Tips on Tone

You've probably heard the old adage that "tone is in the hands." But what does that really mean? And what makes tone good? We asked 14 prominent acoustic guitarists to weigh in, and got 14 unique responses. You'll want to listen with a notebook in hand, because this episode is a treasure trove of practical advice, musical examples, insights, and exercises to try.

Thanks to Henriksen Amplifiers for sponsoring this episode. For demo videos and more information, visit www.HenriksenAmplifiers.com or follow on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Additional resources:

• Learn more about our guests: Abigail Dowd, Amber Russell, Chris Pierce, Eric Skye, Jason Vieaux, Lisa Liu, Maddie Witler, Pete Madsen, Raye Zaragoza, Ron Jackson, Sarah McQuaid, Sean McGowan, Tim Bertsch, and Valerie Turner.
• Read "15 Acoustic Guitar Pros Share Tips on Tone" from the January 2017 issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine.
• Check out our popular Weekly Workout series for interesting technical workouts that will get your fretting- and picking-hand fingers working in different ways.

 Our intro music for this episode was the Prelude from Bach's Cello Suite No. 1, performed by Sean McGowan. 

This episode is hosted by Nick Grizzle, produced by Tanya Gonzalez, and directed and edited by Joey Lusterman. Executive producers are Lyzy Lusterman and Stephanie Campos Dal Broi.

The Acoustic Guitar Podcast is produced by the team at Acoustic Guitar magazine, including:

• Publisher: Lyzy Lusterman
• Editorial Director: Adam Perlmutter
• Managing Editor: Kevin Owens
• Creative Director: Joey Lusterman
• Digital Content Director: Stephanie Campos Dal Broi
• Digital Content Manager: Nick Grizzle
• Marketing Services Manager: Tanya Gonzalez

Special thanks to our listeners who support the show on Patreon.

Support the show

Episode Transcript

Nick Grizzle (00:00):
Welcome to the Acoustic Guitar Podcast.
I'm your host, nick Grizzle.
You've probably heard someonesay tone is in the hands, but
what does that really mean andwhat makes tone good?
We asked 14 prominent acousticguitarists from a variety of
genres and backgrounds to weighin and in this episode we share
14 unique takes on the topic.

(00:22):
You'll hear inspiring musicalexamples and reflections, some
practical advice on gear,technique and exercises to try,
plus insights into how some oftoday's top players think about
tone.
Before we dive in, I'd like totake a moment to thank Henriksen
Amplifiers for sponsoring thisepisode.
Henriksen Amplifiers, renownedfor crafting exceptional audio

(00:43):
equipment, introduces the Bud,your ideal match if you're an
acoustic guitarist orsinger-songwriter.
This compact amplifier standsout for its exceptional sound
clarity and richness, tailoredfor both intimate performances
and studio work.
Embodying Henriksen'sdedication to innovation and
quality, the Bud is designed toensure your music truly

(01:03):
resonates, making it a must-havefor musicians who demand the
best.
For demo videos and moreinformation on Henrikson
Amplifiers, go tohenriksonamplifierscom.
You can also check out the shownotes for that link.
I'd also like to thank all ofour guests who generously
contributed to this episode SeanMcGowan, chris Pierce, eric
Skye, valerie Turner, abigailDowd, jason Vio, ron Jackson,

(01:28):
maddie Whitler, pete Madsen, rayZargoza, lisa Liu, sarah
McQuaid, tim Birch and AmberRussell.
Please be sure to check theshow notes to learn more about
each of our guests.
Plus, you'll find a relatedarticle pulled from the Acoustic
Guitar Magazine archives witheven more tips on tone.
Now we suggest you grab a cupof coffee or tea, maybe a fresh

(01:50):
notepad and your guitar andlisten on for some tips on tones
To kick things off.
Here's fingerstyle jazzguitarist and music professor
Sean.

Sean McGowan (02:26):
McGowan for Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and
today we're going to talk abouthow to find and practice and
ultimately get the best tonethat you can possibly imagine
the tone that you hold in yourheart, the tone that you have in
your ears and the tone that youimagine to be able to access at
any point in any song thatyou're playing.

(02:46):
Okay, so the first thing that Ilike to do whenever I'm
studying something in depth isto keep a little notebook, or we
could even think of this as ourjournal of tone, and what we're
going to do is use this littlenotebook to sketch down ideas
and observations and comparisons.
It's almost kind of like ascientific study, if you will,
but we're just going to think ofit as a deep dive into tone.

(03:08):
One of the first things youmight want to start documenting
is to kind of deconstruct all ofthe various parts of the guitar
, because each part of theguitar contributes ultimately to
the tone.
And remember, there's nocorrect answer here.
This is an entirely subjectivething.
Your idea of incredible tonemight be a little different from

(03:29):
someone else's.
Of course, good, clear, eventone is what we all strive for.
If we take a look and listen toa guitar, one of the first
things that we want to consideris the wood that the guitar is
made out of, and there areextensive videos that you can
watch on YouTube, and I wouldsuggest going on there and just
checking out comparison videosand you can just search in

(03:51):
YouTube, for example, thedifferences between Sitka spruce
and red spruce and you'll beamazed at how much each one of
those contributes to the sound.
You want to also be aware ofthe size, shape and depth of the
guitar.
So, in addition to the scale,length and all of the various
materials, obviously a dread'sgoing to sound different from an

(04:14):
OM, and I think most people,especially when they commission
a guitar or they go to buy a newguitar, you already have an
idea of the type of guitar youwant to play, whether it's a
triple O or an OM or whatever.
It is cutaway or non-cutaway,and then all of these other
factors just contribute to getyou closer to the sound that you

(04:34):
want to hear in your head, andI strongly recommend writing all
of these things down in yourjournal of tone as you make
observations.
I think if you listen to thesecomparison videos on YouTube,
you might be amazed at some ofthe differences between the top
woods and the woods you knowfrom the back and sides, as well
as the scale length, have andultimately affect the tone.

