Weekly Workout | Acoustic Guitar https://acousticguitar.com lessons, music to play, and how-tos for all guitarists Mon, 08 Jan 2024 23:53:28 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://i0.wp.com/acousticguitar.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/AG_Favicon.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Weekly Workout | Acoustic Guitar https://acousticguitar.com 32 32 103806923 Unlock New Sounds with a Partial Capo https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-use-a-partial-capo/ https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-use-a-partial-capo/#respond Tue, 09 Jan 2024 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=142675 Unlock New Sounds with a Partial Capo Like a magic trick on your guitar, partial capos hold down some strings while leaving others untouched, changing the intervals between open strings.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-use-a-partial-capo/feed/ 0 142675 Expand Your Harmonic Vocabulary Using Django Chord Voicings 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 Django Reinhardt playing guitar while smoking a cigarette 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 Explore Double Dropped D, an Accessible Alternate Tuning Used in Classic Songs from Neil Young, Led Zeppelin, and Many Others https://acousticguitar.com/explore-double-dropped-d/ https://acousticguitar.com/explore-double-dropped-d/#respond Tue, 10 Oct 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=141082 neil young harvest album cover Lowering your first and sixth strings from E to D opens up enticing new possibilities on both the low and high ends of the guitar.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/explore-double-dropped-d/feed/ 0 141082 Try These Exercises for Mapping Triads All Over the Fretboard https://acousticguitar.com/try-these-exercises-for-mapping-triads-all-over-the-fretboard/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=139264 Grant Gordy with acoustic guitar Using a triadic approach to mapping the fretboard can help you break out of ruts and develop a deeper understanding of the guitar and music in general.]]> 139264 How to Create Sophisticated Harmonies on Guitar with Cluster Chords https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-create-sophisticated-harmonies-on-guitar-with-cluster-chords/ Wed, 14 Jun 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=135631 Closeup illustration of a guitarist fretting a chord on an acoustic guitar Here are some of the evocative sounds you can create using chord voicings with notes that are close to each other—just a half step or whole step apart.]]> 135631 How to Use Rest Strokes to Improve Your Flatpicking Technique—and Your Guitar Sound https://acousticguitar.com/use-rest-strokes-to-improve-flatpicking-technique-and-guitar-sound/ https://acousticguitar.com/use-rest-strokes-to-improve-flatpicking-technique-and-guitar-sound/#respond Wed, 05 Apr 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=135098 A smiling Greg Ruby seated playing guitar. Photo by Max Branigan The rest stroke—similar to the fingerstyle approach used by classical guitarists—is a plectrum technique in which each downstroke lands on an adjacent string rather than passing over it.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/use-rest-strokes-to-improve-flatpicking-technique-and-guitar-sound/feed/ 0 135098 Weekly Workout: Using Triads to Negotiate Seventh Chords https://acousticguitar.com/weekly-workout-using-triads-to-negotiate-seventh-chords/ https://acousticguitar.com/weekly-workout-using-triads-to-negotiate-seventh-chords/#respond Fri, 24 Feb 2023 17:28:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=113878 Jane Miller seated teaching a weekly workout lesson on her acoustic guitar, photographed in a studio with a microphone in front and a grand piano in the background. Learn to use three-note, three-string triads — you probably already know a lot of these chords, and in this lesson, you’ll find ways to repurpose them. ]]> https://acousticguitar.com/weekly-workout-using-triads-to-negotiate-seventh-chords/feed/ 0 113878 Weekly Workout: Building Colorful Chords from the Harmonic and Melodic Minor Scales https://acousticguitar.com/weekly-workout-building-colorful-chords-from-the-harmonic-and-melodic-minor-scales/ https://acousticguitar.com/weekly-workout-building-colorful-chords-from-the-harmonic-and-melodic-minor-scales/#respond Fri, 17 Feb 2023 16:13:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=121903 ron jackson seated with a guitar for guitar lesson on harmonic and melodic minor scales In this advanced guitar lesson, meet the melodic and harmonic minor scales and then explore the harmonies that can be generated from them. ]]> https://acousticguitar.com/weekly-workout-building-colorful-chords-from-the-harmonic-and-melodic-minor-scales/feed/ 0 121903 Generating Challenging Picking Exercises From Ninth Chords on Guitar https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-generating-challenging-picking-exercises-from-ninth-chords/ https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-generating-challenging-picking-exercises-from-ninth-chords/#respond Sun, 05 Feb 2023 14:50:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=113291 close up photograph showing three fingers on a guitar neck playing a Gmaj9 chord Let’s take a close look at a common extended chord—containing a note beyond the seventh, the venerable ninth. ]]> https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-generating-challenging-picking-exercises-from-ninth-chords/feed/ 0 113291 4 Ways to Improve Your Fingerstyle Guitar Improvisation https://acousticguitar.com/4-ways-to-improve-fingerstyle-guitar-improvisation/ https://acousticguitar.com/4-ways-to-improve-fingerstyle-guitar-improvisation/#respond Thu, 12 Jan 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=125799 4 Ways to Improve Your Fingerstyle Guitar Improvisation This Weekly Workout will help you develop your frame of mind and confidence in solo fingerstyle improvisation on guitar via Tárrega's “Etude in E minor.”]]