“I wondered if I was insane for wanting to do this”: How Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen learned to play again after losing his left arm
The full story of his heroic comeback
Artists
"Coated with analogue warmth": Röyksopp get even more Mysterious with new surprise reworking
A new ambient reinterpretation of the electronic duo’s Profound Mysteries project catches their fans by surprise
“He thought that he wouldn’t have the ideas, but they were absolutely there": Here’s the songwriting advice that Elton John gave to Chappell Roan
The up-and-coming superstar is just one of today’s artists that have been helped by one of music’s true greats
“It’s one of my favourite Maiden albums - despite the fact that I'm not on it!”: Bruce Dickinson on Iron Maiden’s cult classic
He calls it “an updated version of Deep Purple In Rock”
“The culture of the music world sucks”: Why Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross won't be making any more records soon
While the duo are highly regarded film composers, they do tease at least one ‘new’ Nine Inch Nails release…
Ed Sheeran wants to give you his money
The star's new charity aims to help musicians, and with a £300 million personal fortune at his disposal he can afford a lot of guitar lessons
Why Billie Eilish's When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? is a modern masterpiece
Billie's debut was recorded using mostly Logic stock plugins and a cheap set of Yamaha monitors
“She’s brilliant at what she does. She’s a true artist": Billy Corgan respects Chappell Roan
“I tend to look at the talent and the brilliance of what the artist is trying to put together"
Music Tech
"Coated with analogue warmth": Röyksopp get even more Mysterious with new surprise reworking
A new ambient reinterpretation of the electronic duo’s Profound Mysteries project catches their fans by surprise
Here's how to get your hands on Orchid, Tame Impala's ultra-hyped chord-generating synthesizer
The first batch of Orchids will go on sale Wednesday December 18th
MusicRadar deals of the week: Last chance Christmas savings! Score hundreds off guitars, pianos and drums - including £250 off the Dave Grohl Epiphone DG-335
We've uncovered the very best offers on a range of music-making gear from the likes of Epiphone, Gibson, Yamaha, Shure and more
Baby Audio’s Warp is a free plugin that will let you manipulate time with “unprecedented clarity”
Speed-up, slow and stretch audio with a neat freebie for Mac, PC and iOS, created in collaboration with Andrew Huang
“The OP-1 has been dethroned”: Reverb publishes its annual list of the best-selling electronic music gear
The online gear marketplace has delivered its yearly round-up of the most-purchased synths, drum machines, samplers and sequencers, but who came out on top?
“A magical part is this sidechain with the bass”: Lady Gaga breaks down Disease in new studio video
Discover which plugins were used and how Rick Rubin produced her album without being there…
Behringer says it's squeezed the sound of a Roland Jupiter-8 into a $99 portable package with the JT Mini analogue synth
But where is the JT-16?
DrumCraft’s new Nighthawk double pedals deliver 3 ways to hit twice as fast
Its new double-pedal range comes laden with additional features for extra speed and performance
"It's staying in my DAW": Disclosure's Guy Lawrence loves Serato's bonkers new multi-effects plugin
Squeezing 45 effects into a single plugin, Hex FX promises to "provide producers with every effect they could need in one place"
“This goes everywhere": Billie Eilish shows off her backstage mobile recording studio
“It’s just so much fun and it’s, like, not even serious,” she says of her jam sessions
Guitars
Behringer unveils $69 clone of Maestro BB-1 Bass Brassmaster, a ‘70s fuzz that’d cost $2000 vintage
The Bass Brassmaster Fuzz comes hot on the heels of the Centaur Overdrive and '69 Vibe, as Behringer continues its run of megabucks vintage stompbox replicas at entry-level prices
Has Furch just made acoustic guitar setups a thing of the past with its new CNR System Active neck?
The CNR System Active is designed to make setups as easy as turning a couple of screws, and once your guitar is setup, it is engineered to stay setup
Best Christmas gifts for musicians 2024: 43 affordable festive present ideas for music-makers (which they'll genuinely love)
Shopping for a drummer, guitarist, DJ, producer or content creator? Here’s some Christmas gift inspiration for the muso in your life - including last-minute ideas
EarthQuaker Devices marks two decades in stompbox design with Hoof Fuzz 20th Anniversary Edition
EQD takes it back to the very beginning with a deluxe reissue of the fuzzbox that started it all
MusicRadar deals of the week: Last chance Christmas savings! Score hundreds off guitars, pianos and drums - including £250 off the Dave Grohl Epiphone DG-335
We've uncovered the very best offers on a range of music-making gear from the likes of Epiphone, Gibson, Yamaha, Shure and more
Reverb reveals its top selling pedals of 2024 and a compact modeller is this year's big winner
Podium finishes for top-sellers overall include three modern pedalboard classics, but are we entering an era when small format modellers are going to dominate the charts?
Producer reveals tone secrets and custom Gibson acoustics of Timothée Chalamet’s Bob Dylan biopic
Playing Dylan onscreen is all about authenticity and as executive music producer, Baxter could count on Gibson's help to ensure Chalamet had the right tool for the job
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials
3 ways to supercharge your lead guitar playing like Rory Gallagher
Improve your blues with this lesson on the Irish rocker's style
How to use tried and tested chord progressions when crafting your song
Lets draw some harmonic inspiration and top-tips from the past-masters.