(04:58):
Another concept that's veryimportant when going for a good,
solid tone is a consistentlyrelaxed fretting hand.
So that means, whether that'syour left hand or your right
hand, if you're a lefty, youwant your hand to be relaxed as
much as possible on the neck andyour fingers generally want to

(05:19):
have kind of a relaxed posture.
Most of the time the thumb willbe right about halfway up the
back of the neck, but don't beafraid to move it around when
necessary.
In fact, some people even liketo use their thumbs to fret
notes over the neck and that'sokay as long as it's comfortable
.
But the idea is that you wantto keep this nice, relaxed,

(05:39):
fluid posture and feeling.
A lot of times over the yearswhen I've observed students that
have kind of a thin tone or aweak tone, it's because they're
pressing too hard.
So you'll be able to feel it.
I mean, if you reach over, forexample, with your picking hand
and try to move the fingers ofyour fretting hand, they should

(06:00):
move easily.
It should be very pliable andeasy to move.
Sometimes over the years I'vereached over and tried to move
fingers of my students you know,left hand into a new chord
shape and it's like I have to.
You know it's like armwrestling I can't even get their
finger off the fretboard.
So that's a good indicator thatyou're pressing down too hard.
Or if you notice the color ofyour skin you know your skin

(06:21):
changing color that means thatyou're pressing too hard.
So always go for a light touch,you know just as much pressure
as necessary and aim your fingerto be about equidistant in
between the frets.
You know you want to have theflesh of your fingertips make
nice, solid contact with thewood of the fretboard and there

(06:43):
shouldn't be any buzzing or anyfretting out of notes.
It should be a nice, you know,smooth tone and with that in
mind you can practice what hornplayers or string players, such
as cellists and violinists, calllong tones.
Now, long tones aren't somethingthat guitar players typically
practice, but it can be a greatway to really listen to your

(07:05):
sound, how your sound, how thenote starts, how it blooms, how
it unfolds and ultimately how itends.
But generally speaking, youwant to have a nice, firm but
relaxed posture and be able topick a note consistently and
have it ring out and just let itring as long as possible,

(07:26):
almost if it was a singer justholding a long tone with a hold
on it, and then just let thenote kind of die off naturally.
And that's a great way to workon your tone because you
actually have the time to listento the sound of your note.
Is it long, is it sustaining,is it smooth, is it in tune?
You know you want to be carefulabout not moving the fretting

(07:48):
hand up or down.
You know keep it nice andconsistent and also, again,
don't press too hard, becausepressing on the string too hard
or moving it just even slightlyto the left or right will cause
the string to go out of tune andalso kind of choke out your
sound.
So just have good contact withthe wood of the fretboard, pick

(08:12):
that string and then just let itring from there.
Another technique that canreally affect your tone is where
you finger something, meaningwhere on the fretboard, in which
string set you choose to play amelody or a line.
Here's three basic examples ofa simple melody, but in one
example I'm going to play itdown more in open position.

(08:35):
Another example in fifthposition, and then a third
example up in ninth position,and listen to how different they
sound.
Here's the first example up,starting on the D string in
ninth position.
Here's the same thing played,starting on the G string in

(08:55):
fifth position, and finally thesame melody down in open
position or first position,starting on the B string and
then finally back in fifthposition again.
Not only does the placement andthe fingering really affect the

(09:20):
tone, but where you pick it onthe string, meaning do you pick
it closer to the bridge for moreof a thinner sound, such as the
following Somewhere towards theback of the sound hole, maybe
more towards the front of thesound hole, even closer to the

(09:42):
neck will give you a muchthicker, more round bassier type
of sound.
Okay, one of the most profound,immediate and actually
affordable ways to improve yourtone is by choosing the right
pick for your style and for thesound that you're going for.

(10:04):
Great jazz guitarist JohnnySmith once said that his tone
control was all in his pick, andI know a lot of great flat
pickers would agree with thatsentiment.
So, keeping in line with ourscience experiment and our
journal of tone, what I wouldsuggest is going to the store or
ordering online, severaldifferent picks, picks of

(10:28):
different shapes, sizes,thicknesses and different
materials All of thesecharacteristics can have a
profound effect and a dramaticeffect on your tone.
So what I thought I'd do rightnow is I'm going to take eight
different picks these aredifferent materials, various
thicknesses and densities andalso different shapes and I'm

(10:49):
going to play the exact sameline, one at a time, followed by
a quick little strum, and youcan hear for yourself how much
of an impact just a differentpick will have on your tone Pick

(11:15):
number two, pick number three,pick number four, Pick number

(11:43):
five, pick number six and picknumber seven.

(12:16):
Another thing you can do in yourpractice and your quest for
tone is to listen, and a lot ofpeople don't really think of
listening to music as activepractice, but it is Active.
Listening could mean somethinglike listening to the same song
over and over again and, youknow, really analyzing it,
analyzing the different guitarparts, the various instruments,

(12:37):
the arrangement, all of thosethings, and we can also listen
to a piece of music activelywith regard to the tone, and so
one thing that you might want todo, on whatever your preferred
platform of music is, is youcould even make a tone playlist,
you know, make a playlist ofyour favorite guitarists and
their tone and in your journalsyou can write down, you know

(12:58):
what it is about, their tonethat really speaks to you
Because again it's going to bedifferent for everybody out.
Their tone that really speaksto you because again it's going
to be different for everybody,and what informs you know, your
idea of a good tone ultimatelywill inform your own personal
sound, which is, at the end ofthe day, what we all want to
strive for your own uniqueidentity and voice.
So these are subjective things.
Don't be afraid to write downyour opinions in your journal of

(13:21):
tone and make a playlist so youcan really identify some of
these key factors.
You know, is this player, forexample, if they're a flat
picker and playing mostlybluegrass, are they, you know,
what keys do they tend to playin?
Do they have a darker sound?
Do they have a real brightsound?
Can you really hear the pickagainst the string or is it a
little less obvious?

(13:42):
You know more subtle.
You know very smooth.
Do they use a lot of hammer-onsand pull-offs and slides in
their technique, or is everynote picked?
All of those kind of analyticalobservations can really help
you hone in on the tone thatyou're going for.

Nick Grizzle (13:56):
Now let's hear from singer-songwriter Chris
Pierce.

