Latest articles by Joel Hoekstra
How to craft chord progressions using 10th intervals
Joel Hoekstra walks us through the acoustic section of Whitesnake's After All for a fingerstyle lesson in music theory
Joel Hoekstra teaches you the dizzying guitar solo of Whitesnake's Get Up
Exercise your hybrid picking and two-finger tapping chops with these searing leads
Joel Hoekstra teaches you the guitar solo for Whitesnake's Always and Forever
With hybrid picking and two-finger tapping, this one'll certainly test your chops
How to play the solo in Whitesnake's Trouble Is Your Middle Name
Guitarist Joel Hoekstra teaches you the winding leads of this attitude-driven rocker
Joel Hoekstra teaches you how to play the intro and opening solo to Whitesnake's Shut Up and Kiss Me
This classic-rock belter is taken from the group's latest album, Flesh & Blood
Whitesnake's Joel Hoekstra: how to solo over a ballad
The hard-rock virtuoso walks you through the essentials of power ballad soloing, where melody is always king
Using hybrid picking to create unusual, unique melodies
Spice up your rhythm and lead work with these essential tips
How to Play Jimi Hendrix-Style Rhythm Guitar
Learn a few of the rhythm guitar techniques Jimi would most often employ to spice up his rhythm parts and make them melodic.
Hybrid Picking Power-Chord Arpeggios
Learn some cool ways to create angular single-note arpeggios that are based on root-fifth-octave power chord shapes.
Enhancing a Basic Progression with Unusual Arpeggios
Learn how to craft a lead that will fortify and enhance the primary rhythm part without overshadowing it.
How to Use Dominant Seven Arpeggios in Blues-Based Soloing
Incorporating dominant seven arpeggios into your improvised lines is a simple way to expand note-choice possibilities.
Applying Second Intervals to Arpeggiated Riff Ideas
Learn how to use second intervals in different areas of the fretboard and on different string groups.
Adding the Ninth to Arpeggio-Based Licks
Learn what adding the ninth can do for your arpeggio-based lines.
Skipping Scale Steps on an Ascending Run
Skipping certain scale steps can lead to more engaging, less predictable ascending runs.
Using a Pedal Tone to Forge Fast, Keyboard-like Phrases
How to use a signature element in baroque classical music to great effect in your own playing.
Using Odd-Numbered Intervals to Create Interesting Licks
Being aware of the intervallic relationships between notes is useful in many different ways.
Exploring Ways to Utilize Diatonic Thirds in the Key of G
Learn some creative, appealing ways to utilize diatonic thirds.
Tips on Precision String Bending
A variety of ways to fortify and improve one’s string bending technique.
Understanding Suspended Seconds and Fourths
In this brand-new Joel Hoekstra lesson, take a look at rhythm guitar and the incorporation and understanding of suspended chords.
How to Add "Color" to a Short Series of Notes Using 15 Different Techniques
Joel Hoekstra demonstrates 15 different ways to add “color” your notes and improve your riffs.
A Guide to Fretboard Tapping Using Multiple Fingers
Learn how to utilize multiple taps with different fingers of the pick hand.
“Mirroring” Fretboard Shapes 12 Frets Higher with Taps
Learn how to take a fretboard shape for a given note sequence and “octave mirror” it by “previewing” each note an octave higher.
