While standard tuning is certainly the go-to, and the tuning we likely all learned how to play guitar with, let's face it: it can get a little boring. It's not the guitar's fault, it just sometimes takes a change of scenery (or in this case, tuning) to spark a little creativity in your mind. There are countless alternate tunings for the 6-string guitar, but a style of alternate tuning that can be fun to play with (especially for beginner-intermediate guitarists) is an "open tuning."

It's that time of the year again, and this time around, I think we can all agree that things are looking a bit different. 2020 has dealt us a pretty strange hand, changing so many aspects of our lives and the holidays are no exception. While we might not be able to cuddle up with our loved ones this year -- for fear that we might spread more than just holiday cheer -- we can still pull that beloved guitar close and strum out some holiday classics. 

With countless songs of sorrow and redemption -- all sung with a deep baritone voice and a trusty 6-string dreadnought -- Johnny Cash, aka "The Man in Black" was one of the genre-bending kings of country, rock and roll and gospel. Johnny Cash songs run the gamut, from classic country tunes like "I Walk the Line" and "Ring of Fire" to some of his later covers of contemporary heavy-hitters like Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode and Soundgarden. 

We've hand-picked some of our favorite Johnny Cash songs that guitarists of all experience levels can enjoy learning.

One of the original purveyors of rock and roll, The Rolling Stones pioneered the overdriven sound that catapulted the blues into a new, exciting era and genre. Heralded by many as the "greatest rock and roll band in the world," their deep catalog of records have topped worldwide charts for half a century. At the heart of The Rolling Stones' influential sound is the songwriting team of Keith Richards and Mick Jagger. Their compositions, often blending pop, blues, and rock are among the most recognizable tunes in history. We've hand-picked a few Rolling Stones songs that guitar players of all levels can enjoy learning!

A staple on American radio waves for the past 50 years, Eagles are synonymous with rock music. Their songs have dominated the charts for the duration of their career, sending "Their Greatest Hits" to the number one best-selling album in the United States. The centerpiece of their signature sound, aside from ear-pleasing vocal melodies and harmonies, is the complementary guitar stylings of Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Bernie Leadon, and Don Felder -- all of whom contributed their own unique skills to the band throughout the years. 

Guitar chord changes can be easy if you follow some of these tips from instructor Gary Heimbauer. Gary suggests that every guitar player, new or experienced can learn to be better at changing chords if they practice making chord shapes while hovering above the strings, focusing on fingers and building strength, and much more. These are five quick and easy tips on how to master perfect chord changes. 

The guitar fretboard or “fingerboard” is the part of the guitar where all of the metal frets are placed. The fretboard is used by holding down the strings against each fret and then either picking or strumming some, or all of the strings. The vibrating motion of the string against the metal frets create the sounds of different musical notes. The fretboard of a modern guitar is made up of a number of pieces and it’s important for guitar players to know which piece is which, as well as learn ways to develop memorization of the fretboard notes.

Stevie Ray Vaughan, or simply “SRV” is one of the great blues guitarists in music history. His cover of Jimi Hendrix’ “Little Wing” is a testament to his ability, but it is in his tried and true shuffle-style playing, also known as the Texas Shuffle, in songs like “Pride and Joy” that really standout. SRV guitar stylings like the Texas Shuffle is a great-sounding, and fun way to play any type of rhythm, especially in the blues.

The 12 bar blues is a form in blues music where the first (I) chord of a key is repeated for four measures, or bars, followed by two bars of the fourth (IV), then two bars of the first. The last group of four bars begins with one bar of the fifth (V), one bar of the fourth and then resolves with two more bars of the first. It only uses the I - IV - V chords of a key and is very prominent in blues music, and is heavily associated with guitar music in general. 

What exactly is a guitar riff? In musical terms a riff is an ‘ostinato’ - a motif or phrase that repeats. Whether comprised of single note ideas, repeating rhythmic chord changes, or a combination of both, a number of songs have a short but infectious guitar riff that’s repeated by the rhythm guitar. In this short tutorial we’ll look at what it takes to write a catchy riff and how to write one of your own.