How to understand and use suspended chords
"Sometimes you don't want to be overtly happy or sad and a suspended chord strikes that perfect balance"
Don't be afraid of your electric and acoustic guitar's truss rod – we'll show you how to adjust it
Changing your neck curvature is not some mystic art, but it can make a lot of difference to your guitar and how playable its neck is
Ditch the University of YouTube and unlock your musical potential with Guitar Tricks’ $800 off annual subscription Black Friday bundle
Get a year of premium lessons, exclusive resources and beginner essentials for just $99 - perfect for players of all levels
I didn’t think online guitar lessons were for me until I tried Til - get $20 off your first lesson with a professional guitar player
Get a big discount on your first private guitar lesson with a professional guitar tutor in this exclusive deal for MusicRadar readers
How to become a master of melodies
"It's what the overwhelming majority of us listen to first and foremost"
“There are so many hurdles guitar players get into that are attributed to knowing 30% of the neck. Just map it out - it takes a week”: Julian Lage unlocks the secret of mastering guitar
The virtuoso guitarist explains his approach to music theory and the wider scope a little knowledge can bring
Latest Tuition
How to harness the chorus effect to give your tracks more life!
"Chorus is a beautiful effect when used nicely, but it can also sound horrible if over-applied - unless that’s what you want"
Fantastic (free) plugins and how to use them: Vital
Wavetable takes on spectral warping features and more in a wonderfully contemporary synthesizer
3 ways to supercharge your lead guitar playing like Rory Gallagher
Improve your blues with this lesson on the Irish rocker's style
How to make supersized hyperpop vocals
How to get that hyperpop chipmunk vocal effect whilst keeping your tempo in check - and artefacts to a minimum.
How to use tried and tested chord progressions when crafting your song
Lets draw some harmonic inspiration and top-tips from the past-masters.
How to understand and use suspended chords
"Sometimes you don't want to be overtly happy or sad and a suspended chord strikes that perfect balance"
How to make a trip-hop bass part
"A simple programmed sub bass synth sound simply won’t cut it"
"These chords are used on everything from The Beatles to Billie Eilish": How to learn triad theory
The triad is one of the cornerstones of music theory, and vital for creating harmony. We examine the three points of the chord.
Don't be afraid of your electric and acoustic guitar's truss rod – we'll show you how to adjust it
Changing your neck curvature is not some mystic art, but it can make a lot of difference to your guitar and how playable its neck is
Ditch the loops and build your own trip-hop beat
If you’re after crispness and definition, processing loops has its limitations
How to understand key signatures
“The way that sharps and flats are organised is far from random or chaotic”
"The importance of scales cannot be understated": How to easily grasp scale theory
How to get a handle on scale theory
How to create satisfying lo-fi chords and progressions
Think smart and consider the underlying theory of your lo-fi arrangement
How to understand rhythm when reading music
Establishing rhythm in your sheet music is just as important as dictating pitch
“What you’re about to play should be influenced by what you just played”: Greg Koch's tips for better solos
He says: “The main things I work on are vibrato, bends and phrasing”
10 ways to create lo-fi sounds in your DAW
Sure-fire methods for adding some soothing space and vintage texture to your lo-fi tracks
The quick guide to reading music
We go back to basics and make a pitch for reading music. Here's the first part of a new series
How to easily make a unique lo-fi beat
Stop relying on samples and loops, and build it from scratch in your DAW
Latest reviews
“A knockout product”: Fractal Audio Systems VP4 Virtual Pedalboard review
Four effects from the Axe-FX III? Okay, we're listening...
“It’s a lot of guitar, whether you’re buying your first proper instrument or you want a great guitar for gigging”: Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus review
Another ultra-modern S-type vying for attention in a packed part of the market
“A tool for pros who like the guitar to do the work”: Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster HSS
In refreshing its state-of-the-art US line, has Fender made the original – and the best – Superstrat?
“A full range of controls for instruments and DAWs, along with a semi-weighted keyboard that’ll please the players”: Novation Launchkey 49 and 61 MK4 review
The Launchkeys MK4 in 49- and 61-key versions – is it possible to have it all?
“Exceptionally authentic, while also providing sonic depths in a production-ready format”: Cherry Audio P-10 review
It’s time for a welcome return of the soothsayer, as Cherry Audio recreates one of the most legendary analogue behemoths of all time
"The engineers at Pianote have done a great job replicating the feel of an acoustic piano": Pianote Prima digital piano review
On Black Friday, online learning platform Pianote drops its first digital piano for beginners. But can it hold its own against the leading players?
"Warm, round, with a chewy mid-range that simply begs to be fed pentatonic licks, this amp sounds fantastic": Fender Tone Master '59 Bassman amp
A Fender classic gets a digital makeover, but how does it compare to the real thing?
“A wonderful blend of multitimbral synth hardware with clip style sequencing, wrapped up in a solid, performance-based module”: Mayer EMI MD850 Vibes review
Vibes is a multitimbral hardware synth with Ableton-style sequencing. It's hardware imitating software imitating hardware, and we like it a lot