Chris Pierce (14:00):
I think the tone is about more than your hands
and technique.
To me, it's also aboutspirituality, soulfulness and
vulnerability.
Some of the best players I knoware some of the most spiritual
people I know.
They're also some of thebravest people I know Guitar
players who are willing to riskit all and stand right on the

(14:20):
edge of the cliff.
I believe that those who havethese qualities, they really let
that good tone through.
They know how to let it through.
They can feel how to let itthrough and they know how to tap
in and recognize when thequality of their tone is making
its way to the heart.
Folks that I know with good toneare warriors for that tone.

(14:42):
They fight for it, not againstit.
Good tone are warriors for thattone.
They fight for it, not againstit.
They live about it and dreamabout it and are never fully
satisfied with it, alwayssearching for ways to even
better tone.
Music is energy and I believethe good tone is one of the most
powerful gateways to emotion.
Tone that moves the guitarplayer will, more times than not

(15:05):
, move the listener.
May the tone be with you.

Nick Grizzle (15:09):
Here's fingerstyle guitarist Eric Skye with his
thoughts on the matter.

Eric Skye (15:21):
Hey, this is guitarist Eric Skye coming at
you from my home office inPortland Oregon.
My good friends at AcousticGuitar Magazine have asked me to
talk just a little bit aboutone of my favorite subjects tone
production.
So the old cliche about tonebeing mostly in your hands is,
of course, true, but I thinkit's good to start a little
further up the chain.

(15:42):
I think it starts with yourconcept of tone, which of course
is different for everybody.
But I think maybe your firsthomework assignment would be to
really sort of deconstruct whatyou're hearing, just like if
you're an aspiring chef.
It wouldn't be enough to justsort of bite into something and
ask yourself if it's good or not.
You'd want to be able to thinkis this crunchy and spicy and

(16:02):
juicy and sweet and acidic andall these things that we need to
be able to sort ofcompartmentalize?
And when we're listening toacoustic sounds, things you can
think about is like is it broadfrequency spectrum?
Is there a lot of low, lows andhigh highs?
And are those lows kind ofmuffly or are they very clear?
Are those highs very sort ofcrystal-y or are they sort of

(16:26):
soft?
And think about the dynamics Isthere a lot of sort of peaks
and valleys, loud parts andquiet parts, or is it more
compressed, that is to say moresort of overall even sounding?
You can slowly start to reallyunderstand not only what you
like but why you like it.
So once you have a concept ofwhat good tone is to you, the

(16:49):
next thing to do is sort ofdevelop the consistency in
paying attention.
I think it's easy to primarilybe thinking about just trying to
get the notes out, rememberingall these sort of shapes and
patterns I think we're veryvisual creatures and and then
just sort of trust that we havegood tone because you know we
bought an expensive guitar, wehave fresh strings on it, or.

(17:10):
But I like to get into what Ithink of as sort of singer's
mind, where you're kind of youknow more one with your
instrument and you're you'reyou're conscious of the sound
you're making all the time andand how you it.
So if you're a singer, youmight be thinking about your
breathing and your posture.
I'm usually looking for a soundthat's sort of big and

(17:33):
satisfying on its own and coversa wide frequency spectrum.
I like sustain, and dynamics isprobably the top of my list.
So as far as some techniquesthat I think about when I'm
trying to get a good sound outof a guitar sort of number one
is how I hold it.
I'm trying to kind of get itoff my body so I'm not muting

(17:56):
the back of the guitar or thetop of the guitar.
As far as the left hand goes,I'm always trying to use kind of
a light touch.
I always tell people that youwanna press down so you get a
nice bell-like sound.
But you really should be ableto see light under your finger.
A lot of times beginners willtry to push the string down into
the wood, probably make thenotes go sharp.
But most tone is reallyhappening on our right hand.

(18:17):
So with the pick, what Iusually tell people is if I'm
holding the pick I'm sort oftilting the top part of it, that
is, the part that's furthestfrom the strings, towards the
floor, maybe 10 degrees, I don'tknow.
I'm just making that up.
And then, if it was a clock,I'm kind of rotating the pick
sort of clockwise, maybe another10 degrees.
So in two ways it's slightly onits own plane and then my pick

(18:40):
stroke is usually a little bitmore down into the guitar and
out and away from the guitarrather than just sort of across.
So I'm going to play a note onmy guitar here.
I'm going to play e on thesecond string, so I feel like

(19:01):
that was a pretty good sound.
I added a little vibrato with myleft hand, then kind of in the
life of the note, kind of spedup and slowed down a little bit.
I let it ring a nice long time.
So that could be like a littleZen exercise of just trying to
make the best possible soundthat you can In terms of like
picking down and away more thanacross.
Let me try to do the opposite.

(19:22):
So I'll perfectly straightenout the pick so it's parallel to
the strings and I'll just playthat same note just sort of
across the strings.
See how much thinner it sounds.
So we'll do a little.
So here's that sort of thinsound and then sort of rotating
the pick slightly and then downand away.
So before, after, so beforeafter I'm hoping that comes out

(19:47):
you can hear this sort of big,round, louder sound versus this
sort of thinner, sort of picky,picky sound.
And I think what's happeninghere I'm not really smart enough
to know, but I think thephysics are that when we're
picking down in a way, we'rereally kind of getting that
string to move up and down andkind of get that top moving in
that direction.
But if you just play across thestrings, you know you're not

(20:08):
going to get that to happen.
Of course it at faster tempos,you know.
Maybe all bets are off, butwhen I'm trying to make a nice
big vocal sound I'm alwaysthinking about that and with
strumming I'll just strum alittle d chord and it's that
same idea where I'm sort of, youknow, going down into the
guitar a little bit more to getthat sort of bigger sound and I

(20:31):
think a lot about where I amplaying.
So the closer you are to thebridge, the tighter the strings
are.
Especially on the first stringa lot of times I'm kind of just
south of the sound hole a littlebit.
But if I kind of pick up moretowards the neck it's really
easy to get that pingy soundbecause the strings have a wider
range of motion and the bottomof the string is likely to kind

