Patreon Song of the Month: “The Roving Gambler”
Built on just three cowboy chords—the I, IV, and V in the key of E—this traditional tune is easy to learn and fun to play.
Adam Perlmutter
Adam Perlmutter holds a bachelor of music degree from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro and a master's degree in Contemporary Improvisation from the New England Conservatory. He is the editor of Acoustic Guitar.
Learn a Newly Found John Renbourn Arrangement of “Pipe on the Hob”
Mastering engineer Mike Walker found this previously undiscovered arrangement of the traditional Irish jig while organizing and digitizing the fingerstyle master’s transcriptions.
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Letter from the Editor | Acoustic Guitar, Summer 2026 Issue 358
From the Summer 2026 issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine There’s a certain kind of guitarist whose influence becomes so embedded in the acoustic guitar world that it can be easy to forget how fresh and unusual they once sounded. Jorma…
Patreon Song of the Month: “Bury Me Beneath the Weeping Willow”
This arrangement is based loosely on the version recorded by Ricky Skaggs and Tony Rice (1980), and it works as a study in traditional flatpicking accompaniment.
Song of the Month: “Honolulu March”
“Honolulu March,” recorded by guitarists Pale K. Lua and David K. Kaili around 1914–15, reflects the early steel-guitar style that captivated mainland audiences during the first Hawaiian-music craze. Lua was one of the early lap-steel players to record commercially and tour the mainland with…
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Letter from the Editor | Acoustic Guitar, Spring 2026 Issue 357
From the Spring 2026 Issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine With this issue, Acoustic Guitar settles into its new quarterly rhythm. At a time when publishing—and so much else—feels unsettled, the change has prompted us to look closely at what belongs in each…
How to Play James Taylor’s Iconic “You’ve Got a Friend”
This transcription of the Carole King classic comes from the original studio recording—played in G but sounding in A, thanks to a capo at the second fret.
Acoustic Guitar NAMM 2026 Report
Walking through NAMM for hours, what stood out just as much as the guitars themselves were the players, many of them young and clearly invested in the instrument.
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Great Acoustics—The Collings Custom ‘Austin City Limits’ C10
Built with salvaged stage wood and Texas tonewoods, this one-of-a-kind commemorative guitar has a built-in history.
Sounds of 2025: In Memoriam
The acoustic world lost some singular voices in 2025.
The Sounds of 2025: Guitars and Gear that Carried the Acoustic Tradition Forward
2025 was as much about old ideas made new as it was about new ones pointing toward the acoustic guitar’s future. Here we look back at a cross section of the guitars and accessories that defined it.
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Letter from the Editor | Acoustic Guitar Issue 356
Our January/February 2026 issue features stories, songs, and lessons with a common thread of renewal—whether it’s a fresh design, a rediscovered piece, or a musician learning to hear the guitar anew
Santa Cruz Guitar Company Founder Richard Hoover Reflects on Five Decades of Lutherie—and the Road Ahead
As his company’s 50th anniversary approaches, Hoover is still refining his craft and pushing the guitar in both subtle and profound ways.
Letter from the Editor | Acoustic Guitar Issue 355
The acoustic guitar remains relevant because of the people who continue to do meaningful work with it. That’s why we make this magazine: to document and celebrate that work, and to keep the conversation going between musicians, makers, and listeners.
Parlor Guitars: A Brief History and Buyer’s Guide
Interest in small-bodied parlor guitars—precursors to the bulky modern dreadnought—is skyrocketing. Learn all about these guitars, why players love them, and which model could be right for you.
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Letter from the Editor: Acoustic Guitar Issue 354
If there’s a thread running through this issue, it’s not reinvention for its own sake, but the idea that familiar forms still hold new meaning.
5 Minute Lesson: Julian Lage Teaches How to Add Dimension to Your Playing
Julian Lage shows how to turn a single melodic line into a layered, expressive statement—with just one subtle move.
Learn to Play Dave Van Ronk’s Freewheeling Take on “The Entertainer” | AG Patreon Song of the Month
Much like Van Ronk himself wasn’t concerned with strict adherence to societal norms, the version doesn’t follow the original chords exactly.
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Isa Burke, Lisa Liu, Mamie Minch, Sean McGowan, and Thu Tran Share Musical Insights in New Artist-Led Lesson Series
Meet the team behind Acoustic Guitar's new Teaching Artists series.
Take a Guitar Lesson with Margaret Glaspy
Singer-songwriter Margaret Glaspy demonstrates some of the guitar parts from her first solo acoustic effort—‘The Sun Doesn’t Think.’
Sue Foley Teaches the Guitar Stylings of Maybelle Carter and Elizabeth Cotten
In this lesson, Foley demonstrates the Maybelle Carter-pioneered Carter scratch, and the rhythmically rich, idiosyncratic fingerpicking style of Elizabeth Cotten.
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Great Acoustics: Alan Carruth’s “Proper” Harp Guitar
The guitar has an uncommon resonance and complexity, thanks to the harp’s extended arm, soundboard, and back
“Little Joe the Wrangler”—Learn Dom Flemons’ Fresh Take on a Classic Cowboy Ballad
The transcription here is based on the version Flemons recorded for his 2018 album ‘Black Cowboys,’ which highlights the African American experience in country music.
The Year in Gear (and More)—Acoustic Highlights of 2024
We look back at some of the year’s most exciting guitars, accessories, and amplifiers, as well as albums that captured the diverse voices of acoustic guitar music.
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Learn to Play Steve Baughman’s Christmas Medley | Patreon Song of the Month
This fingerstyle Christmas medley includes “Angels from the Realms of Glory” and not one but two versions of “Away in a Manger.”
