A significant amount of Gibson’s editorial content focuses on the No. 1 topic at the forefront of our readers’ minds: how to cop that crucial lick. We’ve had the pleasure of hosting some of the giants of guitar instruction right here on our site. Here is a list of some of our favorite teachers from across the Internet.
Arlen Roth ― Earlier this year, the legendary Arlen Roth joined the Gibson staff as a featured instructor; he now releases four new online lessons a week, exclusive to the Gibson Web site. A longtime columnist for Guitar Player magazine and a pioneer in the video guitar lesson field, Roth has shared stages with everyone from Bob Dylan and Paul Simon to Danny Gatton and has authored several books on guitar. In 1979, he started Hot Licks in 1979, the first company to sell guitar lessons on VHS for home use. In fact, chances are if you are a player then at some point over the years you’ve taken a few tips from the master. Over the past 30 years, Roth has continued to find new ways to drop his serious fretboard knowledge on players of all levels. Click here to view a full list of Gibson’s exclusive Arlen Roth lessons.
Wolf Marshall ― A prolific author and columnist and a giant in the field of guitar education, Wolf Marshall was the founding Editor-in-Chief of GuitarOne magazine, which provided more accurate tabs than any other guitar magazine at the time. A master transcriber and a virtuoso player whose lessons in the styles of Clapton, Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn are unparalleled, Marshall has just recently joined GuitarInstructor.com’s stable of top notch teachers that includes Warren Haynes, Brian Setzer, Buddy Guy and Marty Friedman. There, he teaches a series of beginner, intermediate and advanced lessons in a number of styles. All of Marshall’s lessons can be downloaded straight from the GuitarInstructor.com site. Here is a teaser of some of the latest jazz and blues tactics Marshall is teaching.
John 5 ― Though he has a résumé packed to the brim with some of the biggest names in metal both old and new — Rob Halford, Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, David Lee Roth and Nine Inch Nails to name a few — guitarist John 5 is also a world-renowned country picker. He has appeared in numerous magazines and on a ton of Web sites, demonstrating techniques in both country and metal. Here is John 5 demonstrating banjo rolls and a rockin’ country lick.
John Frusciante ― When he’s not busy on tour playing guitar with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Frusciante is posting videos on YouTube, giving lessons to anyone with access to a computer who wants to plug in. The DIY homegrown feel of the lessons is endearing and the tips that Frusciante gives will help players out with some of the intense phrasing that has driven albums like Blood Sugar Sex Magik and Californication. Here Frusciante teaches the basics of the James Brown chickin pickin’ funk rhythm. It’s a technique he has used for years to much success with the Chili Peppers. And here Frusciante demonstrates the right way to play the band’s biggest hit “Under The Bridge.”
You! ― Any player worth his weight in medium nylon picks with a camcorder, basic editing software and access to the Internet can produce and distribute his own video and pass along all the tricks in his arsenal. And players of all styles are already well on their way to becoming the celebrity guitar instructors of tomorrow. Log onto Google or YouTube and do a search for the style of your choosing — from Chet Atkins-style picking to light speed Van Halen-esque tapping — and there is a glut of user-generated videos and demos ripe for the picking.
Got a tip on a hot celeb instructor who we missed? Drop us a line below!