(20:52):
of very faintly touch the top ofthe frets.
So if I do want that warmersound, which I do sometimes,
I'll play much lighter.
What I usually tell people isthat if you get a fairly thick
and stiff pick and at first itmight turn you off a little bit.
But just hold on to it looselywhen you want to strum so it
kind of moves in your fingersand it doesn't feel so difficult

(21:15):
.
But then when you go to playsingle notes I think you'll find
having that stiff pick isreally nice, and a lot of times
when we play a thin pick weunconsciously end up gripping it
harder, trying to stiffen itanyway.
So it'll probably be easier foryou to play in the long run.
But experiment with bevels.
I end up sometimes filing themdown a little bit and trying to
find the right thing, putting onmy finger style hat for just a

(21:37):
minute.
I now have my finger picks onbecause I'm not someone who was
born with the kind of nails thatyou could use to play guitar,
unfortunately.
So I use these Alaska fingerpicks, which are sort of plastic
and they allow some of yourskin to kind of be a part of the
mix too.
So they're very similar to, Ithink, how a real nail might be.

(21:58):
I also have a thumb pick that Iuse that I filed pretty short.
It's a Fred Kelly heavy thatI've shaped just so over the
years and it's relatively short.
So when it comes to fingerstyle,I'm almost always playing
instrumental music, so I'mthinking a lot about the
dynamics.
I usually tell people to try tostart, like, in the middle of

(22:20):
your dynamic range, don't start,you know, playing really hard,
because then you don't have roomfor the melody to sit on top.
So if I play something thatsort of feels like the
accompaniment, I feel like I'mplaying fairly quietly there and
then when I bring the melody in, then that's sitting on top and

(22:52):
so the listener kind ofunderstands where the plot is
that they're following.
So other than that, a lot of myfingerstyle thinking is just
like with the flat pick.
You know I'm thinking aboutwhere my right hand is in
relation to the bridge and thesound hole, and you know the
different kind of tonalvariations that you'll have
there.

(23:12):
So let's finish up where webegan and remember that the
important thing is to developthe ability to catch ourselves
when we've drifted away andredirect back to just listening
and paying attention to thesound that we're making and how
we're making it.

Nick Grizzle (23:28):
Next up blues guitarist and educator, valerie
Turner, with her thoughts ontone and individuality.

Valerie Turner (23:34):
In reference to playing guitar.
The topic of tone can meandifferent things to different
people, and it's my opinion thatyour tone is unique to you,
just as no two snowflakes arealike.
You can strive to imitatesomeone else and you might even
come close, but I think thatyou'll always end up sounding

(23:54):
exactly like yourself, and thisis how we're able to identify
many musicians after listeningto just a few notes.
Your attack and the subtletiesof your timing are as singular
as your voice or fingerprint.
Different guitar models, stringbrands and pickups produce
endless varieties of sound, butyour underlying tone will always

(24:17):
shine through.
You'll always sound like you,regardless of your equipment or
any special effects.
I once watched while Woody Mann,a truly gifted musician who is
sadly no longer with us, movedfrom a very high end guitar to a
real beater that happened to beout of tune and missing a
string, and don't you know thathe reproduced his unique tone on

(24:41):
both instruments.
Some of it was surely his skill, but I attribute most of it to
a tone that only he possessed.
His tone simply followed himfrom one instrument to the other
.
I witnessed an identicalscenario with my main mentor,
john Cephas, who was a greatcountry blues musician, who is

(25:03):
also no longer with us.
He sounded like himself, nomatter what guitar he played,
and so it is with us all.
Your tone is inescapable.
I think it's far better toembrace and develop your
uniqueness than to try andimitate someone else's sound or
tone.

Nick Grizzle (25:21):
Here, fingerstyle guitarist and singer-songwriter
Abigail Dowd shares how shetakes advantage of the inherent
tone of her guitar with anunorthodox capo approach.

Abigail Dowd (25:30):
I like a really warm, rich tone and that's not
always the way my guitar wantsto sound and I am a fingerstyle
player, so I tend to keep mynails long and play mostly
fingerstyle and there are a fewthings that I do to play with
tone.
The first is the angle that I'mplucking the string from.

(25:50):
I might make adjustments to theangle of my wrist or where I
hinge at the elbow so that I canpluck the string more towards
my elbow or upwards, and justthat variation you'll notice.
You get a different tone.
And then how far out my wristis, which would allow me to
either pluck the string a littlemore from underneath the string

(26:11):
or more like a rest stroke ontop of the string, almost
pushing down.
You get a variation in tonethere.
So number one is the angle thatyou're plucking the string.
The second thing that I'll dois where am I playing in
relation to the sound hole.
So playing close to or rightover the sound hole is a little

(26:32):
warmer versus pulling back, andmaybe closer to the bridge,
getting something a littlebrighter, and I'll play with
that so that I can almost createthis conversation if I have
something repetitive.
So that's the second.
The third thing that I'll do toplay with tone is where's my
capo?

(26:52):
I'm a songwriter.
I like to use a capo and one ofthe main reasons I use a capo
is because I can hear the slightdifference in tone.
And there are certain placeswhere I just really love the way
my guitar sounds.
On my guitar, the sixth fret isjust this golden spot for me,
depending on the chords I'mplaying.
And there's a song, st Vrain,that's on the Acoustic Guitar

(27:16):
Magazine YouTube page andsomebody made a comment that was
a little snarky about me havingmy capo at the sixth fret.
And it's because I like thetone there, especially on that
particular piece, and that's whyI capoed it there and that's
how the song kind of evolved outof that tone.
And so don't be afraid to throwa capo on there if you're

(27:38):
playing with tone, no matterwhat anybody says.

Nick Grizzle (27:41):
Next up classical guitarist and professor Jason
Vio, with some tips forproducing quality sound on stage
and in the studio.

