https://acousticguitar.com lessons, music to play, and how-tos for all guitarists Tue, 14 Nov 2023 21:43:48 +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/review-william-lee-ellis-ghost-hymns/ https://acousticguitar.com/review-william-lee-ellis-ghost-hymns/#comments Wed, 15 Nov 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=142698 The guitar work throughout shows Ellis’ impressive range, and the large selection of instruments gives each song a distinctive feel.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/review-william-lee-ellis-ghost-hymns/feed/ 1 142698 https://acousticguitar.com/review-the-blue-album-by-spanish-virtuoso-pablo-sainz-villegas-is-an-intriguing-often-meditative-sonic-journey/ https://acousticguitar.com/review-the-blue-album-by-spanish-virtuoso-pablo-sainz-villegas-is-an-intriguing-often-meditative-sonic-journey/#respond Mon, 06 Nov 2023 17:58:46 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=142540 These 14 pieces share a serene, mysterious, contemplative quality that's both compelling and pleasantly mind-opening.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/review-the-blue-album-by-spanish-virtuoso-pablo-sainz-villegas-is-an-intriguing-often-meditative-sonic-journey/feed/ 0 142540 https://acousticguitar.com/review-hayden-pedigo-the-happiest-times-i-ever-ignored/ https://acousticguitar.com/review-hayden-pedigo-the-happiest-times-i-ever-ignored/#respond Fri, 13 Oct 2023 23:47:51 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=142347 Inventive sonic and instrumental touches throughout elevate what feels like a solo acoustic guitar album to something more expansive.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/review-hayden-pedigo-the-happiest-times-i-ever-ignored/feed/ 0 142347 https://acousticguitar.com/ralph-towner-is-still-defying-categorization/ https://acousticguitar.com/ralph-towner-is-still-defying-categorization/#comments Sun, 08 Oct 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=141935 At 83, the prolific guitarist/composer continues to write and record vital, involving pieces. ]]> https://acousticguitar.com/ralph-towner-is-still-defying-categorization/feed/ 3 141935 https://acousticguitar.com/review-molly-tuttle-city-of-gold/ https://acousticguitar.com/review-molly-tuttle-city-of-gold/#comments Sun, 24 Sep 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=141751 The group's sophomore album may very well eclipse the unexpected success of its predecessor.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/review-molly-tuttle-city-of-gold/feed/ 1 141751 https://acousticguitar.com/jaimee-harris-boomerang-town-finds-the-dark-and-light-in-emotional-journey/ Tue, 04 Jul 2023 15:17:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=139515 Every song on this country-leaning folk Americana album is propelled by acoustic guitar and other, mostly spare instrumentation.]]> 139515 https://acousticguitar.com/raphaella-smits-feels-right-at-home-playing-argentine-music/ Sun, 18 Jun 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=135757 The eight-string guitarist's latest album, ‘Che Argentina,’ is a passion project devoted to 20th-century works by seven Argentine composers.]]> 135757 https://acousticguitar.com/multiple-layered-guitars-stand-out-on-steve-dawsons-eyes-closed-dreaming/ https://acousticguitar.com/multiple-layered-guitars-stand-out-on-steve-dawsons-eyes-closed-dreaming/#respond Tue, 30 May 2023 15:32:12 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=139531 As with all of Dawson’s projects that I’ve heard, his layered guitars sit front and center, but he’s also supported by a fine cast of other players.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/multiple-layered-guitars-stand-out-on-steve-dawsons-eyes-closed-dreaming/feed/ 0 139531 https://acousticguitar.com/elsie-franklin-miss-rhythm-review/ https://acousticguitar.com/elsie-franklin-miss-rhythm-review/#respond Tue, 25 Apr 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=136114 Half the songs on Miss Rhythm are originals, though if you didn’t see the writing credits, you could easily be fooled into thinking that they were pulled off scratchy 78s from the ’20s or ’30s.