5 songs guitarists need to hear by the Grateful Dead
Best of 2024: Newcomers can dig in for a long strange trip here
Artists
“Suddenly the sun shone and it was, ‘Wow!’”: How ELO’s Jeff Lynne created his masterpiece Mr. Blue Sky - and how a little joke at the end of the song was misheard by millions
Inside the making of a miniature pop symphony
"A corporate turn-off, and not for me like it used to be": Neil Young will not be playing Glastonbury
79-year old star has previous with Glastonbury broadcast wrangling
“Chuck Berry's manager ran onstage and tried to stop us. Valerie just pushed him off the stage and said ‘Get lost,’": The Liverbirds on life as Britain’s first female rock band
The Liverbirds on life as Britain's first female rock band
Here's what Max Martin said to Ryan Tedder about Taylor Swift and music production
Best of 2024: The OneRepublic frontman was also discussing writing and producing songs with Adele and Beyoncé
“If you'd suggested this in 2015, you'd have been laughed out the room”: Music is bigger than cinema
Best of 2024: Former Spotify and PRS Chief Economist Will Page has run the numbers on music copyright, with some surprising results
The story behind Summer Of ‘69, a soaring, carefree pop-rock anthem with killer hooks
With Summer Of '69, Adams created an evergreen hit that defined the era and became a rite of passage for generations of guitarists
"When he died, I cried and I actually jumped into the ocean": Carlos Santana and more on bass legend Jaco Pastorius
We salute a true bass guitar virtuoso
Music Tech
“Atomika goes an awful lot further than the original Polivoks”: Cherry Audio Atomika review
If you’ve previously been tempted by a vintage Polivoks monosynth, but never fancied having to translate the front panel, Cherry Audio has something very special for you!
Here's what Max Martin said to Ryan Tedder about Taylor Swift and music production
Best of 2024: The OneRepublic frontman was also discussing writing and producing songs with Adele and Beyoncé
“The experimental effects box and sample mangler you didn't know you wanted… but it's not quite finished”: Torso Electronics S-4 review
You might have to wait a little longer for this long-awaited granular sampler…
“A layered world of modular synthesis, sequencing and more, with fantastic, in-depth features”: KV331 Audio SynthMaster 3 review
Fantastic modulation, in-depth sequencing, huge oscillator and filter power, yet visually appealing and relatively easy-to-use, SynthMaster 3 is the update you've been waiting for
Fantastic (free) plugins and how to use them: Supermassive
Go large, as we explore the varied capabilities of ValhallaDSP's must-have delay-and-reverb plugin
“A powerful device that manages to cram a lot of features into an incredibly compact footprint”: Zoom LiveTrak L6 review
If you need something backpack friendly, this compact mixer/recorder is surprisingly feature rich
“Still undoubtedly one of the most powerful synths on the market and the new updates help highlight this”: Minimal Audio Current 2.0 review
Current comes with a full rack of Minimal Audio effects and some of the most powerful engines out there…
Music technology gear of the year 2024: The 10 best synths, samplers and drum machines
We count down our favourite music tech hardware from the past 12 months
“Version 8 puts Kontakt right up there front and centre as a performance tool and ideas generator”: Native Instruments Kontakt 8 review
Kontakt 8 turns the iconic sampler into a more creative and inspiring performance tool, with a brand new interface, great-sounding new instrument and lots of composition features
"Here's one: finish an album!”: Paul McCartney’s New Year’s resolution for 2025
He’s been working on “a lot of songs”
Guitars
30 essential acoustic guitar chords, with charts
Massively expand your musical vocabulary and songwriting options with these beautiful acoustic guitar chords
5 songs guitarists need to hear by the Grateful Dead
Best of 2024: Newcomers can dig in for a long strange trip here
"When he died, I cried and I actually jumped into the ocean": Carlos Santana and more on bass legend Jaco Pastorius
We salute a true bass guitar virtuoso
"It was a fair fight that I got thrown out of the band for, because Moon came for me with a tambourine": When Roger Daltrey was fired from The Who at the worst possible time in 1965
Best of 2024: "When they got on amphetamines the music just turned to a load of crap," reflected the singer
Phil Collen says Mutt Lange is an ace “one take” vocalist – and it’s the same with guitar
For Collen, working with Lange is like “going to school for your favourite subject” but recreating the studio magic live on Def Leppard tracks such as Love Bites can be very tricky at first
The creation of The Cars’ song Drive and how it soundtracked a humanitarian catastrophe
Best of 2024: “The lyrics don't have to mean anything in an intellectual sense. They're endlessly interpretive. They just have to make an emotional sense”
“Ultra-cool looks, unrivalled credentials, top sounds and playability”: Gibson ES-330 review
One of the most practical and versatile electric guitars for pop, blues, jazz, and light rock makes a welcome return to the Gibson lineup
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials
30 essential acoustic guitar chords, with charts
Massively expand your musical vocabulary and songwriting options with these beautiful acoustic guitar chords
"You can learn hundreds of songs with a few easy chords and some basic rhythm playing chops"
Master five classic songs with just a handful of chords
"If your guitar isn't in tune you'll never sound good": 4 causes of your strings going out of tune and how to solve them
The biggest cause of frustration for guitar players? The struggle to stay in tune is real, but there are ways to make things easier
The most-learned guitar and piano songs of 2024 have been revealed
It turns out that The Eagles are still pretty popular, too…
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"
Latest Tuition
The quick guide to the theory behind tempo and bpm
"The next time a musician says to you 'shall we try this a little more allegro?' you will know exactly what they mean"
"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.