Jason Vieaux (27:49):
It's of course, good and very important to be
able to craft over several yearsyour core tone.
That seems to be the term thata lot of guitarists use.
I like the word sound.
The sound is a little bit moreall-encompassing and, and
because tone is actually, Ithink, a very easy thing to

(28:12):
achieve the tone, getting a goodtone, is actually more of like
a mechanics golf swing type ofthing.
If you have a, you know, decent, if you're taught a decent golf
swing, that's more or less amechanical or technical thing in
golf and it's the same kind ofthing with guitar.
I mean, that's really justbasically right hand position on

(28:34):
the instrument and this kind ofthing.
And basically, as long as thenails are beginning, that takes
some time, some trial and error.
The nail has nail thing has tobe set up.
But the sound aesthetic I likethinking of it as sound because,
or like a full and functionalsound aesthetic, according to
what aesthetic is sonically inyour ear, which also develops

(28:58):
and changes over time.
The prevailing generalaesthetic is that it's like a 45
degree angle to the strings,kind of nice, round, full tone.
I don't like it to be all coreand no, you know, there should

(29:18):
be a slight attack at thebeginning of it and that's
usually what a lot of liveplayers players that have been
playing live for many years youknow understand um that.
But the prevailing aesthetic isthat a 45 degree angle to the
string give or take 10 degrees,depending on your taste is is

(29:40):
you know that should produce.
Just with the basic mechanicsof it, if one is taught
correctly with a good teacheryou're going to get a nice tone.
But my advice to aspiringclassical guitar professionals
or aspiring professionals whoare advanced players players

(30:00):
would be that once you have thatfirm foundation of good tone
established and kind of gigtested in dozens or more
performances over a few years,it becomes important at that
point to then be able to modifyyour sound tone, color and hand
position and hand nail angles,this rotation in the wrist,

(30:24):
subtly depending on thesituation, such as, you know,
the venue.
So what I mean about the venueis the venue size, the natural
acoustic of the performancespace.
The more experience you haveperforming, the more sensitive
you become to those things in agood way and you modify, as I

(30:49):
was saying, like if we juststart from this 45 degrees to
the string, right, and if youcan get a good tone out of the
open.
First string, right, well,that's all.
Classical guitarists know thatthat's the hardest note on a
guitar to get a nice round tonewith right.
But the space that you play inover time, with more, the more

(31:10):
performance experience you have,does begin to modify that
slightly.
Many players seem to stopsearching and or experimenting
once they find the initial, youknow, firm foundation of their
tone, and your ear and yourmusical instincts are actually
the primary driver of this sonicinformation and feedback.

(31:32):
So you wanna become more openand sensitive to each situation.
Like an easy reduction of whatI'm talking about is this If the
performance space is really dry, you know little to no reverb,
like a black box theaternormally designed for theater
production, usually it's betterto favor your thicker, you know

(32:00):
thicker sounds, angles, evencolor.
I tend to instinctively go forwarmer colors during the concert
.
It's better to favor thatbecause your sound coming out of
the guitar is starting it'salready starting at a kind of a
disadvantage.
In other words, it's going tosound thinner due to the dry
space.
And conversely, if theperformance space is overly

(32:22):
reverberant, like a church forexample, it's often better to
play fast movements a touchslower and use a thinner attack,
see something a little bit morelike this.
This, rather than you hear thatkind of blanketed, warm,
chocolatey sound.

(32:43):
Right, it's better to playanything that's going really,
really quick a touch slower, andthat thinner attack actually
cuts through the echoey murk alot better.
Now, it's not going to sound thesame to the player, that's the
thing.
It's going to sound differentto the player because the
player's ear is always rightabove the guitar.
So initially that's for youngerperformers or people that are

(33:05):
less experienced live, that's alittle bit of a, that's a bit of
a shock, right.
But the reason this works isbecause the overly reverberant
space is providing resonance andfullness, augmenting your au
natural sound.
So you don't need thick, heavytones right to provide the
fullness that a dry space like ablack box theater would

(33:28):
necessitate.
In a very wet space youactually need a little more bite
to cut through so people hearyou better and more clearly.
You're doing it for the good ofthe, the gig right, like the
the.
You know the situation in thepresent moment.
It's similar to public speakingwhere you speak a touch slower
and you lean kind of lean in alittle on your consonants.

(33:50):
Your T's, p's hard, c's thatkind of stuff.
Well, also for professionalrecording situations too, the
space and its acoustic, thepositioning and distance of the
microphones.
They also determine for yourproducer how thick or thin, loud
or soft your passages need tobe in front of the mic, which is

(34:12):
going to be much closer thanany audience member would be in
most cases.
Anyway, you know, it took acouple of solo albums for me in
the late, mid, late 90s toreally get into this reality
that I'm supposed to be playingto the mic.
For recording right, not thespace, you know, I just I sort
of came up as very much a liveplayer in all sorts of different

(34:35):
live situations repertoire,wise, space, you know, venue
spaces, ensembles, solo,everything.
So I had to learn for recordingto cultivate my pianissimos
right piano dynamics andpianissimos with a much thinner
nail angle and be comfortableplaying that way to to the
microphone, which is totally nothow I would play, say, a

(34:57):
concerto with no amplification.
You know I'm kind of blasting.
You know my right's definitelygoing to be putting a lot more
pounds per square inch into thestring.
Live right In a larger space orwith a larger ensemble.

Nick Grizzle (35:09):
Here's jazz guitarist and teacher, ron
Jackson, with some tips forpracticing guitar with tone in
mind.

Ron Jackson (35:15):
Hi, I'm Ron Jackson .
My ideal guitar sound is clean,clear and beautiful, with
minimum string noise.
To be able to play guitar likethis, you need to be very
conscious of your touch, whichrequires a lot of practicing and
listening.
Recording is the best way tohear everything, because when

(35:38):
you hear yourself on a recording, that's how you truly sound.
I truly believe that tone isall in your hands.
You should be able to pick upany guitar and get a good sound,
no matter what the quality ofthe instrument is.
I know this requires a lot oftechnique and discipline, but
over time it's a matter of mindover matter.

(36:00):
There are so many acousticguitarists whose sound I admire
John McLaughlin, pepe D'Agostino, leo Kottke, paco de Lucia and
Andre Segovia.
I recommend listening toyourself in a quiet room and
hear everything that you'reactually playing and practicing,

(36:21):
and be conscious of every notecoming from your hands and
fingers.
Practicing like this, you'lltruly become aware of your
guitar sound and tone.

