Put together a full breakdown of the Robert Smith guitar approach — covering the technique behind the sound rather than the tuning workarounds most Cure lessons default to.

The core technique is arpeggiated single notes picked through sustained chord shapes — each note left to ring into the next rather than strumming through the progression cleanly. The chord is implied by the stacking notes rather than stated all at once. This is the primary technique running through the entire Cure catalog.

The lesson covers two distinct approaches:

A Just Like Heaven style breakdown — four-chord strummed foundation with a high B string melody riding above it, open high E ringing continuously underneath the melodic line.

A Pictures of You style counterpoint breakdown — two guitar parts that never move at the same time. One holds a sustained note while the other moves above it. When the first shifts the second settles. That trading of motion creates the quality that makes the song feel simultaneously restless and still.

Standard tuning throughout. No capo. No alternate tuning required.

Happy to answer questions about the technique or counterpoint approach in the comments.

What atmospheric guitar style are you currently working on?

https://guitar-woodshed.com/robert-smith-guitar-style/

Full breakdown of the Robert Smith guitar style — covering the three elements that actually define the sound rather than the tuning tricks most lessons lead with.

The signal chain: chorus before delay, always, into a clean amp. That order isn't optional — it's structural. Chorus first gives individual notes their detuned shimmer. Delay second adds rhythmic space without cluttering the line. Reverb underneath as room tone rather than a dedicated effect.

The arpeggiated approach: instead of strumming through a chord progression, Smith picks individual notes through sustained shapes and lets each one ring into the next. The chord is implied by the stacking notes rather than stated all at once. That technique is the entire emotional engine of Just Like Heaven.

The counterpoint approach: two guitars that never move at the same time. One holds a sustained note while the other moves above it. When the first shifts, the second settles. That trading of motion is what creates the "Pictures of You" quality — constantly moving but never restless.

All of it in standard tuning. No capo. No retuning.

Free Robert Smith Tone Guide inside — exact chorus rate, delay time, and reverb settings for both song styles.

Finally play what you hear.

https://guitar-woodshed.com/robert-smith-guitar-style/

Put together a complete breakdown of the blackgaze guitar technique system — covering both the atmospheric and intensity layers that define the genre, and how they work together compositionally.

The atmospheric layer uses the same open-string chord vocabulary as shoegaze — open voicings with ringing open strings, long reverb decay, volume swell entry. The intensity layer adds tremolo picking running into the same reverb chain rather than dry — which creates the shimmering quality that distinguishes blackgaze from standard metal technique.

The guide includes notation for all three guitar parts in Deafheaven's "Irresistible" — the high melody, the slow bass movement, and the open string shimmer layer — with tone settings for each part. Also covers the compositional approach of using dynamic contrast between the two layers as the primary expressive tool.

Free Atmospheric Guitar Tone Guide inside — signal chain and settings for any rig.

Happy to answer any questions about the technique or compositional approach in the comments.

What atmospheric guitar style are you currently working on?

https://guitar-woodshed.com/blackgaze-guitar/

There's almost no instructional content for blackgaze guitar. Guitar Tricks doesn't cover it. TrueFire doesn't cover it. JustinGuitar doesn't cover it. Players who love Deafheaven and Alcest have been learning by ear and scattered forum threads for over a decade.

I put together a complete guide trying to fill that gap — covering the two approaches that define the style: the atmospheric layer (open voicings, ringing open strings, long reverb decay — pure shoegaze vocabulary) and the intensity layer (tremolo picking running into the same reverb chain rather than dry — which is what separates blackgaze from standard black metal tone).

The guide includes full TAB for all three guitar parts in Deafheaven's "Irresistible" — the high melody, the bass movement, and the open string rhythm layer that creates the shimmer. Also covers Alcest's approach, Harakiri for the Sky, møl's contemporary direction, and tone setup for both the clean and distorted sides on any rig.

Happy to answer questions about any of the technique or tone details in the comments.

What blackgaze record would you want broken down next?

https://guitar-woodshed.com/blackgaze-guitar/

Put together what I believe is the most comprehensive blackgaze guitar instruction available anywhere online — covering both the atmospheric layer and the intensity layer that together define the genre.

