Alan Barnosky

guitarist Alan Barnosky

Kendall Bailey Photography

Alan Barnosky is a guitarist and songwriter based in Durham, NC. He is a regular contributor for Acoustic Guitar magazine, and performs as a solo songwriter, as a guitarist with the bluegrass four-piece Counterclockwise String Band, and as a bassist with the folk outfit Chatham Rabbits. His two studio albums have garnered attention from IndyWeek and The Bluegrass Situation and received a top 10 spot on the Folk DJ Chart. He also provides private lessons in-person and on Zoom.

Favorite Album: The Best of Doc Watson: 1964–1968

Favorite Song to Play on Guitar: "Panhandle Rag"

Favorite Guitar You Own/Dream Guitar: Huffman Guitars #109

Related Discography:

Lonesome Road, self-released, 2020
Old Freight, self-released, 2017

Articles by Alan Barnosky

Courtney Hartman with guitar

Flatpicking Guitar Lesson: Learn Courtney Hartman’s Arrangement of “Cumberland Gap”

Learn to play this expressive and understated flatpicking guitar rendition of the classic tune “Cumberland Gap,” from Courtney Hartman’s 2016 Nothing We Say.

jon stickley blackberry blossom guitar lesson

Learn Jon Stickley’s Clever Guitar Reimagining of the Classic Fiddle Tune “Blackberry Blossom”

Learn to play the Jon Stickley Trio's unique interpretation of the bluegrass tune “Blackberry Blossom” on guitar.

Guitar Lesson by Alan Barnosky

Learn a Beautiful Open-G Guitar Arrangement of ‘Sally Ann’

Dudley Hill was a beloved guitarist in the Pacific Northwest with great rhythm and time. Here's how to play his version of the tune "Sally Ann" on guitar.

Norman Blake playing acoustic guitar

How to Flatpick Like Roots Legend Norman Blake

Norman Blake is one of the great unsung heroes of 20th-century folk music. Here's a look at his life, music, and what you can learn from his guitar playing.

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pickin guitar lesson classical bluegrass

Classical Bluegrass? Learn How to Flatpick a Matteo Carcassi Etude

Matteo Carcassi’s 25 Etudes, Op. 60 are a rite of passage for the advancing classical guitarist. Learn how to flatpick this classic on acoustic guitar.

Fernando Sor and Alan Barnosky

Reimagining a Fernando Sor Etude as a String-Crossing Guitar Workout

This guitar lesson breaks down the mechanics of string crossing and applies it all to a classical guitar etude by Fernando Sor to help build up picking-hand precision.

alan barnosky plays a guitar

Flatpicking Guitar Lesson: Learn the Traditional Fiddle Tune “Bill Cheatham”

“Bill Cheatham” is the perfect example of a fiddle tune that's also a great way to learn flatpicking on guitar.

Flatpicking Master Class Learn to Think and Play Like the Greats

Flatpicking Master Class: Learn to Think and Play Like the Greats

Here we’ll explore flatpicking guitar through some musical examples based on its key practitioners from Doc Watson to Molly Tuttle and identify some of the genre's essential recordings.

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Doc Watson in 1994 playing his guitar and singing into a mic at a concert

Tips for Tackling the Flatpicking Bluegrass of Doc Watson and Clarence White on “Footprints in the Snow”

From the January/February 2022 issue of Acoustic Guitar | By Alan Barnosky The 1964 performance by Doc Watson and Clarence White together at the Newport Fol... Read More...

Guitarist Alan Barnosky flatpicking

‘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.

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