Nick Grizzle (36:32):
Now here's flat picker Maddie Whitler with her
reflections on tone.

Maddie Witler (36:36):
So I think for me my ideal tone is full and clear
and maybe a little bit bright.
I tend to try to go for theroundest possible tone that I
think will still have a chanceat cutting through a full
bluegrass band and to achievethat sound.
Some of it is gear, a lot of itis technique and a lot of it is

(37:01):
studying the folks that thatkind of can get that sound who
have come before us.
But mostly it's just having areally really clear picture or
idea in your head of what thatsound is.
Yeah, I don't know if I thinkthat tone is so much in your
hands as in your head.
There's definitely technicalwork to do in terms of learning

(37:25):
to achieve all the sounds thatare possible from a pick with a
flat top guitar and to get thesound you want consistently.
And nice gear doesn't hurteither.
It's not hard to research thegear of your heroes or anyone
and figure out what's going tosound good.
But I feel like I sound likemyself on any instrument I play

(37:49):
and I think that mostly comesfrom really focusing on having a
clear picture of the sound inmy head, even away from the
instrument, Once you've done thepractice and technical work
necessary to make things feeleasy, then having a clear
picture in your head can kind ofmake the sound feel inevitable,

(38:11):
regardless of what instrumentyou're playing.
You know it's not going to benews to anyone, I think, but for
a flat top acoustic guitar noone gets tone like Tony Rice to
me.
Tony was really able to get adelicate and complex and
extremely varied range of soundsfrom the guitar that were

(38:36):
always carefully chosen to suitthe situation he was in, chosen
to suit the situation he was inand it was like really the most
nuanced, complex, respectfulapproach to bluegrass guitar

(38:58):
that I can really think of.
That I'm aware of.
So I'm going to suggest thatlisteners, guitar players, try
spending some of their practicetime with earplugs in.
This sounds a littleantithetical maybe to working on
tone, but hear me out.
I think a lot of where playersget lost in tone for acoustic
guitar is in making their worldreally small, making their world

(39:20):
the size of the guitar, andgetting really distracted by
controlling all the little pick,clicks and scrapes and noises
that happen when you're playingthe guitar and those are
important to control and thoseare part of the tone, of course,
but that's not really where themeat of the tone is.
So the idea is to try to putyourself in a headspace, like

(39:43):
you're playing out to a crowd orin a larger space or situation
where you're going to have toproject and get more of that big
part of the tone and that sound.
So I find that spending part ofmy time with earplugs in when
I'm practicing really helps meto not get caught up in the

(40:05):
little sounds and get past thata lot quicker and get into being
able to manipulate the soundand relate it to the sound
that's in my head, that reallybeautiful, clear sound.
Hopefully that is in my head.

Nick Grizzle (40:20):
Let's listen to blues and surf guitarist Pete
Madsen's demonstration on howpicking hand placement affects
your tone.

Pete Madsen (40:27):
Thinking about tone , one of the players I really
respect and admire was JohnFahey and his way he got his
tone, which I believe he usedfinger picks throughout his life
.
And since I don't use fingerpicks, I use a thumb pick I have
to try to sort of duplicatethat sound, which is to me is a

(40:47):
very stark sound, and to achievethat in some pieces, especially
a slower piece, something likeChrist in Christ there's no East
or West I would pick down bythe bridge more.
You should get a much more of astark, crisp sound there.

(41:12):
I'm using a a combination ofpicking fingers for that and,
like I say, since I don't usefinger picks, it's hard for me
to get that crisp, stark kind ofsound.
So I have to pick back by thebridge a bit.

(41:36):
Of course you can alter yourhand.
Your right hand to me is yourtone knob, as it were, and if
you just shift everythingforward Now I'm picking over the
sand hole I get a much mellowersound, warm, mellow sound.
So I think guitarists reallyneed to keep that in mind.

(41:59):
You shouldn't just be pickingin one area.
There's not a one-size-fits-allpicking location.
Whether you're using fingerpicks or not, using finger picks
, nails, what have you?
You're going to get definitelya different sound by the bridge,
by the sound hole and up by theneck by the neck.

Nick Grizzle (42:29):
Here's Ray Zaragoza, a singer-songwriter
who noticed her tone shiftingand evolving as her guitar
techniques developed.

Raye Zaragoza (42:32):
Hi, I'm Ray Zaragoza and I'm so excited to
chat with the Acoustic GuitarPodcast about my relationship to
my guitar, and so my idealguitar sound would definitely be
really bassy and low and full.
I love a guitar that feels likeit's also a bass, and you know,
when I play, I usually amplaying solo or in a small duo,

(42:55):
and so there's rarely a bass orpercussive element, and so I
really like to have a guitarthat feels like it's also a drum
, it's also a bass, and so Ireally like to have a guitar
that feels like it's also a drum, it's also a bass, and so I
really love that full, low soundand a sound that really fills
up a room and has a really warmquality to it.
I definitely think that youknow, the tone of a guitar is so

(43:18):
different based on who'splaying the guitar, and it's not
just about gear, but it's alsoabout who's playing it and like
the hands behind it, and for me,I definitely am someone who
really loves to finger pick.
I love, love to finger pick.
I used to honestly never playwith a pick Even if I was
strumming, I would just playwith my finger, and so I really

(43:40):
feel like that shaped my tone.
When I first was playing I hada very kind of delicate and warm
tone, but then, as I'vedeveloped my skill and gotten
really comfortable with a pickand I love playing with a pick
now and it's a lot easier to dopercussive things on a guitar
with a pick I feel like it'sreally changed the tone of my
guitar playing because of thetechniques I've used.
So I definitely think that toneis in your hands and tone is in

(44:03):
the way that you play theguitar and whether you are using
different techniques, whetherit's finger picking or strumming
or using percussion with yourhands or whatnot.
Definitely I really admireTommy Manuel and Anita Franco's
tone and their relationshipswith their guitars.
They are so amazing at using aguitar as a percussive

(44:26):
instrument and that's somethingthat I like to do with my music
as well that I'm trying to learnhow to do, and I'm so inspired
by them.
So those are two artists that Idefinitely admire so much.
And I guess an experiment that Ilove to do with guitar is
multitasking.
I love to play guitar and watchTV.

