https://acousticguitar.com lessons, music to play, and how-tos for all guitarists Sat, 11 May 2024 01:50:45 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://i0.wp.com/acousticguitar.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/AG_Favicon.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 https://acousticguitar.com 32 32 103806923 https://acousticguitar.com/10-great-moments-in-fingerstyle-guitar-history/ https://acousticguitar.com/10-great-moments-in-fingerstyle-guitar-history/#comments Sun, 12 May 2024 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=143955 In this feature-lesson, we’ll explore ten key recordings and artists who have significantly shaped the landscape of modern fingerstyle guitar.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/10-great-moments-in-fingerstyle-guitar-history/feed/ 2 143955 https://acousticguitar.com/5-minute-lesson-julian-lage-teaches-you-how-to-get-great-acoustic-guitar-tone/ https://acousticguitar.com/5-minute-lesson-julian-lage-teaches-you-how-to-get-great-acoustic-guitar-tone/#comments Wed, 13 Mar 2024 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=144084 “This is a wonderful way to recalibrate with the instrument, let us calm down our nervous system, and get a bigger sound"]]> https://acousticguitar.com/5-minute-lesson-julian-lage-teaches-you-how-to-get-great-acoustic-guitar-tone/feed/ 2 144084 https://acousticguitar.com/expand-your-harmonic-vocabulary-using-django-reinhardts-chord-voicings/ https://acousticguitar.com/expand-your-harmonic-vocabulary-using-django-reinhardts-chord-voicings/#comments Tue, 14 Nov 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=141867 In this lesson, we’ll dive into some chordal innovations you can use to get a Django Reinhardt sound or to simply explore new ways of approaching chords.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/expand-your-harmonic-vocabulary-using-django-reinhardts-chord-voicings/feed/ 1 141867 https://acousticguitar.com/sean-watkins-shares-guitar-parts-behind-nickel-creek-songs/ Sun, 13 Aug 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=139352 Watkins has developed a guitar vocabulary quite different from the classic boom-chuck.]]> 139352 https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-play-guitar-like-doc-watson/ Wed, 19 Jul 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=139312 This lesson breaks down Watson’s acoustic flatpicking, beginning with rhythm and backup, transitioning to his lead playing, and ending with the combination of the two. ]]> 139312 https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-play-like-mississippi-john-hurt/ https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-play-like-mississippi-john-hurt/#comments Mon, 05 Jun 2023 13:25:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=106561 Although John Hurt’s style and repertoire are often imitated, his guitar sound is hard to duplicate. In this lesson, Steve James teaches you how to play like Mississippi John Hurt.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-play-like-mississippi-john-hurt/feed/ 3 106561 https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-exploring-john-prines-simple-but-distinctive-guitar-work/ https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-exploring-john-prines-simple-but-distinctive-guitar-work/#respond Fri, 28 Apr 2023 15:35:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=120151 This lesson takes a tour of John Prine’s music by way of his guitar style, using examples drawn from some of his most-loved songs.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-exploring-john-prines-simple-but-distinctive-guitar-work/feed/ 0 120151 https://acousticguitar.com/the-guitar-tuning-odyssey-of-joni-mitchell/ https://acousticguitar.com/the-guitar-tuning-odyssey-of-joni-mitchell/#respond Fri, 14 Apr 2023 16:27:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=118682 The melodies and harmonies of Joni Mitchell's music rarely unfold in ways that our ears have come to expect. Here's a look at her guitar tuning Odyssey.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/the-guitar-tuning-odyssey-of-joni-mitchell/feed/ 0 118682 https://acousticguitar.com/string-kings-of-harlem-swing-the-captivating-rhythms-of-freddie-green-john-trueheart-bernard-addison-morris-white-and-al-casey/ https://acousticguitar.com/string-kings-of-harlem-swing-the-captivating-rhythms-of-freddie-green-john-trueheart-bernard-addison-morris-white-and-al-casey/#respond Fri, 17 Mar 2023 15:49:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=123709 Freddie Green is synonymous with swing guitar. Born in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1911, Green enjoyed a 50-year career holding down the rhythm chair of Count Basie’s famed big band. ]]> https://acousticguitar.com/string-kings-of-harlem-swing-the-captivating-rhythms-of-freddie-green-john-trueheart-bernard-addison-morris-white-and-al-casey/feed/ 0 123709 https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-play-like-reverend-gary-davis/ https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-play-like-reverend-gary-davis/#respond Tue, 14 Feb 2023 04:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=115719 Reverend Gary Davis is widely celebrated as a genius of blues fingerpicking. In this guitar lesson, Ernie Hawkins, who studied with him, teaches his style.