Is any instrument as versatile as the guitar? Whether it’s the soulful bends of blues, the intricate fingerpicking of classical, or the hard-hitting riffs of rock, every genre has its own unique approach to guitar styles and craft.
This guide explores distinct guitar techniques across genres, offering insights, exercises, and tips to help you become a versatile, well-rounded player. Whether you’re a seasoned player or just beginning, these genre-specific guitar styles and techniques will elevate your playing and inspire new creative directions.
The Essence of Musical Genres
Each genre has its own history, cultural significance, styles, and technical approach. When guitarists understand these distinctions, they’ll not only develop a deeper appreciation for the guitar’s versatility but also enrich their own playing.
But most genres don't exist in isolation. Musical styles share commonalities in their feel and approach and often build upon and borrow from one another. By noticing the ties between rock and blues, for example, guitarists can trace the lineage of certain techniques and understand how genres influence one another.
Diving Deep into Guitar Techniques
Rock Music: The mighty power chord
Key Techniques:
- Power Chords: Considered rock's essential guitar approach, power chords consist of two or three notes, usually the root and the fifth, typically played on the lower strings for a driving, heavy sound.
- Bending and Vibrato: These techniques are ideal for soloing in rock music. Controlled string bends and smooth vibrato can add an expressive flair to a rock guitarist’s playing.
- Palm Muting: This technique involves muting certain strings with the edge of your palm to create a percussive, chugging sound. It's essential for creating rhythmic and dynamic guitar sounds.
Icons:
Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Angus Young, Eddie Van Halen
Practice Exercises:
- Practice shifting power chords up and down the fretboard to develop speed and accuracy.
- Learn simple, iconic riffs like Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water” and Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” to get a feel for classic rock guitar playing.
- Use the Moises app to isolate tracks and learn some of rock music’s most inspiring guitar solos.
Gear Recommendations:
- Guitars: Gibson Les Paul, Fender Stratocaster.
- Amps: Marshall DSL series for classic rock tones or Fender Hot Rod Deluxe for versatility.
- Effects: Overdrive pedals like the Ibanez Tube Screamer or distortion pedals like the Boss DS-1.
Jazz: Complex chords and improvisation
Key Techniques:
- Chord Voicings: Extended chords like major 7ths, minor 7ths, and diminished chords create the complex stylings and harmonies of jazz guitar.
- Modal Improv: Jazz is synonymous with improvisation and jazz guitarists often pull from modes like Dorian, Mixolydian, and Lydian when soloing.
Icons:
Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Pat Metheny, George Benson
Practice Exercises:
- Practice ii-V-I progressions in all keys using different chord voicings.
- Improvise over jazz standards like “Autumn Leaves,” “Summertime,” and “Blue Bossa” using modes and arpeggios.
- Practice moving through triads (chords built with three notes) such as Dm7, to G7(#9), to Cmaj7.
Gear Recommendations:
- Guitars: Gibson L-5, Ibanez Artcore series, or hollow-body guitars like the Epiphone Casino.
- Amps: Roland Jazz Chorus or Fender Princeton Reverb
- Effects: A clean boost pedal and reverb for subtle ambiance.
Blues: Playing from the heart
Key Techniques:
- 12-Bar Blues Progression: The foundational chord sequence of blues, this progression follows a structure based on the I, IV, and V chords of a key. Simple yet powerful, it's the ideal framework for blues guitar improvisation and storytelling.
- Minor Pentatonic Scale: The backbone of blues soloing, this scale will help your guitar sing.
- String Bending and Sliding: Slow and soulful string bends and slides can add a vocal-like quality to the guitar.
Icons:
B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton
Practice Exercises:
- Practice improvising in the minor pentatonic scale over the 12-bar blues progression in different keys and tempos.
- Work on slow bends, ensuring you hit the target pitch precisely.
Gear Recommendations:
- Guitars: Gibson ES-335, Fender Stratocaster, or Gibson Les Paul
- Amps: Fender Blues Junior or Vox AC15
- Effects: Analog delay and a light overdrive
Metal: Speed, power, and precision
Key Techniques:
- Alternate and Sweep Picking: Metal guitarists are renowned for their lightning-fast and precise up-down alternate picking. Sweep picking is also used for fast, arpeggiated runs.
- Djent Style: A modern subgenre of metal characterized by its use of heavily palm-muted, syncopated guitar riffs, often played with extended-range guitars (7 or 8 strings) for a deep, percussive tone.
- Drop Tunings: Metal players often experiment with tunings like Drop D or Drop C for a heavier sound and easier access to power chords.
Icons:
Tony Iommi, James Hetfield, Dimebag Darrell, John Petrucci
Practice Exercises:
- Work on alternate picking techniques with a metronome, gradually increasing the tempo.
- Practice the polymetric grooves of djent focusing on precision and timing.
- Play along with heavy metal classics like Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” and “Pain Killer” by Judas Priest.
Gear Recommendations:
- Guitars: Ibanez RG series, Schecter Guitar Research C-1 or Jackson Soloist.
- Amps: Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier or Peavey 6505
- Effects: Distortion pedals like the Boss Metal Zone and noise gates such as the ISP Decimator.
Classical: The Beauty of Fingerpicking
Key Techniques:
- Fingerpicking: By using their thumbs to pluck bass notes and their other fingers to strum melody and harmony, classical players utilize fingerpicking to create a symphonic sound on a lone acoustic guitar.
- Arpeggios: The cornerstone of classical guitar, arpeggios involve breaking chords into their individual notes and playing them sequentially, creating flowing, harp-like patterns.
- Rest and Free Strokes: Rest strokes produce a fuller sound, while free strokes are more delicate.
Icons:
Andrés Segovia, Julian Bream, David Russell, John Williams, Sharon Isbin
Practice Exercises:
- Practice arpeggio patterns using free strokes and rest strokes.
- Work on simple études by composers like Fernando Sor or Matteo Carcassi.
- Learn classical pieces such as “Romance” or “Recuerdos de la Alhambra.”
Gear Recommendations:
- Guitars: Yamaha C40 for beginners; Ramirez or Alhambra models for advanced players.
- Amp: AER Compact 60 for a natural sound.
- Effects: A clean preamp for performance amplification.
Mastering these techniques
Mastering different guitar techniques and playing styles is a direct path to discovering your own voice as a player. Learning across genres is a gateway towards discovering new sounds, expanding your creative expression, and becoming a more versatile musician. Every style and approach is a new opportunity to add tools to your playing and deeper appreciation to your craft. Step out of your comfort zone, embrace the challenge, learn unfamiliar techniques, and immerse yourself in a rich tapestry of music cultures and traditions.
●●●EN: Written by Jesse Stanford, Company Cue