(44:47):
I love to play guitar andmeditate, or play guitar and
have conversations, which noteveryone is down for that's
something that has reallydeveloped my skill and my tone,
because when you're on stagesometimes you know there's so
many distractions and if you areable to play guitar through all

(45:08):
the distractions it strengthensyour skill and also strengthens
your relationship to yourinstrument.
And so, yeah, those are some ofmy tips and tricks with the
guitar and you know I reallyjust love my guitar.
I don't usually like playingother people's guitars or
playing guitar that I'm not veryfamiliar with.

(45:29):
That's kind of a nightmare forme.
I've had times where I'veforgotten my guitar and had to
play a different guitar and Ireally feel like it affected my
relationship to the performanceand to my songs.
So, yeah, it's all about thatrelationship to your guitar and
developing it and, you know,just really becoming one with
your instrument.

Nick Grizzle (45:50):
Jazz guitarist Lisa Liu explores how her tone
is informed by the feelingbehind the playing as much as
the technique.

Lisa Liu (45:57):
My ideal guitar tone is when I feel really connected
to the instrument and it feelslike the guitar is playing
itself.
I think a lot of factors gointo shaping tone.
It's how first the guitarsounds, how it resonates.

(46:17):
Does it have a fast attack?
Does it resonate for a longtime?
Is the intonation really great?
And depending on that, I willadjust my playing and I'll try
to dig in harder and see how theguitar responds to that or play
more tenderly.
I want a guitar that can reallyhandle that dynamic range.

(46:43):
Mimi Fox and Martin Taylor areguitars that I admire for tone.
I think that both of them canreally play very hard and fast
and also very soft and tenderlyand everything in between, and
it's the emotional contentbehind what they play, behind

(47:05):
each note, that also reallyreally grasps me as well.
I recommend that peoplepractice things slowly and
softly.
You know, I think my naturalinclination is to play fast and
loud, but if you can really slowthings down and play them as

(47:26):
softly as possible, you'll seewhere that dynamic range starts
to come into focus.
And you know, for instance, tryto play a G major scale and
start very softly and thencrescendo and play really loud
and hard and then, as you'redescending back down the scale,

(47:47):
try to come back to that samevolume that you started out,
very slowly and softly as well,and you'll really start to
discover that dynamic rangewithin yourself, in your hands,
but also what the guitar iscapable of doing too.

Nick Grizzle (48:07):
Next, folk singer-songwriter Sarah McQuaid
explains and demonstrates howshe approaches the notes she
picks on guitar from avocalist's point of view.

Sarah McQuaid (48:17):
Thanks so much to Acoustic Guitar Magazine for
inviting me to be part of thispodcast.
As so many of the contributorsto the original magazine article
pointed out, tone is a deeplypersonal thing.
Some guitarists like to go fora really sharp, thin, jangly
sound, while others aim for onethat's more rich and woody and
mellow.
I'm a big admirer of PierreBensisane and in his guitar book

(48:41):
he advises that the best toneis achieved by using the pads of
your right hand thumb andfingers in combination with the
nail to get a nicely rounded,balanced sound.
I do like to use a thumb pickmyself to give a little bit of
extra tack and emphasis to thenotes I pick with my thumb, but
I keep my fingernails at alittle bit of extra tack and
emphasis to the notes I pickwith my thumb.
But I keep my fingernails at alittle under three millimeters

(49:03):
long so that a bit of the fingerpad makes contact with the
string as well as the nail.
And I try to eat a reallyhealthy diet with lots of
calcium in it to keep my nailsstrong so they don't split or
break.
Also, like Pierre-Ben Suzanne,I use the dadgad tuning, which
helps to add a lot ofsympathetic resonance to the
notes I'm playing and that alsomakes for a bigger, fuller,

(49:25):
richer tone.
Left-hand technique is alsoincredibly important.
You want to be fretting thestring solidly, with a nice even
pressure that falls midwaybetween the frets so that you
don't get any buzzes and so thatyou're actually playing every
note.
My aim is always to make theguitar sing, to give the same
level of expression to each noteI play that I'd be giving to

(49:49):
that note if I were singing it.
And to achieve that end, I findthat a really good exercise is
to play a melody on the guitarin unison with my voice as I'm
singing it.
Here's a very brief example.
Every bush and every bower,every tree and every flower

(50:23):
Reminds me of my Mary On thebanks of the Lee.

Nick Grizzle (50:43):
Here's fingerstyle guitarist Tim Birch reflecting
on the search for his uniquetone.

Tim Bertsch (50:47):
An old friend once told me every guitar has its
song.
I also believe every guitar hasits optimum string and pick,
match.
Find the right strings for theright guitar, including creating
hybrid sets that aren'tavailable.
Got an unwound third, it'sworth going down the rabbit hole
and trying strings you willultimately replace after 30
minutes.
My 1965 Gibson J45 was always achallenge to find balance

(51:10):
between highs and lows.
A few years back at NAMM Idiscovered the Martin guitars
clapped in signature strings.
They're absolutely magical onthe Gibson and I have found no
equal.
My nearly 100-year-old WashburnParlor guitar sounds best with
silk and steels.
My breed love loves DR strings.
My checklist when I receive anew acoustic guitar includes

(51:31):
removing the nut to lower it forbetter intonation, as well as
evaluating the nut and saddlematerial.
I've always been a fan of bonewith its direct, crisp transfer
of sound, almost like a maplefingerboard.
I've also thoughtfully planedbraces inside some of my
favorite acoustic guitars togive them more life.

