Latest articles by Mark Holcomb
How to Use Chord Changes to Devise Inventive Riffs
Learn how to build a chord progression from interesting and unusual voicings.
How to Craft a Long Riff with No Repetition
How to give the impression of repetition in a riff, without there actually being any repetition at all.
Creating Riffs from Arpeggios, and the Intro and Verses to “Priestess”
Walk the line between playing only single notes while also outlining “wide” chord voicings via the use of arpeggios.
How to Incorporate Finger Slides and Legato Techniques into Intricate Phrases
Employing finger slides can inspire new and different melodic ideas.
Using Quick Shifts and Long Slides to Add Interesting Movement to Licks
Achieve a sense of movement with single-note riffs that incorporate dramatic position shifts up and down the fretboard.
Double Strummed Octaves, and My Solo in “The Price Is Wrong”
Learn more about double strummed octaves in this lesson from Periphery's Mark Holcomb.
Navigating the Intricate Seven-String Licks in Periphery's “Flatline”
Throughout the course of these columns, my focus has been primarily on the six-string guitar parts I’ve crafted that are featured in the music of both Periphery and my side project, Haunted Shores.
Mastering the Sliding Techniques in Haunted Shores' “Blast Inc.”
A song that many fans have asked me about is “Blast Inc.,” which I recorded with my side project, Haunted Shores.
Using Unusual Tunings to Create Fresh, Unique Riffs
A songwriting device I find very useful and inspiring and have explored extensively is to use alternate tunings.
Mark Holcomb Lesson: Devising the Unconventional, Acrobatic Guitar Riff in “The Bad Thing”
A Periphery riff that people often asked me about is the bridge section to “The Bad Thing,” from our 2015 album, Juggernaut: Omega.
