Open Tuning | Acoustic Guitar

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bob dylan seated in front of a microphone playing harmonica and acoustic guitar

Video Lesson: Discover the Secrets Behind Bob Dylan’s Inventive Acoustic Guitar Work

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.

Learn Four Classical and Traditional Songs in Open Tunings

In previous posts, we have explored the use of tunings by singer-songwriters and blues guitarists. This time we’ll check out some classical and traditional ins... Read More...

Exploring the Open Tunings of Robert Johnson and Other Blues Guitarists

Just as open open tunings have opened up new sound worlds for singer-songwriters and guitarists like Richard Thompson, Joni Mitchell, and Laurence Juber, so to... Read More...

Exploring the Open Tunings of 3 Prolific Singer-Songwriters

The use of open tunings can open up a whole new world for singer/songwriters looking to establish their own voice on acoustic guitar. Here we take a look at Ri... Read More...

Add Some Color with Open-G Tuning, Dropped-D, and Other Easy Alternate Guitar Tunings

Here's how to use alternate tunings on guitar to open the door to new sounds, generate complex chords with easy fingerings, and extend the range of the instrument.

Ben Harper playing slide guitar in studio

Video Lesson: Ben Harper Teaches His #1 Anthem “Better Way”

From the January/February 2021 issue of Acoustic Guitar | By Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers Released as the first single from Ben Harper’s ... Read More...

Watch How to Go from Standard to Open-G Tuning

By Orville Johnson | Excerpted from Acoustic Blues Guitar Basics. Let’s start by getting into open G (D G D G B D) from standard tuning. Lower both E string... Read More...

How to Go from Standard to Open-G Tuning

Here's how to get into open G tuning on guitar and then play a basic I, IV, V chord progression using the open G chord.

‘Copeland’s Fancy’: Learn a Spirited Country-Blues Number in Open D

From the May/June 2019 issue of Acoustic Guitar | BY STEVE JAMES In 1975, when you dialed directory assistance for Beckley, West Virginia, an operator ther... Read More...

‘Spanish Fandango’: Learn a 19th-Century Acoustic Classic in Open-G Tuning

BY STEVE JAMES This arrangement is excerpted from Roots and Blues Fingerstyle Guitar Explorations. The story of “Spanish Fandango” begins in 1825, when Henry... Read More...