"Welcome to the Total Guitar Annual 2024 – packed with the very best features, interviews, advice and more from the past year, it’s essential reading for guitar enthusiasts of all levels and styles. We kick off with an exclusive interview with legendary Queen guitarist Brian May, celebrating 50 years since the band’s debut, followed by a guide to playing like the melodic maestro. There’s also a whole host of other brilliant features on offer – discover the greatest guitar albums of all time, get top tips on improving your tone and take your acoustic playing to the next level. And that’s not all! We also show you how to recreate the sounds of rock’s greatest pioneers, relive some of metal’s milestones, learn to play like the inimitable Stevie Ray Vaughan and much more! As well as the aforementioned Brian May, we also speak to Slash, Nuno Bettencourt, Nova Twins and Polyphia! Whatever your skill level, we’re also here to help – our tips, tricks and tutorials will give you the confidence to master your guitar and play like the legends. You’ll find a wealth of easy-to-follow tab throughout this annual, complete with free audio, video and backing tracks. To get started, head over to bit.ly/tga2024audio to download or stream your audio or video. Enjoy!"
TOTAL Guitar ANNUAL 2024
Brian May THE INTERVIEW • “We were the right people together at the right time. We were very much in harmony, without even trying”
THE GENIUS OF… BRIAN MAY • Power chord riffing, harmony lead and much more: the multi-faceted and instantly recognisable guitar style of Queen’s melodic maestro…
TECHNIQUE FOCUS Vibrato and bending
METALLICA Lux Æterna
BLACK SABBATH BLACK SABBATH (1970) • How the young Tony Iommi harnessed the evil power of the flattened 5th to create the most influential metal song of them all
"THE BASSIS SO LOUD. GUITAR IS THE TEXTURE" • How the Nova Twins created their heavy and unique sound – and why their pedalboards remain a closely-guarded secret
BLUES TIPS • Get to grips with the most important chord progression and you’ll always know where you are in any 12-bar blues jam
PRO TIP JOE BONAMASSA ON SCALES
PRO TIP WARREN HAYNES'S SLIDE GUITAR MUTING TIP
FOO FIGHTERS Rescued
VINTAGE BLUES ESSENTIALS • See how early electric blues has influenced rock with our run through five classic riffs and licks
STORY OF THE BLUES • We chart the playing styles of five of the greatest blues players through the ages…
JAM SESSION • Take everything you’ve learnt and get your mojo working as you jam over four awesome backing tracks
HOW JIMI PLAYED THE BLUES • His mastery of the art in five landmark tracks
JIMI'S GEAR • Jimi’s blues gear could be quite different from his rock rigs
HALLOWED BE THY NAME IRON MAIDEN (1982) • A perfect example of twin-lead guitar dynamics – in an epic track from the album that elevated Maiden to legendary status
JUST RIFFS FOR ALL! • Dial in the distortion and warm up your strumming arm for the onslaught of our Metallica-style lessons
RIFF LESSONS • BECOME A MASTER OF PICKING WITH TG’S VIDEO LESSONS ON THREE AWESOME METALLICA RIFFS
"GUITAR IS A MEANS TO AN END - THE END BEING GOOD MUSIC" • Two virtuosos, no rules: how Polyphia are redefining the possibilities for guitar music
SHAME Six-Pack
"IT SOUNDED PERFECT… LIKE A GIFT FROM ON HIGH!" • At the age of 21, with a 1959 replica Les Paul in his hands, Slash lit up Guns N’ Roses’ classic debut album Appetite For Destruction. Now, as a connoisseur with hundreds of guitars in his collection, he picks out the ones he treasures the most – and reveals how his love for LesPauls has inspired and shaped him as a player…
TROPICAL GOTHCLUB...