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Learn an American folk song for beginning guitar, with tab, standard notation, chord diagrams, complete lyrics, and audio. Arranged by Peter Penhallow.
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On the Cover: Pat Metheny. The jazz virtuoso talks about baritone guitars, the beauty of pop standards, and his all-acoustic album, What’s It All About. Songs: Mick Jagger and Keith Richards – "Dead Flowers " Paul Simon – "Homeward Bound" Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller – "Hound Dog" Features: Songwriting and the Guitar. Twenty-one tips from Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Joni Mitchell, and more on making the most of your instrument when writing songs; Gig Rig. What to put in your gig bag in order to make sure you’re covered when Murphy’s Law strikes; Essential Acoustic Albums of 2010. Acoustic Guitar 's editors and contributors review the past year's notable acoustic releases; Seven Complete Acoustic Guitar Rigs. From flatpickers at festivals to rockers on the lighted stage, we're all searching for our perfect package of gear. Here are seven complete acoustic setups to guide you on your quest; Richard Smith. The fingerstyle guitar champion talks about thumbpicking, developing speed, and learning by ear; José González/Junip. The Swedish-Argentine singer-songwriter brings his deft nylon-string guitar skills to his eclectic trio, Junip; Acoustic Lap Steels. A guide to contemporary Weissenborn-style guitars; Arranging Fiddle Tunes. How the world's top flatpickers transform square dance tunes into virtuoso guitar music. Lessons: Make a Connection – Ten tips for engaging an audience Alternate Tunings in Acoustic Rock – Learn how bands like Led Zeppelin and Fleetwood Mac adapted alternate tunings from folk and blues styles for their acoustic rock hits. Sixth Chords – Learn how to play and use this easy, expressive, and often overlooked family of chords. Gear Reviews: Breedlove American Series C25/Sme Recording King RP2-626-C Six New Tuners from Boss, Planet Waves, TC Electronic, Onboard Research, Korg, and Peterson.
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Unlock the secrets of playing and composing in alternate tunings with this unique lesson & audio download package. Includes an introduction to alternate tunings and the players who've pioneered them, in-depth lessons in ten tunings, a special section on how to create custom tunings, and an extensive list of 60 tunings to try, with artist and song examples. An inspiring and complete guide to this enticing approach to the guitar. Includes: GETTING STARTED An Introduction to Alternate Tunings. By Gary Joyner. Understanding Open Tunings. By Paul Reisler. Finding Chords. By Paul Reisler. COMMON TUNINGS Dropped D, Double Dropped D, and G6. By Dylan Schorer. Low-C Tuning. By David Hamburger. Open D and Open G. By Steve James. Country Blues in Open C. By David Hamburger. The Magic of D A D G A D. By Al Petteway. FURTHER EXPLORATIONS Discovering Your Own Tunings. By Gary Joyner. Arranging Bach in an Alternate Tuning. By Dylan Schorer. New Approaches to Folk Melodies. By Scott Nygaard. Frailing in Alternate Tunings. By Steve Baughman. REFERENCE Strings, Setup, and Gizmos for Alternate Tunings. By Teja Gerken. 60 Tunings (and the Artists Who Love Them) SONGS Riverside Banks of the Ohio Sebastopol Spanish Fandango I Am a Pilgrim She Moved Through the Faire Morrison's Jig Prelude, Cello Suite No.1 by J.S. Bach Rovin' on a Winter's Night Robert's Serenade " Alternate Tunings Guitar Essentials is, in book form, a heaping helping of what's good about the magazine [ Acoustic Guitar ]. It's the equivalent of many hours of private tutoring." — Dirty Linen "A fun, comprehensive, well-prepared guide to alternate tunings' fertile ground." — Guitar Player
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Learn to alter the sound of arpeggios by using accents, syncopations, and unique groupings of notes. Create multiple voices by using cross-rhythms in arpeggiated figures Play Alex de Grassi's arrangement of "Lay This Body Down" Includes 13 minutes of video instruction By Alex de Grassi.
