Acoustic Guitar | lessons, music to play, and how-tos for all guitarists

My First Guitar | The Acoustic Guitar Podcast

Bob Minner Records a Star-Studded Tribute to Norman Blake

Indie Folk Songwriter Joan Shelley Heads Home with ‘The Spur’

Exploring James Taylor’s Singular and Sophisticated Guitar Style

In James Taylor’s music, the guitar provides much more than accompaniment. Learn how to play like James Taylor in this acoustic guitar lesson.

What to Look for When Buying a Gypsy-Jazz Guitar, from Tone to Playability

Why Isn’t My Acoustic Guitar Intonating Well, and What Can I Do About It?

Thomas Ripsam, C.F. Martin and Co.’s First Non-Family CEO, Combines a Love of Guitar with Global Business Experience

How to Sing and Play Guitar at the Same Time

AcousticGuitar.com is a free resource for guitarists, but it isn't free to produce! Make a pledge to support the site (and get special perks in return.) LEARN MORE...

NEW GEAR

Review: Taylor American Dream AD27e Flametop Exudes a Relaxed Class

Here's the details on Taylor's new AD27e, part of its new American Dream series of acoustic guitars (named partly for their affordability in comparison to higher-end models).

Review: Revival’s RG-26M Is a Compact, Affordable Mahogany Guitar That Delivers Good Tone and Playability

Revival's RG-26M is a handsome, comfortable, all-mahogany guitar that delivers a very nice sound for an irresistible price.

MORE GEAR

Thomas Ripsam, C.F. Martin and Co.’s First Non-Family CEO, Combines a Love of Guitar with Global Business Experience

Thomas Ripsam’s path to CEO at C.F. Martin & Co.’s Nazareth, Pennsylvania, headquarters is even more unlikely than most.

ruler checking action (string height) at the bridge on an acoustic guitar

How to Fix Problems Caused by Incorrect Neck Angles on Acoustic Guitars

Neck angle is probably the single most crucial variable for the playability of a flattop guitar. Here's how to fix it if it's off.

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FROM THE LATEST ISSUE

Brazilian Journey: Guitarist João Luiz Takes the Music of His Homeland Around the Globe

Brazilian classical guitarist João Luiz, known best for his work with Brasil Guitar Duo, came up in a musical culture where many musicians crisscross genres happily.

Indie Folk Songwriter Joan Shelley Heads Home with ‘The Spur’

Review: Revival’s RG-26M Is a Compact, Affordable Mahogany Guitar That Delivers Good Tone and Playability

Learn Tony Rice’s Flatpicking Take on the Traditional Fiddle Tune ‘Cattle in the Cane’

Exploring James Taylor’s Singular and Sophisticated Guitar Style

Thomas Ripsam, C.F. Martin and Co.’s First Non-Family CEO, Combines a Love of Guitar with Global Business Experience

SEE ALL

FEATURED CONTRIBUTOR

Get to know Alan Barnosky

‘Home Sweet Home’: Try a Flatpicking Workout Inspired by a Banjo Classic

Try this flatpicking acoustic guitar workout for "Home Sweet Home," inspired by the banjo classic.

How to Flatpick Like Roots Legend Norman Blake

Reimagining a Fernando Sor Etude as a String-Crossing Guitar Workout

“Salt Creek” Bluegrass Flatpicking Guitar Lesson

Kendall Bailey Photography: Alan Barnosky in black and white with his guitar

Alan Barnosky is a guitarist and songwriter based in Durham, NC. He is a regular contributor for Acoustic Guitar magazine, and performs as a solo songwriter, as a guitarist with the bluegrass four-piece Counterclockwise String Band, and as a bassist with the folk outfit Chatham Rabbits.. Read More...

Watch an Intimate Aoife O’Donovan Performance of ‘Prodigal Daughter’

This intimate arrangement of “Prodigal Daughter” by Aoife O’Donovan offers a close look at how to play the accompaniment to this song in dropped-C tuning on guitar.

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.

Video Lesson: David Rawlings Shares a Close-up Look at His Singular Style

From the December 2017 issue of Acoustic Guitar | BY JEFFREY PEPPER RODGERS When Gillian Welch and David Raw... Read More...

