Basic Guitar Techniques

Hammer-ons and pull-offs - Create a smoother sounding guitar line by using this technique. Also known as slurs.

Slides - Another guitar technique used to ornament a note, or to transition between notes.

String Bending - Make the guitar sing and cry, bends help put some emotion into your playing.

Tremolo Picking - an easy way to put some fast notes into your playing.

Vibrato - One of the most important guitar techniques to help add depth and sustain to your notes.

*Guest Guitar Teacher Series - Tom Hess*
Vibrato Control - In this guitar lesson guitar virtuoso Tom Hess gives insight into one of the most expressive techniques on the guitar.

Natural Harmonics - Make the guitar sound like a harp, or bells. This is a must know trick of the trade.

Pinch Harmonics - It's the "make your guitar squeal" technique. Add a new dimension to your lead guitar playing.

Right Hand Guitar Tapping - Two handed guitar tapping is a technique that was made popular by Eddie Van Halen. From flash to more subtle uses, this technique is a great addition to your lead guitar arsenal.

*Guest Guitar Teacher Series - Kevin Taylor*
Octave Tapping Video Guitar Lesson - Guitarist Kevin Taylor shows you a cool guitar tapping idea using octaves in this video guitar lesson.

*Guest Guitar Teacher Series - Kevin Taylor*
Slide Down Tap Video Guitar Lesson - Guitarist Kevin Taylor shows you a lick that incorporates two handed guitar tapping with pull-offs and slides in this video guitar lesson.

Palm muting - From heavy chunk to popping percussive single notes, the palm mute should be part of your basic guitar technique vocabulary.

Sweep Picking - Also known as economy picking. Use this technique to play fast cascading arpeggios, or a quick flurry of notes that would not be possible with just alternate picking.

*Guest Guitar Teacher Series - Mike Philippov*
7 Common Problems with Learning Sweep Picking and What to do About Them - In this lesson guitarist Mike Philippov gives tips on how to improve your sweep picking technique on the guitar.

Rakes - A rake is a guitar technique that can be use to add a little percussive spice to notes.

*Guest Guitar Teacher Series - Kevin Taylor*
String Scraping Video Guitar Lesson - Guitarist Kevin Taylor teaches you the technique of string scrapes (a.k.a. pick scrapes) in this video guitar lesson.

Chord Strumming Techniques for Guitar

chord strumming 101 - An intro. to basic strumming patterns for guitar.

4/4 accompaniment strum patterns - Learn these basic guitar strums with some familiar song examples.

That Swing Thang - Learning the basics of swing rhythms on the guitar, not swing style. Swinging rhythms are used in all styles from rock, blues, country, jazz...