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/elsie-franklin-miss-rhythm-review/feed/ 0 136114 https://acousticguitar.com/irene-gomez-songs-of-my-life-canciones-de-mi-vida-review/ https://acousticguitar.com/irene-gomez-songs-of-my-life-canciones-de-mi-vida-review/#respond Tue, 18 Apr 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=136126 The nimble and expressive Colombian classical guitarist Irene Gómez has always played a diverse repertoire, as befits a musician whose varied guitar education included programs in her native country, in France, and at Juilliard in New York, where she studied with Sharon Isbin.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/irene-gomez-songs-of-my-life-canciones-de-mi-vida-review/feed/ 0 136126 https://acousticguitar.com/rory-blocks-aint-nobody-worried-salutes-10-of-her-favorite-female-singers/ https://acousticguitar.com/rory-blocks-aint-nobody-worried-salutes-10-of-her-favorite-female-singers/#respond Tue, 28 Mar 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=134916 Ain’t Nobody Worried, the third installment in Rory Block’s Power Women of the Blues series, takes the acoustic slide guitar master and blues belter in some unexpected but completely rewarding new directions.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/rory-blocks-aint-nobody-worried-salutes-10-of-her-favorite-female-singers/feed/ 0 134916 https://acousticguitar.com/great-picking-singing-and-songs-on-kin-ya-see-that-sun-a-fitting-tribute-to-the-late-maggie-roche/ https://acousticguitar.com/great-picking-singing-and-songs-on-kin-ya-see-that-sun-a-fitting-tribute-to-the-late-maggie-roche/#respond Tue, 07 Mar 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=135387 The album brings together 15 previously unreleased live and studio tracks by two of the three singing Roche sisters, Terre and Maggie, who were a performing folk duo dating back to their teen years.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/great-picking-singing-and-songs-on-kin-ya-see-that-sun-a-fitting-tribute-to-the-late-maggie-roche/feed/ 0 135387 https://acousticguitar.com/kate-koenigs-immortal-rhythm-is-a-compelling-slice-of-alternative-folk-autobiography/ https://acousticguitar.com/kate-koenigs-immortal-rhythm-is-a-compelling-slice-of-alternative-folk-autobiography/#respond Tue, 28 Feb 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=135398 Kate Koenig describes Immortal Rhythm as “alternative folk," and there is a folk purity to the mostly crystalline vocals and much of the fingerpicked and strummed acoustic guitar parts.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/kate-koenigs-immortal-rhythm-is-a-compelling-slice-of-alternative-folk-autobiography/feed/ 0 135398 https://acousticguitar.com/students-of-segovia-podcast-episode-12/ https://acousticguitar.com/students-of-segovia-podcast-episode-12/#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2023 17:33:05 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=135497 To mark the 130th birthday of Andrés Segovia, we spoke with three contemporary guitarists who each studied with the maestro: Lily Afshar, Liona Boyd, and Michael Chapdelaine. ]]> https://acousticguitar.com/students-of-segovia-podcast-episode-12/feed/ 3 135497 https://acousticguitar.com/once-upon-a-harp-by-steve-baughman-review/ https://acousticguitar.com/once-upon-a-harp-by-steve-baughman-review/#respond Tue, 31 Jan 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=134514 Baughman’s guitar playing on Once Upon a Harp has the perfect combination of a light touch, rhythmic surety, and deeply melodic sensibility.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/once-upon-a-harp-by-steve-baughman-review/feed/ 0 134514 https://acousticguitar.com/polish-classical-guitarist-andrzej-grygier-wins-lucrative-baltimore-competition-purse/ https://acousticguitar.com/polish-classical-guitarist-andrzej-grygier-wins-lucrative-baltimore-competition-purse/#respond Wed, 04 Jan 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=134766 It was a competition quite unlike any other, and the prizes the highest in any guitar competition in the world, with a $35,000 first prize.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/polish-classical-guitarist-andrzej-grygier-wins-lucrative-baltimore-competition-purse/feed/ 0 134766 https://acousticguitar.com/scott-metzger-too-close-to-reason-review/ https://acousticguitar.com/scott-metzger-too-close-to-reason-review/#respond Tue, 27 Dec 2022 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=133314 Stylistically, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead guitarist Scott Metzger's solo acoustic album, Too Close to Reason, covers a lot of territory in what he calls his “sonic landscapes.”]]