> https://acousticguitar.com/4-ways-to-improve-fingerstyle-guitar-improvisation/feed/ 0 125799 Using Slash Chords to Strengthen Your Bass Lines and Chord Progressions https://acousticguitar.com/strengthen-chord-progressions-and-bass-lines-with-slash-chords/ https://acousticguitar.com/strengthen-chord-progressions-and-bass-lines-with-slash-chords/#respond Mon, 09 Jan 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=134202 slash chords guitar lesson jeffrey pepper rogers sitting with guitar Slash chords are a small change to a chord voicing that can have a big impact on the sound of a progression, as we’ll explore in this guitar lesson. ]]> https://acousticguitar.com/strengthen-chord-progressions-and-bass-lines-with-slash-chords/feed/ 0 134202 Guitar Lesson: Fingerpicking on the Blues in C Major https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-fingerpicking-on-the-blues-in-c-major/ https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-fingerpicking-on-the-blues-in-c-major/#respond Fri, 25 Nov 2022 17:31:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=115839 alt F-chord on acoustic guitar Here are three ways to play a 12-bar blues in C major on guitar, seen through the lens of the old blues masters.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-fingerpicking-on-the-blues-in-c-major/feed/ 0 115839 How to Strengthen Your Picking Skills Through Efficient Patterns https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-strengthen-your-picking-skills-through-efficient-patterns/ https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-strengthen-your-picking-skills-through-efficient-patterns/#respond Fri, 28 Oct 2022 16:19:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=127044 ron jackson guitar lesson weekly workout In this guitar lesson you'll learn economy picking, which includes alternate and sweep picking styles, as well as legato techniques for your fretting fingers.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-strengthen-your-picking-skills-through-efficient-patterns/feed/ 0 127044 Try These Fun and Challenging Counterpoint Exercises on Guitar https://acousticguitar.com/fun-and-challenging-counterpoint-exercises-on-guitar/ https://acousticguitar.com/fun-and-challenging-counterpoint-exercises-on-guitar/#respond Wed, 05 Oct 2022 14:33:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=133518 SEAN MCGOWAN playing acoustic guitar Contrapuntal lines are not necessarily intuitive for most guitarists, but the approach is certainly worth the investment and yields dividends equivalent to sonic gold.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/fun-and-challenging-counterpoint-exercises-on-guitar/feed/ 0 133518 Guitar Lesson: Using Augmented Arpeggios to Add Dreamlike Sequences https://acousticguitar.com/guitar-lesson-using-augmented-arpeggios-to-add-dreamlike-sequences/ https://acousticguitar.com/guitar-lesson-using-augmented-arpeggios-to-add-dreamlike-sequences/#respond Wed, 07 Sep 2022 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=132739 Lisa Liu with guitar Lisa Liu teaches fretboard exercises you can use to play beautiful, dreamlike augmented arpeggios for soloing and composing in any style.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/guitar-lesson-using-augmented-arpeggios-to-add-dreamlike-sequences/feed/ 0 132739 Make Your Own Blues Using Classic Guitar Licks and Phrases https://acousticguitar.com/make-your-own-blues-using-classic-guitar-licks-and-phrases/ https://acousticguitar.com/make-your-own-blues-using-classic-guitar-licks-and-phrases/#respond Wed, 13 Jul 2022 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=131992 pete madsen blues guitar lesson If you look to the masters for inspiration—without copying them note for note—you can produce blues verses and solos that sound fresh and exciting on guitar.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/make-your-own-blues-using-classic-guitar-licks-and-phrases/feed/ 0 131992 Weekly Workout: Add Jazzy Walking Bass Lines to Your Accompaniments https://acousticguitar.com/weekly-workout-add-jazzy-walking-bass-lines-to-your-accompaniments/ https://acousticguitar.com/weekly-workout-add-jazzy-walking-bass-lines-to-your-accompaniments/#respond Fri, 10 Jun 2022 15:50:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=118761 ron jackson posing with his acoustic guitar pointed headstock first towards the camera Learn how to play walking bass lines with chords—a cool approach to have up your sleeve, no matter what style you play.