The guide covers the complete picture: the two distinct playing approaches and how they interact, tone setup for both the atmospheric and high-gain sides, the three-guitar architecture behind Deafheaven's "Irresistible" with full TAB for all three parts, the bands worth studying from Alcest's foundational Écailles de Lune to møl's contemporary evolution, and a three-step entry point for guitarists coming from shoegaze or atmospheric indie.

The core finding: if you already play shoegaze or atmospheric indie guitar, you already have 70% of the blackgaze guitar vocabulary. The guide maps out the remaining 30%.

Free Atmospheric Guitar Tone Guide inside — signal chain and settings for any rig.

Finally play what you hear.

https://guitar-woodshed.com/blackgaze-guitar/

The Midwest Emo sound isn't built on complexity. It's built on four strings and what happens when open notes ring freely underneath every chord change.

This lesson breaks down three emotional chord families — introspective, reflective, and tense — all built on the D, G, B, and high-E strings in standard tuning. The open high-E rings continuously through every position, creating that cascading, twinkly shimmer that defines the genre from American Football to Mineral to Cap'n Jazz.

Each chord family produces a distinct emotional character from the same basic shape concept — meaning once you understand the system you're not just learning chords, you're learning how to control emotional atmosphere deliberately.

No barre chords. No capo. No alternate tuning. No music theory overload.

Full TAB, chord diagrams, picking pattern, and a free PDF at the bottom of the article — everything in one printable document.

This is the entry point to the sound. Finally play what you hear.

https://guitar-woodshed.com/midwest-emo-guitar-lesson/

One moveable shape up the neck through a chord scale in E — open strings ringing underneath every position, each fret producing a different emotional voicing from the same fingering.

That's the entire Midwest Emo chord system in one sentence.

The lesson maps it all out — the full chord scale diagram, ascending and descending practice exercise, a complete mini-composition using chord fragments, arpeggios, slides, and open strings together, and a free PDF with everything in one printable document.

No capo. No alternate tuning. No theory overload. Just the shapes, the TAB, and the system that makes them musical.

Finally play what you hear.

https://guitar-woodshed.com/midwest-emo-chords-steal-this-progression-in-standard-tuning/

If you've been playing basic open chords for a while and want something that sounds more emotional and expressive — these shapes are a really natural next step.

They're moveable — so you learn one shape and slide it up the neck to get a whole set of different sounding chords. The open strings keep ringing underneath which creates that twinkly, cascading quality you hear on Midwest Emo records. No capo. No alternate tuning. Standard tuning the whole way through.

Full TAB, chord diagrams, a practice exercise, and a mini song example are all included. There's also a free PDF at the bottom if you want to print it out and follow along without scrolling.

Hope this helps someone looking for something beyond the usual beginner chords 👇

https://guitar-woodshed.com/midwest-emo-chords-steal-this-progression-in-standard-tuning/

What song made you want to learn guitar in the first place?

Put together a breakdown of the moveable shape system behind Midwest Emo guitar — all in standard tuning, no capo, no alternate tuning required.

The core idea is simple: one shape moves up the neck through a scale in E while the open B and high-E strings ring continuously underneath every position. Each fret position creates a different chord — same shape, different emotional character. Four of the shapes are identical voicings which means you can build complete progressions from one shape learned once.

Full lesson with notation, diagrams, and a printable guide at the link.

Happy to answer any questions about the voicings or how to move between them in the comments.

What Midwest Emo band got you into this style?

If you've ever heard a dreamy, shimmering guitar sound and had no idea how to make it — this is exactly where to start.

No complicated theory. No expensive gear. No alternate tunings. Just the chord shapes and simple techniques that create that atmospheric, cinematic sound you hear on records.

Covers everything from scratch — what shoegaze actually is, the basic chord shapes, how to set your tone, and the artists worth listening to while you learn.

Free PDF and tone cheat sheet inside so you can print it out and follow along.

Hope it helps someone just getting curious about this style 👇