> https://acousticguitar.com/scott-metzger-too-close-to-reason-review/feed/ 0 133314 https://acousticguitar.com/10-rising-stars/ https://acousticguitar.com/10-rising-stars/#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2022 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=134063 Here is a list of 10 top classical guitar virtuosos—all in their ‘20s or early ‘30s—originally from 10 different countries.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/10-rising-stars/feed/ 1 134063 https://acousticguitar.com/the-nitty-gritty-dirt-band-offers-surprisingly-fresh-and-original-takes-on-classic-dylan-tunes-on-dirt-does-dylan/ https://acousticguitar.com/the-nitty-gritty-dirt-band-offers-surprisingly-fresh-and-original-takes-on-classic-dylan-tunes-on-dirt-does-dylan/#respond Tue, 15 Nov 2022 14:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=132593 Nitty Gritty Dirt Band founders Jeff Hanna and Jimmie Fadden used to play Dylan tunes together in high school, now the band has released a tribute album, Dirt Does Dylan.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/the-nitty-gritty-dirt-band-offers-surprisingly-fresh-and-original-takes-on-classic-dylan-tunes-on-dirt-does-dylan/feed/ 0 132593 https://acousticguitar.com/digital-conservatories-online-learning-resources-for-classical-guitarists/ https://acousticguitar.com/digital-conservatories-online-learning-resources-for-classical-guitarists/#respond Fri, 30 Sep 2022 16:22:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=113966 We looked into a number of the most popular classical-guitar learning sites and offer profiles of three here; at the end you’ll also find brief glimpses of four others. ]]> https://acousticguitar.com/digital-conservatories-online-learning-resources-for-classical-guitarists/feed/ 0 113966 https://acousticguitar.com/jesse-terry-forget-me-nots-review/ https://acousticguitar.com/jesse-terry-forget-me-nots-review/#respond Tue, 27 Sep 2022 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=133283 The album is a collection from a wide spectrum of writers, styles, and eras, beautifully presented in (mostly) acoustic settings.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/jesse-terry-forget-me-nots-review/feed/ 0 133283 https://acousticguitar.com/grant-dermody-frank-fotusky-diggin-in-johns-backyard/ https://acousticguitar.com/grant-dermody-frank-fotusky-diggin-in-johns-backyard/#respond Tue, 20 Sep 2022 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=132618 The performances by Grant Dermody & Frank Fotusky on Diggin’ in John’s Backyard sound like a couple of (really talented) pals casually sitting on the front porch pickin’, blowin’, and singin’.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/grant-dermody-frank-fotusky-diggin-in-johns-backyard/feed/ 0 132618 https://acousticguitar.com/abbie-gardners-intimate-dobrosinger-is-a-sparkling-revelation/ https://acousticguitar.com/abbie-gardners-intimate-dobrosinger-is-a-sparkling-revelation/#respond Tue, 30 Aug 2022 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=132504 The album is as pure a “solo” album as you’ll find—it’s live takes of just Gardner’s voice and an arsenal of resonator guitars.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/abbie-gardners-intimate-dobrosinger-is-a-sparkling-revelation/feed/ 0 132504 https://acousticguitar.com/taj-mahal-ry-cooder-salute-two-of-their-heroes-on-get-on-board-the-songs-of-sonny-terry-brownie-mcghee/ https://acousticguitar.com/taj-mahal-ry-cooder-salute-two-of-their-heroes-on-get-on-board-the-songs-of-sonny-terry-brownie-mcghee/#respond Tue, 09 Aug 2022 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=131901 Ry Cooder and Taj Mahal are now revered as legends themselves, and they’ve chosen this moment to time-travel back to honor two of their early heroes, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/taj-mahal-ry-cooder-salute-two-of-their-heroes-on-get-on-board-the-songs-of-sonny-terry-brownie-mcghee/feed/ 0 131901 https://acousticguitar.com/david-jameson-tall-dark-pines/ https://acousticguitar.com/david-jameson-tall-dark-pines/#respond Tue, 26 Jul 2022 13:00:00 +0000 https://acousticguitar.com/?p=131898 The album is a delicious swirl of fragmentary but evocative country-folk story-songs and ballads.]]> https://acousticguitar.com/david-jameson-tall-dark-pines/feed/ 0 131898