https://acousticguitar.com lessons, music to play, and how-tos for all guitarists Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:57:35 +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/learn-buck-currans-slow-stately-dadgad-arrangement-of-black-is-the-colour-of-my-true-loves-hair/ https://acousticguitar.com/learn-buck-currans-slow-stately-dadgad-arrangement-of-black-is-the-colour-of-my-true-loves-hair/#respond Fri, 27 Dec 2024 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=146245 The song is a lament, performed in the style of an Irish slow air, so take it slowly, making every note count to convey the song’s brooding mood.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/learn-buck-currans-slow-stately-dadgad-arrangement-of-black-is-the-colour-of-my-true-loves-hair/feed/ 0 146245 https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-flatpick-the-hanukkah-classic-maoz-tzur-rock-of-ages/ https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-flatpick-the-hanukkah-classic-maoz-tzur-rock-of-ages/#respond Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:57:29 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=146759 This accessible arrangement, inspired by Maybelle Carter’s style on classics like “Wildwood Flower,” is perfect for the holiday season.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-flatpick-the-hanukkah-classic-maoz-tzur-rock-of-ages/feed/ 0 146759 https://acousticguitar.com/explore-open-d-tuning-with-mary-flowers-colorful-arrangement-of-dinks-song/ https://acousticguitar.com/explore-open-d-tuning-with-mary-flowers-colorful-arrangement-of-dinks-song/#respond Wed, 18 Dec 2024 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=146307 With its simple, movable chord shapes—many requiring just two fingers—open-D tuning adds a shimmering quality to this traditional song.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/explore-open-d-tuning-with-mary-flowers-colorful-arrangement-of-dinks-song/feed/ 0 146307 https://acousticguitar.com/updated-acoustic-guitar-song-lists-1990-to-2024/ https://acousticguitar.com/updated-acoustic-guitar-song-lists-1990-to-2024/#comments Sat, 14 Dec 2024 20:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=110052 We've published the music to more than 1,500 songs in Acoustic Guitar magazine since 1990. Now you can easily locate the issue in which a song appeared.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/updated-acoustic-guitar-song-lists-1990-to-2024/feed/ 14 110052 https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-steve-baughmans-christmas-medley-patreon-song-of-the-month/ https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-steve-baughmans-christmas-medley-patreon-song-of-the-month/#respond Fri, 06 Dec 2024 20:54:46 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=146665 This fingerstyle Christmas medley includes “Angels from the Realms of Glory” and not one but two versions of “Away in a Manger.” ]]> https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-steve-baughmans-christmas-medley-patreon-song-of-the-month/feed/ 0 146665 https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-the-beatles-ballad-and-i-love-her-as-interpreted-by-pat-metheny/ https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-the-beatles-ballad-and-i-love-her-as-interpreted-by-pat-metheny/#comments Sun, 24 Nov 2024 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=145773 Metheny manages to capture the wistful vibe of this Beatles classic while casting it in a bossa nova–inspired setting and updating it with his intricate sense of harmony and phrasing.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-the-beatles-ballad-and-i-love-her-as-interpreted-by-pat-metheny/feed/ 1 145773 https://acousticguitar.com/learn-a-challenging-arrangement-of-spotted-pony-by-the-late-great-guitarist-dudley-hill/ https://acousticguitar.com/learn-a-challenging-arrangement-of-spotted-pony-by-the-late-great-guitarist-dudley-hill/#comments Wed, 20 Nov 2024 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=145759 Hill’s rendition of this traditional Missouri fiddle tune sounds straightforward but is deceptively tricky.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/learn-a-challenging-arrangement-of-spotted-pony-by-the-late-great-guitarist-dudley-hill/feed/ 1 145759 https://acousticguitar.com/learn-gwenifer-raymonds-haunting-solo-guitar-arrangement-of-the-sacred-harp-hymn-idumea/ https://acousticguitar.com/learn-gwenifer-raymonds-haunting-solo-guitar-arrangement-of-the-sacred-harp-hymn-idumea/#respond Tue, 05 Nov 2024 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=145750 My instrumental arrangement of “Idumea” was originally conceived for clawhammer banjo, but here I’ve translated it to guitar with an alternating bass pattern.