Acoustic Guitar

To celebrate 100 years of Arthel Lane “Doc” Watson, we invited 11 distinguished guests to share their stories and reflect on his legacy. You'll hear from a range of talented musicians, producers, and makers—including bluegrass titan Peter Rowan, monumental mandolinist Sierra Hull, flatpicking ace David Grier, and more. From poignant memories to laugh-out-loud moments, we explore this great guitarist’s far-reaching and enduring...

Join us for an illuminating discussion about the past and present of roots music with the American Songster himself: Dom Flemons. We explore the history behind the songs and instruments he's collected, his new album, Bob Dylan, and a whole lot more.

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Join us for a lively, honest conversation with boundary-pushing guitarist Kaki King. Learn how she develops new tunings, the story behind the passerelle bridge, and why the third-to-last show is always the best performance of a tour.

Thanks to Elixir® Strings for sponsoring this episode. Get a set today at ElixirStrings.com.

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Join our illustrious panel for an in-depth conversation on songwriting. Each of our guests has a unique perspective and process – Sunny War forged her singular folk-punk style busking on the Venice Beach Boardwalk; Madison Cunningham won this year’s Grammy for Best Roots Performance; Adam Levy is a songwriter and guitarist who’s worked with Norah Jones, Tracy Chapman, and many others. What they all have in common is commitment to t...

Andrés Segovia was born on February 21, 1893. To mark his 130th birthday, we spoke with three contemporary guitarists who each studied with the Maestro: Lily Afshar, Liona Boyd, and Michael Chapdelaine. Each of our guests shares their unique (or infamous) experience and how playing for Segovia when they were students impacts the way they see music today.

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• Listen to Part 2 on Patreon, where Liona Boyd and Michael ...

Join us for a rollicking conversation and to hear some original tunes performed by the late legendary roots-and-blues raconteur Steve James.

In this episode, he shares stories and insights about his guitars and guitar heroes, treats us to some favorite songs and explains the writing process behind them, and entertains and educates us in the way that only Steve James can.

Please note: James passed away in January 2023; this recording ...

Let’s talk about New Year’s resolutions. Want to make the leap from beginning to intermediate player? Feel more confident soloing? Whatever intention you set, this episode offers not-to-be-missed tips and ideas for making 2023 your best year of guitar yet. Our panel of experts – featuring David Hamburger and Marlene Hutchinson – shares practical advice for setting, measuring, and achieving your guitar goals. 

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Take a virtual road trip across the United States to visit four independent guitar stores and learn what makes them vital to the communities they serve. As you’ll hear, each of these shops is more than just a retail outlet – and each of these shopkeepers has a unique perspective on why that is and what to look forward to in the future.

Catch up with Richard Johnston of Gryphon Stringed Instruments in Palo Alto, California; Stan and ...

Does the Great American Songbook endure because the songs themselves are timeless or because musicians give them a fresh spin? San Francisco–based jazz guitarists Mimi Fox, Nick Rossi, and Paul Mehling weigh in! Join us for a lively roundtable discussion on acoustic jazz standards and making jazz accessible to all kinds of listeners. 

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Join us us for an in-depth discussion on the songwriting process and the importance of following your ear with trailblazing singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz. We explore her evolution as a multi-instrumentalist, her guitars, and how she leaned into the unfamiliar to create some of her most powerful music yet.

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• Listen to Part 2 on Patreon, where you’ll learn how Jarosz prepares for songwriting sessions and how her 20...

Did you know you can expand the sonic possibilities of your acoustic guitar simply by plugging in? But how do you use a guitar, pickup, preamp, and effects to craft your own particular sound? How do you fight feedback? When is it worth investing in high-end gear? We get answers from the recording engineer who wrote the book on acoustic amplification: Doug Young.

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• Listen to Part 2 on Patreon, where you’ll learn ho...

“I feel drawn to using my ability, talent, and platform to fill in some gaps that I feel are being hewn into the historical record… We have to do more than just tap our feet.”

We Zoomed from California to Sweden to talk with the great guitarist, singer, and songwriter Eric Bibb. Tune in for captivating stories and insights about his musical upbringing, the limits of being known as a blues player, and the role music plays in uniting ...

Join Happy Traum, Jane Miller, Jess Baron, and Sean McGowan for an uplifting roundtable on teaching (and learning) guitar. We discuss community building, the pros and cons of different lesson formats, the challenges and opportunities of starting guitar at any age, and much more. Not to worry – this episode isn’t just for music instructors, but should prove illuminating and encouraging to all guitarists.

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We were so excited to talk with bluegrass superstar Molly Tuttle, we couldn’t wait to share the conversation with you! So here’s a bonus episode, outside of our regular monthly schedule. Tuttle discusses her guitar education, playing music with friends, and how a surprising wood made its way into her signature Thompson dreadnought. Plus, we learn about her guilty pleasure listening and what the punk music she grew up on has in comm...

Tommy Emmanuel is a Certified Guitar Player, an honorific bestowed on him by fingerstyle legend Chet Atkins. Emmanuel has recorded over 35 albums, sells out venues across the globe, and is renowned for his virtuosic solo guitar skills. We explore his approach to writing and arranging; collaborating with fellow musicians; and what makes a great guitarist. (Hint: it’s not being a purist with your sound or mastering every bit of music...

In our first episode, we share stories of first guitars. Tune in for renowned musicians Eric Bibb, Bruce Cockburn, Courtney Hartman, Richard Thompson, Badi Assad, Sharon Isbin, and Tommy Emmanuel; heartwarming, inspiring, and surprising tales from the community; plus previously unheard recordings of Doc Watson and Michael Hedges. Find out who volunteered to study music out of a sense of family duty, who had his first guitar smashed...