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On the Cover: Gillian Welch. After eight years of stops and starts, Gillian Welch and partner David Rawlings return with a starkly beautiful set of songs on The Harrow and the Harvest. ESSENTIAL ACOUSTIC ALBUMS OF 2011 By Mark Smith. 19 GUITAR SHOPPING TIPS Smart guitar-buying tips from five well-known guitar shop proprietors. By Jason Borisoff. ACOUSTIC CLASSICS I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry. Words and music by Hank Williams. The Parting Glass. Traditional, arranged by Danny Carnahan. PRIVATE LESSON Creative Chord Voicings Lesson. Sideman extraordinaire Mark Goldenberg on using open-string drones and reharmonization to spice up chord voicings. With video and tab. By Teja Gerken. NEW GEAR Martin 0-28VS Review. A vintage-style rosewood and spruce small-body 12-fret with bold tones. By Stevie Coyle. Traynor AM Custom Amp Review. Powerful, feature-laden, multiple-input amp with woody and warm sound. By Adam Perlmutter. PLAYER SPOTLIGHT Sidi Toure. Sidi Toure contributes his own style to a long tradition of brilliant Malian guitarists. By Sarah Welsh. HERE'S HOW Effective EQ. How to use graphic and parametric Eqs to adjust your guitar’s amplified sound. By Doug Young. THE BASICS Accuracy and Tone for Slide Guitar. Get started on slide guitar with these simple note-targeting exercises. By Orville Johnson. ToC Text Column 3: SHOPTALK Charles Freeborn Guitars. Portland, Oregon, luthier fuses innovative designs with traditional building techniques to create sleek, unusual shapes and sizes. By Andrew DuBrock. The 2011 Woodstock Invitational. Acoustic Guitar reports from the New York State guitar festival. By Teja Gerken. WOODSHED Building Bass Lines. Learn to craft jazzy walking bass lines and work them into your solo fingerstyle accompaniment. With video and tab. By Sean McGowan. SONGBOOK Spanish Harlem. Words and Music by Jerry Leiber and Phil Spector, arranged by Kinloch Nelson. GREAT ACOUSTICS 2001 Andersen SilverLine. By Baker Rorick. Songs: I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, Hank Williams The Parting Glass, Traditional, arranged by Danny Carnahan Scarlet Town, Gillian Welch Blues in the Kitchen, Sean McGowan Spanish Harlem, Jerry Leiber and Phil Spector, arranged by Kinloch Nelson
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Learn how to play ascending / descending, bass, and nonlinear arpeggios. Master the ability to integrate arpeggios into your guitar melodies. This guide includes 15 minutes of video instruction. By Alex de Grassi.
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Learn three different ways to play fingerstyle chords. Practice techniques for playing downstrums and upstrums. Master the art of playing chords fluidly by experimenting with rolling your picking hand fingers. By Alex de Grassi.
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Jeff Tweedy The Wilco front man on fingerpicking, dynamics, and the intense craft behind his songwriting. By Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers. Froggy Bottom Guitars Luthier Michael Millard builds high-end flattops in his Vermont shop. By Adam Perlmutter. Innovative Guitar Designs How innovations such as bevels, double tops, and soundports have contributed to the evolution of the contemporary guitar. By Teja Gerken. ACOUSTIC CLASSIC Someday Soon. Words and music by Ian Tyson. By Andrew DuBrock. Will the Circle Be Unbroken. Words and music by A.P. Carter. By Dan Apczynski. PRIVATE LESSON Celtic Backup Lesson. Jordan McConnell of the Duhks on accompanying Celtic tunes in D A D G A D tuning. By Doug Young. NEW GEAR 1 Stonebridge OOM33SR Review. Acoustic Guitar reviews a 12-fret flattop made in the Czech Republic. By Doug Young. NEW GEAR 2 Alvarez AP70 Review. Acoustic Guitar reviews an affordable spruce and rosewood parlor guitar with a solid top. By Danny Carnahan. NEW GEAR 3 Godin MultiOud Review. Acoustic Guitar checks out Godin's take on the Middle Eastern 11-string oud. By Teja Gerken. PLAYER SPOTLIGHT Tom Russell. On Mesabi, the singer-songwriter pairs songs about fallen idols and drug violence across the border with a rich, cinematic mix of Tex-Mex guitar and exotic instrumentation. By Celine Keating. HERE'S HOW Diminished Chords. Learn how artists like James Taylor and the Beatles have used diminished chords in their songs. By Adam Levy. THE BASICS Blues Rhumba and Ballad Rhythms. Learn two great non-shuffle rhythms commonly associated with the blues. By Orville Johnson. SHOPTALK Binding and Purfling. All about the wood, plastic, or abalone that protects and beautifies your guitar. By Charlie Hoffman. PLAYLIST Anthony Wilson, Seasons. By Mark Small. Darrell Scott, Long Ride Home. By Derk Richardson. Kathleen Edwards, Voyageur. By Kenny Berkowitz. Various artists, Everybody's Pickin' On Leiber and Stoller. By Julia Crowe. WOODSHED Hammer-On Technique. Create fluidity and varied texture with this essential legato technique. By Alex De Grassi. SONGBOOK Billie Jean. Written and composed by Michael Jackson, arranged by Gareth Pearson. By Dan Apczynski. GREAT ACOUSTICS 2006 Buck Curran Butterfly. By Teja Gerken.