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/learn-gwenifer-raymonds-haunting-solo-guitar-arrangement-of-the-sacred-harp-hymn-idumea/feed/ 0 145750 https://acousticguitar.com/live-workshop-holiday-songs-for-fingerstyle-guitar-with-sean-mcgowan/ https://acousticguitar.com/live-workshop-holiday-songs-for-fingerstyle-guitar-with-sean-mcgowan/#comments Fri, 01 Nov 2024 22:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=146122 In this live workshop, ‘Holiday Songs for Fingerstyle Guitar’ author Sean McGowan explores an arrangement from the book and gives an inside look into his arranging process.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/live-workshop-holiday-songs-for-fingerstyle-guitar-with-sean-mcgowan/feed/ 1 146122 https://acousticguitar.com/learn-cole-porters-lets-do-it-lets-fall-in-love/ https://acousticguitar.com/learn-cole-porters-lets-do-it-lets-fall-in-love/#respond Wed, 16 Oct 2024 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=145755 Compared to some of the songs we’ve covered in this series, this is a fairly adventurous arrangement using quite a few chords. ]]> https://acousticguitar.com/learn-cole-porters-lets-do-it-lets-fall-in-love/feed/ 0 145755 https://acousticguitar.com/play-kacey-musgraves-dreamy-ballad-too-good-to-be-true/ https://acousticguitar.com/play-kacey-musgraves-dreamy-ballad-too-good-to-be-true/#respond Fri, 04 Oct 2024 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=145209 This intimate song is built on layers of acoustic guitar, with fingerstyle parts that are so closely entwined it’s often hard to pick out the individual instruments.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/play-kacey-musgraves-dreamy-ballad-too-good-to-be-true/feed/ 0 145209 https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-the-doobie-brothers-roots-rock-anthem-black-water/ https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-the-doobie-brothers-roots-rock-anthem-black-water/#comments Sun, 22 Sep 2024 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=145212 This mellow 1974 tune features an acoustic solo that requires a bit of dexterity and finesse to play convincingly.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-the-doobie-brothers-roots-rock-anthem-black-water/feed/ 2 145212 https://acousticguitar.com/learn-a-jazzy-reharmonized-arrangement-of-sweet-georgia-brown/ https://acousticguitar.com/learn-a-jazzy-reharmonized-arrangement-of-sweet-georgia-brown/#comments Fri, 13 Sep 2024 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=145191 This beloved tune became a popular standard, performed by guitarists like Django Reinhardt, Doc Watson, and Bucky Pizzarelli, among many others.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/learn-a-jazzy-reharmonized-arrangement-of-sweet-georgia-brown/feed/ 2 145191 https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-bob-dylans-it-aint-me-babe-patreon-song-of-the-month/ https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-bob-dylans-it-aint-me-babe-patreon-song-of-the-month/#comments Sun, 08 Sep 2024 12:21:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=145795 Learn to play “It Ain’t Me, Babe,” first released on the 1964 album ‘Another Side of Bob Dylan,’ a defining piece of Dylan’s catalog.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-bob-dylans-it-aint-me-babe-patreon-song-of-the-month/feed/ 2 145795 https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-play-in-the-jailhouse-now-on-acoustic-guitar/ https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-play-in-the-jailhouse-now-on-acoustic-guitar/#respond Sun, 01 Sep 2024 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=145199 “Jailhouse” has been recorded many times over the years—often in very divergent styles—by the likes of Hank Snow, Johnny Cash, and others, and has been featured in major motion pictures.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-play-in-the-jailhouse-now-on-acoustic-guitar/feed/ 0 145199 https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-green-green-rocky-road-patreon-song-of-the-month/ https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-green-green-rocky-road-patreon-song-of-the-month/#respond Fri, 09 Aug 2024 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=145566 “Green, Green Rocky Road” is a traditional song that originated in the American South. Learn a dropped-D arrangement inspired by Dave Van Ronk's seminal version. ]]> https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-green-green-rocky-road-patreon-song-of-the-month/feed/ 0 145566 https://acousticguitar.com/play-laurence-jubers-solo-guitar-take-on-the-beatles-in-my-life/ https://acousticguitar.com/play-laurence-jubers-solo-guitar-take-on-the-beatles-in-my-life/#respond Sun, 14 Jul 2024 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=144747 While he is known for using DADGAD tuning, this fingerstyle arrangement is