Podcasts about fingerstyle

Do you want to become a better fingerstyle guitarist?  Today I'm here to talk about how studying classical guitar technique and repertoire will elevate your fingerstyle playing.  Additionally, I will present my favorite classical guitar method books for fingerstyle players.  Please note, I am aiming this video specifically at fingerstyle players and not aspiring classical guitar players, although I will offer some thoughts on which books may be best for classical guitarists.

Fingerstyle guitar is one of the most personal of styles and we'll hear some great players the next two weeks. A couple of recordings served as inspiration for these episodes of The Sing Out! Radio Magazine. Awhile back, Tompkins Square released a collection of demos and outtakes from the great guitarist Duck Baker on a recording called Les Blues Du Richmond, with a wide variety of tunes in many styles. Craft Records has a collection called The Thousand Incarnations of the Rose, featuring guitar and banjo from some great American primitive guitarists and banjo players including John Fahey, Robbie Basho and Peter Lang. We'll focus this recording next week. Fingerstyle guitar … this week and next on The Sing Out! Radio Magazine.Pete Seeger / “If I Had A Hammer”(excerpt) / Songs of Hope and Struggle / Smithsonian FolkwaysDuck Baker / “Maple Leaf Rag” / Les Blues Du Richmond / Tompkins SquareBruce Molsky / “The Brass Band Ruchenitsa” / Soon Be Time / CompassLauren Sheehan / “Weepin' Willow Blues” / Some Old Lonesome Day / Wilson RiverRyley Walker / “Primrose Green” / Primrose Green / Dead Oceans Blind Blake / “Wabash Rag” / Guitar Wizards 1926-1935 / YazooBruce Cockburn / “3 Al Purdys'” / Bone On Bone / True NorthChris Smither / “Maybelline” / Call Me Lucky / Signature SoundsDuck Baker / “Homage to Leadbelly” / Les Blues Du Richmond / Tompkins SquareMitch Greenhill & Mayne Smith / “Evolution of Blind Joe Turtle” / Friends of Fahey Tribute / Slacktone RecordsJoan Baez / “The Lily of the West” / Vol.2 / VanguardJohn Renbourn / “Three Pieces by O'Carolan” / The Hermit / TransatlanticGuy Van Duser / “Alligator Crawl” / Stride Guitar / RounderRory Block / “Need a Little Sugar in my Bowl” / A Woman's Soul / Stony PlainRy Cooder / “Coming in on a Wing and a Prayer” / Boomer's Story / RepriseWayne Henderson / “Cannonball Blues” / Rugby Guitar / Flying FishPete Seeger / “If I Had A Hammer”(excerpt) / Songs of Hope and Struggle / Smithsonian Folkways

Back in 2017, Danny and former cohost Bobby Kennedy sat down with the legendary Tommy Emmanuel. With Tommy returning to New Zealand next month, we're re-releasing the episode. Since Mike is hearing it for the first time, we discuss his reactions and thoughts, knowing he's about to see Tommy live for the very first time too.Send us Fan MailSupport the show

Don and Dude crash into the second round of March Metal Madness where glitter, hairspray, and street‑corner hooks square up against steel‑toed stomp and Texas‑born groove. Skyscraper choruses, talkbox licks, mosh‑pit breakdowns, and arena‑ready riffs drive a bracket showdown between a late‑80s glam breakthrough and the record that dragged metal out of the Sunset Strip and into a heavier, meaner decade.The Albums Skid Row – Skid Row (1989) Young Jersey upstarts turn the glam formula meaner and more grounded, stacking blue‑collar storytelling, towering Sebastian Bach vocals, and streetwise riffs into a sleek debut that feels more alleyway than catwalk.Pantera – Cowboys from Hell (1990) Former glam lifers slam the door on their past and invent their future with precision riffs, machine‑tight rhythms, and swaggering grooves that reset how heavy metal could punch, swing, and strut at the same time.Diggin' AlbumsWilliam Crighton – Further Down the Road (2026) Australian folk‑rock storyteller stretches his baritone over spacious, atmospheric arrangements that move at a slow burn, turning journeys through the outback and inner life into something that feels mystical and lived‑in.Richard Marx – Richard Marx (1987) Chart‑ready 80s pop rock in its purest form, all gleaming guitars, radio‑perfect hooks, and power ballads that prove craft and polish can still hit like personal confession.Ladytron – Paradises (2026) Liverpool synth lifers lean into bright club rhythms and detailed electronics, pairing cool, detached vocals with disco‑tinted grooves that feel like dancing through neon at the end of the world.Tommy Emmanuel – Living in the Light (2025) Fingerstyle wizardry meets song‑first warmth as Emmanuel tracks mostly live in the studio, letting ringing acoustic lines, subtle band touches, and a generous spirit turn technical fireworks into something intimate.Follow & Support Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and Bluesky @albumnerds, and support by subscribing, rating, reviewing, and sharing.“I detest the phrase ‘hair band' or ‘hair metal.' It's insulting to us. We are just a rock band – too pop to be metal and too rock to be pop.” – Joe Elliott

General guitar method books are intended to guide beginner players through a comprehensive study of technique, reading standard notation, playing basic chords, etc. However, they can provide a very useful platform for acoustic fingerstyle practice if you know how to use them!  Today we'll take a look at two widely used guitar method books that are closely related: Essential Elements for Guitar: Comprehensive Guitar Method (Will Schmid and Bob Morris), and Hal Leonard's Guitar Method Book 1 (Will Schmid and Greg Koch) For years, I used the Hal Leonard Guitar Method with my kid students, but at some point, I came across the Essential Elements book (which is also published by Hal Leonard).  This book shares Will Schmid as an author, and most of the treble clef exercises and melodies are exactly the same, but there are a bunch of extra tunes mixed in to give students more chordal practice.  Other than about $3 in price difference, there is really no reason to ever buy the Hal Leonard Guitar Method. These books do have value to beginner players who just picked up a guitar and have no idea where to start.  You can't go wrong working through a general method book, especially with a teacher who can ensure that you are developing the proper technique, who can introduce appropriate supplemental repertoire, etc.  However, if you are trying to teach yourself to play guitar, a general method book will certainly get your farther than watching random YouTube videos.  A book like this will guide you from point A to point B in a linear, sensible course of study, whereas YouTube videos tend to jump around from topic to topic according to YouTube's algorithm rather than your best interest as an aspiring guitarist. Now, I almost never work with adult students straight through a book like this, as many of them already have some experience and have somewhat clear musical goals that may be better served with a more focused book.  For example, there are fingerstyle method books for my fingerstyle students, there are classical method books for my classical students, and so on. However, having spent over a decade teaching kids out of these books, I have found that many of these melodies make great platforms for fingerstyle guitar!  In a typical guitar lesson, a teacher may ask their student to perform a melody from the book.  The teacher will generally either watch and listen closely or they will provide some sort of accompaniment – that is, They will play the melody in unison with the student to help guide them, They'll play a harmony that is written out in the book, or They'll strum the chords.  Over the years I started accompanying my students with solo fingerstyle versions of the tunes to provide both their melody and the underlying harmony.  This has proven to be helpful to my students, challenging and satisfying for myself, and fun for all. I'm planning to do a series of videos breaking down how I create these little arrangements.  My process has been codified in my book Arranging for Fingerstyle, which is available as an eBook which you can purchase through the link in the show description below.  However, for this first video, I'll just give you a sample of how I transform some of the exercises. My own books: Arranging for Fingerstyle Guitar: go to http://joemcmurray.com/checkout/ to purchase a pdf of my eBook.  Learning to arrange melodies will also help your fingerstyle songwriting and your understanding of the inner workings of fingerstyle guitar. Fingerstyle Blues Guitar: An In-Depth Study of the 12-Bar Blues in E Major – Books 1 and 2 are available in paperback or as an eBook through Amazon [https://a.co/d/g7Udsso (Book 1) and https://a.co/d/aDbh4H0 (Book 2)].  The first priority of these books is to quickly get you playing a solo instrumental 12-bar blues, and then to build on it until you can freely improvise or “jam.” You should be up and running by the end of the third chapter, and each following chapter will add icing on the cake. My upcoming book, Arranging for Fingerstyle Ukulele, will be published by Mel Bay in 2026. My music is available on all streaming platforms at https://open.spotify.com/artist/5dcokTG6C598OhTslHH5uo?si=hrQb7FViSZewDRSgECw9Ew: Pins on the Map: my third fingerstyle guitar album was released on January 19, 2024. Watch the first single, “Open Road,” on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/uPBh8sZQsT4?si=EM_wAwnHFqU1VC9C. Riding the Wave and Acoustic Oasis: my first two fingerstyle guitar albums.

