Instrumental Rock Guitar
No vocals, no lyrics, just guitar. Instrumental rock puts the guitarist front and center. Every note carries the melody, the emotion and the story. This genre produced some of the most technically gifted players in history.
Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Eric Johnson and John Petrucci are all well represented on GuitarZone. Their songs will push every aspect of your technique.
Black Star 1
Buckethead 1
Jason Becker 1
Joe Satriani 21
- 1 Always With Me TAB 1987
- 2 Always With You TAB 1987
- 3 Always With You - Joe Satriani - 1st & 2nd B Major Sections LESSON 1995
- 4 Always With You - Joe Satriani - 3rd & 4th B Major Sections LESSON
- 5 Always With You - Joe Satriani - 5th & 6th B Major Sections LESSON
- 6 Always With You - Joe Satriani - All Rhythm Guitar Parts LESSON
- 7 Always With You - Joe Satriani - B Minor Section LESSON 1992
- 8 Always With You Pt.1 - Joe Satriani - All Rhythm Guitar Parts LESSON 1992
- 9 Always With You Pt.2 - Joe Satriani - 1st & 2nd B Major Sections LESSON
- 10 Always With You Pt.3 - Joe Satriani - B Minor Section LESSON
- 11 Always With You Pt.4 - Joe Satriani - 3rd & 4th B Major Sections LESSON
- 12 Always With You Pt.5 - Joe Satriani - 5th & 6th B Major Sections LESSON
- 13 Back To Shalla Bal TAB 1988
- 14 Cryin' LESSON 1992
- 15 Flying in a Blue Dream TAB 1989
- 16 Joe Satriani TAB 1995
- 17 Satch Boogie TAB 1987
- 18 Summer Song TAB 1992
- 19 Surfing With The Alien TAB 1987
- 20 Tears In The Rain TAB 1992
- 21 The Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing TAB 1986
John Petrucci 1
Journey Through The Guitar World 1
Mason Williams 1
Overcoming Stage Fright 1
Phil Keaggy 1
Steve Vai 8
- 1 Eugene's Trick Bag TAB 1986
- 2 Eugene's Trick Bag - Arpeggio Section LESSON 1990
- 3 Eugene's Trick Bag - Caprice Section LESSON 1990
- 4 Eugene's Trick Bag Pt.1 - Arpeggio Section LESSON 1990
- 5 Eugene's Trick Bag Pt.2 - Caprice Section LESSON 1990
- 6 For The Love Of God TAB 1990
- 7 Steve Vai TAB 1990
- 8 Tender Surrender TAB 1995
Yngwie Malmsteen 1
Mastering Instrumental Rock Guitar
Instrumental rock demands the full package: legato, alternate picking, sweep picking, tapping, whammy bar technique, dynamic control and, above all, melody. Without vocals, the guitar has to sing. Joe Satriani is the master of this: his melodies are so strong you can hum them even without knowing the notes.
Steve Vai takes a more experimental approach, with extreme whammy bar work and unusual scales. Eric Johnson is known for his immaculate tone and fluid pentatonic runs. John Petrucci combines prog complexity with shred speed.
Start with Surfing with the Alien for a balance of technique and melody. For the Love of God is a masterclass in expressive playing. Glasgow Kiss will test everything you've got.
Related: Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal.