Theory for guitarists: what you actually need to know
Plus, Dream Theater's Parasomnia is here!
This week is packed with incredible guitar content, from amazing playing, to helpful lessons. PRS just celebrated its 40th anniversary with an all-star concert featuring John Mayer, Mark Lettieri, Orianthi, and more—definitely a must-watch. Ariel Posen answered some of my questions in his TrueFire LIVE session (plus, there’s a sweet deal on his In The Jam course). We’re also diving into lessons on blending rhythm and lead like SRV and Mayer, Oz Noy’s top guitar tips, Dream Theater’s newest album, and some pentatonic soloing secrets. Let's get right into this week's links!
This Week’s Guitar Links!
PRS Guitars 40th Anniversary Celebration [FULL CONCERT] - PRS celebrated their 40th anniversary with an incredible concert that took place simultaneously with NAMM 2025. Paul had a great lineup at the show, including Tim Pierce as the MC, performances from John Mayer, Mark Lettieri, Orianthi, David Grissom and others. The performances were interspersed with other guitarists wishing PRS well, such as Vai and Santana. If you’re looking for a fantastic show to watch, definitely add this to your list!
TrueFire LIVE with Ariel Posen - In The Jam with Ariel Posen Live - Ariel Posen and his trio joined TrueFire to celebrate the release of their new In The Jam. In The Jam is a fun tool TrueFire has, where you can take their ITJ lessons and mix the band yourself. It also includes tab, band commentaries and more. It's one of the best values I've found, especially when they're on sale. The other cool thing is that Ariel answered 3 of my questions on the stream - including whether or not he's thinking of target notes when he's playing, what album the band is spinning on the road, and if he'd consider adding his name to a modeling plugin. I have an affiliate code that helps out Chasing Sound at no extra cost to you - you can use it here.
How to blend rhythm and lead blues guitar like SRV and Mayer - Speaking of trios, how can you easily blend rhythm and lead playing while you're in a smaller band? Guitar World put out a great lesson with a couple of examples (with tab), along with some videos that'll inspire you to create your own trio - I'm talking about guys like SRV, Mayer and even Hendrix.
Oz Noy presents his top guitar tips - I love the way Oz Noy blends jazz, funk and blues. His outside playing and use of effects has made him one of my favorite players over the last decade. If you haven't yet, check out Oz's books with Fundamental Changes (they're a great deal). In this post from Guitar Player, Oz gives us 6 helpful tips that'll be useful right away for any guitarist - things like learning to tune your guitar by ear, why playing horizontally on guitar is such a game changer, and much more.
Dream Theater - In the Arms of Morpheus Guitar Solo Tab - The new Dream Theater album Parasomnia is here, and it's great - I'm so happy that Mike Portnoy is back contributing to this band. I wanted to link to this tab, because almost immediately after Dream Theater / John Petrucci releases any type of music, Evan Bradley is there with a tab. It's incredible how consistent he is, and how accurate these tabs are. Thanks Evan!
The Truly Must-Know Music Theory For Guitar - This is the perfect starter video, for any guitarist looking to understand a little bit of theory. Andrew Clarke puts a spotlight on understanding the notes, how half steps work, intervals, minor keys and much more. Don't be afraid to learn theory - after all this time playing guitar, I've only found that it helps.
Soloing Secrets - Buddy Guy - Buddy Guy is one of the last blues legends of the King era. In this video, David Brewster gives us a glimpse into Buddy’s soloing habits. Not only does he show us his technique and note choices, but he also reveals the influences that shaped his playing. If you take a look at some of these legendary musicians, you’ll see how they had a profound impact on Buddy’s music. Plus, you’ll discover a whole new collection of great music to enjoy!
Live Q&A With Nels Cline - Nels Cline has been making waves for years with Wilco and all of his other solo work - he's a very unique guitarist and I've loved watching his playing progress. He recently sat down with one of my favorite guitar teachers, Eric Haugen. The two discussed Nels’ latest album, the gear he’s been using recently, his thoughts on improvisation versus structured playing, and a ton of other fun stuff.
Play Over Changes With Simple Pentatonic Scales! - Mixing major and minor pentatonic is one of the most effective things you can do when playing blues. And, Jack Ruch is one of the best teachers out there on the topic. Check out this video where he takes a classic Ray Charles tune and shows us what notes work. This concept is so easy to see on the fretboard, and will make your visualization of notes so much better.