How an unfamiliar guitar chord proved to be the catalyst for Paul McCartney’s new album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane
The first single, Days We Left Behind, includes a cryptic reference to John Lennon
Artists
Jackson launches spectacular EverTune refresh of Christian Andreu’s signature Rhoads
The Gojira riffer says he has been in love with the Jackson Rhoads ever since he saw Hammett of play one, and Andreu's latest signature version takes its design where it's never been before
“Brian Jones was the first steel slide player I heard”: Keith Richards pays tribute to Stones guitarists past and present
“Once I heard Brian playing Elmore James, I thought, ‘I’ve found a guy here who I can mess with’”
We catch up with Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor to discuss the making of his new solo record
The bespectacled frontman of one of the 2000’s most influential synth-pop acts continues to pursue fresh sonic frontiers on new solo record, Paris in the Spring
Jay-Z says that his daughter Blue Ivy is a “crazy pianist” who has a rare musical gift
He’s also been addressing the hip-hop feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar
“Simon said to Rodgers, ‘If you want to hit anyone, hit me’ – so he did”: The supergroup who split after a punch-up
Bad Company made some of the greatest rock music of the 1970s
Freaky Style-AI: Hillel Slovak’s voice on new Chili Peppers documentary has been AI-generated
Film looks at the band’s early years
Flea covers Frank Ocean and explains why he’s scratching a long-standing trumpet itch on his new album
Watch him doing double duty on trumpet and bass in the company of Jimmy Fallon
Music Tech
“Captures the essence of the U87 design and is ideal for a multitude of recording tasks”: Warm Audio WA-87jr review
A quality condenser is a must-have studio tool. Let’s see if this affordable option can actually deliver
Exploring the new industry of AI-integrated hardware effects pedals
AI is making the jump from software to hardware with a plethora of smart effects pedals. Is it just another gimmick or will AI-based hardware finally legitimise the controversial technology?
"It's like being in a toy shop": How Abbey Road is reinventing itself
The historic recording studio is on a mission to inspire the next generation of music-makers
“A fantastic one-stop shop of all that you need in a synth”: Knobula Monumatic review
Monumatic promises to be the one synth voice to rule them all and we think Knobula might be underselling itself
Best MIDI keyboards for beginners 2026: Entry-level controllers for those starting out in music production
Get producing your own music with my pick of the best MIDI controller keyboards for beginner musicians
Akai MPC Sample review
The MPC range gains a fun, affordable sketchpad with a fair few tricks up its sleeve
A much-loved reverb plugin that we called "one of the most creative we've come across" is free for a limited time
UVI Sparkverb 1.5 is free for KVR Audio members until April 12th
“Songs and listeners were fake, the millions of dollars Smith stole was real": Man pleads guilty to industrial scale AI fraud
Michael Smith stole over $10 million in royalties
Back in 1984, Midge Ure appeared on TV to reveal our MIDI guitar synth future with his Roland GR-700
“I think I’d have to spend many a long hour sitting in the studio working with the thing before I take it out on stage,” he admits
Klang.io says Transcription Studio is the "world’s first" AI music tool that can transcribe multiple instruments simultaneously
The software promises to convert any recording into sheet music, tab or MIDI
Guitars
Jackson launches spectacular EverTune refresh of Christian Andreu’s signature Rhoads
The Gojira riffer says he has been in love with the Jackson Rhoads ever since he saw Hammett of play one, and Andreu's latest signature version takes its design where it's never been before
Viral footage shows a baggage handler throwing multiple guitars to the ground at LAX
“My instinct was to start filming," says the person who captured and shared the clip
Exploring the new industry of AI-integrated hardware effects pedals
AI is making the jump from software to hardware with a plethora of smart effects pedals. Is it just another gimmick or will AI-based hardware finally legitimise the controversial technology?