Fingerstyle guitar virtuoso, Jeremy Bass, spent years studying creative writing and classical guitar. A journey that led him from coast to coast, before settling into a cabin setting in Woodstock, NY. The current result is the wonderful set of songs called Cabin Songs. Jeremy joins us to talk about that journey and this latest project on this edition of Americana Music Profiles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Looking to learn new fingerstyle blues tunes to play on your acoustic guitar?  This is a rundown of my favorite fingerstyle blues repertoire books. Hopefully you have already seen my previous video of “Best Fingerstyle Blues Method Books.”  Method books provide a guided course of study with explanatory text, exercises, example tune arrangements, etc.  In this video I will be talking about my favorite fingerstyle blues repertoire books, which simply provide tune arrangements and possibly some background info for each tune. I've been through many, many books, and I have been teaching and performing professionally for over a decade, so hopefully my insights can help guide you to the book that is best for you! Be aware that all of these repertoire books provide standard notation and tablature, and most of them do NOT provide any picking or fretting hand fingering.  Working out optimal fingering is extremely important when learning an arrangement – good fingering choices make playing easier and minimize the potential for mistakes. Best Repertoire Books 1) The Complete Acoustic Blues Guitar Method (Mann, 2014) Repertoire book that presents lots of tunes from across the many subgenres of fingerstyle blues.  These are solid arrangements that occasionally provide multiple choruses to show variations- this is extremely valuable for extending short tunes into performance length pieces.  It is also worth analyzing the author's variations so that you can learn to create your own! Late beginner to advanced, but majority of the tunes are of an intermediate difficulty. I really like the organization of the book: tunes are organized by subgenre, and within each section the tunes are arranged from easiest to hardest.  Each tune comes with nice historical background info and listening recommendations. 2) 12-Bar Fingerstyle Blues (Rubin, 2012) Repertoire book. Mostly intermediate. More repetitive grooves than some of the other fingerstyle blues books on the market.  Fewer lyrical phrases in the melodies.  I like that the tunes organized by subgenre, but the difficulty jumps around from tune to tune. For experienced players, this is a fast book to work through.  Because each tune is a 12-bar chorus, you will get a lot of ideas that you can digest, combine, and make your own in the future. Next, I want to introduce a special book that doesn't quite fit into the simple “Repertoire Book” category: 3) The New Art of Ragtime Guitar (Saslow, 2011, 2017 2nd Ed.) This book is essentially a repertoire book of ragtime blues tunes, but the analysis that accompanies each tune is extensive and extremely valuable. Late beginner to advanced and difficulty progresses with each tune. These tunes are really fun, and you will gain valuable insight from the analysis.  The author coaches you through fingering choices, his use of guide, anchor, or pivot fingers, etc.  These lessons will make you a better player. 4) Fingerstyle Blues Songbook (James, 2005) Another repertoire book with good arrangements and historical background info. Honestly, it's not all that much different from Woody Mann's The Complete Acoustic Blues Guitar Method, but this book is much shorter. Late-beginner to intermediate, although advanced players will certainly enjoy the tunes as well. 5) Complete Country Blues Guitar Book (Grossman, 1992) Repertoire book.  Good arrangements.  Lots of authentic tunes. Stefan Grossman is an incredible musicologist who helped rediscover and promote much of the old fingerstyle blues music of the 1920s and 30s.  I really like the interviews and historical information that he has included making this a great coffee table book. Late-beginner to intermediate. Tunes organized by subgenre. Strange TAB. *6) Solo Blues Guitar (Rubin, 2006) Repertoire – I'm putting this book at the end because it is NOT a fingerstyle blues guitar book.  The examples can be played fingerstyle, but most seem to work best with a plectrum/pick/flatpick.  However, I want to include this book for a couple reasons: It is focused on solo blues guitar arrangements I LOVE this book.  These examples are fun and they inspire me to improvise in new ways with new grooves. Like Rubin's 12-Bar Fingerstyle Blues, these tunes also feature repetitive grooves alternating with melodic lines and licks, rather than choruses focused on lyrical melodies. My own books: Fingerstyle Blues Guitar: An In-Depth Study of the 12-Bar Blues in E Major – Books 1 and 2 are available in paperback or eBook through Amazon [https://a.co/d/g7Udsso (Book 1) and https://a.co/d/aDbh4H0 (Book 2)]. The first priority of these books is to quickly get you playing a solo instrumental 12-bar blues, & then to build on it until you can freely improvise or “jam.” You should be up and running by the end of the third chapter, and each following chapter will add icing on the cake. Arranging for Fingerstyle Guitar: go to http://joemcmurray.com/checkout/ to purchase a pdf of my eBook. Arranging for Fingerstyle Ukulele, will be published by Mel Bay in 2026. My music is available on all streaming platforms at https://open.spotify.com/artist/5dcokTG6C598OhTslHH5uo?si=hrQb7FViSZewDRSgECw9Ew: Pins on the Map: my third fingerstyle guitar album was released on January 19, 2024. Watch the first single, “Open Road,” on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/uPBh8sZQsT4?si=EM_wAwnHFqU1VC9C. Riding the Wave and Acoustic Oasis: my first two fingerstyle guitar albums.

If you want to get started playing fingerstyle guitar, you will benefit from private lessons with a teacher, online video courses, listening to fingerstyle recordings, and of course… books.  It is beneficial to mix and match all of these resources.  Remember that everyone's brain works differently, so you may gravitate more toward certain styles of learning / methods of presentation.  I love learning from books because I can read the text at my own pace and as many times over as I want.  Seeing the music written out is extremely helpful for me – I always had more difficulty keeping track of song forms or chord progressions without some sort of written reference. So, for those of you who want to utilize a fingerstyle blues book to beef up your chops, I've done my homework and I've distilled my favorites into this “greatest hits” list.  I'll try to be objective and describe who each book is best suited to.  Additionally, I'll separate things out and first tell you about my favorite method books and then my favorite repertoire books. Method Books Guided course of study with explanatory text, exercises, example tune arrangements, etc. Repertoire Books Tune arrangements and possibly some background info for each tune. Method Books ** Travis-Style Guitar From Scratch (Emery, 2006) My all-time favorite book for learning to play solo fingerstyle guitar with an alternating bass or “Travis-style”, which is used in much fingerstyle blues playing.  Beginnner to intermediate.  Lots and lots of exercises, smooth difficulty progression, repeated tunes at increasing difficulty levels, text with a sense of humor. * Fingerstyle Guitar From Scratch (Emery, 2003) Great for absolute beginner guitar players looking to step into the world of fingerstyle guitar.  More focused on fingerstyle accompaniment or backup rather than solo fingerstyle guitar. Now on to my favorite method books that are focused on fingerstyle blues. 1) Acoustic Guitar Fingerstyle Method (Hamburger, 2007) Method book – could be the best initial book to work through if you're just getting started with fingerstyle blues or fingerstyle in general.  Effective organization of topics, progressive exercises, short but fun song arrangements at the end of each chapter. Primarily aimed at beginner to intermediate, but some of the final chapters are fairly difficult. Overall, this book provides a great overview of the techniques and approaches used in fingerstyle blues, giving you a solid foundation. After working through this book, you could move on to any of the other method or repertoire books that I'm about to introduce, where you can refine your skills and technique, learn to improvise, and learn more tunes. 2) Fingerstyle Blues Guitar: An In-Depth Study of the 12-Bar Blues in the Key of E Major: Books 1 & 2 It is without shame that I present my own books. These method books are focused on lyrical improvisation over monotonic bass. First priority of these books is to quickly get you playing a solo instrumental 12-bar blues in the key of E major, and then to build on it until you can freely improvise or jam. You should be up and running by the end of the 3rd chapter, and each subsequent chapter will add icing to your cake. Organized the books so that the concepts and exercises progress logically, thoroughly, and with a smooth difficulty progression. Take care to explain how to immediately apply each concept to your playing. These are essentially one long book split down the middle: Book 2 picks up right where Book 1 left off.  It was just too long – it would have been around 350 pages. I recommend that everyone start with Book 1, which is suitable for all skill levels. Complete beginner players who work through the first few chapters should be able to improvise a satisfying fingerstyle blues solo. Intermediate to advanced players will breeze through the first few chapters, but will hopefully pick up some useful information starting around Chapter 4. Book 2 is more suitable for intermediate to advanced players. It digs deeper into higher level concepts that are more technically and theoretically difficult, but will elevate your playing to new levels. You will learn to play new scales, turnarounds, rhythms, time signatures, key signatures, and more! Again, I recommend that everyone start with Book 1, and then move on to Book 2. When comparing my books to other fingerstyle blues books on the market, most other books focus on playing the blues over an alternating or Travis-style bassline, although they may present some material on using a monotonic bassline. One other book, which, SPOILER, happens to be the next on my list, focuses on playing the blues over a monotonic bassline – Joseph Alexander's Fingerstyle Blues Guitar. I was honestly very influenced by this book, and I highly recommend it in addition to mine! However, Alexander's book focuses more on teaching you a bunch of authentic blues language and licks over the monotonic bassline, with less emphasis on putting together a full lyrical 12-bar solo, nonetheless a full multi-chorus performance.  In my books, I actually provide lyrics to help guide the spontaneous creation of melodies. My book starts from a more beginner-friendly place and builds with a much more gradual difficulty progression.  Easier melodies and rhythms at first, with many, many examples. My book also focuses on the bigger picture of putting together a cohesive blues chorus and then a cohesive multi-chorus performance. One other aspect about my book that is very valuable is that I have provided both fretting and picking hand fingering throughout every example.  Optimal fingering is extremely important when learning an arrangement – good fingering choices make playing easier and minimize the potential for mistakes. I have spent a lot of time working through other books, I have real world experience, and I've tried to create a series of books that will be most effective at teaching you to actually jam on the blues. Now, a downside for many of you will be that I can't currently offer audio recordings (I have 2 little kids and life is incredibly busy!), but I can email you the GuitarPro files for every example if that would be helpful.  I'm also happy to send out videos of specific examples if you reach out. joemcmurrayguitar@gmail.com Available thru Amazon [https://a.co/d/g7Udsso (Book 1) and https://a.co/d/aDbh4H0 (Book 2)] 3) Fingerstyle Blues Guitar (Alexander, 2015) Method book, focused on improvisation and licks over monotonic bass. Late beginner to advanced, like my books, but it is best for intermediate.  It's honestly a great companion to my books! Lots of great licks and blues phrases, but not as much explanation about how to apply these phrases into a cohesive blues chorus or multi-chorus performance. My advice is that you take each phrase from the book and incorporate it into a 12-bar blues.  Then spend time improvising your own similar blues phrases over the 12-bar blues. Overall, if you want to learn to improvise over the blues using a monotonic bassline, there is a wealth of valuable information in this book, and it takes a wonderful approach, but I think that I have filled in some gaps with my own books. 4) Beginning Fingerstyle Blues Guitar (Berle / Galbo, 1993) Method book.  Does a good job starting from the basics and providing exercises that progress gradually and logically.  Almost entirely focused on playing the blues with an alternating or Travis-Style bassline. Beginner players who can play basic chords through to intermediate players.   This is the first fingerstyle blues book that I've come across that provides a great chapter on how to incorporate singing over your guitar playing. Overall, a very solid purchase if you are a beginner looking to learn to play traditional fingerstyle blues with an alternating bassline. 5) Rainer's Acoustic Blues Guitar Picking School (Brunn, 2022) Method book, but minimal text and fairly short book overall.  Valuable info and exercises, but less comprehensive. Late beginner to intermediate You will gain important technical/physical skills to play fingerstyle blues, but there isn't much explanation on how to approach a new blues tune, there's not much music theory to help you choose the proper notes while improvising, etc. Overall, I really enjoyed this book.  It gave me good workouts and I got some new ideas. 6) Fingerstyle Blues (Rivera, 2020) Inspiring, well-graduated method book for learning to play fingerstyle blues. However, this is for intermediate to advanced fingerstyle players.  Each chapter ultimately provides a full performance tune, but starts by describing a new concept or technique (or two) and providing examples that prepare you for the performance song. Overall, this book has some really cool tunes and ideas, but to be clear, I would not recommend approaching this book until you've worked through at least one of the other books that I've already mentioned.  You will get more out of this one if you are adequately prepared. 7) Roots and Blues Fingerstyle Guitar Explorations (James, 2014) Last on my list is actually a hybrid repertoire/method book, Roots and Blues Fingerstyle Guitar Explorations (James, 2014). I call this a hybrid repertoire/method book because it is mostly a collection of tunes, but with a few exercises and extra technical explanations and historical anecdotes. Again, this is a book for learning to play fingerstyle and bottleneck blues.  Late beginner to advanced fingerstyle players but is best for intermediate players. This is at the bottom of my list here, but it is good for learning open tunings and how to play fingerstyle blues using a slide. Before we go, I want to introduce another special book that doesn't quite fit into the “Method Book” category: * The New Art of Ragtime Guitar (Saslow, 2011, 2017 2nd Ed.) This book is essentially a repertoire book of ragtime blues tunes, but the analysis that accompanies each tune is extensive and extremely valuable. Late beginner to advanced and difficulty progresses with each tune. These tunes are really fun, and you will gain valuable insight from the analysis.  The author coaches you through fingering choices, his use of guide, anchor, or pivot fingers, etc.  These lessons will make you a better player.

