Players Robby Krieger reveals how breaking the rules resulted in the Doors' breakthrough hit, "Light My Fire" He says his chart-topping song came about because Jim Morrison said "We need more originals" "Purists say players like me are killing the guitar. But if evolution is bad, then guitar is dead." A master of fingerstyle percussive playing, Marcin might be the best thing to happen to acoustic guitar since Segovia His guitar-tapping mastery has made him a rising star — and brought new attention to the acoustic guitar's expressive potential It took guitarist Randy Bachman seven years to write "Takin' Care of Business." It finally came together at one nearly disastrous show The guitarist reveals that the Bachman-Turner Overdrive hit was actually inspired by the Beatles' "Paperback Writer" and written for the Guess Who Latest Players Nada Surf’s Matthew Caws talks vintage Gibsons, Ric Ocasek’s gift and scoring their second hit after 28 years By Joe Bosso published 30 October 24 He says the group's long-running success came from learning to fill a small room rather than half of a big room Jimmy Page reflects on the Yardbirds and his short-lived two-guitar tandem with Jeff Beck By Jackson Maxwell published 30 October 24 Though the two budding virtuosos had plenty of respect for one another, it perhaps isn't a huge surprise that their respective styles occasionally clashed in the Yardbirds How a Rickenbacker and an empty toilet paper roll made one of the greatest guitar songs of the 1990s By Joe Matera published 29 October 24 Ed Roland says he was thrilled when Dolly Parton — of all people — covered "Shine" and won a Grammy for it "As much as I love gear and gadgets, there’s no substitute for what you can do with your fingers." Adrian Belew reveals six ways to change your guitar game right now, for free By Joe Bosso published 28 October 24 The guitarist also explains how he made a new instrument out of a child’s toy and used it on his latest album Nancy Wilson tells how blazing guitars, powerhouse riffs and Yes combined to make Heart's monster hit "Barracuda" By Joe Bosso published 28 October 24 The guitarist also recalls the controversial history behind the group's 1977 classic rocker Soccer Mommy’s Sophie Allison on the value of chord knowledge — and why 20 layers of guitars is too many By Andrew Daly published 28 October 24 The Nashville guitarist says writing on acoustic guitar is key to her method "It's a very weird situation, and I don't think I'll ever understand it." Guitarist K.K. Downing updates his status with Judas Priest as he tells the story behind the song that defined the group's heavy-metal image By Joe Matera published 27 October 24 The guitarist —who celebrates his birthday today — says he wrote "Run of the Mill" to show off Rob Halford's remarkable vocal range It took guitarist Al Stewart 10 years to write his breakthrough hit. Then he tried to hide it By Joe Matera published 24 October 24 Al Stewart loved the guitar work on "Year of the Cat." The sax solo? Not so much “He said, ‘Come by the studio tomorrow and bring your guitar.’ All at once, my life changed.” How an unknown guitarist turned a lunch date into session work on the biggest hits of the 1980s By Joe Bosso published 24 October 24 Eddie Martinez’s chance encounter made him a go-to session player for Mick Jagger, Steve Winwood, Robert Palmer and others Session guy Tim Pierce on his hits with Bon Jovi, Crowded House, Goo Goo Dolls and more By Joe Bosso published 18 October 24 Tim Pierce on the Goo Goo Dolls' Iris and the Michael Jackson hit inspired by Motley Crue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Archives 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 LATEST ARTICLES1"I decided that I was going to write a song with a lot of chords. Nobody was doing that in rock and roll at the time.” Guitarist Robby Krieger reveals how breaking the rules resulted in the Doors' breakthrough hit 2"Purists say players like me are killing the guitar. But if evolution is bad, then guitar is dead." Fingerstyle phenom Marcin set the acoustic world on fire with his finger-tapping technique. The criticism was swift — but so was fame3“John Mayall said I was the best guitarist he’d heard since Eric Clapton. I tried to float on that.” Peter Green recalled talking his way into Eric Clapton’s Bluesbreakers shoes. That's when his struggles began 4Sweetwater just kicked off Black Friday early with the first ever reductions on the Boss' Katana Gen 3 amps5"His daring note choices and diverse skills are what make him a master fingerpicker and flatpicker." Learn Travis picking, harp harmonics and 8 other techniques that make Tommy Emmanuel an acoustic tour de force
Nada Surf’s Matthew Caws talks vintage Gibsons, Ric Ocasek’s gift and scoring their second hit after 28 years By Joe Bosso published 30 October 24 He says the group's long-running success came from learning to fill a small room rather than half of a big room
Jimmy Page reflects on the Yardbirds and his short-lived two-guitar tandem with Jeff Beck By Jackson Maxwell published 30 October 24 Though the two budding virtuosos had plenty of respect for one another, it perhaps isn't a huge surprise that their respective styles occasionally clashed in the Yardbirds
How a Rickenbacker and an empty toilet paper roll made one of the greatest guitar songs of the 1990s By Joe Matera published 29 October 24 Ed Roland says he was thrilled when Dolly Parton — of all people — covered "Shine" and won a Grammy for it
"As much as I love gear and gadgets, there’s no substitute for what you can do with your fingers." Adrian Belew reveals six ways to change your guitar game right now, for free By Joe Bosso published 28 October 24 The guitarist also explains how he made a new instrument out of a child’s toy and used it on his latest album
Nancy Wilson tells how blazing guitars, powerhouse riffs and Yes combined to make Heart's monster hit "Barracuda" By Joe Bosso published 28 October 24 The guitarist also recalls the controversial history behind the group's 1977 classic rocker
Soccer Mommy’s Sophie Allison on the value of chord knowledge — and why 20 layers of guitars is too many By Andrew Daly published 28 October 24 The Nashville guitarist says writing on acoustic guitar is key to her method
"It's a very weird situation, and I don't think I'll ever understand it." Guitarist K.K. Downing updates his status with Judas Priest as he tells the story behind the song that defined the group's heavy-metal image By Joe Matera published 27 October 24 The guitarist —who celebrates his birthday today — says he wrote "Run of the Mill" to show off Rob Halford's remarkable vocal range
It took guitarist Al Stewart 10 years to write his breakthrough hit. Then he tried to hide it By Joe Matera published 24 October 24 Al Stewart loved the guitar work on "Year of the Cat." The sax solo? Not so much
“He said, ‘Come by the studio tomorrow and bring your guitar.’ All at once, my life changed.” How an unknown guitarist turned a lunch date into session work on the biggest hits of the 1980s By Joe Bosso published 24 October 24 Eddie Martinez’s chance encounter made him a go-to session player for Mick Jagger, Steve Winwood, Robert Palmer and others
Session guy Tim Pierce on his hits with Bon Jovi, Crowded House, Goo Goo Dolls and more By Joe Bosso published 18 October 24 Tim Pierce on the Goo Goo Dolls' Iris and the Michael Jackson hit inspired by Motley Crue
