https://acousticguitar.com lessons, music to play, and how-tos for all guitarists Fri, 29 Dec 2023 17:13:23 +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-sidh-beag-sidh-mor-a-traditional-celtic-song-arranged-in-standard-tuning/ https://acousticguitar.com/learn-sidh-beag-sidh-mor-a-traditional-celtic-song-arranged-in-standard-tuning/#respond Fri, 29 Dec 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=142604 Most of this arrangement's melody notes are reachable without leaving first position, and all the necessary bass notes are easily played. ]]> https://acousticguitar.com/learn-sidh-beag-sidh-mor-a-traditional-celtic-song-arranged-in-standard-tuning/feed/ 0 142604 https://acousticguitar.com/play-tonight-you-belong-to-me/ https://acousticguitar.com/play-tonight-you-belong-to-me/#comments Wed, 20 Dec 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=142529 This simple arrangement allows for easy, primarily open chording.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/play-tonight-you-belong-to-me/feed/ 2 142529 https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-play-the-indigo-girls-folk-rock-anthem-closer-to-fine/ https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-play-the-indigo-girls-folk-rock-anthem-closer-to-fine/#respond Sun, 10 Dec 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=142672 With tight harmonies, sturdy twin guitar strumming, thoughtful lyrics, and a bit of vocal countermelody, the song has all the hallmarks of the duo's style.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-play-the-indigo-girls-folk-rock-anthem-closer-to-fine/feed/ 0 142672 https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-in-the-pines/ https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-in-the-pines/#comments Tue, 05 Dec 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=142595 The arrangement of this song, also known as "Where Did You Sleep Last Night," is inspired by Nirvana’s version.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-in-the-pines/feed/ 1 142595 https://acousticguitar.com/ralph-towner-revisits-the-oregon-classic-guitarra-picante-on-solo-guitar/ https://acousticguitar.com/ralph-towner-revisits-the-oregon-classic-guitarra-picante-on-solo-guitar/#respond Fri, 10 Nov 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=141845 Originally released in 1991 and re-released on this year's ‘At First Light,’ this challenging tune features nearly three dozen different chords.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/ralph-towner-revisits-the-oregon-classic-guitarra-picante-on-solo-guitar/feed/ 0 141845 https://acousticguitar.com/play-a-jazzy-fingerstyle-rendition-of-over-the-river-and-through-the-woods/ https://acousticguitar.com/play-a-jazzy-fingerstyle-rendition-of-over-the-river-and-through-the-woods/#respond Wed, 08 Nov 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=141848 Originally published in 1844, the song remains a popular favorite among children and adults to celebrate Thanksgiving and the Christmas season. ]]> https://acousticguitar.com/play-a-jazzy-fingerstyle-rendition-of-over-the-river-and-through-the-woods/feed/ 0 141848 https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-tracy-chapmans-groundbreaking-hit-fast-car/ https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-tracy-chapmans-groundbreaking-hit-fast-car/#respond Fri, 27 Oct 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=141863 Thirty five years after its release, this powerful narrative, with its distinctive guitar part, feels as vital as ever.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-tracy-chapmans-groundbreaking-hit-fast-car/feed/ 0 141863 https://acousticguitar.com/fresh-look-at-on-top-of-old-smoky-on-guitar/ https://acousticguitar.com/fresh-look-at-on-top-of-old-smoky-on-guitar/#respond Wed, 18 Oct 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=141829 Singer-songwriter Maurice Tani teaches how to add fresh color and anticipation to a traditional favorite.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/fresh-look-at-on-top-of-old-smoky-on-guitar/feed/ 0 141829 https://acousticguitar.com/adam-levy-performs-and-teaches-sidewalk-chalk-acoustic-guitar-sessions/ https://acousticguitar.com/adam-levy-performs-and-teaches-sidewalk-chalk-acoustic-guitar-sessions/#comments Wed, 11 Oct 2023 13:01:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=142202 “Sidewalk Chalk” is a lovely waltz with a beautiful set of chord changes. It’s also quite approachable and, like so much of Levy’s work, is a joy to play.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/adam-levy-performs-and-teaches-sidewalk-chalk-acoustic-guitar-sessions/feed/ 2 142202 https://acousticguitar.com/gordon-lightfoot-the-wreck-of-the-edmund-fitzgerald-guitar-lesson/ https://acousticguitar.com/gordon-lightfoot-the-wreck-of-the-edmund-fitzgerald-guitar-lesson/#respond Fri, 22 Sep 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=141079 Lightfoot recorded the song on a 12-string—specifically, a Gibson B-45-12—but it will work just as well on a six-string.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/gordon-lightfoot-the-wreck-of-the-edmund-fitzgerald-guitar-lesson/feed/ 0 141079 https://acousticguitar.com/learn-dom-flemons-fingerstyle-showstopper-rabbit-foot-rag/ https://acousticguitar.com/learn-dom-flemons-fingerstyle-showstopper-rabbit-foot-rag/#respond Wed, 13 Sep 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=141072 This ragtime-inspired composition leaves a lot of room for improvisation and variations on the main themes.