Lessons Quick Lick: Blue Öyster Cult - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" Video Lesson Tuition By Matt Scharfglass published 14 September 2009 Get The Pick NewsletterAll the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors Matt ScharfglassSocial Links Navigation More about lessonsEveryone from Metallica to jazz pros have made use of the ominous sound of the Locrian mode – here's how it could shake up your guitar playingTrueFire launches its free 10-week guitar Boot Camp today – and you don’t even need to provide credit card details to sign upLatest“His rhythm playing is tight and in tune in a way that’s rare, and his intonation is stunning”: Joe Satriani and Steve Vai have detailed the full SatchVai Band lineup – and Pete Thorn is handling rhythm guitarSee more latest ► Most Popular“He redirected the future of blues guitar from his very first release, and his influence continues to inspire new generations of aspiring players”: Joe Bonamassa pays tribute to the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughan“That top nut is probably the most common problem with any lower-end mass-produced guitar”: Having problems with your shiny new guitar? Try these fixes firstGuitar modes lesson 3: It has the sound of thrash metal at its core, but also Latin and flamenco music too – here’s how the Phrygian mode worksThey emerged from the same British blues explosion as Fleetwood Mac, but soon became prog trailblazers – and their interlocking acoustic guitar approach is often overlookedGuitar modes lesson 2: The Dorian mode is a bittersweet minor mode – here’s how it worksHow to play the E chord! (And Em!) Beginner guitar lesson 2How to hold the guitar, pick strings and fret your first note! Beginners guitar lesson 1Guitar modes lesson 1: The Ionian mode is the same as the major scale – here’s what makes it workHe was one of blues guitar’s great unsung heroes, renowned for his raw energy, fiery lead work and funky rhythms – the story and playing behind the ‘Otis Redding of guitar’“These techniques are very effective for giving your lines a slippery, rubber band-like sound”: Steve Vai and Guthrie Govan love these long-slide glissando techniques – here’s how you can bring them into your playing“We asked Troy to come up with six of his favourite ‘next level’ slide licks – and he went for a challenging 7/8 time feel and open E tuning”: Troy Redfern is an innovative slide maestro – and his licks will up your solo game MORE FROM GUITARWORLD...1“His rhythm playing is tight and in tune in a way that’s rare, and his intonation is stunning”: Joe Satriani and Steve Vai have detailed the full SatchVai Band lineup – and Pete Thorn is handling rhythm guitar2“The first of its kind”: The AmpRx Brownie can tweak your amp’s voltage for maximum tone – and it could be your key to finally unlocking Eddie Van Halen’s coveted ‘Brown Sound’3“Friends texted me saying, ‘I wish Taylor Swift would dance to my music.’ I’m like, ‘Put a good song out and she actually might!’” Justin Hawkins on the Darkness going viral, the return of virtuosic playing – and why he finally switched from Les Pauls4Best Neural DSP plugins 2025: 10 Neural plugins tested with sound samples5“50 years is a great achievement for ESP, but our sights are set on what’s coming next”: ESP goes all-in on single-pickup builds for 2025 – is the neck humbucker becoming a thing of the past for metal guitars?