Is this one of the best or worst method or repertoire books for learning to play acoustic fingerstyle blues guitar? You can learn to play music using a variety of resources including teachers, online resources, and books. 12-Bar Fingerstyle Blues by Dave Rubin is another great repertoire book full of 12-bar blues choruses.  I loved the author's other book, Solo Blues Guitar, and now I recommend this one as well – these fun arrangements inspire me to improvise in new ways with new grooves.  However, unlike the arrangements of his other book, these arrangements all need to be played without a plectrum.  This book has some tunes that late-beginner fingerstyle players could handle, but the book is most appropriate for intermediate players. The tunes in 12-Bar Fingerstyle Blues contain more repetitive grooves than some of the other fingerstyle blues method books on the market.  Fewer lyrical phrases in the melodies.  Whether that's what you're looking for is up to you.  However, I find that these pieces present some great grooves that you can use as the foundation for your own variations and improvisation. To really get the most out of the book, you will want to: Learn an example as written, Understand and internalize the groove – the shuffle, chord stabs, etc. Create your own melodic variations and improvisations while maintaining the original groove. By treating each short 12-bar tune as a seed or template for your own creativity, you can really milk these ideas and extend them into longer performances. This book presents a lot of great 12-bar choruses from various subgenres.  For experienced players, it is very fast to go through the entire book.  Because each tune is a 12-bar chorus, you get a lot of ideas that you can digest, combine, and make into your own in the future.  This book is simple and effective if you know how to use it. I appreciate the chronological organization of this book, which separates tunes out into subgenres including Delta and Southern Country Blues (the longest section), Ragtime Blues, Piedmont Blues, Prewar Chicago Blues, Texas Blues, Postwar Chicago Blues, and Modern American Solo Steel-String Blues.  Unfortunately, the tunes don't really follow a clear difficulty progression.  Within each section, multiple keys signatures and grooves are presented, and some happen to be a bit harder than others. At the beginning of each subgenre, the author presents some cool history and key players to listen to.  I try to set aside time within my practice sessions to listen to lots of recordings of these players.  Personally, I listen on Spotify.  This listening is time well spent as it attunes me to the sounds and feel that I should aiming for as I play the tunes. 12-Bar Fingerstyle Blues provides both treble clef and tablature for each arrangement.  Unfortunately, no fingering is provided in the music.  For each example, I notated my own fingering in the music, after which I was able to play much more smoothly, accurately, and confidently.  The skill of choosing sensible fingering is important, and you will need to look elsewhere to further develop this skill. Recordings are available online through Hal Leonard's website.  These will be very helpful to many readers.  As with Solo Blues Guitar, the recordings were done by Doug Boduch, the author of Hal Leonard's Fingerpicking Guitar, which I reviewed in Review #17. © 2012 by Hal Leonard My own books: Fingerstyle Blues Guitar: An In-Depth Study of the 12-Bar Blues in E Major – Books 1 and 2 are available in paperback or as an eBook through Amazon [https://a.co/d/g7Udsso (Book 1) and https://a.co/d/aDbh4H0 (Book 2)].  The first priority of these books is to quickly get you playing a solo instrumental 12-bar blues, and then to build on it until you can freely improvise or “jam.” You should be up and running by the end of the third chapter, and each following chapter will add icing on the cake. Arranging for Fingerstyle Guitar: go to http://joemcmurray.com/checkout/ to purchase a pdf of my eBook.  Learning to arrange melodies will also help your fingerstyle songwriting and your understanding of the inner workings of fingerstyle guitar. My upcoming book, Arranging for Fingerstyle Ukulele, will be published by Mel Bay in 2026. My music is available on all streaming platforms at https://open.spotify.com/artist/5dcokTG6C598OhTslHH5uo?si=hrQb7FViSZewDRSgECw9Ew: Pins on the Map: my third fingerstyle guitar album was released on January 19, 2024. Watch the first single, “Open Road,” on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/uPBh8sZQsT4?si=EM_wAwnHFqU1VC9C. Riding the Wave and Acoustic Oasis: my first two fingerstyle guitar albums.

Fingerstyle guitar authority John Stropes joins us this week to talk all about his new two-volume book featuring transcriptions of every track on Leo Kottke's monumental '6 & 12 String Guitar' album!  Get the book here: https://www.stropes.com/product/leo-kottke-6-and-12-string-guitar-a-companion-by-john-stropes-and-benjamin-kammin/ During our chat, we hear about Stropes love for fingerstyle, how the Old Town School of Folk Music (home of the Fretboard Summit) shaped his playing, collaborating with Kottke and Michael Hedges, and so much more.  Our 58th issue of the Fretboard Journal is now mailing. Subscribe here to get it. Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 20-22, 2026, at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. https://fretboardsummit.org We are brought to you by Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout). Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com Mike & Mike's Substack: https://mmguitarbar.substack.com

Learn what makes classical and fingerstyle guitar so captivating, from nylon string tone to choosing the perfect instrument. Check out options across brands like Yamaha, Cordoba, and Taylor, with expert tips on materials, playability, and finding your ideal sound.Info: https://www.samash.com/classical-acoustic-guitars Sam Ash City: Hicksville Address: 278 Duffy Ave Website: https://www.samash.com/

Is this one of the best or worst method books for learning to play acoustic fingerstyle blues guitar? You can learn to play music using a variety of resources including teachers, online resources, and books. Another great find! Beginning Fingerstyle Blues Guitar, by Arnie Berle and Mark Galbo, is a method book for learning to play fingerstyle blues guitar (both solo and accompaniment). This is first fingerstyle blues books that I've come across that provides a great chapter on how to incorporate singing over your guitar playing. The book is suitable for beginner fingerstyle players who can play basic chords through to intermediate players. I blew through this book – the material progresses logically with exercises that build on each other and lead perfectly into complete 12-bar examples. The majority of the book is focused on playing using an alternating bass (Travis style). Rest assured, if you work through this book, you will build a solid fingerstyle blues foundation and you will learn a few cool 12-bar choruses. You will still need further instruction to develop your arranging and improvisation skills as well as your tone, rhythmic feel, and fingering choices. After some introductory material covering blues history, form, rhythm, and picking hand technique, the book jumps right into exercises to develop your alternating bass technique. Assuming you can already play your basic chord shapes, the book methodically shows you how to play the alternating bass over the I, IV, and V chords in the keys of A, G, and E. Each chapter presents a new layer of complexity (new melody note options, new rhythms, new fretting or picking-hand techniques, new chord voicings, etc.), with progressive exercises that always culminate in a full 12-bar example. The authors really did a great job in organizing the topics and calibrating the difficulty progression – the book flows well. Although the examples of the early chapters sound “major” and bland, they prepare you for the addition of “blue notes” and other bluesy techniques that add some soul to your sound and immediately make your playing more satisfying. Just stick with it through those early chapters! Late in the book, the chapter on how to incorporate singing over your fingerstyle blues guitar playing is special. You won't learn anything about vocal technique or tone production, but you will learn about the call-and-response dance between your vocals and guitar playing. You will learn how to accompany your vocal lines (the “call”) and then play a guitar riff or chordal “response.” First, the vocal melody is provided in standard notation and on the CD – you will want to learn to sing this melody. Then the guitar part is provided, which you will learn separately before adding the vocals on top. Then the authors provide alternate “response” riffs that you can substitute into the segments of the tune when there are no vocals. Players with more experience can improvise their own riffs in these spots. Finally, you will learn a few turnarounds that you can substitute into bars 11 and 12. By the time I was finished with this section, I was really jamming out, improvising, and having fun with the example tune. The book culminates with five complete blues tunes that incorporate everything you've learned and jump-start your blues repertoire. Four of these tunes are traditional and one is an original. Three are vocal tunes and two are instrumental. Beginning Fingerstyle Blues Guitar provides both treble clef and tablature for each arrangement. Minimal fretting hand fingering is provided (sometimes written into the music, sometimes provided via tiny chord charts written above the music, and sometimes discussed in the text). Picking hand fingering is only provided in the music for the first chapter, although you can always tell which notes should be played with your thumb by looking at the treble clef – bass notes have down stems. The skill of choosing sensible fingering is important, and you will need to look elsewhere to further develop this skill. Recordings are available on an included CD. These will be very helpful to many readers. The book doesn't use the modern percussive techniques used by modern players like Michael Hedges, Don Ross, Andy McKee, Mike Dawes, etc. No thumb slaps, guitar body percussion, or tapping. Published by Amsco Publications © 1993 My own books: Fingerstyle Blues Guitar: An In-Depth Study of the 12-Bar Blues in E Major – Books 1 and 2 are available in paperback or as an eBook through Amazon [https://a.co/d/g7Udsso (Book 1) and https://a.co/d/aDbh4H0 (Book 2)]. The first priority of these books is to quickly get you playing a solo instrumental 12-bar blues, and then to build on it until you can freely improvise or “jam.” You should be up and running by the end of the third chapter, and each following chapter will add icing on the cake. Arranging for Fingerstyle Guitar: go to http://joemcmurray.com/checkout/ to purchase a pdf of my eBook. Learning to arrange melodies will also help your fingerstyle songwriting and your understanding of the inner workings of fingerstyle guitar. My upcoming book, Arranging for Fingerstyle Ukulele, will be published by Mel Bay in 2026. My music is available on all streaming platforms at https://open.spotify.com/artist/5dcokTG6C598OhTslHH5uo?si=hrQb7FViSZewDRSgECw9Ew: Pins on the Map: my third fingerstyle guitar album was released on January 19, 2024. Watch the first single, “Open Road,” on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/uPBh8sZQsT4?si=EM_wAwnHFqU1VC9C.Riding the Wave and Acoustic Oasis: my first two fingerstyle guitar albums.

