Download music notation and TAB for more than 1,475 great songs from the first 30 years of Acoustic Guitar magazine.
Learn a Campfire Guitar Version of the Classic Railroad Song “Casey Jones”
“Casey Jones” is one of the great traditional American folk songs. Here's how to play a basic campfire strumming version on guitar.
‘Little Satchel’— Learn Sarah Jarosz and John Leventhal’s Take on a Traditional Tune
On “Little Satchel,” the most traditional number on Sarah Jarosz’s brilliant new album, World on the Ground (see link to review below), Jarosz sings and plays clawhammer banjo while her producer, John Leventhal, lends spare but effective guitar parts. Leventhal’s instrument—a late 1930s Gibson J-35 that he has owned for…
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Learn Tony Rice’s Flatpicking Take on the Traditional Fiddle Tune ‘Cattle in the Cane’
This is not only a good introduction to fiddle tunes, but to flatpicking in general as it covers the hallmarks of the style.
‘Are You Lonesome Tonight?’ Learn an Easy Guitar Version of this Classic Popularized by Elvis
"Are You Lonesome Tonight" was a big hit for Elvis. For this easy guitar arrangement in the key of G major, we’re going to concentrate on just the main body of the song.
How to Play James Taylor’s Timeless Cowboy Lullaby “Sweet Baby James”
Here are some tips on how to play "Sweet Baby James,” the 1970 title track of James Taylor’s second album. Taylor himself has called it his best song.
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How the Music of Madagascar Can Expand Your Fingerstyle Guitar Playing
In this lesson, Bruce Molsky demonstrates how the guitar tradition from Madagascar takes in not only local music elements but classical and pop influences from everywhere.
Learn Eddie Lang’s Jazz Guitar Interpretation of a Rachmaninoff Prelude
Eddie Lang's jazz guitar interpretation of Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C-Sharp Minor keeps the dark and brooding atmosphere of the original piano piece.
Watch Joan Armatrading Play Her Classic Ballad “Love and Affection”
Watch Joan Armatrading play "Love and Affection" on her Ovation 12-string guitar, and learn some tips for playing the song with her rich chord voicings.
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Aoife O’Donovan’s ‘Prodigal Daughter’
Once you’ve gotten a feel for the fingerpicking pattern, played in dropped-C tuning, look for ways to add your own variations to the song.
Learn a Simple Guitar Arrangement of “I’m Sitting On Top of the World”
This arrangement is taken at a relaxed tempo, using a handful of open and first-position chords—C, F, A7, D7, G7—along with a couple more sophisticated but easy-to-play shapes.
Learn to Play an Easy Fingerstyle Guitar Arrangement of Irving Berlin’s “What’ll I Do”
You wouldn’t normally think of the work of Irving Berlin as an acoustic guitar campfire song, but in this installment, Berlin’s “What’ll I Do” takes the spotlight.
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Video Lesson: Learn a Klezmer Classic Arranged for Solo Fingerstyle Guitar
“Yiddishe Hora” is a piece written in the early 20th century by composer, violinist, and bandleader Alexander Olshanetsky. Here it is arranged for solo guitar.
Learn an Easy Guitar Version of “House of the Rising Sun” Using Simple Chords
Here's an easy arrangement for guitar of "House of the Rising Sun" that's great as a campfire song—whether you're cooking dinner inside or outside.
Guitar Transcription: Norman Blake’s Take on “Just Tell Them That You Saw Me,” an Early Tin Pan Alley Song
Rather than strumming full chords, Norman Blake's acoustic guitar version of "Just Tell Them That You Saw Me" features a taut melody on the bass strings.
Learn a Streamlined Guitar Arrangement of the Rodgers & Hart Classic “Manhattan”
Some of the chords you'll play in this guitar arrangement of Rogers & Hart's classic tune "Manhattan" are a bit sophisticated, but they’re all pretty easy to play.
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Tips to Play ‘Tangled Up in Blue,’ Bob Dylan’s Apparently Unfinished Masterpiece
Here are tips for playing Bob Dylan's "Tangled up in Blue," as arranged on The Bootleg Series, Vol. 14 in an intimate and intense version with just guitar, harmonica and bass.
Learn to Play Larkin Poe’s “She’s a Self Made Man” on Guitar
The title track of Larkin Poe’s 2020 album Self Made Man is a blues rock banger, with crunchy electric guitar by Rebecca Lovell & scorching slide by Megan Lovell.
Learn Bryan Sutton’s Take on the Holiday Classic “The Little Drummer Boy”
Cross-pick through a seasonal favorite, The Little Drummer Boy, in the guitar-friendly key of C major.
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Three More Christmas Carols for Solo Acoustic Guitar
Check out Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers' fingerstyle guitar arrangements of 3 Christmas classics: “The First Noel,” “Joy to the World,” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”
Learn an Easy Guitar Version of the Classic American Tune “Beautiful Dreamer”
“Beautiful Dreamer” was originally written in the key of Eb major. Our arrangement transposes it to the more guitar-friendly key of C, with just a handful of chords.
Blues Lesson: Learn Jontavious Willis’ Take on “Poor Boy, Long Ways from Home”
Here's an open-G arrangement of the traditional blues tune "Poor Boy, Long Ways from Home"
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‘Home Sweet Home’: Try a Flatpicking Workout Inspired by a Banjo Classic
Try this flatpicking acoustic guitar workout for "Home Sweet Home," inspired by the banjo classic.
Learn to Play the Traditional Flatpicking Duet ‘Old Grimes’ on Acoustic Guitar
Guitarist Alan Barnosky teaches an acoustic guitar arrangement of the melodic fiddle tune “Old Grimes,” as interpreted by Julian Lage and Chris Eldridge
Watch Lucinda Williams’ Classic Performance of “Passionate Kisses”
To play the acoustic guitar rhythm part of Lucinda Williams' "Passionate Kisses", capo at the fourth fret and use C shapes, which sound in the key of E major.
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“Salt Creek” Bluegrass Flatpicking Guitar Lesson
A common question advancing flatpickers have is how and when to play up the guitar neck. The old favorite "Salt Creek" gives a good example of how to do it.