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How to Go from Standard to Open-G Tuning

Here's how to get into open G tuning on guitar and then play a basic I, IV, V chord progression using the open G chord.

Video Instruction Series: All About Mic Placement for Home Recording

There are many types of microphones, but the most popular type for recording acoustic guitar is the cardioid condenser mic. Inexpensive models such as the Audio... Read More...

How to Choose a Slide for Your Acoustic Guitar Blues Playing

Posted by David Hamburger Excerpted from Acoustic Guitar Slide BasicsYou will need to get a slide, and there are many kinds to choose from. You’ll need to ... Read More...

Mining Tradition: A Songwriting Tip from Pete Seeger (via Woody Guthrie)

Posted by Jeffrey Pepper RodgersExcerpted from Songwriting Basics for GuitaristsSince Acoustic Guitar’s debut in 1990, I’ve had the privilege of talking... Read More...

How to Fingerpick the Blues Like Mississippi John Hurt: The Alternating-Bass Pattern

Excerpted from Country Blues Guitar BasicsListening to players like Mississippi John Hurt, Reverend Gary Davis, and John Fahey will get your ear accustomed to... Read More...

Learn to Play the Irish Folk Song “The Lassie Who Had the Land”

By Jody Stecher | Excerpted from Traditional Songs with Jody StecherI heard “The Lassie Who Had the Land” on a recording of a spectacular singer I never ... Read More...

Three Tips for Playing Chords Cleanly on Your Acoustic Guitar

Posted by David HamburgerExcerpted from The Acoustic Guitar MethodWhen you first start playing guitar chords, sometimes they don’t sound like ... Read More...

Using Slurs in Fiddle Tunes

Posted by Scott Nygaard Excerpted from Bluegrass Guitar EssentialsHere’s one thing that can throw off your pick direction in a fiddle tune: slurs, otherwis... Read More...

Play a Fingerstyle Arrangement of “Great is Thy Faithfulness”

Posted by Steve BaughmanExcerpted from Gospel Songs for Fingerstyle GuitarAlthough the lyrics to “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” make it a classic... Read More...

Play the Traditional Song “Down in the Willow Garden”

By Jody Stecher | Excerpted from Traditional Songs with Jody Stecher“Down in the Willow Garden” is a double murder ballad—only one person is murdered but ... Read More...