Is this one of the best or worst method books for learning to play acoustic fingerstyle blues guitar? You can learn to play music using a variety of resources including teachers, online resources, and books. Open with 12-bar blues performance Imagine ripping a blues solo on stage with your band – your drummer and bassist providing a comfortable soundscape on which your tasty guitar lines can float. Now imagine that you're alone on your front porch with only an acoustic guitar – wouldn't you like to be able to jam on the blues all by yourself? There is a long tradition of fingerstyle blues Although much fingerstyle blues music is mixed with vocals, solo instrumental tunes can be so much fun! Welcome to Guitar Books the Podcast, my name is Joe McMurray Show books Unusual episode – I'm going to do a rundown my own recently published books, Fingerstyle Blues Guitar: An In-Depth Study of the 12-Bar Blues in the Key of E Major: Books 1 and 2 First priority of these books is to quickly get you playing a solo instrumental 12-bar blues, and then to build on it until you can freely improvise or jam. You should be up and running by the end of the 3rd chapter, and each following chapter will add icing on the cake. Organized the books so that the concepts and exercises progress logically, thoroughly, and with a smooth difficulty progression. Take care to explain how to immediately apply each concept to your playing. These are essentially one long book split down the middle: Book 2 picks up right where Book 1 left off.  It was just too long – it would have been around 350 pages. I recommend that everyone start with Book 1, which is suitable for all skill levels.Complete beginner players who work through the first few chapters should be able to improvise a satisfying fingerstyle blues solo. Intermediate to advanced players will breeze through the first few chapters, but will hopefully pick up some useful information starting around Chapter 4. Book 2 is more suitable for intermediate to advanced players.It digs deeper into higher level concepts that are more technically and theoretically difficult, but will elevate your playing to new levels. You will learn to play new scales, turnarounds, rhythms, time signatures, key signatures, and more! Again, I recommend that everyone start with Book 1, and then move on to Book 2. Not here to teach you every authentic Robert Johnson lick or every subgenre of fingerstyle blues. You won't learn and memorize a bunch of new tunes. However, I will clearly lay out how to create a solo fingerstyle guitar performance in which you improvise over the 12-bar blues structure using a monotonic bassline. You will master ONE platform through which you can channel endless creativity and put on a satisfying blues performance. Lots of fingerstyle blues books on the market – why work through mine? I love many of these other books, and I have learned a lot from them.  The first thing that differentiates mine is its focus on playing the blues over a monotonic bassline.  Most other books focus on playing the blues over an alternating bassline (Travis style) (although they may present some material on using a monotonic bassline). One focuses on playing the blues over a monotonic bassline – Joseph Alexander's Fingerstyle Blues Guitar.I was honestly very influenced by this book, and I highly recommend it in addition to mine!However, Alexander's book focuses more on teaching you a bunch of authentic blues language and licks over the monotonic bassline, with less emphasis on putting together a full lyrical 12-bar solo, nonetheless a full multi-chorus performance.My book starts from a more beginner-friendly place and builds with a much more gradual difficulty progression.  Easier melodies and rhythms at first, with many, many examples. My book focuses on the bigger picture of putting together a cohesive blues chorus and then a cohes...

Is this one of the best or worst repertoire books for learning to play acoustic fingerstyle blues guitar? You can learn to play music using a variety of resources including teachers, online resources, and books. Steve James' Fingerstyle Blues Songbook is a repertoire book drawing from various substyles of fingerstyle blues (general old time country blues, Delta blues, ragtime blues, Texas blues, and bottleneck blues).  Most of the tunes are suitable for late-beginner and intermediate fingerstyle players, although advanced players will certainly enjoy the tunes as well.  The music in this book may sound “old-timey” (much of it comes from the 1920s and 30s), but it is really fun to play if you are interested in the style. This book is comparable to Stefan Grossman's Complete Country Blues Guitar Book (Review #9).  Both are great resources. Fingerstyle Blues Songbook includes solo fingerstyle guitar arrangements of 15 tunes.  Each arrangement features a single chorus of a 12 or 16 bar blues (often with a repeat and a 2nd ending).  No page turns are ever needed!  Each arrangement is presented as a lead sheet with both the vocal melody (in standard notation) and the solo guitar arrangement (in both standard notation and tablature).  Each tune includes a couple paragraphs of background information including notable recordings and some fingering suggestions. Most of the tunes provide you with a single progression of the tune – even with the repeat, none of these will last a full minute as written.  In a real performance you would probably want to repeat the form multiple times with singing, variations, or improvisation.  My only complaint about the book is that it would have been helpful if the author had explained this a bit more.  However, if you listen to fingerstyle blues recordings, then you will hear many arrangement ideas. As mentioned, the book provides both treble clef and tablature for each arrangement.  Tiny chord charts are written above the music with fretting hand fingering, but these do not provide fingering for any of the melody lines.  Additionally, no picking hand fingering is included (although you can tell which notes should be played by the picking hand thumb by looking at the treble clef).  The book starts with a couple easier arrangements, but otherwise doesn't progress from easiest to hardest.  Beginners might find the spiritual Oh, Mary Don't You Weep on page 32 to be one of the easiest arrangements in the book. The majority of the tunes use standard tuning.  However, alternate tunings are used for the four tunes that utilize a slide. This is a repertoire book full of song arrangements.  This is not a method book that teaches you the fundamentals of how to play fingerstyle blues guitar.  However, if you have some fingerstyle experience, then this book will provide you with a bunch of fun tunes.  This is also a great supplement to a method book. Recordings are available on an included CD (which unfortunately didn't come with my used book).  These would likely be very helpful to many readers. The book doesn't use the modern percussive techniques used by modern players like Michael Hedges, Don Ross, Andy McKee, Mike Dawes, etc.  No thumb slaps, guitar body percussion, or tapping. For authenticity, I recommend using an acoustic steel string guitar rather than a classical guitar.  You will need a slide for several tunes. Published by String Letter Publishing (Acoustic Guitar Magazine).  © 2005 Distributed by Hal Leonard. My own books: Fingerstyle Blues Guitar: An In-Depth Study of the 12-Bar Blues in E Major – Books 1 and 2 are available in paperback or as an eBook through Amazon at https://a.co/d/g7Udsso.  The first priority of this book is to quickly get you playing a solo instrumental 12-bar blues, and then to build on it until you can freely improvise or “jam.” You should be up and running by the end of the third chapter,

In this Jazz Guitar Life podcast the young and prodigious Antoine Boyer joins us to share details about the release of his new (latest) albums and so much more. It's an insightful discussion of who Antoine is from his youth up until now. I think you'll dig it! :) So sit back and enjoy what Antoine Boyer has to offer. And please feel free to browse the site at Jazz Guitar Life for more Jazz Guitar related content including interviews, reviews, podcasts and more. As always, I'd love to hear or read your feedback so don't be shy! And remember, Jazz Guitar Lives at Jazz Guitar Life!Thank you and your patronage and any help is greatly appreciated. if you would like to buy me a coffee that would be awesome Or if you prefer PayPal that would be awesome as well :)Thank you and Enjoy! :)Lyle - Jazz Guitar Life

We didn't mean to go this deep—but here we are.This week, we cracked open the bass rabbit hole and just kept falling. What started as a casual chat about tracking techniques quickly turned into a full-on audio archaeology dig. Fingerstyle vs. pick. Flatwounds vs. roundwounds. Phase issues. Amp sims. DI regrets. When to tune your bass like it's a vocal. And why the right bass might be a $300 violin-shaped Epiphone that makes your P-Bass sound like a string bean.This is Part 1. Next week, we'll take all this nerdy goodness and show you how it interacts with everything else in the mix—drums, vocals, space, sub, punch, width, grit.Discover:Why we sometimes tune bass like it's a vocalThe $300 Epiphone that destroyed a Fender P-Bass in a shootoutHow adding chorus to bass can actually make it sound tighterThe reason your 808s keep disappearing—and how to fix itFingerstyle, pick, thumb, palm mute: how your hand technique makes the biggest differenceBen and Carl's Weekly Inspiration Playlist - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1IpnxDVoTY44JBV1j19H4h?si=0f80e020d8ae497eLA Wildfire Relief:Musicares - https://donor.musicares.org/page/lafirereliefWAMTN - https://give.wearemovingtheneedle.org/campaign/654724/donateLearn more about StudioLand - https://www.welcometostudioland.com/a/2147995182/bmyFf8p5Download our free guide: "The Future-Proof Mixing Engineer: 8 Essential Skills for 2024 and Beyond" - https://mpe-ebook.benwallick.com/future-proof-mixingConnect with us:Secret Sonics - https://www.instagram.com/secretsonicsBen - https://www.instagram.com/benwallickmusic/Carl - https://www.instagram.com/carlbahner/Learn more:https://www.benwallick.com/https://www.carlbahner.com/This episode with edited by Gavi Kutliroff - https://www.instagram.com/pleasant_peasant_music/

In this episode I sit down with Reverend Peyton of the Big Damn Band. These guys are one of my all time favourite live bands. We catch up with Rev on tour in the U.S and just after releasing their new record 'Honeysuckle' Their new record, Honeysuckle, was released on February 21 and was mixed by six-time Grammy winner Vance Powell (Chris Stapleton, Jack White). The record features many special guests, including gospel music group The McCrary Sisters, Blues Music Hall of Famer and Grammy-nominated harmonica player Billy Branch, Grammy award-winning and IBMA's 10-time Fiddle Player of the Year Michael Cleveland and Colton Crawford from The Dead South. The band is critically acclaimed by Rolling Stone, Relix, Popmatters, Guitar World, American Songwriter, No Depression, Glide, Wide Open Country, Paste, American Blues Scene and many more!Become a plus member now: https://www.buzzsprout.com/950998/subscribe Download the Triad Method: https://thebluesguitarshow.com/the-triad-method/Support the showTo get your hands on THE TRIAD METHOD: https://thebluesguitarshow.com/product/the-triad-method/Become a Blues Guitar Show Member: https://www.buzzsprout.com/950998/subscribeHead over to www.thebluesguitarshow.com to subscribe to the mailing list

Fingerstyle guitarists Teja Gerken and Doug Young talk about their upcoming release, "The River Is Wide". They also discuss how the record was formulated and a very interesting bit about recording and working remotely. Here's a couple of links, to a pair of projects during COVID where they worked from three different locations. One link with Maurice Tani: https://youtu.be/tDMXRnrNngw And one with expodcast guest Charlie Rauh and Benjamin Guilet: https://youtu.be/pbmoutazFJg Hope you enjoy this informational and fun podcast.

Weil ihn klassische Gitarre langweilt, experimentiert Alexandr Misko schon als Teenager in seiner Heimatstadt Krasnodar mit Fingerstyle-Technik. Über You-Tube hat er mit kunstvollen Coverversionen von Popsongs bald weltweit Erfolg. Heute lebt Alexandr Misko in Deutschland und gibt international Konzerte.