in standard tuning]]> https://acousticguitar.com/play-laurence-jubers-solo-guitar-take-on-the-beatles-in-my-life/feed/ 0 144747 https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-mississippi-john-hurts-im-satisfied-patreon-song-of-the-month/ https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-mississippi-john-hurts-im-satisfied-patreon-song-of-the-month/#respond Fri, 12 Jul 2024 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=145227 Mississippi John Hurt (1893–1966) was one of the great country blues singer-songwriters, and a superb, subtly eccentric guitarist whose work was teeming with colorful details. One of his most well-known recordings, “I’m Satisfied,” related to the Memphis Jug Band piece “You May Leave, But This Will Bring You Back,” offers a glimpse into what made […]]]> https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-mississippi-john-hurts-im-satisfied-patreon-song-of-the-month/feed/ 0 145227 https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-the-lakes-of-pontchartrain-ag-patreon-song-of-the-month/ https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-the-lakes-of-pontchartrain-ag-patreon-song-of-the-month/#respond Fri, 14 Jun 2024 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=144954 Learn a fingerstyle arrangement of this ballad; a tune interpreted by Paul Brady, Bob Dylan, Aoife O'Donavan, and countless pub session players.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-the-lakes-of-pontchartrain-ag-patreon-song-of-the-month/feed/ 0 144954 https://acousticguitar.com/play-an-approachable-arrangement-of-the-classic-tune-i-cant-give-you-anything-but-love-baby/ https://acousticguitar.com/play-an-approachable-arrangement-of-the-classic-tune-i-cant-give-you-anything-but-love-baby/#respond Sun, 02 Jun 2024 18:36:47 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=144564 There’s a fair number of chords in this arrangement—14 shapes in all—but they are mostly in open position and easy to play.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/play-an-approachable-arrangement-of-the-classic-tune-i-cant-give-you-anything-but-love-baby/feed/ 0 144564 https://acousticguitar.com/jls-hymn-no-2-play-a-beautiful-new-solo-work-by-john-leventhal/ https://acousticguitar.com/jls-hymn-no-2-play-a-beautiful-new-solo-work-by-john-leventhal/#respond Sun, 26 May 2024 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=143902 This lovely piece is played in a nonstandard tuning, with the sixth and fifth strings tuned down to C and G, and a capo at the second fret.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/jls-hymn-no-2-play-a-beautiful-new-solo-work-by-john-leventhal/feed/ 0 143902 https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-play-hey-there-delilah-by-the-plain-white-ts/ https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-play-hey-there-delilah-by-the-plain-white-ts/#respond Sun, 19 May 2024 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=143908 This arrangement is based on the original studio recording, which spotlights a fingerpicked acoustic guitar.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-play-hey-there-delilah-by-the-plain-white-ts/feed/ 0 143908 https://acousticguitar.com/learn-a-modern-solo-guitar-arrangement-of-the-classic-cowboy-ballad-when-the-works-all-done-this-fall/ https://acousticguitar.com/learn-a-modern-solo-guitar-arrangement-of-the-classic-cowboy-ballad-when-the-works-all-done-this-fall/#comments Wed, 15 May 2024 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=143871 This interpretation honors the original melody of this 100-year-old tune while rendering it with a flatpicking approach that nods toward more contemporary figures.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/learn-a-modern-solo-guitar-arrangement-of-the-classic-cowboy-ballad-when-the-works-all-done-this-fall/feed/ 1 143871 https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-john-prines-hello-in-there/ https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-john-prines-hello-in-there/#respond Wed, 08 May 2024 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=144595 The transcription here captures Prine’s original studio recording note for note.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-john-prines-hello-in-there/feed/ 0 144595 https://acousticguitar.com/tackling-the-locktenders-reel-a-modern-fiddle-tune-by-guitarist-eric-skye/ https://acousticguitar.com/tackling-the-locktenders-reel-a-modern-fiddle-tune-by-guitarist-eric-skye/#respond Wed, 01 May 2024 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=143893 Inspired by Skye's Pennsylvania childhood, this wistful and captivating tune is increasingly played at bluegrass and old-time gatherings. ]]> https://acousticguitar.com/tackling-the-locktenders-reel-a-modern-fiddle-tune-by-guitarist-eric-skye/feed/ 0 143893