14 tips for modulating your sounds better
If you are still unsure about the best way to approach modulation and movement, check out our top tips for complete success.
Fantastic (free) plugins and how to use them: Supermassive
Go large, as we explore the varied capabilities of ValhallaDSP's must-have delay-and-reverb plugin
How to create Jean-Michel Jarre-style phasing with delay in your DAW using a free synth!
How to create that vintage Jarre sound, created from a single synth, that conjures a huge sound-stage.
Learn how to understand and use dominant 7th-style chords
If you woke up this morning, feeling a little blue, you’re going to need to use some 7ths in your music. Let us help you get over your gloominess and show you how they work.
"If your guitar isn't in tune you'll never sound good": 4 causes of your strings going out of tune and how to solve them
The biggest cause of frustration for guitar players? The struggle to stay in tune is real, but there are ways to make things easier
How to craft extreme hyperpop textures to take your tunes out of this world
If you're interested in building your own hyperpop-infused tracks, then harnessing a bit of edge can take your mix to another level
How to use diminished chords effectively in your songs
"They unite Lennon and McCartney, Michael Jackson and even the classic work Mars by Gustav Holst"
Want to get those unfinished projects finished? Let us help in this guide to finalising your tracks and songs
Completing a track in your DAW can be a surprisingly difficult task, but in this feature we'll guide you through the final stages
How to augment chords for dramatic effect
If you take a triad and stretch it, what happens? We take a closer look at how augmentation works, but in reality.
How to get started making ambient techno in 10 steps
Keep it chilled, with our 10-step guide to creating the perfect starting point for ambient techno.
How varying your chord voicings can make your music sound more expansive
Now you’ve composed the chords for your song, it’s time to find your inner voicing!
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.
Latest reviews
“Atomika goes an awful lot further than the original Polivoks”: Cherry Audio Atomika review
If you’ve previously been tempted by a vintage Polivoks monosynth, but never fancied having to translate the front panel, Cherry Audio has something very special for you!
“The experimental effects box and sample mangler you didn't know you wanted… but it's not quite finished”: Torso Electronics S-4 review
You might have to wait a little longer for this long-awaited granular sampler…
“A layered world of modular synthesis, sequencing and more, with fantastic, in-depth features”: KV331 Audio SynthMaster 3 review
Fantastic modulation, in-depth sequencing, huge oscillator and filter power, yet visually appealing and relatively easy-to-use, SynthMaster 3 is the update you've been waiting for
“Ultra-cool looks, unrivalled credentials, top sounds and playability”: Gibson ES-330 review
One of the most practical and versatile electric guitars for pop, blues, jazz, and light rock makes a welcome return to the Gibson lineup
“A powerful device that manages to cram a lot of features into an incredibly compact footprint”: Zoom LiveTrak L6 review
If you need something backpack friendly, this compact mixer/recorder is surprisingly feature rich
“Still undoubtedly one of the most powerful synths on the market and the new updates help highlight this”: Minimal Audio Current 2.0 review
Current comes with a full rack of Minimal Audio effects and some of the most powerful engines out there…
“Version 8 puts Kontakt right up there front and centre as a performance tool and ideas generator”: Native Instruments Kontakt 8 review
Kontakt 8 turns the iconic sampler into a more creative and inspiring performance tool, with a brand new interface, great-sounding new instrument and lots of composition features
“A very good sounding Les Paul irrelevant of its name or price”: Gibson Les Paul Studio review
Gibson hasn’t forgotten the working musician with this refreshed version of the classic Les Paul Studio for 2024
