have a number of options when it comes time to create your own song or if you simply want to know how your favorite hits have come together. In this beginner guitar lesson we will take a in-depth look at these specific minor chord progressions, minor chords, how to build them and how to use them in your playing.

Extremely prolific, and regarded as one of the best songwriters of all-time, Bob Dylan has been a commanding influence in the music world, and pop culture in general, since the early 1960s. His work is deeply personal, yet anyone can relate to it. With themes surrounding civil rights and the anti-war movement, many of his classic songs are now more relevant than ever. With a troubador-like singer-songwriter feel, many of his songs are quite simple to learn and get comfortable playing quickly, making them perfect for beginner-to-intermediate guitarists looking to get their sea legs playing some iconic folk tunes.

Guitar tablature is a unique notation system just for guitarists. Guitar tab symbols tell a guitar player what to do when reading guitar tablature. The symbols may represent a bend, a palm mute, a hammer on, pull off, vibrato, and more. Even if you do have a key for all of the guitar tab symbols, it may be confusing when it comes time to actually play a tab. When you're first learning how to play guitar you'll definitely be using guitar tabs to learn your first songs, chords and riffs.

Unison bends can add a layer of depth to your rock soloing and really level-up your sound. In this lesson, Mike Olekshy demonstrates an easy approach to unison bends so that you can have the skill in your back pocket the next time you take a solo.

As you're learning how to play guitar, you'll likely hear players reference the CAGED system as being a great tool to utilize in your learning process.  To put it simply, CAGED is essentially a way of visualizing chord shapes on the fretboard. The trick to using the CAGED system is to realize that it consists of moveable shapes that can be any chord depending upon where you put the root note.

Mike Olekshy is back again with a primer on finger tapping. In this lesson, he'll show you where to start to make sure you build yourself a solid tapping foundation. It all starts with putting the pick down and getting the technique feeling comfortable under you fingers. 

Can't quite get the hang of the finger roll technique? In this video, Mike will break it down for you and make it super easy to understand!

Improvising guitar solos is all about recalling a variety of licks and riffs from your memory. It helps to have a deep repertoire of licks to pull from for any given solo. Mike is here again to share four easy licks that are sure to find a place in your soloing library.

Are you going to be gigging soon? Maybe you got invited to your first jam session? Guitar Tricks instructor Mike Olekshy wants to make sure you know these three quintessential guitar rhythm strumming patterns before you start jamming with a band. 

Guitar Tricks instructor Mike Olekshy is back with his "Lick of the Day." This time around, he's showing us a country-flavored "chicken pickin'" lick that's a little tricky, employing a combination of interesting techniques. In classic Mike fashion, he'll break it down so it's nice and easy for beginners to pick up on and become masters of chicken pickin' in no time.