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Learn to use flat VII, flat III, and flat VI chords to bring out the blues in your playing. How to substitute flat chords for diatonic chords in the most common keys for guitar Chord cheat sheets for classic songs by Bob Seger, Neil Young, John Fogerty, and others Includes 15 minutes of video By Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers
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Download this guide to discover how to turn familiar chord shapes into exciting improvised lines in the style of Joe Pass. Learn how to: Use different scales to steer the sound of a chord or progression Move seamlessly between single-note melodies and jazzy chord inversions Includes 18 minutes of video instruction. By Sean McGowan
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PRS Guitars Profile How one of America's most successful electric guitar companies became a top maker of high-end acoustics. With video. By Teja Gerken. Diatonic Chord Changes Lesson A songwriter's guide to major and minor chord progressions. By Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers. Rodney Crowell The master songwriter talks about his rhythm-heavy guitar style, his collaboration with writer Mary Karr on Kin, and his Nashville days with Guy Clark, Mickey Newbury, and Townes Van Zandt. By Derk Richardson. DEPARTMENTS ACOUSTIC CLASSIC Landslide. Music and lyrics by Stevie Nicks. By Andrew DuBrock. Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child. Traditional, arranged by Peter Penhallow. By Peter Penhallow. GREAT ACOUSTICS 1930 Martin 000-45. By Steven Dembroski. IN THE STORES In the Stores. By Teja Gerken. NEW GEAR 1 Composite Acoustics OX RAW Review. Acoustic Guitar reviews a thin-body acoustic-electric made with carbon fiber materials. With video. By Adam Perlmutter. NEW GEAR 3 DiMarzio Angel Pickup System Review. Acoustic Guitar reviews DiMarzio's new two-pickup setup. By Teja Gerken. PLAYER SPOTLIGHT Anais Mitchell. How a vintage Gibson Kalamazoo changed the way the singer-songwriter plays and composes. By Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers. PLAYLIST Adam Miller, Delayed. By Céline Keating. Bill Evans, In Good Company. By Kenny Berkowitz. Mary Chapin Carpenter, Ashes and Roses. By Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers. Mindy Smith, Mindy Smith. By Kenny Berkowitz. PRIVATE LESSON Fingerstyle Accompaniment Lesson. Rick Ruskin on creating pop grooves for backing up singers and instrumental soloists. With video and tab. By Scott Nygaard. SHOPTALK Laurent Brondel Guitars Profile. New England–based luthier fuses original designs with vintage American tone. With video. By Teja Gerken. SONGBOOK Dimming of the Day. Music and lyrics by Richard Thompson. By Andrew DuBrock. THE BASICS Blues Harmony Lesson. Learn to use dominant-seventh, ninth, and diminished chords in your blues progressions. By Orville Johnson. WEEKLY WORKOUT Harmonized Major-Scale Pentatonic Licks. These exercises will get your fretting-hand fingers moving in new ways and help you learn the fingerboard. By Scott Nygaard. WOODSHED Artificial Harmonics Lesson. Learn to play any melody or chord with harmonics and add flair to your guitar arrangements. By Sean McGowan.