(51:52):
For my harp guitars, carefullycutting a line between my
fretting and sub-bass strings onthe bridge plate made all the
difference in the world when itcame to amplifying separation
and transference of frequencies.
I've also found thattranscribing melodies from
different instruments such asmandolin, sitar, banjo,
vibraphone and piano, and evenhorns for example John Coltrane
and Miles Davis has enlightenedme to the need for different

(52:12):
attacks on notes and nuancessuch as ghost notes I had not
previously realized.
On the guitar, experiment withdifferent picking materials and
the pressure and grip on thepick itself, having started
playing 41 years ago with verylight picks, I eventually found
myself drawn to the DunlopStubby 3mm.
Although I've used this pickfor years, I'm finding

(52:34):
inspiration for new songs withdifferent pick materials, such
as my gypsy bone pick, one madefrom horn material and even a
pick made from a coconut shellgiven to me from a student years
back All extreme gain changerson the acoustic guitar.
I also use my thumbnail and thefleshy part of my index, middle
and ring finger to have optionsin color and tone on

(52:54):
compositions which need morebite and warmth.
Experimenting with differentpicking positions on the guitar,
such as by the bridge or overthe sound hole, or even as far
up as the 12th fret, can begreat sources of inspiration as
well.
I've also found I can create asofter dynamic by placing my
hand in front of the sound holewhile I'm picking.

(53:16):
The search for my individualsignature tone has been a
lifelong journey, one that hasrequired me to keep an open mind
, leading to frequent revisionsin my acoustic setup throughout
the years.
As both a guitarist and harpguitarist, my ideal performance
environment would be unplugged,size and venue permitting, of
course.
Due to the endless variablesinvolved in electrifying an

(53:36):
acoustic guitar, I'mspecifically speaking of the
unplugged tonal aspects of theguitar.
That being said, I'm a huge fanof passive transducer-style
pickups attached to the innersoundboard.
While many players preferundersaddle pickups,
particularly for their no-frillsplug-in-and-play capabilities,
I'm a huge fan of K&Ktransducers in particular and

(53:57):
find them to be more of anatural representation of most
guitars' unplugged sound.
I typically begin working on mytone as a solo player before
venturing into the variablesthat can occur while performing
with multiple guitars andinstruments.
The sounds I had once approvedof eventually ceased to meet my
standards, especially as I beganexploring multiple genres and
different ensembleconfigurations encountered.

(54:19):
Working as a professionalmusician, it is often necessary
to make last-minute adjustmentsto allow for complementary
musical soundscape whileperforming with others in a live
setting.
My present go-to goldenstandard sound that works for me
as a soloist can often conflictin a mix with other musicians,
depending on their instruments,the material they're constructed
of and, ultimately, their colorand timbre.

(54:40):
It's because of this that Ioften bring several guitars to a
show, as conflicting andnon-complementary frequencies
are often discovered at the lastminute during sound checks.
It is also quite helpful tolisten to other guitarists while
you're on your musical path.
As far as contemporary playerstone, who I admire, path as far

(55:00):
as contemporary players' tone,who I admire, it is Alex
Degrassi who stands out the most, in my opinion.
I've had the pleasure ofattending several of Alex's
shows over the years and reallyresonate with his articulate,
full-range tone.
His signature sound was evidentto me from my first experience
in seeing him live.
I most recently had thepleasure of catching one of
Alex's performances for theAmerican Guild of Lutheruthri
convention held in Tacoma,washington.

(55:21):
Alex demoed at least a dozen ormore guitars and it was very
clear to me that his signaturesound came through no matter
what guitar he was playing.
Supporting my philosophy that aplayer's tone mostly comes from
their hands and is regulated bytheir ears, it is vital to have
an instrument that allows forthe desired facilitation of your
expression.
However you arrive at yourparticular gold at the end of

(55:43):
the rainbow tone, figurativelyspeaking, you will undoubtedly
make many discoveries and willhave grown as a musician during
your journey.

Nick Grizzle (55:51):
And here's fingerstyle composer and
educator Amber Russell'sthoughts on tone.

Amber Russell (55:55):
I would probably factor in my acrylic nails.
They are smooth and round.
It helps with playing without apick.
I don't think they're necessaryto provide quality tone for
everyone.
Artists like Alan Google hedoesn't have nails and he has

(56:16):
excellent tone and his harmonicsare immaculate.
I also feel like my stringsmatter.
I use elixir strings and youknow I don't like having that
zip, zip sound from a lot ofsteel strings and having the
coating on the elixir stringsreally helps avoid some of the
unwanted noise, helps avoid someof the unwanted noise.

(56:44):
The thing I think that shapestone I would say an unpopular
opinion the quality of theguitar.
I have a really nice guitar andI wrote songs on a not as nice
guitar originally and I don'tknow I can really feel a
difference.
And when it comes to recording,having a really nice quality
instrument really brings out alot of the notes and the energy

(57:08):
I'm trying to produce with themusic.
I also like, for me personally,having heavier gauge strings.
I like having strong bass linesand having I don't know, just a
lot of depth to the sound.
Some guitarists who have reallygreat tone in my opinion, one is
peter chalucci.

(57:28):
Uh, if you've listened to anyof his music, it's really even
just watching him play it's.
It's very soft and dynamic andhe, he, I don't know it's really
nice to listen to.
Another one would be AntoineDefoe.
I'm a huge fan of his.
I've always thoroughly enjoyedhis music and, knowing he these

(57:50):
days does a lot of audioengineering, it makes sense.
An exercise I would recommendto enhance tone would definitely
be practicing dynamic.
I think doing something steadyand like bringing in very soft
sounding notes and then alsoknowing how to do some louder,

(58:11):
more aggressive things withoutbeing too aggressive or too
abusive to the strings.
I think something like thatcould help people find their
place with tone.

Nick Grizzle (58:25):
The Acoustic Guitar Podcast is brought to you
by the team at Acoustic GuitarMagazine.
I'm your host, nick Grizzle.
The Acoustic Guitar Podcast isdirected and edited by Joey
Lusterman.
Tanya Gonzalez is our producer.
Executive producers are LyzyLusterman and Stephanie
Campos-DAlbroi.
Our intro music for thisepisode was the prelude from
Bach's Cello Suite no 1,performed by Sean McGowan.

(58:47):
If you enjoy this podcast andwant to support us, visit our
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As a supporter, you'll haveaccess to exclusive bonus
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As always, we thank you so muchfor your support.