"It's currently the only compact power supply you can count on to power a 3A, 12V amp and effects modeller alongside pedals without buying any extra kit": Walrus Audio Canvas Power HP review
A small pedal power supply with serious juice
Best guitar cables 2026: Leads and patch cables for all budgets
Quality cables make the difference, here's our top picks from Mogami, Ernie Ball, Fender and more
Harley Benton unveils three entry-level T-styles with Bigbsy-style vibratos and vintage mojo to burn
Ideal for beginner player with a taste for old-school guitar design
Flea covers Frank Ocean and explains why he’s scratching a long-standing trumpet itch on his new album
Watch him doing double duty on trumpet and bass in the company of Jimmy Fallon
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials
What are the best online guitar lessons in 2026? I’m a professional guitar gear reviewer and these are my highest-rated lessons platforms
My expert pick of the best online guitar courses will supercharge your playing wherever you are, and whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player
How Tom Morello used his guitar to drill into the off-limits domain of the turntablist
The Rage Against the Machine axe-man’s most memorable moment saw him emulate a DJ scratch breakdown using a trick that few have fully mastered
With a massive 89% discount, $99 for a year's worth of Guitar Tricks online lessons is the best way to upgrade your guitar playing this Black Friday
Guitar Tricks is our number one online tuition platform for guitar players
Ignite your inner guitar god for just 27 cents a day with TrueFire’s July 4th sale - save 60% on online lessons
With over 84,000 lessons at your disposal, this is one of the best value guitar tuition subscriptions online right now
Can you fix your guitar's frets yourself? We try three innovative approaches from MusicNomad to investigate how they might conquer a major cause of fret buzz
Uneven frets are a common issue with our guitars, but MusicNomad has come up with different ways to empower players to deal with it themselves
How to play like George Harrison on The Beatles' Abbey Road
Learn the guitar style of the most expressive and accomplished playing The Beatle would ever commit to tape
How to play guitar like David Gilmour: Bluesy diads, slides, quarter-tone blues curls and more
Tackle the expressive phrasing and minor pentatonic tricks of one of rock's finest guitarists, David Gilmour
Latest Tuition
How to pan like a pro and spread your mix across the stereo image
We help you broaden your mixing horizons with some useful tips for panning perfection
The difference between distortion and saturation and how to effectively get a gnarly sound
Adding small or even large amounts of saturation doesn’t have to be bad for you, as we explore how to singe your sonics
How to conjure the spirit of early techno and trigger your own retro zaps in software
How a sound design approach originally deployed for television effects became an electronic music staple - and how to make it yourself
How to replicate the trailblazing pulse of I Feel Love
I Feel Love’s innovative electronic rhythm section set the stage for pretty much everything that followed, and here’s how you can recreate its bewitching energy in your DAW
Improve the impact of your basslines by quickly learning the basics of bass compression
Creating the perfect foundation for your track begins just the right amount of compression for your bass - here’s how to not overdo it!
How Harry Styles brought the sounds of minimal techno to the world of pop with new single, Aperture
The former One Direction star’s latest effort is a far cry from his previous output
How close listening to Chic can teach us about the integral relationship between the kick and bass
If you want to add more punch to your production, start at the foundation of your track, with the kick and bass
How to emulate the sound of Gary Numan’s synth-pop classic Cars
We lift the bonnet on a foundational piece of synth genius, and demonstrate how you can achieve its distinctive sound yourself in your DAW
How unquantizing your tracks can make them stand out from the AI-dominated crowd
If your music is sounding a little mechanical, maybe it deserves a sprinkle of organic nurturing. We invite you to un-click the quantize!
Stuck for ideas? Here's how to create fresh basslines and melodies with Ableton Live 12’s MIDI tools
In our latest video tutorial, we explore how to use Live generative MIDI tools and hardware-inspired sequencers to create riffs and patterns
7 great house and techno tips from Don’t Be Afraid label boss Semtek (aka DJ Persuasion)
The producer, DJ and founder of one of the UK's most respected underground labels revisits a 2012 release to explore what he's learned in 15 years of releasing house and techno
Four big-name guitarists spill their recording secrets
With insight from Paul Gilbert, John 5, Adam Dutkiewicz and Marty Friedman on their approaches to the recording process
37 heavyweight bass production tips
More than three dozen priceless nuggets of bass recording and production wisdom
Creating chords for electronic music: 3 ways to generate more interesting progressions in Ableton Live 12
Let’s explore how Live’s MIDI effects can help us write better progressions
25 recording tips and tricks everyone should know
Get better takes in the studio and on the stage, with our essential advice for producers and DIY music-makers
Produce better music with our ultimate compression cheat sheet
Confused about where to start with compressors and dynamics effects? We'll guide you through the essential features and settings
Ever wondered how a microphone really works?
If microphone terminology confuses more than it helps, this guide will illuminate the microphone basics
Latest Reviews
“Captures the essence of the U87 design and is ideal for a multitude of recording tasks”: Warm Audio WA-87jr review
A quality condenser is a must-have studio tool. Let’s see if this affordable option can actually deliver
"It's currently the only compact power supply you can count on to power a 3A, 12V amp and effects modeller alongside pedals without buying any extra kit": Walrus Audio Canvas Power HP review
A small pedal power supply with serious juice
“A fantastic one-stop shop of all that you need in a synth”: Knobula Monumatic review
Monumatic promises to be the one synth voice to rule them all and we think Knobula might be underselling itself
Akai MPC Sample review
The MPC range gains a fun, affordable sketchpad with a fair few tricks up its sleeve
“This ease of use is rare in such a small practice amp that covers so much tonal ground, and is the reason the Prism-Mini is worth considering as your desktop companion”: Laney Prism-Mini review
Laney targets the practice amp market with a versatile range of tones and effects, all in an easy-to-use, diminutive package
“Might have become our favourite reverb, covering a lot of ground, from the smallest snappiest rooms to vast, endless galaxies”: Erica Synths Nightverb review
We’ve never wanted to ‘play’ a reverb before but now we can. We don't want to stop!
“There’s plenty of output to use the pedal as a conventional boost with tonal options. And there’s a whole area of dirt to be explored”: JHS Pedals 424 Gain Stage review
The latest from JHS Pedals captures the sound of plugging your guitar into the input stages of a vintage multi-track recorder, aka, the mk.gee approach
