Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Harmonics and How to Play Them on Guitar
When played clearly, harmonics sound bell-like and chimey, and they sustain to add a harp-like effect to your sound.
‘Acoustic America’ Exhibition Celebrates the Instruments and Players that Have Shaped Acoustic Music
The exhibition represents a good balance of musical instrument types and makers, time periods, and styles, grouped thematically and by era.
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Take Your Sight-Reading to the Next Level with Duets in Higher Positions
In this final installment of our three-part lesson on developing sight-reading skills, we'll move up the neck and try out some new rhythms and harmonies
Spice Up Your Chord and Lead Work with Double-Stops
From folk to blues to rock and beyond, the harmonies produced by double-stops can make a melody in any genre stand out.
A Player’s Guide to Finding the Right Vintage Guitar
Playability and structural integrity are critical in a used guitar, especially those made half a century or more ago.
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Develop Rhythmic Independence in the Thumb to Help Free Your Groove
Try these exercises to add cool and interesting variations to traditional picking patterns and open the door to funky new grooves.
Review: Taylor’s Flagship 814ce Builder’s Edition Sees New Boutique-Approved Variations
With its perfectly dressed frets, spot-on neck relief, excellent action, and smooth joints and edges, the build quality on the 814ce is simply unimpeachable.
Wolfgang Muthspiel Embraces Both the Western Tradition and the Nylon-String Guitar in His Work as a Jazz Improviser
The acoustic has found its way back into the classically trained Austrian guitarist’s studio and live work over the past decade.
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Learn Sophisticated Chordal Ideas Through Stevie Wonder’s “You Are the Sunshine of My Life”
This gently rolling ballad is not only satisfying to play, it shows the musical benefits of learning pieces not originally composed for guitar.
Rosie Heydenrych of Turnstone Guitar Company Incorporates English and Other Tonewoods in Her Stunning Custom Instruments
Founded in 2015, Turnstone has been gaining accolades and visibility in the custom-built acoustic world.
“Help Me”—Learn to Play a Rare Solo Version of the Joni Mitchell Classic
While details of Mitchell's playing are tough to discern on the original, this newly released solo demo is especially illuminating.
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Singer-Songwriter and Fingerstyle Guitar Wizard Willy Porter Goes Deep on ‘The Ravine’
Porter sat down with AG to discuss his inventive playing, his latest record, his creative process, and his dedication to practice and preparation.
Great Acoustics: A Rare Gibson Bella Voce Guitar Banjo
With its extensively engraved gold-plated hardware, the Bella Voce (along with the equally fancy Florentine model) was the most expensive banjo in the Gibson catalog.
Learn to Play “Blue Skies”—a Jazz Age Classic with Clever Harmonies and a Bit of Drama
"Blue Skies,” arranged here in the guitar-friendly key of C, has been covered in many popular styles from ragtime piano to big band jazz to country.
Practice Cross-Picking with This Solo by Early Bluegrass Great Bill Napier on “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”
Modern guitarists often use cross-picking as a flashy showpiece, but the early flatpickers did it on slower selections to create charming and captivating solos.
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Review: ‘Live At Hampden Hall’ Reaffirms Ana Vidović’s Top-Tier Status
This new release captures the classical guitar virtuoso in a spectacular live performance with no editing or alternate takes.
Review: Fender’s Highway Series Parlor—A Thinline Acoustic-Electric Engineered to Sound Big
With its fast-playing neck and thin, flattop-shaped body, the Highway is ideal for electric guitar players looking to add some acoustic vibe to their sound.
Are Some Guitars Better Suited for Certain Climates?
With proactive maintenance, your guitar should be able to work for you in whatever climate you call home.
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Five Ways to Evolve Your Musicianship Now
Guitarists Adam Levy and Ethan Sherman offer ideas for taking your music to the next level.
Fingerstyle Composer Peppino D’Agostino Connects the Steel- and Nylon-String Guitar Worlds
D’Agostino uses unorthodox tunings, percussion, and other techniques to open up new vistas on the instrument. Yet his compositions feel driven by melody.