Featured Lesson

Welcome to Guitar Messenger! My name is Paul Wardingham, and I’m going to be showing you how to play some futuristic-themed shred ideas using excerpts from my new album Assimilate Regenerate, as well as a solo written and recorded exclusively for this lesson. Whenever a student asks me how to... Read More →

Most Recent Lessons

INTRODUCTION Playing ‘outside’ is a term synonymous with jazz rock/fusion guitar players. Within traditional forms of jazz this term is replaced by ‘using chromaticism.’ In blues, country, and folk forms it’s called ‘blue notes.’ In everything else it’s considered ‘the wrong notes.’ In... Read More →

• 10/11/2011 - Metal Foundations Lesson 3: Intermediate Riff Concepts
• 09/28/2011 - Arbitrary Chromatics: The Bonehead Easy Way To Get A Jazzy Sound
• 06/21/2011 - Auditioning For Lady Gaga
• 06/08/2011 - Rehearsal Tips From The Stars
• 05/24/2011 - Tapping In Harmony
• 05/16/2011 - Future Metal Shred
• 05/07/2011 - Extended Range Composition
• 04/29/2011 - Creative Tapping Sequences
• 04/22/2011 - Sweeping Harmony
• 04/03/2011 - Metal Foundations Lesson 2: Riff Concepts
• 03/29/2011 - Fusion Licks That Rock
• 03/07/2011 - 20 Tips: How To Choose Your Next Record Producer
• 02/17/2011 - Putting Jazz In Metal With Ever Forthright
• 02/12/2011 - A Lesson On Tensions Part 2: Putting the Voicings Into Action
• 01/24/2011 - Metal Foundations Lesson 1: Rhythm Guitar Development
• 11/09/2010 - Buying Your First Guitar: Part 2
• 10/28/2010 - A Lesson On Tensions: Can You Paint With All the Colors of the Jazz Chord?
• 10/13/2010 - Buying Your First Guitar: Part 1
• 10/05/2010 - Basic Blues Substitutions
• 09/28/2010 - Ignition Part 1: Listening

Artist Masterclasses

I think that the instrument that you first become proficient with ultimately defines the way in which you write music. I do play an equal amount of bass guitar as I do 6-string guitar, and while the process is similar, it’s a little different because bass is coming from the role of support. But with guitar you’ve got the option of either rhythm or lead, so everything that I write (other than a few isolated bass moments) comes from me with a guitar in my hands.

• 11/16/2011 - Tony MacAlpine Masterclass
• 04/02/2011 - Scale The Summit: Chris Letchford & Travis LeVrier Masterclass
• 02/19/2011 - Veil Of Maya: Marc Okubo Masterclass (Part 2)
• - Veil Of Maya: Marc Okubo Masterclass (Part 1)
• 01/19/2011 - Pierre Bensusan Masterclass
• 11/20/2010 - Scar Symmetry: Per Nilsson Masterclass (Part 2)
• - Scar Symmetry: Per Nilsson Masterclass (Part 1)
• 11/15/2010 - Haunted Shores: Mark Holcomb Masterclass (Part 2)
• - Haunted Shores: Mark Holcomb Masterclass (Part 1)
• 07/31/2010 - Animals As Leaders: Tosin Abasi Masterclass (Part 2)
• - Animals As Leaders: Tosin Abasi Masterclass (Part 1)
• 07/16/2010 - Jamming With Eric Krasno
• 04/24/2010 - Periphery: Misha Mansoor Masterclass (Part 2)
• - Periphery: Misha Mansoor Masterclass (Part 1)
• 10/21/2009 - Steve Morse Masterclass
• 10/20/2009 - Steve Morse Bonus: Gear Gallery
• 01/17/2009 - Dave Martone Masterclass
• 05/31/2008 - Opeth: Mikael Åkerfeldt Masterclass
• 05/30/2008 - Opeth: Bonus – Mikael Åkerfeldt’s Gear
• 01/21/2008 - Killswitch Engage: Learn to Play ‘This Fire Burns’
• 01/20/2008 - Killswitch Engage: Learn to Play ‘Holy Diver’
• 01/19/2008 - Killswitch Engage: Metal Moo Cows, Foghorns, and Elephants
• 12/21/2007 - Job For A Cowboy: Riffing Style

Artist Licks

Periphery’s Alex Bois demonstrates some of his favorite riffs from the devastating Battlestar Galactica-inspired ‘Frak The Gods’ off the band’s Icarus EP.

• 07/31/2010 - Artist Lick: Tosin Abasi of Animals As Leaders
• 10/21/2009 - Artist Lick: Steve Morse
• 01/21/2009 - Artist Lick: Carl Verheyen
• 02/21/2008 - Artist Lick: Joel Stroetzel of Killswitch Engage
• 01/21/2008 - Artist Lick: Adam D of Killswitch Engage
• 12/21/2007 - Artist Lick: Bobby Thompson of Job For A Cowboy
• 11/21/2007 - Artist Lick: Joe Stump