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Learn to play the slide-guitar arrangement of "Guitar Rag" in open-D tuning. This guide includes 17 minutes of video instruction as well as detailed notation and tab. By Steve James
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Learn how to fluidly extend melodies and bass lines across multiple strings with the help of this expert-led video guide. Includes: Shifting techniques for the picking and fretting hands Syncopated rhythmic patterns for cross-string lines 14 minutes of video instruction By Alex de Grassi
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Learn to play the arrangement of "Liberty" in dropped-D tuning. Guide includes 17 minutes of video instruction and detailed notation and tab. By Steve James
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Learn to play the same passage in different positions and experiment with new string-stopping techniques. Consider ease of playing and musical intent when choosing to play open or fretted notes. Includes 11 minutes of video. By Alex de Grassi.
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All About Portable Recorders How to find the right digital recorder to suit your needs. By Gino Robair. Dan Crary Lesson The bluegrass lead guitar pioneer on arranging fiddle tunes and solo flatpicking. By Scott Nygaard. Jorma Kaukonen and Steve Kaufman By David McCarty. DEPARTMENTS ACOUSTIC CLASSIC High and Dry. Words and music by Thom Yorke, Jonathan Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Edward O'Brien, and Philip Selway. By Dan Apczynski. The Midnight Special. Learn an arrangement of a blues classic popularized by the Louvin Brothers, Leadbelly, and Creedence Clearwater Revival. By Dan Apczynski. GREAT ACOUSTICS 1965 Martin D-28. By Derek See. IN THE STORES In the Stores. NEW GEAR 1 Beard Odyssey A Review. Acoustic Guitar reviews a round-neck resonator that combines modern vibe with classic dobro tone. By Adam Levy. NEW GEAR 2 Recording King RD-316 Review. Acoustic Guitar reviews an affordable vintage-style dreadnought. By Jason Borisoff. NEW GEAR 3 Fender Acoustasonic 150 Review. Powerful acoustic amp with complex sound-shaping options. By Adam Perlmutter. PLAYER SPOTLIGHT Pieta Brown. On her third solo album, the singer-songwriter turned to a collection of new and vintage guitars to capture her atmospheric songs. By Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers. PLAYLIST Fionn Regan, 100 Acres of Sycamore. By Derk Richardson. Jacques Stotzem, Lonely Road. By Julia Crowe. Martin Sexton, Fall Like Rain. By Phil Catalfo. Otis Taylor, Contraband. By Kenny Berkowitz. Rodrigo y Gabriela, Area 52. By Julia Crowe. PRIVATE LESSON Harp-Style Guitar Lesson. Robin Bullock on playing Celtic and classical tunes with a technique that imitates the sound of the harp. By Doug Young. SHOPTALK Running Dog Guitars Profile. Luthier Rick Davis builds traditional-sounding steel-strings with contemporary touches. By Tom Lell. SONGBOOK Ain't Misbehavin'. Music by Thomas "Fats" Waller and Harry Brooks, arranged by Rick Ruskin. By Rick Ruskin. The Water Song. Music by Jorma Kaukonen. By Andrew DuBrock. THE BASICS Arranging with a Capo. Use a capo to get new sounds from chord progressions without changing a song's original key. By Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers. WOODSHED Fingerstyle Jazz Articulation Lesson. Learn how to play and balance multiple voices in your fingerstyle jazz arrangements. By Sean McGowan. Open Strings vs. Fretted Notes. Define melodies, harmonies, and countermelodies by deciding where to play notes on the guitar neck. By Alex De Grassi.
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Jazz up common progressions when you learn and apply these substitution techniques. Guide includes: In-depth explanation of voice- and chord-based substitution ideas. Exercises featuring must-know tricks such as tritone substitutions and secondary dominants. 16 minutes of video instruction. By Sean McGowan
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Get complete music and lyrics to the traditional ballad, "Darling Cory," and learn Jody Stecher's style of flatpicking accompaniment and melody playing. Your guide includes 5 minutes of instructional video. By Jody Stecher.
