Learn the Guitar Composition ‘Chapdelaine’ by Dennis Hayes
Michael Chapdelaine told his life story to San Francisco composer and guitarist Dennis Hayes, who then felt moved to compose a piece
Pickin’: Learn ‘Sometime Next Summer’ by Master Flatpicker David Grier
“Sometime Next Summer,” from his 2014 album Fly on the Wall, reveals the guitarist’s melodic inventiveness
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Learn to Play J.S. Bach’s ‘Bourrée in E Minor’ on Guitar
Even if you’re not a classical player, mastering pieces such as this offers a great learning experience for any fingerstyle guitarist, because it not only teaches picking-hand techniques that are independent of set patterns but also demonstrates excellent form and structure.
World Premiere: Learn to Play a New Waltz by Eric Skye
Like millions of Americans, Eric Skye, the virtuoso jazz and roots guitarist, is currently under a shelter-in-place order—and making the best of it. He’s been hunkered down at his home, in Portland, Oregon, cooking and playing guitar with his wife and children, and contemplating on what is happening in the…
Reverend Gary Davis‘ Country Picking Acoustic Classic: ‘Cocaine Blues’
Beyond the blues techniques, there is a seriously bittersweet tone to Davis’ guitar on “Cocaine Blues.” It seems to come from a very deep place in his soul.
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Acoustic Classic: ‘The Girl from Ipanema’
“The Girl from Ipanema,” a prime example of the bossa nova idiom, is one of the most covered songs in recorded history. Here we explore Charlie Byrd's dropped-D interpretation.
How to Play Billy Strings’ “Guitar Peace”
To really play “Guitar Peace” authentically, you’ll want to improvise on Strings’ riffs.
“Picking the Guitar”: Tackling a Classic Steel-String Instrumental
Overall, the rhythm of “Picking the Guitar” lies somewhere between ragtime of the early 1900s and the hot music of the 1920s.
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Learn to Play the Fiddle Tune “St. Anne’s Reel” on Guitar
This flatpickers' favorite is ubiquitous at old-time, Celtic, and bluegrass jams.
‘The Pearls’: Dave Van Ronk’s Clever Arrangement of a Jelly Roll Morton Rag
This delightful arrangement serves as an excellent introduction to ragtime in general.
Celtic Songs for Fingerstyle Guitar | Acoustic Guitar Champions
These 17 solo arrangements in Celtic Songs for Fingerstyle Guitar are from the British Isles and beyond, in Orkney and other tunings, with standard notation, tablature, and performance notes.
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Learn Bob Minner’s Take on “Auld Lang Syne”
With some beautiful cross-picked variations and gorgeous harmonic colors, this arrangement is best when you slow down and give the melody space to breathe.
‘The Earle of Salisbury’: Learn John Renbourn’s Classic Arrangement of a Renaissance Keyboard Piece
It can be a challenge to play keyboard music on guitar, but we share Renbourn's clever fingering strategies to keep the music smooth and flowing.
Learn a Sophisticated Guitar Arrangement of “O Come, All Ye Faithful”
This solo-guitar arrangement moves twice through the song’s simple verse/chorus form, set in the key of E major. The first verse features contrapuntal motion with inner lines moving under the melody.
Learn to Play the Spanish Classical Guitar Song “Bolero” by Julian Arcas
Andalusian-born Julian Arcas (1832–82) was perhaps the greatest Spanish classical guitarist of his time. This guitar lesson shows how to play his song, "Bolero."
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‘Super Moon’: Learn a Barn-Burner From Molly Tuttle
Among the many cool moments of Molly Tuttle’s variations are the jazz-informed block chords that suddenly appear in bars 61–65.
World Premiere: Learn to Play Kinloch Nelson’s ‘Solitudes’
You won’t be able to play this piece effectively unless you approach it with a meditative spirit and, most important, a delicate touch.
Learn ‘Spanish Rag,’ a Spirited Instrumental
Of his solo guitar composition, Diego Garcia says, “It’s simple Spanish cadences meet Merle Travis.”
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Video Lesson: A Jazzy Arrangement of “America the Beautiful”
As with learning anything new, when tackling this jazzy arrangement of 'America the Beautiful,' take it slowly and work on getting a beautiful tone in both hands.
Pickin’: Learn Doc Watson’s Hot Take on ‘Black Mountain Rag’
Go with whatever pick suits you best, and remember to use alternate picking on the eighth notes—down on the downbeats and up on the upbeats.
Learn to Play Scott Joplin’s Ragtime Classic “The Entertainer” on Guitar
“The Entertainer,” Scott Joplin’s 1902 ragtime piano masterpiece, is known the world over and is a great challenge for the blues fingerpicker.
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‘New Beginnings’: A Contemplative Study by Yasmin Williams
Tuning her guitar to open D, and placing a capo at the fourth fret, she sat down, started playing, and immediately happened upon the main theme.
Tiger Rag: The Light Crust Doughboys’ Barn-Burning Western Swing Classic
Grab a flatpick and a metronome and set aside a generous amount of time in the woodshed, as in this lesson you’ll work on the blazing guitar leads and swinging rhythmic accompaniment.
Solo Guitar Arrangement: the Beatles’ ‘If I Needed Someone’
George Harrison's electric riffs work just as nicely on the acoustic and though this may be a challenging arrangement, it's worth practicing to achieve a properly rocking groove.
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World Premiere: Learn to Play Buck Curran’s ‘Song for Liam’
To transfer “Song for Liam” from his mind to the guitar—namely, a Yamaha F310, a modest instrument whose heavy overtone content appeals to him—Curran chose DADGAD tuning, with a capo at the third fret, exploiting the open strings for both melodic and textural effect.