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/learn-dom-flemons-fingerstyle-showstopper-rabbit-foot-rag/feed/ 0 141072 https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-big-sciota/ https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-big-sciota/#respond Wed, 06 Sep 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=141063 “Big Sciota” is not necessarily easy to play, but if you stick with it, you'll learn a fun and well-known tune and develop some powerful chops in both hands.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-big-sciota/feed/ 0 141063 https://acousticguitar.com/play-sea-shanty-drunken-sailor/ https://acousticguitar.com/play-sea-shanty-drunken-sailor/#respond Fri, 01 Sep 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=141057 This easy campfire arrangement follows a traditional four-bar pattern using just the chords Am, G, and C.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/play-sea-shanty-drunken-sailor/feed/ 0 141057 https://acousticguitar.com/julian-lage-on-how-to-play-his-position-shifting-guitar-bass-duet-double-southpaw/ Wed, 09 Aug 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=139155 With its "quirky rhythmic and harmonic twists and turns," this piece moves all around the fretboard.]]> 139155 https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-learn-the-classic-hymn-it-is-well-with-my-soul/ https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-learn-the-classic-hymn-it-is-well-with-my-soul/#respond Mon, 07 Aug 2023 16:08:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=107944 The arrangement is fairly undemanding of both the picking and fretting hands and makes strategic use of the open strings.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/video-lesson-learn-the-classic-hymn-it-is-well-with-my-soul/feed/ 0 107944 https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-play-shake-sugaree-an-elizabeth-cotten-fingerpicking-staple/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=139159 Cotten plays “Shake Sugaree” on a guitar tuned down a whole step, using chord shapes in the key of C major that sound in Bb.]]> 139159 https://acousticguitar.com/learn-docs-guitar-doc-watsons-fingerstyle-tour-de-force/ Fri, 21 Jul 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=139261 The brilliance of Watson’s right-hand technique can be clearly heard on this punishingly fast instrumental]]> 139261 https://acousticguitar.com/updated-acoustic-guitar-song-lists-1990-to-2023/ https://acousticguitar.com/updated-acoustic-guitar-song-lists-1990-to-2023/#comments Tue, 18 Jul 2023 18:45:00 +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-2023/feed/ 11 110052 https://acousticguitar.com/borrowing-fiddle-techniques-for-flatpicking-guitar-on-the-traditional-tune-little-liza-jane/ Sun, 02 Jul 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=135615 This version of “Little Liza Jane” comes from the eastern Kentucky fiddler J.P. Fraley (1923–2011), who played it in the key of A major.]]> 135615 https://acousticguitar.com/learn-talco-girl-steve-james-rootsy-character-study-in-dropped-d-tuning/ https://acousticguitar.com/learn-talco-girl-steve-james-rootsy-character-study-in-dropped-d-tuning/#comments Fri, 30 Jun 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=135622 One of James' most popular tunes, “Talco Girl” is supported by a guitar accompaniment that would make a smart instrumental composition on its own.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/learn-talco-girl-steve-james-rootsy-character-study-in-dropped-d-tuning/feed/ 1 135622 https://acousticguitar.com/how-to-play-billy-strings-guitar-solos-on-way-downtown/ Fri, 16 Jun 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=135605 Strings' version of this traditional song includes two solos that quote some signature Doc Watson licks.]]> 135605 https://acousticguitar.com/learn-mary-flowers-waltz/ https://acousticguitar.com/learn-mary-flowers-waltz/#respond Mon, 12 Jun 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=112739 “Most of the time I have no idea how the music comes from my fingertips while writing. It’s not like I’m going for some genre or sound. It just happens!” ]]> https://acousticguitar.com/learn-mary-flowers-waltz/feed/ 0 112739 https://acousticguitar.com/hot-guitar-tab-joe-robinsons-let-the-guitar-do-the-talkin/ https://acousticguitar.com/hot-guitar-tab-joe-robinsons-let-the-guitar-do-the-talkin/#respond Sat, 10 Jun 2023 19:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=111158 It’s one thing to play blazingly fast Travis picking, and quite another to sing at the same time, as Joe Robinson does.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/hot-guitar-tab-joe-robinsons-let-the-guitar-do-the-talkin/feed/ 0 111158 https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-handle-with-care-the-traveling-wilburys-impromptu-hit/ https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-handle-with-care-the-traveling-wilburys-impromptu-hit/#respond Wed, 07 Jun 2023 15:21:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=135628 George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, and Bob Dylan had so much fun recording this song that they ended up making a band together.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/learn-to-play-handle-with-care-the-traveling-wilburys-impromptu-hit/feed/ 0 135628 https://acousticguitar.com/acoustic-classic-a-dadgad-arrangement-of-pink-floyds-wish-you-were-here/ https://acousticguitar.com/acoustic-classic-a-dadgad-arrangement-of-pink-floyds-wish-you-were-here/#respond Sun, 04 Jun 2023 12:06:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=123673 One of the pleasures of DADGAD and other open tunings is letting open strings add lush extensions to chords, as in this arrangement of "Wish You Were Here."]]> https://acousticguitar.com/acoustic-classic-a-dadgad-arrangement-of-pink-floyds-wish-you-were-here/feed/ 0 123673