Latest articles by Charlie Griffiths
Go over the mountain and take your solos to new heights: 5 ways you can shred like Randy Rhoads
Applying classical training to the service of heavy metal, Rhoads was the generational guitar talent that helped launch Ozzy Osbourne's solo career
10 lessons you can learn from the last 50 years of punk
Punk's not dead. Punk's never been more alive, and in the hands of Fontaines D.C., Idles, and ever-popular stadium-rockers Green Day, it's evolving all the time. This tab and audio lesson mines the genre's history to show you just how stylistically diverse it has become
How Meshuggah’s Fredrick Thordendal changed the face of metal
One of the most influential guitar players of his generation, Thordendal’s low-end, rhythmically complex assaults have changed the shape and sound of metal
Jeff Hanneman gave Slayer an unholy dimension – learn his incendiary rhythm and lead style here
Hell awaits your forearm in this punishing tutorial in the late Hanneman's style, but it will soon whip your downpicking and tapping skills into shape
This lesson in Alex Skolnick of Testament’s virtuoso lead style is a true trial by fire
Mixing alternate picking with smooth legato runs, book smart theory with the instincts of a berserker, Skolnick took Testament to a new level
How Al Di Meola’s peerless alternate-picking style changed the landscape of guitar playing
The fusion master influenced a generation of players, and this lesson will show you why – and make you a cleaner, more accurate player in the process
How Allan Holdsworth blew the minds of Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai and a generation of guitar heroes
Take your playing to another realm with this lesson in Holdsworth’s legato, string skipping and that unique ability of his to find new patterns in scales
Banish six-string imposter syndrome with this lesson in Sophie Lloyd’s shred style
Get warmed up and dialed in for a lesson that's going to whip your legato, tapping and sweep picking into shape
Al Di Meola, Steve Vai and Tosin Abasi are in awe of his technique – learn the signature style of Matteo Mancuso, the maestro of fingerstyle fusion shred
Mancuso's debut LP The Journey is a tour de force of technique and imagination. We take a look at how the young Italian virtuoso's approach can make you a better player now
Smooth fingerstyle, emotive phrasing and expert control of dynamics – Mateus Asato is a shred-rock neo-soul virtuoso for the social media age, and every guitarist can benefit from learning his tasteful techniques
We unpack the Brazilian maestro's signature style, whipping your sweep, hybrid and alternate picking into shape
Tosin Abasi is one of modern metal's most forward-thinking and creative minds – and his groundbreaking selective picking technique will really test your abilities
Get ready for a physical education for the fingers and a full brain workout as we unpack the Animals as Leaders guitarist's signature techniques, e.g. tapping, thumping, splitting the atom...
Master the way of the exploding guitar in this lesson on the technique and abundant creativity of cult shred icon Mr Fastfinger
Take your playing to a higher plane of existence with this study of Mika Tyyskä, the Finnish creator of the animated shredder
Creed and Alter Bridge veteran Mark Tremonti has put together one of rock's most impressive catalogs of crowd-pleasing riffs and solos. Learn his muscular metal guitar style
Alternate picking, legato, sweep picking... we're throwing the kitchen sink at this one for an intense workshop in the Alter Bridge shred captain's six-string approach
“String skipping can mimic sweep picking and cover a lot of ground”: Learn how to make your shred solos sound a whole lot more evil with this exclusive Josh Middleton video lesson
The Sylosis virtuoso teaches you five approaches to improve your metal guitar solos – and make them that bit more sinister
Welcome to Sophie Lloyd's melodic rock soloing masterclass – essential techniques to take your lead playing to the next level
The British shredder shares an exclusive video lesson in her signature soloing style – and it'll take you from pentatonics to melodic tapping and beyond
DragonForce’s Herman Li is one of power metal’s most outrageous shredders – put your playing through the fire and flames with this lesson in his videogame-inspired soloing style
Melodically OTT, technically on point even when on the trampoline or underwater, Li is one of shred guitar’s greatest showmen
You don’t have to choose between rhythm and lead – ‘lead rhythm guitar’ has it all, and funk master Cory Wong is a master of the craft
In this exclusive lesson, the Strat maestro shows you how to blur the line between the two disciplines and inject lead hooks into your rhythm playing
Dimebag Darrell was a shredder like no other – learn the solo licks that made him a metal legend
Take your metal playing to a new level with this lesson on the uncompromising style of the late, great Pantera icon
Michael Romeo is one of the world's elite shredders – test your soloing skills with this lesson on his devastating abilities
Influenced by the orchestral sweep of John Williams and the neoclassical madness of Yngwie Malmsteen, the Symphony X mastermind is a formidable shred talent, and this tab and audio lesson isn't for the fainthearted
Jeff Loomis is one of metal’s most technically audacious players – and learning his techniques can really up your shred game
Improve your alternate picking, arpeggios and tapping skills with these 5 lessons in the style of the Arch Enemy virtuoso
10 ways to make your guitar chords more interesting
Learn how chords can tap into emotions and you can improve your rhythm chops – and songwriting – fast
3 ways to shred like Nuno Bettencourt
Ever wonder how you'll ever set the fingerboard alight like the Extreme maverick? Well, keep these three approaches at the forefront of your mind, and one day...
Nuno Bettencourt's Rise solo is one of the 21st century's finest – here are 5 techniques you can learn from it
The choice Extreme cut had the whole guitar world talking thanks to its hair-raising technique and nods to Eddie Van Halen – and now you can bring that same flair to your solos