If you want to get started playing acoustic fingerstyle guitar, you will benefit from private lessons with a teacher, online video courses, listening to fingerstyle recordings, and of course… books.  It is beneficial to mix and match all of these resources.  Remember that everyone's brain works differently, so you may gravitate more towards certain styles of learning / methods of presentation.  I love learning from books because I can read the text at my own pace and as many times over as I want.  Seeing the music written out is extremely helpful for me – I always had more difficulty keeping track of song forms or chord progressions without some sort of written reference. So, for those of you who want to utilize a fingerstyle guitar method book to beef up your chops, I've done my homework and I've distilled my favorites into this “greatest hits” list.  I'll try to be objective and describe who each book is best suited to. Best Beginner Fingerstyle Methods: Alfred's Beginning Fingerstyle Guitar (Lou Manzi): Great all-around book to learn solo fingerstyle guitar.  Beginner to intermediate.  Not specific to any one subgenre of fingerstyle.  Nice organization/flow of information with a decent difficulty progression.  Good finger exercises to build some dexterity or to use as warmups, decent explanations in the text (but not too wordy), and nice sounding original tunes.  There aren't any arrangements of famous tunes, but there are tunes “in the style of ___.”  I personally like working through this book with my students.  Additionally, many of this book's lessons have sparked creative ideas of my own.  First book in a three part series, so you can continue your studies!  Audio recordings are available. Travis-Style Guitar from Scratch (Bruce Emery): This book is a gem!  This is a method book for learning to play solo fingerstyle guitar using an alternating bass (in the Travis style).  This is one of the best books I've found for complete beginner to intermediate players who want to learn this specific style.  Even if you want to play other sub-styles of fingerstyle as well, this isn't a bad place to start your journey.  The material progresses logically with lots of exercises that build on each other and lead perfectly into performance pieces (old classics like Oh! Susanna, House of the Rising Sun, Jingle Bells, etc.).  Each time Emery presents a new concept, he incorporates it into updated arrangements of each tune.  Emery's sense of humor is infused into the text of the book, keeping detailed explanations lighthearted and entertaining without losing sight of the important information.  Audio recordings are available. Fingerstyle Guitar from Scratch (Bruce Emery): I don't love it as much as Travis-Style Guitar from Scratch, but it is still great general method book.  You will not learn to play solo fingerstyle guitar arrangements (other than a very brief introduction to the topic), but you will receive a great foundation if you are just starting out with fingerstyle.  Complete beginner to intermediate.  Emery's sense of humor is once again infused into the text of the book, keeping detailed explanations lighthearted and entertaining without losing sight of the important information.  The book is focused on fingerstyle accompaniment using arpeggiation and Travis Style / alternating bass patterns.  This book would make an excellent primer for either Alfred's Beginning Fingerstyle Guitar or any other fingerstyle guitar method.  Audio recordings are available. Hal Leonard's Fingerpicking Guitar (Doug Boduch): Short and sweet method to learn to play accompaniment and solo fingerstyle guitar through famous popular tunes.  Beginner to intermediate.  Guitar teachers may find this book to be a great teaching supplement.  The progression of topics is well laid out, the examples and arrangements are playable and sound good, and the text is concise.  This book is great if you just want to play arrangements of popular tun...

For our sixth episode, we speak with guitarist Eric Skye. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Skye occupies a unique niche between folk, jazz and blues; fingerstyle and flatpicking; and composition and improvisation. A lifetime spent pursuing eclectic interests and adventuresome explorations has yielded an instantly recognizable personal style and tone.  Our conversation winds its way through a variety of topics including: Letting go of the notion of being a good guitar player; being comfortable being yourself; and letting music be a form of self-expression. We also talk about how duos are the perfect band size for introverts and a lot more. To learn more about Eric and his music: https://www.ericskye.com Watch Eric's 30-day guitar challenge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ8CCsFVWMs Guitar for Introverts is hosted by Jamie Stillway for the Fretboard Journal network of guitar podcasts. https://jamiestillway.com https://www.fretboardjournal.com  

Samael Pelletier- Cascadia. a Must listen record for guitarists.

Text us about this show.Individually, Brad Bordini and Kurt Gunn are two of the best singer-songwriters you'll come across. Together as The Brothers Gunn, they take their craft to an entirely new level. What makes The Brothers Gunn who they are goes back a long time when they started their friendship as young men. Their friendship has weathered all sorts of good times and adversity over the years, so their bond as brothers is as solid as it gets. They both have been writing and recording their own material, so the time has finally come to release their very first single, "Receipts," as The Brothers Gunn. On hand along with Kurt and Brad is producer Marc Golde who knows them as well as anyone. Sit back and enjoy their story, their camaraderie, and their music."Receipts" performed by The Brothers Gunnwritten by Kurt Gunn and Brad Bordiniproduced by Marc Golde℗ 2024 The Brothers Gunn. Used with permission of Kurt Gunn and Brad Bordini.Support the showVisit Into The Music at https://intothemusicpodcast.com!Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/intothemusic E-mail us at intothemusic@newprojectx.com YouTube Facebook Instagram INTO THE MUSIC is a production of Project X Productions, Appleton, WI.Host/producer: Rob MarnochaVoiceovers: Brad BordiniRecording, engineering, and post production: Rob MarnochaOpening theme: "Aerostar" by Los Straitjackets* (℗2013 Yep Roc Records)Closing theme: "Close to Champaign" by Los Straitjackets* (℗1999 Yep Roc Records)*Used with permission of Eddie Angel of Los StraitjacketsThis podcast copyright ©2024 by Project X Productions. All ...

Subscriber-only episodeSend us a Text Message.Today I'm taking you through a nice finger style arrangement of Let it Be by the Beatles. This has some tricky fingerpicking parts to it but its a great-sounding one to play and a campfire classic! Head to the folder for the tab and backing track downloads.https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_WwAzYBpLKQBRAz942uqQb4u-C3PcvYz?usp=drive_linkDownload the Triad Method: https://thebluesguitarshow.com/the-triad-method/To get your hands on THE TRIAD METHOD: https://thebluesguitarshow.com/product/the-triad-method/Become a Blues Guitar Show Member: https://www.buzzsprout.com/950998/subscribeHead over to www.thebluesguitarshow.com to subscribe to the mailing list

Let's talk fingerstyle arrangements.   There's a secret to playing fingerstyle arrangements… Especially ones that sound great, but aren't painstaking to learn. In this episode, I'm sharing with you these secrets all broken down into three simple steps.   You'll discover some key advice the great guitarist, George Benson, once shared on a TV show called Guitar Star. Plus, I talk about what you can do today to start making more progress on the guitar, why listening to very experienced guitarists may not be such a good thing… …And you'll get to hear my brand new and exciting Travis picking arrangement of “You've Got to Walk That Lonesome Valley”, which I hope will bring a smile to your face today.   This episode will help you learn how to play fingerstyle arrangements and have more fun on the guitar.   You can get more tips, advice, and a powerful free eBook called 13 Ways to Escape the Acoustic Asylum from me, Dan Thorpe, by joining the email list here – https://acousticasylum.com/ Like this episode? Your reviews for this podcast mean the world to me, so please let us know what you thought about the Acoustic Asylum!    

A major innovation for Montreux International Guitar Show aka the MIGS (migs.ch) is that this 2024 edition will be preceded by a guitar workshop with top Classical, Fingerstyle and Rock musicians! This is the MIGS Academy (migs-masters-camps.com) which will take place from Monday April 22 to Friday April 26 in Montreux. Here's an interview with

Grande nouveauté pour le Montreux International Guitar Show alias le MIGS (migs.ch) puisque cette édition 2024 sera précédée par un stage de guitare avec des cadors du Classique, du Fingerstyle ou du Rock ! C'est la MIGS Academy (migs-masters-camps.com) qui se déroulera du lundi 22 au vendredi 26 avril à Montreux. Voilà une interview avec L'article MIGS Academy : booster votre niveau guitare en Classique, Fingerstyle ou Rock à Montreux est apparu en premier sur La Chaîne Guitare.

Brent Mason has picked for the biggest and best names in country music: Alan Jackson, Willie Nelson, Shania Twain, Brooks & Dunn, Blake Shelton, and George Strait are just a few of the country stars on whose records you can hear Mason's Fender-on-Fender fretwork. But his solo on “Southbound Train,” the closing track on Travis Tritt's 2000 record Down the Road I Go, might be his hottest work of all. As Mason explains, the song scoots along at his favorite country tempo—a Cajun two-step, Mason says—which provides the rhythmic framework for his face-melter lead. Mason says the melodic and structural components came in part from his familiarity with jazz, and the mixing of jazz and blues with his usual twangy conventions. In fact, Mason's furious note barrages occasionally earned him some raised eyebrows (and some choice words from Conway Twitty) in the more traditionalist Nashville studio system. This might be the toughest solo our host has taken on so far on Shred With Shifty. The key to wrestling it? “You gotta keep playing [it] til you wanna pull out all your teeth and hair,” says Mason. Which Nashville producers and stars would let Mason off-leash in the studio? How does a session ace deal with hand injuries? Listen on, shredders. And if you're brave enough, send in your take on Mason's solo. Click below to subscribe to the podcast! Full Video Episodes: http://volume.com/shifty  Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1690423642 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4B8BSR0l78qwUKJ5gOGIWb iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-shred-with-shifty-116270551/ Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/shred-with-shifty/PC:1001071314 Follow Chris Shiflett: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chrisshiflettmusic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shifty71 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chris.shiflett Twitter: https://twitter.com/chrisshiflett71 Website: http://www.chrisshiflettmusic.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5tv5SsSRqR7uLtpKZgcRrg?si=26kWS1v2RYaE4sS7KnHpag Producer: Jason Shadrick Executive Producers: Brady Sadler and Jake Brennan for Double Elvis Engineering support by Matt Tahaney and Matt Beaudoin Video Editors: Dan Destefano and Addison Sauvan Special thanks to Chris Peterson, Greg Nacron, and the entire Volume.com crew.