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Learn to sing and play 11 traditional songs from one of America's finest and most respected folk musicians. Includes fingerstyle and flatpicking accompaniment and melody styles, complete lyrics, music notation and tab, as well as 65 minutes of video instruction. CONTENTS Fair and Tender Ladies Little Willie The Lassie Who Had the Land Gypsy Davy I Had But 50 Cents Lonesome Day The Wreck of the Old 97 Don't let Your Deal Go Down Down in the Willow Garden Darling Cory Bury Me Beneath the Willow
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Microphones for Stage and Studio How to choose and use a microphone. By Doug Young. John Doyle Lesson The Irish guitar wizard on his influential tune-accompaniment style and writing traditional-sounding songs. By Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers. Joe Henry The master songwriter and producer on vintage guitars, mics, and the minimalist beauty of his latest album, Reverie. By Derk Richardson. DEPARTMENTS ACOUSTIC CLASSIC Down by the Riverside. Traditional, arranged by Peter Penhallow. Learn to play a classic Ameican spiritual with this simple, three-chord arrangement. By Dan Apczynski. The Last Thing on My Mind. Words and music by Tom Paxton. By Andrew DuBrock. GREAT ACOUSTICS Huss and Dalton Monticello. By Adam Perlmutter. HERE'S HOW Free Writing. How to unleash your creativity in the early stages of songwriting. By Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers. IN THE STORES NEW GEAR 1 Guild F-1512E Review. Acoustic Guitar checks out Guild's latest jumbo 12-string. By Teja Gerken. NEW GEAR 2 Cort MR710F Review. Acoustic Guitar reviews a cutaway dreadnought with solid Sitka spruce top and Fishman electronics. By Adam Perlmutter. NEW GEAR 3 Fishman Loudbox Artist Review. Powerful, portable, and flexible acoustic amp. By Doug Young. PLAYER SPOTLIGHT Laurie Lewis. On her latest album, the bluegrass fiddler/guitarist pays tribute to Bill Monroe. By Kenny Berkowitz. PLAYLIST Carolina Chocolate Drops, Leaving Eden. By Kenny Berkowitz. Dar Williams, In the Time of Gods. By Mike Thomas. Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer, Little Blue Egg. By Celine Keating. Kevin Kastning, Sandor Szabo, and Balazs Major, Triptych. By Teja Gerken. Lincoln Durham, The Shovel vs. The Howling Blues. By Michael Lohr. Luke Roberts, The Iron Gates at Throop and Newport. By Sarah Welsh. The Pines, Dark So Gold. By Mike Thomas. PRIVATE LESSON West African Fingerstyle Guitar Lesson. Walter Strauss on imitating the open string sounds of the Malian kora. By Teja Gerken. SHOPTALK J.S. Bogdanovich Guitars Profile. Classical luthier writes the book on how to build a guitar. By Mark Small. SONGBOOK Darling Cory. Traditional, arranged by Jody Stecher. Learn to play a haunting old-time classic arranged for the guitar. By Jody Stecher. THE BASICS Open Tunings Lesson. Learn to play in open-G and open-D tunings like blues greats Duane Allman, Ry Cooder, Robert Johnson, and others. By Orville Johnson. WOODSHED Block and Rolled Chords Lesson. Use these picking-hand techniques for expressive variations in your chord sounds. By Alex De Grassi. Keeping Swing Time with a Metronome. Learn how to interpret music with a jazzy swing feel and practice jazz rhythms with a metronome. By Sean McGowan.
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Learn how to add movement to alternating bass lines in order to make your arrangements more exciting. Master passing tones, runs, and pinches to expand bass patterns. Discover how to integrate a melody while playing a moving bass line. Includes 9 minutes of video instruction. By Alex de Grassi.
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An instant classic. Look great and let the world know you love the guitar, even when you're not playing one. This shirt is pre-shunk and 100% cotton jersey knit with a comfortable, modern fit. Get your Acoustic Guitar tee today - it's sure to look great on you! (And, did you know, we have the inverse color scheme available too? Click here to take a look and collect them both!)
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This video guides teaches you how to be consistent in alternating your thumb between bass strings in the Travis picking style. Learn how to add in notes with your picking-hand fingers while playing a steady bass pattern with your thumb. Explore how to add accents on the downbeat, backbeat, and upbeat of alternating bass patterns. Includes 9 minutes of video instruction. By Alex de Grassi.
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Explore how playing unisons adds weight and texture to alternate tuning phrases. Play excerpts from de Grassi compositions and arrangements including "Turning: Turning Back," "Water Garden," "Single Girl," and "St. James Infirmary." This guide includes 12 minutes of video instruction. By Alex de Grassi.
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