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

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Review: Córdoba Fusion 5 is a Crossover Acoustic-Electric Nylon-String That Won’t Break the Bank

Building A Backbeat & Groove I Calum Graham

Watch Mimi Fox Perform “Green Dolphin Street” and “Body and Soul” on a 1998 Gibson ES-175 Archtop

What better way to showcase this 1998 Gibson ES-175 archtop—one of 27 guitars offered in the Acoustic Guitar Auction that begins May 13, 20... Read More...

Video Lesson: 10 Ways to Use Effect Pedals with Your Acoustic (or Classical) Guitar

Watch Mimi Fox Perform “Wave” on a 2011 Santa Cruz Firefly

How to Play Major I to Minor ii Progressions (in the Keys of A and E) | Chord by Chord

photograph of david hamburger smiling while playing an acoustic guitar

What is Travis Picking?

NEW GEAR

Review: Córdoba Fusion 5 is a Crossover Acoustic-Electric Nylon-String That Won’t Break the Bank

For those wanting to add some nylon-string flavors to their sound, crossover guitars make the leap from steel-string a little bit easier, and the new Córdoba Fusion 5 is a great option that’s affordable and fun to play.

Side view of Beyerdynamic TG I51 dynamic instrument microphone

Gear Review: Beyerdynamic TG I51 Dynamic Microphone Delivers Onstage or in the Studio

The Beyerdynamic TG I51 is well-built, affordable, and has a very wide frequency response. For the acoustic guitarist, it has something to offer both on the stage and in the studio.

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Great Acoustics: 2020 Collings OM3 Alaskan

Sometimes when a guitar is built using unique materials, it comes with a backstory built deep into its woodgrain. Take the new Collings OM3 Alaskan seen here. It’s one of six guitars made for the shop’s premier dealers using a combination of unusually colored Sitka spruce, curly mahogany, and special appointments

“The Gibson Guy”: How Folkway Music’s Mark Stutman Became a Leading Vintage Guitar Expert

From the March/April 2021 issue of Acoustic Guitar | By David McPhersonPhotos by Claire BéginThe sound of ... Read More...

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FROM THE LATEST ISSUE

Acoustic guitarist and songwriter Chris Pierce

Album Review: Chris Pierce Writes Incisive Protest Songs for Today

Wielding his guitar like a weapon, Chris Pierce sings truth to power on his eighth album, American Silence. Though he never loses his identity, Pierce’s voice becomes multitudes on this collection, attempting to speak out for those unheard in 21st century America.

Guitar Review: Cole Clark “Angel” Delivers Brilliant Acoustic and Electric Tones

Great Acoustics: 2020 Collings OM3 Alaskan

Acoustic guitarists Molly Tuttle and Tony Rice

Molly Tuttle Teaches Tony Rice’s Distinctive Guitar Style

Cathy Fink holding acoustic guitar American Roots Licks for Warming Up or Composing

Weekly Workout: Try These American Roots Licks for Warming Up or Composing

Molly Tuttle’s Essential Tony Rice Albums

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SLIDE GUITAR

Guitarists Jimmy Page, Kelly Joe Phelps, and Jontavious Willis

Learning the Nuts and Bolts of Blues Slide Guitar

Here we focus on what you can learn from blues slide guitarists, and how you can borrow from them to enrich your own playing.

black and white photo of Jimmy Page seated playing his acoustic guitar

Video Lesson: Learn to Play Slide Like Jimmy Page

In this lesson, you'll get Jimmy Page's blues riffs and musical ideas under your fingers and learn how to take them somewhere new and exciting.

Video Lesson: How to Play Bottleneck in a Range of Styles

From the July/August 2019 issue of Acoustic Guitar | BY PETE MADSENSlide/bottleneck guitar can evoke flavors ethereal and lyrical or a... Read More...

Throwback Thursday: Sonny Landreth Slides Through ‘Key to the Highway’

OK, it's not a Throwback performance, but the song certainly is: "Key to Highway" was popularized by legendary bluesman Big Bill Broonzy in ... Read More...

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HERE'S HOW

A Tonewood Primer: How to Pick the Right Materials for Your Optimal Sound

From the October 2016 issue of Acoustic Guitar | BY ADAM PERLMUTTERGlossary of Terms Fundamental vs. Overtones A fundamental ton... Read More...

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

How to Promote Your Music

All About Mic Placement and Level Setting—Home Recording Part 2/3

Everything You Need to Know About Microphone Phantom Power

A Guitarist’s Guide to Live Streaming

GET STARTED ON GUITAR

Learn from the Best: Plan Your Summer Camp Getaway

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

Summer Guitar and Music Camps, Workshops, and Clinics

Digital Conservatories: Online Learning Resources for Classical Guitarists

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

Want to Learn Guitar? It’s All in a Day’s Work, Says Marlene Hutchinson…

How to Find the Right Guitar Teacher

FEATURED LESSON

Illustration of Charley Patton from the book cover of Play the Blues Like. Features Patton playing his acoustic guitar on a porch, with young people looking at fireflies in the background.

Learn to Play Guitar Like Charley Patton, the Father of the Delta Blues

From the November 2016 issue of Acoustic Guitar | BY TOM FELDMANN |Illustration by Olivia Wise Widely known as the Father of the Delta Blues, Charley Patton is generally recognized as one of the most influential blues artists active in the first decades of the 20th century. Although no single i... 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

Learn 8 Ways to Play G Major | Chord by Chord

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

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

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

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

SESSIONS

Watch Mimi Fox Perform “Green Dolphin Street” and “Body and Soul” on a 1998 Gibson ES-175 Archtop

What better way to showcase this 1998 Gibson ES-175 archtop—one of 27 guitars offered in the Acoustic Guitar Auction that begins May 13, 20... Read More...

Watch Mimi Fox Perform “Wave” on a 2011 Santa Cruz Firefly

Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Wave” was the title track of his fifth album, released in 1967. Mimi Fox summons the spirits of several jazz guitar... Read More...