Is this one of the best or worst method books for acoustic fingerstyle guitar? You can learn to play music by simultaneously using a variety of resources including teachers, online resources, and books. David Hamburger's The Acoustic Guitar Fingerstyle Method is a method book for learning to play solo fingerstyle (or “fingerpicking”) guitar in the American roots styles (folk, blues, ragtime, early jazz, marches).  The book becomes progressively more difficult – the early sections of the book are appropriate for beginner fingerstyle players who have some experience with open chords and the later sections of the book are more suitable for intermediate players.  Advanced players may still find some useful information, inspiration, or fun repertoire tunes.  This is a well-thought-out book with a great progression of information and fun arrangements of tunes. The book focuses on alternating bass (Travis picking) arrangements and steady bass arrangements (monotonic bass, walking bass, etc.). There are also brief chapters on Drop D and open D tuning.  The material flows in a sensible progression from chapter to chapter as you build skills and knowledge.  Each chapter includes text and playing examples that directly prepare you for a 1-2 page tune that showcases the techniques or concepts being taught.  The arrangements of the tunes are really nice (they sound good and are playable), although don't usually include any fingering (there is picking hand fingering notated in the examples, but not the full tunes).  The tunes are stylistically similar to those found in Stefan Grossman's “Complete Country Blues Guitar Book” and Mel Bay's “Complete Chet Atkins Guitar Method” although with a very different teaching approach. The book covers a lot of ground in only 74 pages – from beginning Travis Picking to steady bass blues to harmonized walking bass lines to alternate tunings, etc.  While the examples and tunes are of high quality, there aren't that many examples for each topic, so you won't get that deep of an understanding of how to apply some concepts to different situations.  One example of this is playing walking bass lines under your melody- you'll play a few tunes that include this, but you won't really learn how to build your own walking bass lines so that you can apply them to your own arrangements or compositions.  However, by the end of the book, you will have a firm grasp of the general approaches of playing using an alternating bass (Travis Picking) or a steady bass. There is not a lot of music theory in the book.  This may appeal to some readers.  However, it adds to the issue that you may not be able to apply a concept like walking bass lines to other situations. The text is descriptive and helpful.  However, I don't like how the publisher places the text as a continuous block at the top of the page with the examples clumped together at the bottom of the page.  Harder for my eyes to jump back and forth. The author includes great listening recommendations that are relevant to the tunes and topics at hand. The included audio (2 CDs) provides all examples and tunes played at full speed and slowed down.  The guitar playing is clean and the recording quality is high. All playing examples are provided in standard notation (treble clef) and tablature. You could use either a steel string acoustic or nylon string classical guitar to work through this book.  You shouldn't need to fret any bass notes using your thumb over the top. Published by String Letter Publishing (publisher of Acoustic Guitar Magazine) © 2007.  Distributed by Hal Leonard. My eBook: Arranging for Fingerstyle Guitar: go to http://joemcmurray.com/checkout/ to purchase a pdf of my eBook. My music is available on all streaming platforms: Pins on the Map: my third fingerstyle guitar album was released on January 19, 2024. Watch the first single, "Open Road," on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/uPBh8sZQsT4?

Is this one of the best or worst method books for fingerstyle guitar? You can learn to play music by simultaneously using a variety of resources including teachers, online resources, and books. Dan Thorpe's Fingerstyle 101 is a method book for learning to play fingerstyle (or “fingerpicking”) guitar.  The book is appropriate for absolute beginner fingerstyle players who have some experience with open chords.  Intermediate and advanced players will fly through this book and may find a few useful ideas but probably won't find any revelatory information or inspiring performance pieces.  The author has written this book with older adult students in mind, although any beginning students would certainly benefit from working through it.  The book contains lots of practical advice on fingerpicking technique, playing posture, and strategies for practicing and memorization.  It has sections including “Pro Tips to Make Your Fingerpicking Journey Easier and More Enjoyable,” “The 7 Most Deadly Fingerpicking Mistakes,” and “The 10 Steps for Getting the Most Out of Your Fingerpicking Playing.”  There is one section of the book (less than half the book) with actual playing examples, and these examples are great first fingerpicking patterns to learn along with some practical applications. There is lots of text in the book.  Fortunately, this text is informative without being bland.  Lots of lists, summaries, pictures, etc.  The text has a large font size so it is easy on the eyes.  Thorpe provides advice for avoiding guitar-related injuries – i.e. information about how to hold the guitar in the classical style to help older students avoid back pain.  There is some psychology about how to learn efficiently/effectively and how to make and set goals.  There is a chord reference guide as well as sections on understanding basic rhythms and reading tablature (TAB). The playing section in the middle of the book progresses at a reasonable pace for a beginner fingerstyle student.  Thorpe teaches ten fingerpicking patterns, and for each pattern there are three examples.  The first example is as basic as possible over a single chord shape.  The second example has you play the pattern over a simple chord progression (always C G D).  Since you always utilize the same C G D chord progression, you will be able to focus your brain power on your picking hand and the new pattern.  This is also very practical because if you want to fingerpick the guitar while singing, it is useful to try out a pattern over simple chord progressions that you might find in folk or pop songs.  Finally, the third example introduces a more complex chord progression, stylistic elements such as hammer-ons and pull-offs, and sometimes a (very simple) moving melody or bass line.  These third examples are not long enough to be performance pieces, but they may inspire you to add some flair to your accompaniment fingerpicking or to write your own compositions. The book doesn't progress far enough to establish a specific style within the umbrella of fingerstyle guitar.  You learn a few classical arpeggiation patterns, a few Travis picking patterns, and a few patterns that have some folk or blues flair.  The book doesn't get into the modern percussive techniques used by modern players like Michael Hedges, Don Ross, Andy McKee, Mike Dawes, etc.  No thumb slaps, guitar body percussion, or tapping. All playing examples are provided in standard notation (treble clef) and tablature.  Audio recordings are available for all playing examples. You could use either a steel string or nylon string classical guitar to work through this book. Published by Rockstar Publishing  © 2015, 2020.  Distributed by Hal Leonard. My eBook: Arranging for Fingerstyle Guitar: go to http://joemcmurray.com/checkout/ to purchase a pdf of my eBook. My music is available on all streaming platforms: Pins on the Map: my third fingerstyle guitar album will be released on January 19, 2024.

Tal Wilkenfeld is a singer-songwriter, bassist, and guitarist. She has performed with legendary artists including Jeff Beck, Prince, Incubus, Eric Clapton, Herbie Hancock, Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart, Hans Zimmer, Pharrell Williams, and many more. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/lexpod to get 15% off - LMNT: https://drinkLMNT.com/lex to get free sample pack - Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/lex to get special savings - Shopify: https://shopify.com/lex to get $1 per month trial EPISODE LINKS: Tal's Instagram: https://instagram.com/talmeastory Tal's Twitter: https://twitter.com/talwilkenfeld Tal's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/talwilkenfeld/ Tal's YouTube: https://youtube.com/TalWilkenfeld Tal's Love Remains record: https://talwilkenfeld.lnk.to/LoveRemains Tal's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/talwilkenfeld Big thank you to Crossroads Guitar Festival and Jeff Beck Estate for the footage included in this podcast. Crossroads Guitar Festival: https://crossroadsguitarfestival.com/ Jeff Beck & Tal Wilkenfeld at Crossroads: https://youtube.com/watch?v=BVgUzUZeTw4 Guitar: Jeff Beck Bass: Tal Wilkenfield Drums: Vinnie Colaiuta Keyboards: Jason Rebello "Cause We've Ended As Lovers" is originally by Stevie Wonder PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/lexfridman YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/lexclips SUPPORT & CONNECT: - Check out the sponsors above, it's the best way to support this podcast - Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman - Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexfridman - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexfridman - Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman OUTLINE: Here's the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time. (00:00) - Introduction (06:51) - Jeff Beck (15:44) - Confidence on stage (32:23) - Leonard Cohen (40:23) - Taxi Driver (51:43) - Songwriting (55:23) - How to learn and practice (1:13:53) - Slap vs Fingerstyle (1:20:16) - Davie504 (1:24:36) - Prince (1:30:13) - Jimi Hendrix (1:32:27) - Mentorship (1:38:46) - Sad songs (1:44:43) - Tal performs Under The Sun (live) (1:50:00) - Tal performs Killing Me (live)

This week's episode is all about the musical magic of the ‘No Chord Fingerstyle' method and Christmas songs. Today, we are looking at the main reasons why you should learn a couple of Christmas songs and how you can do this.   Apart from the wonderful joy and cheer of being able to play a Christmas carol, it's also a great way of measuring your progress each year when Christmas rolls around. It can be hard sometimes to see your progress day-to-day, but dusting off the old Christmas songs is a great way of seeing how far you've come.   In today's episode, I talk about what Christmas songs to learn and how to learn them, the benefits of measuring your progress, where to start if you're a beginner, and how to “embellish” your Christmas tunes if you can already play them. I also talk about the histories of some famous Christmas songs, the new course I'm releasing called Christmas Crackers, and I'll play a little medley of the songs in the course for you. To round off the episode, I reveal “The Gatekeeper's” favourite Christmas song, so take a listen to find out which one it is.   This episode will help you realise the benefits of tracking your progress, how Christmas carols can help you do this, and where to start if you want to learn some holiday tunes.   You can get more tips, advice, and a powerful new free eBook on the 13 Ways to Escape the Acoustic Asylum from me, Dan Thorpe, by joining the email list here – https://acousticasylum.com/   Like this episode? Your reviews for this podcast mean the world to me, so please let us know what you thought about the Acoustic Asylum!  

Video Podcast and Show Notes: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2023/10/fingerpicking-fingerstyle-chord-melody-oh-my-tuup91/ What is the difference between Fingerpicking, Fingerstyle and Chord Melody? With Fingerpicking being thrown around as a catch-all term, we ask Aldrine what his definition of Fingerpicking is and how is it different from Fingerstyle? The guys go deep with the definitions of these terms, and where the terms may have originated as trends. Wanting to break into ukulele, someone asks Aldrine what size they should start with. Aldrine then gives his list of Do's and Don'ts for Private Lessons. The team explains the New Private Lessons, and the changes to Live Coaching. At the end of the podcast, a Songwriting Challenge Winner is picked.

Vi fortsätter vår intervju med Emil och kommerdjupare in på hur det faktiskt gick till närhan gick från Bengtsfors till Pro Guitar.Emil åker på ”10 snabba med Christopher”, eller blevdet 19? Oavsett får vi reda på hur han förhåller sigtill bland annat Tracks, 8-strängat och Nervositet.Vad var också den oväntade hemligheten bakom ett av hans mestvirala klipp på Instagram?Sen spelar han 2 otroligt vackra låtar Live för oss i studionoch vi blir givetvis helt tagna.Vi är återigen mycket tacksamma för att ha en såntrevlig och glädjespridande person som Emil hos oss.Välkomna!www.emilernebro.comwww.proguitar.comhttp://www.dalaguitar.sehttps://www.youtube.com/@EmilErnebroGuitarStudio, Artist, Live, Musiker, Scen, Låtskrivning, Ai, AI, Fingerstyle, Musik, Kultur, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Fingerpicking,Billboard, Hip Hop, Rock, Soul, Jazz, Gospel, Pop. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Grabner is back on the show with a brilliant brand new single called "Off The Path." Michael is an open book and through his music he conveys his life's journey complete with highs and lows. His performances echo this and, because of the intimacy of a live show, give even deeper meaning to his songs. "Off The Path" is stripped down and heavy both in feel and subject matter, but it's a fantastic song and shows a ton of growth in this outstanding singer-songwriter."No Way Out" written and performed by Michael Grabner℗ 2022 Michael Grabner. Used with permission of Michael Grabner."Off The Path" written and performed by Michael Grabner℗ 2023 Michael Grabner. Used with permission of Michael Grabner.• • • • • • •SUBSCRIBE to INTO THE MUSIC: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2128759/supportSupport the showSupport the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/intothemusic E-mail us at intothemusic@newprojectx.com YouTube Facebook Instagram INTO THE MUSIC is a production of Project X Productions, Appleton, WI.Producer: Rob MarnochaRecording, engineering, and post production: Rob MarnochaOpening theme: "Aerostar" by Los Straitjackets* (℗2013 Yep Roc Records)Closing theme: "Close to Champaign" by Los Straitjackets* (℗1999 Yep Roc Records)*Used with permission of Eddie AngelThis podcast copyright ©2024 by Project X Productions. All rights reserved.

