Guitar Nine Columns: Image Enhanced Column

Anyone (including yourself) can learn to develop creativity by using the proven methods and strategies for reaching this goal.

Mike shows you several ways to spice up your riffs, lines and solos with some chromatic passing tones.

A technique that allows you to play both the melody and accompaniment parts of a blues tune at the same time.

Mike teaches you scale sequences (in the Hanon style, adapted from piano) that are great for your dexterity and precision.

These exercises will help you to focus on string crossing with alternate picking, and also to help you develop left/right hand synchronization, speed and stamina.

Melodies are what stick in the listeners mind and convey passion and emotion: creating coherence in your solos.

Call-and-response practicing to enhance your phrasing and composing.

A number of short lick ideas designed to kick-start your technique.

More short lick ideas to kick-start your technique.

Nowhere to go with ascending licks but up? Dan McAvinchey confronts the problem and gives you several ideas you can use today. Don't just take the easy way out and start descending either.

Stop practicing with boring scales and start testing your fingers with melodic 'riffs' from Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, and more.

Stop strumming those simple barre chords, and embellish your chordal work with licks and phrases that blur the distiction between rhythm and lead guitar playing.

Break free of your limiting beliefs about pentatonic scales.

New Jersey guitarist Paul Kuntz takes time out from lunch to give you his assurance that there is life beyond the blues scale.

New Jersey guitarist Paul Kuntz is back and aside from a ravenous appetite, he`s got plans to teach you all about tuplets and fitting the notes to the rhythm.

Guitarist Paul Kuntz is back with some fresh ideas on getting out of playing `in the box` and save untold wear and tear on your frets.

The beautiful part about the tempered music scale lies in it`s flexibility. One of Ken`s favorite tricks is to take one shape, and use it to move up or down the fretboard in a linear way. The similarities in chord shapes will allow you to do the same.

Learn the essentials of the swept arpeggio from one of the masters of the technique.

Sweep those old sweeping techniques under the rug! Marshall Harrison`s got some great ideas in store for you.

How to get that twangin` country crosspicked sound, when the pressure is on.

Lower Bach pain? A great exercise for right hand picking as well as left hand fretting technique.

Chopin`s swift piano piece adapted for the six-string.

The official arpeggios of Guitar Nine Records - always play the 9th. Take it away Mike.

Mike Campese is back with a follow up article with even more 9ths for your entertainment.

A classical sounding etude designed to enhance the chops of any serious player.

Guitarist Gianluca Piersanti preaches a serious focus on phrasing.

Break out of those ol` common scales with Mr. Hughes.

How to add a really cool twist to your playing.

Taking a violin caprice to the six-string.

Great scalar ideas from an award winning guitarist.

Art for lovers of the guitar, must be seen to be appreciated.

Mike is back to teach you to work the neck to squeeze more creativity out of your chording.

Mike is back with a follow up lesson to help you work the neck to squeeze more creativity out of your chording.

Mike is back to help you coordinate your hands, while developing speed and accuracy.

Mike returns with the second part of his column on coordinating your hands, while developing speed and accuracy.

Fingerstylist Steve Pappas arranges a beautiful Irish ballad for guitar.

How to play the same rhythm-melodic sequence on the same beat, starting on a different sixteenth each time.

Mike returns with some ideas on how to incorporate half-tones and other non-scale notes into your lines.

Mike returns with some fun arpeggio licks he uses in his own playing.

Guitarist Williford pushes the envelope with 4 note per string legato licks and sequences.

It`s not Frankenstein or Dracula, simply more Greasy Fingers.

Learning the fretboard through scales by Mike Campese.