Amit Sharma

Amit Sharma

Amit has been writing for titles like Total Guitar, MusicRadar and Guitar World for over a decade and counts Richie Kotzen, Guthrie Govan and Jeff Beck among his primary influences. He's interviewed everyone from Ozzy Osbourne and Lemmy to Slash and Jimmy Page, and once even traded solos with a member of Slayer on a track released internationally. As a session guitarist, he's played alongside members of Judas Priest and Uriah Heep in London ensemble Metalworks, as well as handling lead guitars for legends like Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols, The Faces) and Stu Hamm (Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, G3).

Articles by: Amit Sharma

Justin Hawkins: these are the 10 guitarists who blew my mind

By Amit Sharma published

“Have I said Jimmy Page yet? I’m being stupid – I should have said him first!" The Darkness frontman on his favourite players

William DuVall: These are the 11 guitarists who blew my mind

By Amit Sharma published

In lieu of his debut solo album's release, the Alice In Chains guitarist/vocalist talks about some of his favourite players

The Guthrie Govan World Guitar Day 2019 interview: "I’ve always wanted to write a dinosaur song. All thunderous footsteps, reptilian mating calls and all that stuff!"

By Amit Sharma published

The session shredder par excellence on The Aristocrats, Jazzmasters, Brexit, and working with cinema's top composer

Myles Kennedy: these are the 10 singers who blew my mind

By Amit Sharma published

The Slash and Alter Bridge frontman gives it up for the great voices that have inspired him through the years

Mark Tremonti: these are the 10 guitarists who blew my mind

By Amit Sharma published

Alter Bridge's shredder-in-chief on terrifying talents, stealing Bonamassa's licks and blues-rock phenomenon Eric Gales

Satchel: these are the 10 guitarists who blew my mind

By Amit Sharma published

The shy and retiring Steel Panther six-stringer talks about his favourite players

Peter Hook: “I’ve never liked to be hidden, and I don’t like to be patronised. I don’t buy into the idea that the bass player is the quiet one”

By Amit Sharma published

The Joy Division and New Order hero looks back on his genre-defining legacy

Mikael Åkerfeldt, Opeth

Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt: the 10 guitarists that blew my mind

By Amit Sharma published

Prog titan on the players that inspire his work

Rodrigo y Gabriela: “I listen to some of those early solos and think, ‘Did I actually play that?!’”

By Amit Sharma published

The Mexican mavericks dissect the key ingredients behind their cross-genre fusion

The Analogues: “To play like The Beatles, you need to follow no rules and go everywhere”

By Amit Sharma published

What the expert tribute band learned from analysing The Beatles

The Wildhearts: “My guitar has saved my life so many times”

By Amit Sharma published

On their 30th anniversary as a band, Ginger and CJ from The Wildhearts look back

Steve Vai performing live

Steve Vai: "I’m 59; keeping up those chops isn’t as interesting to me. It’s all about the bizarre and quirky ways to phrase"

By Amit Sharma published

The beloved virtuoso on Generation Axe's shredtacular live album, his upcoming solo record and what he thinks is the future of guitar amps

Mark Lettieri: “Learn the differences in how a rock guitarist plays a chord and how a country musician plays a chord... because they exist!”

By Amit Sharma published

The Snarky Puppy virtuoso shares key session lessons and ponders his own success

Robin Trower's top 5 tips for guitarists: "Repeating what other guitarists have done is not your emotion... it’s someone else’s!"

By Amit Sharma published

The blues-rock icon on injecting emotion into guitar playing and his secret to getting a big sound from a Strat

John Baizley of Baroness

Baroness's John Baizley: "Reversing that standard pedal signal flow is where the most interesting stuff happens"

By Amit Sharma published

The metal experimentalist on the band's new beginnings, guitar philosophy and pedalboard experiments

Steve Stevens: these are the 10 guitarists who blew my mind

By Amit Sharma published

Deadland Ritual and Billy Idol's top gunslinger on his all-time faves

The playlist: Megadeth's Dave Mustaine

By Amit Sharma published

MegaDave reveals the guitar tracks that shaped his life

Jason Becker and Marty Friedman: “Music comes out of silence... and I have a lot of silent time, without a pesky guitar interrupting my thoughts!”

By Amit Sharma published

The duo open up on their remarkable journey as guitarists...

Matthias Jabs

Scorpions' Matthias Jabs: "Your solos don’t have to be easy to play, but they have to be easy to listen to"

By Amit Sharma published

The German rock guitar hero goes in-depth on Explorers, his tonal secrets and football with Ritchie Blackmore

Dean DeLeo

Stone Temple Pilots' Dean DeLeo: these are the 10 guitarists who blew my mind

By Amit Sharma published

"It takes a lot of mind and heart to get a grasp on what he’s doing"

Duff McKagan's top 5 tips for bassists: "If you're going to be a bass player, learn how not to be the front guy"

By Amit Sharma published

The Guns N' Roses bass ace talks technique, honing his sound and new solo album Tenderness

Marcus Miller

Marcus Miller: my 13 essential bass albums

By Amit Sharma published

The legendary virtuoso on the records every bassist needs to hear

George Benson

George Benson: the 11 guitarists who blew my mind

By Amit Sharma published

Jazz icon names the game-changing greats every guitar player needs to hear

Whitesnake's Reb Beach: "I was stoned out of my brain - that’s how I learned how to play guitar!"

By Amit Sharma published

The Winger guitarist on his technique secrets, songwriting with Coverdale and co, and his infamous whammy bar tricks

John Petrucci: “People don’t want any old noodling thing that they’ll fast-forward; your solos need to give them something that’s part of the composition”

By Amit Sharma published

The Dream Theater guitar hero goes in-depth on technique, Distance Over Time and the most difficult song in his repertoire

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