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/weekly-workout-add-jazzy-walking-bass-lines-to-your-accompaniments/feed/ 0 118761 Improve Your Flatpicking Technique with These Mother Maybelle Carter-Inspired Exercises https://acousticguitar.com/improve-your-flatpicking-technique-mother-maybelle-carter-exercises/ https://acousticguitar.com/improve-your-flatpicking-technique-mother-maybelle-carter-exercises/#respond Sun, 22 May 2022 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=129155 Mother Maybelle Carter album cover for "Pickin and Singin" In this guitar lesson, these arrangements of two songs by Mother Maybelle Carter will help develop your technique and understanding of the flatpicking idiom.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/improve-your-flatpicking-technique-mother-maybelle-carter-exercises/feed/ 0 129155 Learn to Play Rock-Solid Rhythm Guitar https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-rock-solid-rhythm-guitar/ https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-rock-solid-rhythm-guitar/#respond Tue, 17 May 2022 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=127841 Cathy Fink playing acoustic guitar In this guitar lesson you will focus on tightening up your timing on rhythm guitar using a variety of different strumming rhythms.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-rock-solid-rhythm-guitar/feed/ 0 127841 How to Craft Dynamic Song Arrangements on Acoustic Guitar https://acousticguitar.com/weekly-workout-building-dynamic-song-arrangements/ https://acousticguitar.com/weekly-workout-building-dynamic-song-arrangements/#respond Sat, 12 Mar 2022 16:14:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=117797 black and white photograph of a one-man band Even if you’re accompanying a song with one guitar, you can create the same kind of journey on your instrument that a full band arrangement would.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/weekly-workout-building-dynamic-song-arrangements/feed/ 0 117797 Try These Fun Guitar Exercises to Build Coordination Between Your Fretting and Picking Hands https://acousticguitar.com/coordination-in-fretting-and-picking-fingers/ https://acousticguitar.com/coordination-in-fretting-and-picking-fingers/#respond Mon, 14 Feb 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=124686 Sean McGowan holding acoustic guitar in his home studio Take a deep dive into building independence among the fingers of both hands.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/coordination-in-fretting-and-picking-fingers/feed/ 0 124686 Weekly Workout: Try These American Roots Licks for Warming Up or Composing on Guitar https://acousticguitar.com/weekly-workout-try-these-american-roots-licks-great-for-warming-up-or-composing/ https://acousticguitar.com/weekly-workout-try-these-american-roots-licks-great-for-warming-up-or-composing/#respond Tue, 11 May 2021 19:46:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=122444 Cathy Fink holding acoustic guitar Grammy Award-winning roots musician Cathy Fink teaches licks drawn from folk, country, and bluegrass, perfect for warming up or songwriting on guitar.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/weekly-workout-try-these-american-roots-licks-great-for-warming-up-or-composing/feed/ 0 122444 Weekly Workout: How to Use Harmonics to Add Texture to Your Playing https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-use-harmonics/ https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-use-harmonics/#respond Sun, 03 May 2020 13:42:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=109686 Jeff Gunn close up demonstrating how to play harmonics on acoustic guitar neck Learn how each type of harmonic—natural, harp, percussive, and pinch—is produced and how it can be used to add textural interest to your guitar playing.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-use-harmonics/feed/ 0 109686 Improve Your Technique by Practicing ‘Broken Thirds’ Scales https://acousticguitar.com/improve-your-technique-by-practicing-broken-thirds-scales-2/ https://acousticguitar.com/improve-your-technique-by-practicing-broken-thirds-scales-2/#respond Sat, 11 Jan 2020 09:21:29 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=112218 sean mcgowan wearing chambray shirt with gray studio backdrop, demonstrating lesson material on his acoustic guitar Scales are great for warming up and improving technical proficiency. Challenge yourself with new scales and patterns.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/improve-your-technique-by-practicing-broken-thirds-scales-2/feed/ 0 112218 Video Lesson: Using the CAGED System with the 12-bar Blues https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-using-the-caged-with-the-12-bar-blues/ https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-using-the-caged-with-the-12-bar-blues/#respond Thu, 05 Sep 2019 17:38:26 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=111833 An A7 shape played at the 9th fret yields an E7 chord. The study of prewar blues includes a heavy amount of time playing in first position—between the nut and the first four frets of your guitar. However, as you learn more and more songs, you might be asking yourself, “What comes next?”]]> https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-using-the-caged-with-the-12-bar-blues/feed/ 0 111833