This article “How to Succeed as a Musician on Social Media” was kindly provided by Shawn Leonhardt on behalf of Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer. Social media has now been popular for a couple decades and many musicians have used it with a mixture of results. Depending on your musical goals it can help with finding an audience, sales, students, or even finding other musicians to collaborate with! It can even be a way for people to get better at guitar. Here are some tips on how to succeed as a musician on social media. Be Realistic About Success First, you must decide what it means to succeed ..read more

Learn about different tuner types and more with GAK’s Complete Guide to Guitar Tuners. In the vast world of guitar gear, there’s one essential tool that often doesn’t get its due credit: the humble guitar tuner. Whether you’re a beginner just starting out or a seasoned professional, ensuring that your guitar is perfectly in tune is paramount to sounding like a solid guitarist. Here at GAK, we recognize the significance of this must-have guitar accessory. That’s why we’ve put together our Complete Guide to Guitar Tuners, so you can learn the merits of owning a quality tuner, find out about all ..read more

About Us Since 2012, IEMusic have been at the forefront of providing curriculum-aligned music workshops at more than 800 schools across the United Kingdom. Carefully selected industry professionals, including attending artists with expertise in the music industry, lead our workshops and deliver contemporary insights. We present this knowledge in an enjoyable and interactive manner whilst ensuring a strong connection with the national music curriculum. We collaborate with local authorities, music hubs within each county, and our esteemed music industry partner, GAK.co.uk, along with GAK Educat ..read more

Today on the GAK Blog, we’re taking you through our Top 10 Telecaster Players at GAK. Each of the artists mentioned in our list has wielded the legendary Fender electric guitar to excellent effect. Please note, this list is in no particular order! The artists we’ve included range from rock legends to country pickers to metal mavericks, showcasing the Telecaster’s versatility. Many of the guitarists in this Top 10 list have a strong association with a specific Telecaster. Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” Telecaster, Keith Richard’s “Macawber” and Jonny Greenwood’s mid-nineties Telecaster Plus are j ..read more

This article, “Mastering the Rockabilly Shuffle on Guitar: A Quick Guide”, was written for the GAK Blog by guest writer Gary Heimbauer on behalf of Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer. Rockabilly, as the earliest style of Rock and Roll music, blends elements of both the blues and country music styles. One thing it has in common with the blues is its swing rhythms and the use of  I-IV-V chord progressions that are often 12 bars in length. Some ways that it may differ from the blues are faster tempos, and more major intervals in its riffs and chords, such as the major 6th interval! I’d like to ..read more

This article, “Blues Progression Guide Tones On Guitar”, was written for the GAK Blog by guest writer Gary Heimbauer for Guitar Tricks Level up your blues guitar playing by developing awareness of the chords you’re playing over. To learn this technique, you’ll need some knowledge of your guitar scales. In a standard blues, it’s common to use the minor pentatonic scale of whatever the key is, as a home base scale that we can play over the entire chord progression. In other words, let’s say we’re playing this typical blues progression in A: We can solo over this entire chord progression with j ..read more

Welcome to GAK’s Guitar Effects Pedal Buying Guide! We’ll take you through how to set up a pedalboard (including what order to put your pedals in and how to power them) as well as the most common types of effects you’ll encounter. Effects pedals are essential tools that can transform your guitar’s tone, adding depth, character, and creativity to your playing. They allow you to shape and sculpt your sound, explore different genres, and experiment with different tones. With so many popular effects pedal brands like Boss, Electro Harmonix and MXR, as well as more boutique brands such as Walrus A ..read more

This is a call to arms for every metal guitarist out there! Here at GAK, we are proud to present the electrifying #RiffOff competition. Unleash your original metal riff to the world and win a Jackson guitar. If you create the winning riff, you’ll become the proud owner of a Jackson X Series Signature Scott Ian King V “Baldini” electric guitar. Keep reading to find out how you can enter the #RiffOff competition. How To Enter and Win a Jackson Guitar – UK Entrants Only You’ve only got 30 days from the day this article goes live to showcase your metal riff mastery. To enter, just capture your or ..read more

This article “Different Types of Guitar Strings” was kindly contributed by guest writer Shawn Leonhardt of Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer. Strings are one of the most important aspects when it comes to the sound of your guitar. Especially as a beginner guitar player, having fresh strings is the most important factor in keeping your guitar in tune and sounding fresh. These days there are a variety of brands (such as Ernie Ball, Elixir, Rotosound and D’Addario) materials, and builds that produce strings with varying tones and qualities. And save for a few rules there is no exact science to fin ..read more

Few musical instruments can boast the iconic status of the Fender Stratocaster. This beloved guitar’s contoured body, distinctive tone and innovative bridge have endeared it to generations of guitarists. Since it’s inception, the Strat has been the guitar of choice for esteemed players such as Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, David Gilmour, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Nile Rodgers, Mark Knopfler, Buddy Holly and many, many more. The diversity of the aforementioned artist’s musical styles is a testament to the Fender Strat’s incredible versatility and timeless charm. Whether you’re a guitar fanatic with a col ..read more