Rick Stickney is a seasoned guitarist specializing in Funk, R&B, and Soul, with over 5,000 performances worldwide - including performances for U.S. presidents, as well has having the opportunity to jam with artists like Marcus Miller and Joseph Williams. Influenced by a diverse range of artists such as George Benson, Marvin Gaye, and Led Zeppelin, Rick developed a unique guitar style that blends groove, feel, and musicality.
Rick runs Tasty Guitar, focusing on teaching intermediate and advanced players. His lessons—available on his website and platforms like TrueFire—stand out for their clarity and depth, making complex concepts accessible and practical. Praised by legends like Leo Nocentelli and Bootsy Collins, his offerings include video courses, live workshops, backing tracks, and private Zoom/Skype lessons, all designed to help guitarists improve both technically and musically.
🎸 Q & A
What's the best piece of advice you have for other guitar players?
It's really hard to narrow it down to just one thing... but using your ears is so, so important. Don't be reliant on TAB, learn as much as you can by ear.
I understand it can be frustrating at first, but be persistent, trust me, it pays off. And with the tech available today it makes it easy. You can slow things down, loop etc. Imagine back in the day people had to drop the needle over and over to pick up a lick!
Think about it, if you aren't using your ears how are you ever gonna train them?
What’s one technique, habit, or concept that helped you level up as a player?
Definitely practicing with a metronome. At some point ages ago I heard a recording of myself at a gig and was shocked at how often I was rushing. From that time forward I have always made a point to practice with a metronome, drum machine etc.. I often hear players with great chops, technical ability but not locked in the groove because of flawed timing. Become best friends with the metronome and you will sort out any timing issues you may have.
What gear (guitar/amp/pedals) are you using lately—and why?
I have never been a big collector of gear. Most of my students have more guitars and amps than I do haha.
But I have a couple guitars that I can't live without. A great 80's ESP 400 series tele. The neck on this guitar just fits my hands like no other guitar I've ever owned. And I picked up an Ibanez AM 200 semi-hollowbody back in '98. It's like Scofield's AS200 but smaller body, very comfortable, and surprisingly versatile.
For amps I use a Two Rock Studio Signature for most gigs, great with pedals. And for a grab and go I love the Magnatone Varsity Reverb for just pluggin' in and crankin' it.
What are the most effective ways you've found to market yourself or your band?
If people know me at all it's definitely from my YouTube channel. I think for longer lesson content kinda stuff like I do it's still the best platform. It is pretty tough to break through though. Youtube is so crowded in the guitar space these days so you really need to find a niche and put out good, consistent content... and hopefully with a little luck your audience will find you.
Are there any books, albums, or videos you recommend to other guitarists?
I never went to school for music, so on the theory side of things there was a lot of grey area for me with getting beyond the basics. The Jazz Theory Book by Mark Levine cleared a lot of things up for me, and its not just for jazzers.
What’s one lesson you wish you'd learned earlier as a guitarist?
For anyone really wanting a career as a guitarist it really helps to be in a music city. You have to go where the opportunities and best players are. If I was a young gun again, this would be the path that I would take.
What’s been your biggest challenge as a guitarist and musician?
Flying with guitars is always a crapshoot. I always try to carry on but you never know when are going to be asked to check a guitar. It would be awesome if there was a consistent, standard policy with the airlines but I won't hold my breath lol.
What’s next for you musically—any projects or goals you're working on?
Right now I'm mostly focused on growing my membership program at tastyguitar.com and helping guitarists improve their funk, r&b/soul and blues playing :)