C'est grace au luthier Franck Cheval que j'ai été en contact avec le musicien Patrice Jania (patricejania.com). Au fil de mes visites à son atelier de lutherie, Franck m'avait souvent évoqué son grand ami. Ainsi, c'est avec une grande joie que j'ai accueilli Patrice dans le showroom pour une interview où la guitare était au L'article Patrice Jania, Partie 1 : virtuose Fingerstyle et grand pédagogue est apparu en premier sur La Chaîne Guitare.

Is this one of the best or worst method books for fingerstyle blues guitar? You can learn to play music using a variety of resources including teachers, online resources, and books. Miggs Rivera's Fingerstyle Blues is an inspiring, well-graduated method book for learning to play fingerstyle blues.  It is aimed at intermediate and advanced fingerstyle players.  Each chapter ultimately provides a full performance tune, but starts by describing a new concept or technique (or two) and providing examples that prepare you for the performance song.  As advertised, this book is focused entirely on fingerstyle blues with deep dives into various substyles including delta blues (Robert Johnson), boogies (John Lee Hooker), slide blues (Son House), and Texas blues (Lightning Hopkins).  There is even a tune that has a modern character with some jazzier chords. I love how in each chapter the book provides technical exercises that directly prepare you for the upcoming performance tune.  Often the author will simplify a section of the performance tune and then provide more complexity with each subsequent example.  The first chapter of the book presents a somewhat basic 12-bar blues, then provides 5 separate 12-bar variations that each focus on adding a new technique (hammer-on grace notes, slide grace notes, rubato bends, chords fragments, rubato bends on the higher and lower strings), and finally culminates in an all-inclusive performance tune.  Mr. Rivera really hit the nail on the head with his teaching approach. The author provides some music theory, but only that which is immediately applicable to an upcoming performance tune.  You will spend much more time playing music than analyzing music theory.  The book includes access to private/un-searchable YouTube video lessons through QR codes.  You will need a cell phone that can pull these up.  These videos are extremely helpful as they include explanations and demonstrations by the author.  These are particularly useful as they show you the proper rhythms and feel. One thing to note about this book is that it doesn't emphasize improvisation which is a huge part of blues music.  However, you could learn about improvisation elsewhere (with a private teacher or with a book like Joseph Alexander's Fingerstyle Blues Guitar) and then implement it into the tunes of this book. Authentic sounding fingerstyle blues tunes. Excellent difficulty graduation – examples build off each other and get gradually more complex and difficult.  Cohesive feel throughout the book, especially as the final performance tune pulls from the earlier tunes. Not much emphasis on improvisation. Online video lessons are extremely helpful – difficult rhythms and feel are much easier to learn with the videos. The book does introduce some modern percussive techniques used by modern players like Michael Hedges, Don Ross, Andy McKee, Mike Dawes, etc.  You will learn to play thumb slaps and various percussive hits on the guitar body. I would recommend that you use an acoustic steel string or electric guitar.  You could use a nylon string classical guitar if absolutely necessary, but I wouldn't recommend it. Independently published by Miggs Rivera.  © 2020 eBook: Arranging for Fingerstyle Guitar: go to http://joemcmurray.com/checkout/ to purchase a pdf of my eBook. Riding the Wave: my second fingerstyle guitar album is available on all streaming platforms. Pins on the Map: my third fingerstyle guitar album will soon be released.

John Dorsch... As a teenager, using pennies to slow down his vinyl records to try and get "that sound" on his Les Paul, led him to Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Rush, The Beatles etc. Fast forward after 45 years of electric / acoustic guitar and drum playing, John Dorsch's passion for music has expanded to include Fingerstyle guitar. Inspired by his mentor Tommy Emmanuel, exposure to Jerry Reed and Merle Travis, the challenge of moving strings to a different sound is exhilarating! After decades of playing lead electric guitar in local bands, John shifted gears and began an acoustic duo and stepped into singing lead. His musical journey into songwriting and recording now focuses on acoustic fingerstyle guitar and electric guitar. Currently, his wife Dani accompanies him on African Djembe drum and percussion with blended harmony vocals. John and Dani's motto : "Let's put smiles on faces!" Ottawa Valley, Ontario, Canada is where John has spent most of his life, and he continues to make the Rideau Lakes area his home. “Peaceful summer nights and loon songs paired with winter travel to other parts of the world provide great inspiration for songwriting,” John says. John's passion is to play his instruments with unrestricted flare using Fingerstyle, Jazz, Pop and Rock influences to bring a special sound to music, rarely duplicated. His current collection includes an autographed Tommy Emmanuel 2018 CGP Maton "808" acoustic, 2018 Gibson J45 acoustic, Manouche "Django" Gypsy Jazz acoustic, Gold Tone "Paul Beard" Resonator acoustic, 2013 Custom Fender Telecaster and 1989 Gibson Les Paul Custom electric guitars Elevation Album 15 Original Songs composed by John Dorsch. John Dorsch: lead and harmony vocals, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, slide resonator guitar, bass guitar and drum tracks. All recordings Produced and recorded by John Dorsch at JDM Studios, Rideau, Ferry, Ontario, Canada. Dani Baribeau: production assistant, percussion, djembe and harmony vocals The track, “Save Just One More Life”, additional appearing artists Paul Johnson on mandolin and bouzouki, and Bonny Skiffington for harmony vocals. The Elevation Album was mixed and mastered by Dave Draves at Little Bullhorn Studios, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. https://johndorschmusic.com/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100042844695074 https://www.youtube.com/@JDM2112 Check out our sponsor DUBBY energy at dubby.gg and use promo code SCREAMINGCHUYSH for 10% off on all products!** For more Episodes and Platforms https://linktr.ee/ScreamingChuyShow. *For cool merch https://my-store-10115944.creator-spring.com/?*

John Dorsch from Rideau Ferry is a talented singer, songwriter, guitarist, and recording artist with a lifelong passion for music. As a teenager, he experimented with using pennies to slow down his vinyl records, seeking to capture "that sound" on his Les Paul guitar. This led him to discover influential bands such as Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Rush, and The Beatles. Over the course of 45 years, John honed his skills on both electric and acoustic guitar, as well as drums.His musical journey took an exciting turn when he discovered Fingerstyle guitar, inspired by mentor Tommy Emmanuel and influenced by the likes of Jerry Reed and Merle Travis. The challenge of creating a different sound by manipulating the strings exhilarated John, and he delved into acoustic duets, stepping into the role of lead singer.John's deep connection to his local music scene led him to shift gears from playing lead electric guitar in bands to focusing on acoustic fingerstyle and electric guitar. His wife, Dani, now accompanies him in live performances, adding African Djembe drum beats and percussion while blending harmonious vocals. Together, their motto is "Let's put smiles on faces!"Based in Ottawa Valley, Ontario, Canada, John has spent most of his life in the region and considers the Rideau Lakes area his home. The serene summer nights and the haunting call of loons, combined with his winter travels around the world, serve as great inspirations for his songwriting. Writing, recording, and promoting his original music are his primary focuses.Exciting news awaits as John proudly announces the upcoming release of his first full-length album, "Elevation," on July 14th, 2023. This 15-song collection features a blend of fingerstyle instrumentals, pop, and rock songs with captivating melodies. The entire album was recorded in John's personal studio, with mastering done at Little Bullorn Studios in Ottawa.John's musical style is unique, blending Fingerstyle, Jazz, Pop, and Rock influences to create a sound that is rarely duplicated. His collection of instruments includes an autographed Tommy Emmanuel 2018 CGP Maton "808" acoustic, a 2018 Gibson J45 acoustic, a Manouche "Django" Gypsy Jazz acoustic, a Gold Tone "Paul Beard" Resonator acoustic, a 2013 Custom Fender Telecaster, and a 1989 Gibson Les Paul Custom electric guitar.Currently, John performs live as part of an acoustic duo, where he sings and plays acoustic guitars, while Dani provides harmonies and accompanies him on the djembe drum and other percussion instruments. They have found success performing at various indoor and outdoor venues, including restaurants, patios, and pubs. Their repertoire encompasses popular rock and pop hits, fingerstyle arrangements, and original compositions.https://johndorschmusic.com/

You've never heard a tale like that of guitarist Rick Deitrick. A product of the '60s, Rick went from playing the accordion as a kid in Ohio to joining a rock band and performing at love-ins throughout Southern California. Once he found a $100 Yamaha acoustic at a pawn shop, his life took a new turn: He'd take his guitar (sans case) out on hikes and create acoustic instrumentals influenced by his surroundings. The byproduct of these hikes was a series of self-released albums, now reissued as a boxed set by Tompkins Square Records. Quirky backstory aside, it's gorgeous music that has stood the test of time.  This interview has it all: 1960s love-ins, a cranky John Fahey, a two-foot-tall chipmunk, a guitar sacrificed in a fit of rage, and a musician who continues to march to the beat of his own drummer. Learn more about Rick Deitrick's 'The Unguitarist: Complete Works, 1969-2022' here:  https://tompkinssquare.bandcamp.com/album/the-unguitarist-complete-works-1969-2022 Follow Jason's new Substack here for behind-the-scenes FJ content: https://substack.com/@fretboardjournal Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal and start with our new, 52nd issue: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription Register for the Fretboard Summit (August 24-26, 2023 at Chicago's legendary Old Town School of Folk Music): https://fretboardsummit.org Our podcast is sponsored by Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar, Deering Banjos; Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); and Stringjoy Strings (get 10% off your order with the FRETBOARD discount code). This episode is also supported by Native Instruments, iZotope, and Plugin Alliance. Check out their Summer of Sound, the best-ever savings on ALL software, with 50% off products, updates, and upgrades, plus special hardware and software bundle deals. 

