Table of Contents

6 General Introduction

8 First notes and chords
14 Notes, rhythms and chords
20 Alternate picking and power chords
26 Chord shifting and the upstrum
32 Arpeggios, bends and slides
38 A new strum and the hammer-on
44 The bass-strum style
50 Strumming power chords and riffs
56 An outstanding riff and mighty solo
62 Arpeggios and the new F chord
68 Three-string power chords
74 Three-string barring
80 A fresh approach to rhythm playing
85 The D major 7 chord
90 Harmonics and dynamics
95 Left thumb fretting
100 Finger picking and the barre chord
105 The reggae style
110 The A shape barre chord
115 New rhythm guitar techniques
120 The classic rock’n’roll style
125 Polishing your lead and rhythm skills
130 Open G tuning
135 Expanding your rhythm guitar skills
140 Strengthening the finger barre
145 The influential style of Buddy Holly
150 Riffing and strumming
155 Double string bends
160 Shaping a solo
165 De-tuning every string
170 A new time signature
175 Flatpicking
180 Total lead
185 Tidy plectrum work
190 Five-fret stretches
195 Alternative tuning
200 Fast soloing
205 Relentless riffing
210 Refining your rhythm skills

214 Play like the guitar greats

218 Rock and pop guitarists
224 Bo Diddley
228 Keith Richards – The Rolling Stones
238 Dave Davies – The Kinks
246 Jimi Hendrix
252 Jimmy Page – Led Zeppelin
262 The Allman Brothers
266 Pete Townshend – The Who
270 Jerry Garcia – Grateful Dead
276 Jeff Beck
282 Marc Bolan – T Rex
288 James Taylor
294 Carlos Santana
300 Ritchie Blackmore – Deep Purple
308 Tony Iommi – Black Sabbath
314 Mick Ronson
320 David Gilmour – Pink Floyd
328 Brian May – Queen
336 Nile Rodgers – Chic
340 Prince
348 Slash – Guns N’ Roses
352 Jack White – The White Stripes

356 Blues guitarists
362 Robert Johnson
368 T-Bone Walker
372 B.B. King
380 Albert King
384 Eric Clapton
392 Stevie Ray Vaughan

398 Jazz guitarists
404 Charlie Christian
408 Django Reinhardt
412 Pat Metheny

418 Country guitarists
424 Maybelle Carter – The Carter Family
428 Chet Atkins
432 Scotty Moore
438 Folk Guitarists
444 John Fahey
448 Nick Drake

452 Chord Charts
496 Music credits

Promotional Information

Illustrated guide to playing any style of guitar, from acoustic to heavy metal

About the Author

Charlotte Greig is a British novelist, playwright, singer and song-writer. Her non-fiction works include: Icons of Black Music, 100 Bestselling Albums of the 1950s and Play Guitar like the Greats.