Total Guitar 265 on sale now: Speed Up Your Lead

The new issue of Total Guitar is out now, and this month we're focusing on building lead speed. Inside you'll find exercises and audio examples of how you can improve key lead techniques like alternate picking, tapping, sweep picking, legato and more! We've also included three full-length jam tracks in different styles - classic rock, blues and shred - for you to try the licks over.

We've also tabbed tracks from The Killers and Ed Sheeran, complete with studio-quality backing tracks for you to play along with!

Buy this issue of Total Guitar here:
Order a print copy
Apple Newsstand (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch)
Google Play (Android, Mac and PC)

Elsewhere, you'll find the following:

Interviews

Interpol
Full interview and rig tour with Paul Banks and Daniel Kessler
Alain Johannes
Alt-rock's busiest collaborator talks Them Crooked Vultures, QOTSA, Chris Cornell, Brody Dalle and more!
Metal Virtuosos Round Table
Marty Friedman, Jeff Loomis and Michael Amott chew the technical fat
The Cadillac Three
Meet the genre-straddling Nashville country-rockers
Sleeping With Sirens
Floridian post-hardcorers on their "make or break" new album

Technique

Classic Track: The Killers 'Smile Like You Mean It'
TG's Open Mic Songbook: Ed Sheeran 'Sing'
Riff Of The Month: Mark Ronson 'Uptown Funk'
Steal Their Style: Mark Knopfler
Get your licks for free with our guide to playing and sounding like The Knopf'
Scale Of The Month
Major Pentatonic licks for metal, blues and indie

Gear Reviews

Fender Classic Series 60s Jaguar Lacquer
Line 6 AMPLIFi TT
St Blues Juke Joint Mississippi Bluesmaster
Round-up: Farida Mahogany Acoustics
Presonus Audiobox iTwo Studio
LTD TL-6
Pedal round-up: Joyo JF-300 Ironman Pedals
MXR Torino Overdrive, DigiTech Mosaic