Welcome to Episode 3 of Life on the Fretboard: A series of face-to-face conversations between British guitarist, writer and filmmaker Michael Watts and exceptionally talented individuals who live a life on the fretboard.  For this episode, Michael's guest is the frighteningly gifted Australian fingerstyle guitarist Alan Gogoll, whose gentle, whimsical music is given voice via one of the most intriguing, perplexing and musical techniques developed for the acoustic guitar in recent years...bell harmonics.  With an audience that numbers over a million subscribers worldwide and celebrity fans clamoring for the chance to collaborate with him, Alan Gogoll decided to start a new chapter in his life by moving to Berlin for inspiration and a new and calmer state of mind.  This podcast was recorded in Alan's apartment - some six weeks after he made this leap of faith. He discusses the joy of luthier-made guitars, those trademark bell harmonics, protecting innovation and creativity from the acceptance of plagiarism in other cultures, the writing process, and how to add other artistic disciplines to a guitar piece...as well as his recent ban from the social media platform TikTok. Scandal right here!  To contribute directly to Life on the Fretboard please use this Tip Jar link https://michaelwattsguitar.com/tip-jars/4745 This episode of Life on the Fretboard is brought to you by the kind sponsorship of Microtech Gefell Microphones https://www.microtechgefell.de/ and the Fretboard Journal magazine https://www.fretboardjournal.com/.  Thank you to Alan Gogoll - please do visit alangogoll.com and enjoy his music on YouTube, Spotify and Instagram. (But not TikTok.)  https://www.youtube.com/@AlanGogoll https://www.instagram.com/alangogoll/ https://open.spotify.com/artist/7MOxmVjcx5HWoEu9pBWXT3?si=-BhBJIbrRjKHkL7uoh1bGg Next month's guest is legendary guitarist and founder of Windham Hill Records Will Ackerman - it's an astonishing conversation that we look forward to sharing with you.   

You can learn to play music using a variety of resources including teachers, online resources, and books. Hal Leonard's 100 Most Popular Songs for Fingerpicking Guitar is a repertoire book filled with solo fingerstyle guitar arrangements of popular songs from mostly the 1960s through present day.  Genres covered include classic and modern rock, pop, folk, jazz, theme songs, Spanish classical, and more.  There are songs from the Beatles, Ed Sheeran, Duke Ellington, Metallica, Aerosmith, Imagine Dragons, Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder, etc.  Most of the tunes are suitable for intermediate fingerstyle players, although there are some easier tunes for late beginners as well as some tunes that are significantly more difficult.  If you are looking to build out your repertoire for local gigs, this book is incredible!  Overall, the arrangements are in guitar-friendly keys, they stay below the 5th fret, and they sound good.  You can always simplify or add to the arrangements to suit your tastes and skill level.  Most tunes are in standard tuning, although there are some tunes that use drop D tuning.  Tunes are arranged utilizing a variety of techniques including simple melody and bass, alternating bass, and arpeggiation. The book doesn't get into the modern percussive techniques used by modern players like Michael Hedges, Don Ross, Andy McKee, Mike Dawes, etc.  No thumb slaps, guitar body percussion, or tapping. Although this book is a repertoire book and not a method book, there is a single page in the back providing an “Introduction to Fingerstyle,” which is probably worthless to anyone who is attempting to play the tunes in this book.  The rest of the book is just filled with song arrangements in alphabetical order, and there is no background information for any of the tunes.  The music is presented as a treble clef lead sheet with the main melody and the harmonizing chords written above, and the solo guitar arrangements are presented in treble clef and tablature.  Occasional left-hand fingerings are provided. Although this book has great tunes for your gigs, it would be difficult to bring the book to a gig and play from the pages.  The book is 430 pages and has a softcover binding, so you need binder clips to hold the pages open.  Most tunes require multiple page turns, which is a disaster if you are holding the pages open with binder clips.  Your only options would be to photocopy pages or memorize the tunes. For most of the tunes you could use an acoustic steel string or classical nylon string guitar since most arrangements don't require using your fretting hand thumb over the top. Extensive song selection.  You are bound to like at least a few of the tunes if you like popular or rock music. Great arrangements that generally feature melody and bass, alternating bass, and/or arpeggiation. Provides treble clef lead sheets (melody with harmonizing chords written above) as well as treble clef and TAB guitar arrangements. Some fretting hand fingering is included, but there isn't any picking hand fingering. Hard to hold pages open, lots of page turns. No audio access.  However, arrangements generally sound similar to the original tunes. Published by Hal Leonard.  © 2019 eBook: Arranging for Fingerstyle Guitar: go to http://joemcmurray.com/checkout/ to purchase a pdf of my eBook. Riding the Wave: my second fingerstyle guitar album is available on all streaming platforms.

Video Podcast & Show Notes: https://ukuleleunderground.com/2023/05/sammy-six-fingers-tuup74/ Meet the Ukulele Player with Six Fingers (not really), Sammy Turton. Sammy is a "Magical" Ukulele Player who specializes in Harmonics and Fingerstyle. Being a fellow Video Game lover, the guys talk about Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, Persona 5, and Video Game music in general. We also get a look into how Sammy got into Ukulele, his next album, future travel plans, and his approach to playing with a Felt Pick. Check out more of Sammy at 4stringboy.com

In this episode we are talking songwriting and specifically chord progressions. In case you don't know, in the Fingerstyle 101 Facebook Group we are doing a songwriting challenge which is going to be lots of fun. The key of our song is G Major, but “where do you begin with writing songs?” you might wonder. Well, I often like to begin with a solid chord progression. So in today's episode, I'm sharing with you the chords in the key of G, and a whole bunch of chord progressions for you to try, plus some tips on jamming them. Remember, creativity is good for the brain, soul, and fingers, so let's get to it! I hope you enjoy it. You can get more tips and advice from Dan Thorpe by joining the free email list here - https://acousticasylum.com/ Like this episode? Your reviews for this podcast mean the world to me so please let us know what you thought about the Acoustic Asylum!

Tab and tutorial now available in the Breakthrough Banjo course for fingerstyle banjo: https://fingerstylebanjo.com/coursetour

The Fretboard Journal is proud to welcome you to the very first episode of Life on the Fretboard, a new podcast hosted by British guitarist, filmmaker, and writer Michael Watts.  For his first episode, Michael talks with the astonishing Scottish guitarist Tony McManus. Described by the late John Renbourn as “The Best Celtic Guitarist in the World,” McManus has toured the world delighting audiences with a combination of extraordinary musicianship and a deep connection with the music of Scotland.  The conversation flows from an impromptu meeting with the most famous man in Scotland; to heroes such as Renbourn, Bert Jansch, and Isaac Guillory; taking the stage after John McLaughlin and Carlos Santana; adapting Scottish bagpipe pieces for solo guitar; the unforeseen effects of meeting Pat Metheny; and what it means to live a Life on The Fretboard. Life on the Fretboard is sponsored by The Archtop Foundation www.theblueguitars.com and Microtech Gefell Microphones www.microtechgefell.de and brought to you by the Fretboard Journal magazine. https://www.tonymcmanus.com/ www.michaelwattsguitar.com  https://www.fretboardjournal.com/  

For more on how to apply neuroscience to practice smarter, check out the book The Laws of Brainjo: The Art & Science of Molding A Musical Mind Click here to join the Banjo For Adult Beginners Facebook Group.   To learn more about music courses based on The Brainjo Method, head to brainjo.academy

This time it's your turn on Guitar Talk! Let's have some fun sharing what makes the guitar exciting for you. This week: fingerstyle and arpeggios. Get Great on Guitar in 20 Minutes a Day: https://www.playguitaracademy.com/get-great-on-guitar Beginners - Click Here - https://www.playguitaracademy.com/starthereguitar Play Guitar Academy: https://www.playguitaracademy.com/ 1 on 1 Coaching - https://www.playguitaracademy.com/play-guitar-coaching Become a VIP Supporter: https://playguitarpodcast.com/vip-patron/ Show notes at: https://playguitarpodcast.com/guitar-talk-fingerstyle-and-arpeggios-283/ Copyright ©2022 Play Guitar Academy

Modern fingerstyle guitar is, quite possibly, the greatest extension of the instrument — an orchestral sound contained within one instrument. But there's so many modern fingerstyle guitarists out there. Where do you begin? On this episode of Acoustic Tuesday, you'll hear about 15 modern fingerstyle guitarists you need to check out. From commercially successful artists to up-and-coming Youtubers, you're going to see some incredible guitarists. What I love about this style is that it pushes the guitar to new heights. It's not just about mastery of the guitar. It's about pushing the limits of what playing a guitar means. From the percussion to the harmonics and sweep picking, there's some incredible techniques to check out from all these guitarists. You'll notice there is a percussive and rhythmic quality to all these guitars. That's just part of the beauty of this style. If you want to hear more of this style, be sure to check out all of the artists featured in this episode. There's something for everyone, whether you've heard modern fingerstyle guitar before or not! Featured in this episode... - Kelly Joe Phelps Tribute   - Western AF   - Mule Resonator Guitars   - Willi Carlisle  

Jazz musician Snoozer Quinn (1907 - 1949) is one of the guitar world's great enigmas. In his prime, he performed alongside Paul Whiteman, Bix Beiderbecke, the Dorsey Brothers, Louis Armstrong, and others; lore has it that even Les Paul even learned how to hammer-on and pull-off from Snoozer. But today Snoozer is largely forgotten because his only attempt at solo studio recordings completely disappeared and he died young after a long battle with tuberculosis. To add insult to injury, the only surviving film footage of Snoozer playing guitar has no audio and the only solo recordings we have of him were literally taped from his deathbed. On this week's Fretboard Journal Podcast, we take a look at Snoozer's life and legacy with Katy Hobgood Ray and Dan Sumner, who just co-authored a book entitled Snoozer Quinn: Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar Pioneer (Out of the Past Music). Half of the book features Katy's exhaustive biography on Quinn (one of her distant relatives) with rare photos, while the other half features Dan's transcriptions of eight Snoozer Quinn arrangements. Over the course of our interview, we learn about Snoozer's troubled life, how he got his name, his reputation among his peers, his Gibson instruments, and more. Then Dan sheds light on the Herculean task of transcribing the complex work of Snoozer from the available fragments and breadcrumbs, the guitarist's unique technique and tunings, and a lot more. Snoozer Quinn: Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar Pioneer is available here.  The Fretboard Journal is a reader-supported magazine. If you'd like to subscribe, support what we do, and get our 50th issue (now mailing), simply click here. We're throwing a 2022 Fretboard Summit in Chicago, where for three days you can attend workshops, panel discussions, live podcast tapings, and try out rare and priceless guitars with the staff of the FJ. Click here for ticket information.  This episode is sponsored by Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); Retrofret Vintage Guitars; Izotope (use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off your Izotope purchase); and Calton Cases.