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

A Simple but Effective Plan to Make the Most of Your Guitar Practice Time

Doc Watson, John Cohen, Mississippi John Hurt at Berkeley Folk Music Festival

New Box Set ‘The Village Out West’ Reveals Vital Lost ’60s Folk from California

Boogie Woogie Basslines with Mary Flower

Classical guitarist Laura Snowden performs the song "The Parting Glass"

Laura Snowden Performs ‘The Parting Glass’ | Acoustic Guitar Sessions in Place

Classical guitarist Laura Snowden performs "The Parting Glass" and discusses her Christopher Dean guitar in this Acoustic Guitar Session in Place.

Classical Guitarist Adam Levin Bridges Multiple Styles on ‘21st Century Spanish Guitar’

Fred Sokolow playing a blues riff on an acoustic guitar

Video Lesson: Exploring Blues Turnarounds

Remembering Tony Rice: Béla Fleck, Richard Hoover, David Grisman, Chris Eldridge, and Bryn Davies Reflect on Rice’s Life and Legacy

closeup photo of a guitar tech measuring the action on an acoustic guitar

Ask the Expert: Why Is My Guitar Buzzing?

Hey, fellow guitarist! Did you know that if just 1% of people who visited this site in December became patrons, we'd be secure for all of next year? Many plan to pledge later, but then forget. So we're asking you to give just $1 (or whatever you can afford) right now.

NEW GEAR

Breedlove Pursuit Exotic S Concert Edgeburst CE side view

Review: Breedlove Pursuit Exotic S Concert Edgeburst CE Features Sustainable Tonewoods

The Breedlove Pursuit Exotic S Concert Edgeburst CE, constructed with responsibly-sourced woods, is an attractive and well-made guitar at a reasonable price.

Guitar Review: Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Hummingbird

The street price on Epiphone’s "Inspired By Gibson" Hummingbird acoustic guitar? Just $799—and you get much of the vibe of its costlier Gibson counterparts.

MORE GEAR

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

Here are some things to check if you notice something is outside of the reasonable range of intonation on your guitar and it’s off enough to bother the ear.

How I Learned to Make Guitars: Eight Modern Luthiers on the Origins of Their Craft

What does it take to go from loving acoustic guitars to actually building them? To answer this, we asked a handful of luthiers to tell us their origin stories.

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FROM THE LATEST ISSUE

Great Acoustics: A Pristine 1943 Martin 000-18 with a Fascinating History

This 1943 Martin 000-18 was originally a gift to a Spanish immigrant to Monterey, California, who was a regular performer along the famed Cannery Row.

John Hiatt and the Jerry Douglas Band Shine on ‘Leftover Feelings’

Fingerstyle guitarists John Pizzarelli, Matthew Stevens, Steve Gibb

These 3 New Releases Show Diverse Approaches to Fingerstyle Guitar Mastery

A Simple but Effective Plan to Make the Most of Your Guitar Practice Time

fingerstyle acoustic guitar player seated photo by brendan hollis

Exploring Fingerstyle Guitar Techniques in Celtic Music with the Traditional Welsh Song ‘Men of Harlech’

Jakob Dylan sitting in backseat of a car

Jakob Dylan Uses His Trusty Gibson J-45 to Bring His Movie-like Songs to Life on the Wallflowers’ ‘Exit Wounds’

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ACOUSTIC AMPLIFICATION

Guitar Guru: Should I Put a Pickup on My High-End Instrument?

By Dana Bourgeois Q: Onstage, miking an acoustic guitar can be problematic. Today, we have a wide variety of pickup options, and in the ... Read More...

Budget Amplifiers and Pedals for the Acoustic Guitarist

By Adam Perlmutter In recent posts we’ve looked at both large- and small-bodied affordable guitars—from PRS’ neat new parlor to Epiphone... Read More...

Guitar Amps and PA Systems for the Acoustic Guitarist

This roundup of acoustic guitar amplifiers includes on seven amps and PA systems that are specifically tailored to the needs of acoustic guitar players.

collage of various guitar effects pedals and signal processors

How to Enhance Your Plugged-In Tone with Pedals and Preamps

Here's a guide to some of the effects pedals, preamps, and signal processors you can use to amplify and enhance the tone of your acoustic guitar.

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HERE'S HOW

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

By Adam Perlmutter It’s not uncommon for even the most accomplished guitarists to hit walls when practicing—whether caused by difficulti... Read More...

The Digital Troubadour, Part 2: How to record yourself to sound like yourself

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

Learn from the Best: Plan Your Summer Camp Getaway

guitar teacher giving online lesson in front of a computer

Class Action: Tips on Building a Successful Guitar Teaching Practice

two friends pose in a music studio with their guitars

Is My Child Old Enough to Learn Guitar?

GET STARTED ON GUITAR

Learn from the Best: Plan Your Summer Camp Getaway

From the February 2018 issue of Acoustic Guitar | BY DAVID LUSTERMAN Summertime, and the living is . . . way ... Read More...

This Is Classical Guitar's Bradford Werner plays guitar with capo at third fret

Digital Conservatories: Online Learning Resources for Classical Guitarists

7 Ways to Find a New Guitar Teacher Now

Between the Lines: All About Guitar Notation

While My Guitar Gently Smirks: Ben Fong-Torres Reflects on Learning Guitar as an Older Adult

FEATURED LESSON

four portrait illustrations in a side-by-side grid depicting Booker White, Memphis Minnie, Robert Johnson, and Elizabeth Cotten all playing acoustic guitars

Learn to Play in Open G

A lesson on how to play fingerstyle blues in this popular open tuning, using examples from classic songs by Elizabeth Cotten, Robert Johnson, and 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

Kate Koenig teaching the G-D chord progression

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

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

SESSIONS

Laura Snowden Performs ‘The Parting Glass’ | Acoustic Guitar Sessions in Place

Classical guitarist Laura Snowden performs "The Parting Glass" and discusses her Christopher Dean guitar in this Acoustic Guitar Session in Place.

Fingerstyle Guitarist Hayden Pedigo Performs “Tints of Morning” | Acoustic Guitar Sessions in Place

“I think it’s fun to play things that feel corny,” Hayden Pedigo says of composing “Tints of Morning,” a song off of his new record, Lettin... Read More...