Richie Kotzen's Lick of the Week - Week Eighteen

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By Richie Kotzen
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James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett performing live onstage, playing Gibson Flying V guitars

The gallop is the most important metal rhythm of them all – learn the breakneck guitar technique behind classic Metallica, Slayer and Iron Maiden riffs
Joe Bonamassa plays a Gibson Les Paul Standard at the Grammys. He wears a dark suit, dark shirt and shade.s

“One of the hardest things about expanding our technique is going ‘against the grain’ of learned patterns”: Rewire your lead playing with four soloing ideas inspired by contemporary blues maestros
Todd Rundgren performs at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota on December 29, 1986

“The guitar was in horrible shape. The paint job was all flaked off, it didn’t have the original tailpiece... at one point, the headstock snapped off”: He's a hitmaker who owned Eric Clapton's “The Fool” SG, produced Meat Loaf, and played with Ringo Starr
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Jared James Nichols works the crowd in Nashville with his Goldtop Les Paul Standard. The stage is illuminated in purple.
“This is a technique that has been used to great effect by some of my biggest blues heroes”: By thumb-picking bass notes while playing a melody, you can be your own rhythm section – Jared James Nichols shows you how
The great Jimmy Reed wears a sharp suit and bow-tie and plays an Airline electric guitar in this archive live shot from 1960
Jimmy Reed was one of the most influential blues guitarists to ever live – and his fingerpicking style makes an incredible launching pad for improvisation
James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett performing live onstage, playing Gibson Flying V guitars
The gallop is the most important metal rhythm of them all – learn the breakneck guitar technique behind classic Metallica, Slayer and Iron Maiden riffs
Joe Bonamassa and Gary Moore: Bonamassa plays a '59 Les Paul Standard, wears a dark suit and shades, while this archive pick of the late Moore sees him embrace the '80s with a sleeveless red jacket and matching Strat.
“Gary’s approach to soloing was like placing a brick on a car’s gas pedal. Like SRV and Jimi Hendrix, he had infinite passion and musical ideas”: Joe Bonamassa explains the expressive soloing secrets of his hero Gary Moore
Parts of the guitar
What's a bridge? What's a headstock? What do we mean by a 'cutaway'? All the parts of a guitar explained
Joe Bonamassa plays a Gibson Les Paul Standard at the Grammys. He wears a dark suit, dark shirt and shade.s
“One of the hardest things about expanding our technique is going ‘against the grain’ of learned patterns”: Rewire your lead playing with four soloing ideas inspired by contemporary blues maestros
Eric Gales takes a solo on his signature Magneto electric guitar, with its gold pickguard matching his thick gold chain. He wears a ball-cap and tinted glasses.
“The skill is in choosing which notes to emphasize, or maybe skip entirely, while maintaining the alternate strokes”: Why rhythm is as important as the notes you play in a blues guitar solo
palm muting
“We often overlook this humble technique, yet it’s such an important tool for expressive rhythm and lead playing”: How to palm mute on guitar – and take it from beginner to pro
Silhouette of an unrecognizable male musician playing guitar in a nightclub
How to introduce “murder mystery” guitar chords to your playing – without getting your fingers in a twist
Dimebag Darrell plays a note and feels it as Pantera perform live in 1994. He is playing a tobacco burst Dean ML and has a red dyed goattee.
“A lot of guitarists who can play killer leads get real sterile on their rhythm stuff – they’re all too careful about playing their chords dead straight”: Dimebag Darrell wrote 42 lesson columns for Guitar World. Here’s the best advice he shared