The Milk Carton Kids Deepen Their Sound and Songwriting on ‘I Only See the Moon’
Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale, aka the Milk Carton Kids, discuss the creative process behind what is perhaps their strongest set of songs to date.
Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers
Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers, founding editor of Acoustic Guitar, is a grand prize winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and author of The Complete Singer-Songwriter, Beyond Strumming, and other books and videos for musicians.
Review: Paul Simon Meditates on Faith and Spotlights His Guitar on ‘Seven Psalms’
It’s remarkable to say that even after all these decades of exploring all sorts of sonic and stylistic terrain, ‘Seven Psalms’ is unlike any other Paul Simon creation.
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How to Play Like Nickel Creek Guitarist Sean Watkins
Watkins has developed a guitar vocabulary quite different from the classic boom-chuck.
Bruce Cockburn | The Acoustic Guitar Podcast
We sat down with Bruce Cockburn to discuss songwriting, creativity, guitars, and his top guitar-playing tips.
How Nickel Creek’s Sean Watkins, Sara Watkins, and Chris Thile Made Their Most Ambitious Album Yet
On ‘Celebrants,’ their first new record in nine years, the trio rekindles their connection and explores new territory.
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How to Create Sophisticated Harmonies on Guitar with Cluster Chords
Here are some of the evocative sounds you can create using chord voicings with notes that are close to each other—just a half step or whole step apart.
How Megan and Rebecca Lovell of Larkin Poe Traveled from Bluegrass to Blues Rock and Beyond
To learn more about Larkin Poe's journey from acoustic roots music to amped-up rock, we caught up with the sisters by phone from their home bases in Nashville.
Acoustic Classic: A DADGAD Arrangement of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here”
One of the pleasures of DADGAD and other open tunings is letting open strings add lush extensions to chords, as in this arrangement of "Wish You Were Here."
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How to Play Bonnie Raitt’s Grammy-Winning Story-Song “Just Like That”
With its character-driven narrative and fingerpicking guitar, “Just Like That” taps into Raitt’s love of the folk ballads of her songwriting contemporaries.
Play Happy Traum’s Fingerstyle Arrangement of “Worried Blues” on Acoustic Guitar
“It’s one of those lonesome blues things, but it’s not a standard 12-bar blues... It’s more like a folk song,” says Traum
Guitar Lesson: Exploring John Prine’s Simple but Distinctive Acoustic Approach
This lesson takes a tour of John Prine’s music by way of his guitar style, using examples drawn from some of his most-loved songs.
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For the Sake of the Song: Accompaniment Tips and Techniques
Mark Erelli, Shawn Colvin, Anaïs Mitchell, Martin Sexton, and Anthony da Costa talk about technique for guitar accompaniment in their songs
The Guitar-Tuning Odyssey of Joni Mitchell
The melodies and harmonies of Joni Mitchell's music rarely unfold in ways that our ears have come to expect. Here's a look at her guitar tuning Odyssey.
Writing Songs with Sunny War, Madison Cunningham, and Adam Levy | The Acoustic Guitar Podcast
Join our illustrious panel for an in-depth conversation on songwriting. While each of our guests has a unique perspective and process, they share the belief that you can write songs, too.
7 Tips to Make Cover Songs Feel Like Your Own
As a songwriter, do you stick to your guns and your own songs—or cave and just deliver the hits everyone can sing along with? There’s a healthier way to look at covers: as a creative vehicle that can actually enhance rather than compete with your songwriting.
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12 Ways to Challenge Yourself and Discover New Territory on Guitar
We talked to a group of artists and educators who share their favorite exercises, strategies, and tricks for helping get beyond the comfort zone and discover new territory on the guitar.
Learn to Play Madison Cunningham’s “Life According to Raechel”
Learn to play the hushed, sparse, gorgeously melodic song that Madison Cunningham wrote in honor of her grandmother.
Remembering Guitarist and Teacher Dix Bruce 1952–2023
The versatile, knowledgeable, and always cheerful musician and educator Dix Bruce passed away suddenly and peacefully in his sleep at age 70.
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Using Slash Chords to Strengthen Your Bass Lines and Chord Progressions
Slash chords are a small change to a chord voicing that can have a big impact on the sound of a progression, as we’ll explore in this guitar lesson.
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.
Three New Solo Guitar Arrangements of Christmas Carols for 2022
Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers shares three new solo guitar arrangements of Christmas Carols: "What Child Is This?," "O Little Town of Bethlehem," and "Jingle Bells."
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Is My Child Old Enough to Learn Guitar?
If your child (or grandchild or other kid in your life) has expressed an interest in playing guitar, you may be wondering if they’re too young to begin lessons.
How Madison Cunningham Uses Unusual Tunings and Beater Guitars to Discover Fresh Sounds
Madison Cunningham is a true triple-threat musician: a singer and inventive songwriter, a wickedly good guitarist, and a seeker of unconventional riffs and tones.
Sarah Jarosz | The Acoustic Guitar Podcast
Join us us for an in-depth discussion on the songwriting process and the importance of following your ear with trailblazing singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz.
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4 Contemporary Fingerstyle Masters Reflect on the Impact and Legacy of Guitar Revolutionary Michael Hedges
Contemporary fingerstyle guitar masters Andy McKee, Kaki King, Christie Lenée, and Mike Dawes reflect on the legacy of the revolutionary guitarist Michael Hedges.