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-play-like-reverend-gary-davis/feed/ 0 115719 https://acousticguitar.com/swing-lesson-learn-to-play-rhythm-guitar-like-freddie-green/ https://acousticguitar.com/swing-lesson-learn-to-play-rhythm-guitar-like-freddie-green/#respond Sun, 22 Jan 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=134401 In this guitar lesson, learn to play swing rhythm guitar like Freddie Green, the guitarist in the Count Basie band for 50 years. ]]> https://acousticguitar.com/swing-lesson-learn-to-play-rhythm-guitar-like-freddie-green/feed/ 0 134401 https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-play-guitar-like-james-taylor/ https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-play-guitar-like-james-taylor/#comments Fri, 23 Dec 2022 16:57:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=132056 In James Taylor’s music, the guitar provides much more than accompaniment. Learn how to play like James Taylor in this acoustic guitar lesson.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-play-guitar-like-james-taylor/feed/ 1 132056 https://acousticguitar.com/molly-tuttle-teaches-tony-rices-distinctive-guitar-style/ https://acousticguitar.com/molly-tuttle-teaches-tony-rices-distinctive-guitar-style/#respond Thu, 08 Dec 2022 19:31:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=122693 Molly Tuttle reflects on the life and guitar style of Tony Rice, as well as all the guitar players he inspired with his distinctive style of playing.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/molly-tuttle-teaches-tony-rices-distinctive-guitar-style/feed/ 0 122693 https://acousticguitar.com/exploring-the-open-tunings-of-robert-johnson-and-other-blues-guitarists/ https://acousticguitar.com/exploring-the-open-tunings-of-robert-johnson-and-other-blues-guitarists/#respond Fri, 18 Nov 2022 16:43:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=121835 This trio of lessons explores some of the open tunings most frequently heard in the blues: Vastopol, Spanish, open-C and open-G]]> https://acousticguitar.com/exploring-the-open-tunings-of-robert-johnson-and-other-blues-guitarists/feed/ 0 121835 https://acousticguitar.com/lesson-inside-nick-drakes-idiosyncratic-guitar-style/ https://acousticguitar.com/lesson-inside-nick-drakes-idiosyncratic-guitar-style/#comments Mon, 24 Oct 2022 15:59:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=109663 Unorthodox tunings made it possible for Nick Drake to create complex harmonies from one- and two-fingered chord shapes, freeing him to concentrate on his highly detailed picking patterns.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/lesson-inside-nick-drakes-idiosyncratic-guitar-style/feed/ 1 109663 https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-flatpick-like-roots-legend-norman-blake/ https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-flatpick-like-roots-legend-norman-blake/#respond Fri, 14 Oct 2022 16:08:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=128061 Norman Blake is one of the great unsung heroes of 20th-century folk music. Here's a look at his life, music, and what you can learn from his guitar playing.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-flatpick-like-roots-legend-norman-blake/feed/ 0 128061 https://acousticguitar.com/flatpicking-master-class-from-doc-watson-to-molly-tuttle-learn-to-think-and-play-like-the-greats/ https://acousticguitar.com/flatpicking-master-class-from-doc-watson-to-molly-tuttle-learn-to-think-and-play-like-the-greats/#respond Sun, 03 Jul 2022 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=132011 Here we’ll explore flatpicking guitar through some musical examples based on its key practitioners from Doc Watson to Molly Tuttle and identify some of the genre's essential recordings.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/flatpicking-master-class-from-doc-watson-to-molly-tuttle-learn-to-think-and-play-like-the-greats/feed/ 0 132011 https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-the-secrets-behind-bob-dylans-inventive-acoustic-guitar-work/ https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-the-secrets-behind-bob-dylans-inventive-acoustic-guitar-work/#respond Mon, 13 Jun 2022 16:15:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=118712 Bob Dylan's great acoustic guitar playing is often overlooked. Here we showcase his deceptive chord moves, his fluency with standard and non-standard tunings, and his knack for constant reinvention.