Video Lesson: Exploring Joan Baez’s Elegant Guitar Style

A skilled and precise fingerstyle player, Joan Baez modeled an approach to accompaniment that was not flashy, but effective, elegant, and complete-sounding with no other instruments.

NEW BOOK ALERT

Play Guitar Like the Great Singer-Songwriters Book Cover

The world of popular music is filled with singer-songwriters who are not just brilliant wordsmiths but distinctive guitarists, and this eclectic guide covers some of the very best. Learn how these musicians support their songs with inventive accompaniments in a wide range of styles, tunings, and techniques—so many cool ideas that you can borrow for use in your own songwriting. Learn more.

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HERE'S HOW

10 Ways Using a Flash Recorder Can Help Music Students & Teachers

BY ERIN SHRADER Sure, our smartphones can record audio and video, but they also to a million other things that we might need to access a... Read More...

get heard guide to acoustic guitar pickups and amplification

Get Heard: A Guide to Acoustic Guitar Pickups and Amplification

guitar teacher giving online lesson in front of a computer

Class Action: Tips on Building a Successful Guitar Teaching Practice

Stuck in a Rut With Your Guitar? Try These Practice Techniques

two friends pose in a music studio with their guitars

Is My Child Old Enough to Learn Guitar?

solo acoustic guitarist playing outside with microphone on stand

Tips on How to Make a Living Writing Your Own Music

GET STARTED ON GUITAR

A Week at Puget Sound Guitar Workshop Offers a Chance to Woodshed & Canoe with a Guy Named Dave

Dear Aunt Sarah, Thank you so much for sending me the link to your online posting of “Jambalaya.” I enjoyed all 12 verses, although not in ... Read More...

Video Lesson: Get Rhythm, Part 1: Beats, Meters, and More

Syracuse’s Guitar League has Created an Impressive Model for Both Teaching and Learning

Between the Lines: All About Guitar Notation

photo of guitar student seated on a rug taken from above

The Best Websites and Apps for Learning Guitar

FEATURED LESSON

Video Lesson: How to Play in Waltz Time, from ‘Edelweiss’ to ‘Sweet Baby James’

From the book and video Beyond Strumming | BY JEFFREY PEPPER RODGERS From “Ashokan Farewell” to “Edelweiss” to “Sweet Baby James,” some of the loveliest melodies glide along in 3/4, or waltz time. Waltz time seems to bring out the sentimental side of songwriters—as Richard Thompson puts it, “Walt... Read More...

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CHORD BY CHORD

What is Chord by Chord? Introducing Acoustic Guitar’s How-To Video Series

Welcome to Acoustic Guitar’s Chord by Chord, a series of 62 brief lessons designed to build your fretboard familiarity, chord flu... Read More...

Learn 7 Ways to Play C Major | Chord by Chord

8 ways to play g major on guitar chord by chord

Learn 8 Ways to Play G Major | Chord by Chord

Learn to Play D Major Chords Up and Down the Neck | Chord by Chord

Kate Koenig teaching the C-G chord progression on guitar

How to Play a C-G Progression | Chord by Chord

Learn 8 Ways to Play an A Minor | Chord by Chord

Video lessons week by week, Chord by Chord. Sign up free!

SESSIONS

Moonalice Unplugs for Acoustic Guitar Sessions in Place

For this intimate Acoustic Guitar Sessions in Place outing, Moonalice guitarists Roger McNamee and Barry Sless are joined by the always-marvelous T Sisters for two songs.

Richard Thompson Performs “Turning of the Tide” on His Road-Worn Lowden Acoustic Guitar

Richard Thompson performs "Turning of the Tide" on his Lowden F-35 acoustic guitar at the Freight & Salvage for Acoustic Guitar Sessions

FEATURED SONG

How Paul McCartney’s Fingerpick-and-Strum Guitar Technique Gave The Beatles’ “Blackbird” Its Distinctive Sound

From the September/October 2020 issue of Acoustic Guitar | By Andrew DuBrock One summer day in 1968, Paul McCartney recorded “Blackbird” while John Lennon looped tape for “Revolution 9” in another studio. Though these tracks sound about as similar as Sting and Stravinsky... Read More...