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-the-secrets-behind-bob-dylans-inventive-acoustic-guitar-work/feed/ 0 118712 https://acousticguitar.com/explore-joan-armatradings-unorthodox-acoustic-guitar-style/ https://acousticguitar.com/explore-joan-armatradings-unorthodox-acoustic-guitar-style/#respond Sun, 24 Apr 2022 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=129239 Joan Armatrading has followed her own path for 50 years to become one of the most revered songwriters of her generation. Here's an in-depth look at her guitar playing.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/explore-joan-armatradings-unorthodox-acoustic-guitar-style/feed/ 0 129239 https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-molly-tuttle-breaks-down-her-deft-right-hand-techniques/ https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-molly-tuttle-breaks-down-her-deft-right-hand-techniques/#respond Mon, 28 Feb 2022 16:59:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=113260 On an early afternoon last September, Molly Tuttle, who was holding a spruce-and-mahogany dreadnought that appeared to be not much younger than 80, showed me the back of the guitar, which sported telltale lacquer wear. Tuttle explained that the instrument wasn’t in fact vintage but was recently made by Pre-War Guitars, which had applied a […]]]> https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-molly-tuttle-breaks-down-her-deft-right-hand-techniques/feed/ 0 113260 https://acousticguitar.com/roots-guitarist-happy-traum-reflects-on-a-life-in-music/ https://acousticguitar.com/roots-guitarist-happy-traum-reflects-on-a-life-in-music/#respond Tue, 22 Feb 2022 15:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=126055 At 83, the guitarist Happy Traum is remarkably youthful—still playing concerts & teaching. Here is a retrospective of his life in music as captured by 6 songs. ]]> https://acousticguitar.com/roots-guitarist-happy-traum-reflects-on-a-life-in-music/feed/ 0 126055 https://acousticguitar.com/songwriting-and-guitar-style-of-lucinda-williams/ https://acousticguitar.com/songwriting-and-guitar-style-of-lucinda-williams/#respond Fri, 31 Dec 2021 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=124758 Explore the music of Lucinda Williams by way of some of her best-known songs, with tab examples demonstrating her rhythm playing.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/songwriting-and-guitar-style-of-lucinda-williams/feed/ 0 124758 https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-exploring-rock-legend-eddie-van-halens-acoustic-guitar-side/ https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-exploring-rock-legend-eddie-van-halens-acoustic-guitar-side/#respond Fri, 10 Dec 2021 16:40:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=121779 Eddie Van Halen also applied his virtuosity to the acoustic guitar. In this lesson we’ll look at acoustic selections spanning the Van Halen catalog.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-exploring-rock-legend-eddie-van-halens-acoustic-guitar-side/feed/ 0 121779 https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-how-to-play-the-blues-like-r-l-burnside/ https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-how-to-play-the-blues-like-r-l-burnside/#comments Fri, 19 Nov 2021 16:44:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=101935 If you like your blues with funky drive, listening to and learning Burnside’s riffs and licks will get your mojo working. Learn to play in his raw percussive style.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-how-to-play-the-blues-like-r-l-burnside/feed/ 1 101935 https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-inside-the-soulful-acoustic-guitar-style-of-bill-withers/ https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-inside-the-soulful-acoustic-guitar-style-of-bill-withers/#respond Mon, 08 Nov 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=122603 An immersion in Bill Withers’ music brings powerful lessons for any guitar-playing songwriter, especially about the value of directness. This lesson goes inside some of Withers’ best songs—especially from his first few albums, when his own guitar was most prominent—to reveal the understated accompaniment style that carries them. ]]> https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-inside-the-soulful-acoustic-guitar-style-of-bill-withers/feed/ 0 122603