The Basics
The Basics features early-intermediate lessons of all styles. These lessons are for everyone, whether you're discovering a new technique or coming back to brush up on something you already know.

The most current lesson is featured at the top; scroll down for earlier issues.

February 2012: Accuracy and Tone for Slide Guitar Get started on slide guitar with these simple note-targeting exercises. With video and tab.

January 2012: Blues String-Bending Lesson Learn to bend strings so you can make your solos sing in the style of Albert King, Eric Clapton, and Duane Allman. With video and tab.

December 2011: Travis Picking in 3/4 Time Adapt 4/4 alternating-bass fingerpicking patterns for waltz time. With video and tab.

December 2011: Delta Blues Lesson Play bluesy riffs on top of a monotonic bass for a classic Delta sound. With video and tab.

November 2011: Blues Shuffle Lesson Learn to play the Chicago-style shuffle rhythm commonly heard in blues music. With video and tab.

October 2011: The Blues Scale and Simple Lead Licks Use the notes of the blues scale to create repeating riffs in your blues solos. With video and tab.

September 2011: Eight-Bar Blues Patterns Learn to play the blues over these shorter-than-usual progressions. With video and tab.

July 2011: Basic Bluegrass Soloing Lesson Eric Thompson explains how to move from Carter-style leads to bluegrass and how to get a powerful flatpicking tone. With video and tab.

June 2011: Deconstructing Sus Chords Lesson Learn the easy music theory behind chord suspension and resolution. With video and tab.

May 2011: Ten Must-Know Blues Riffs Enhance your blues rhythm playing by using riffs instead of chords. With video and tab.

February 2011: Alternate Tunings in Acoustic Rock Learn how bands like Led Zeppelin and Fleetwood Mac adapted alternate tunings from folk and blues styles for their acoustic rock hits. With video and tab.

January 2011: Percussive Rhythm Techniques Use scratch rhythms, fret-hand tapping, and percussive slapping to add energy to your guitar playing. With video and tab.

December 2010: Open-String Chords. Learn how classic artists use movable chord shapes to maximize the use of open strings in song accompaniment. With video and tab.

November 2010: Play Leads with Major Scales Western music’s most popular scale provides a foundation for all your lead lines and solos. With video and tab.

October 2010: Single-Note Riffs and Backup Learn how to to create unique melodies and accompany your songs with single-note patterns and riffs. With video and tab.

September 2010: Alternating-Bass Fingerpicking Learn to play versatile accompaniment by training your picking-hand thumb and fingers to work independently. With video and tab.

August 2010: Soloing with Pentatonic Scales Give your scales a bluesy sound by using the minor pentatonic scale, or a southern-rock sound by using the major pentatonic scale. With video and tab.

July 2010: Creating Chordal Riffs Learn how to play classic riffs by deconstructing chords and progressions. With video and tab.

June 2010: Slash Chords Add bass notes to common chord shapes to improve your chord progressions, and capture the classic sounds of Cat Stevens, Eric Clapton, and the Eagles. With video and tab.

May 2010: Learn to Play Sus Chords Learn how to add texture and movement to songs by applying simple embellishments to chords you already know. With video and tab.

April 2010: Barre Chords Lesson Expand your chord vocabulary by playing barre-chord forms based on familiar E- and A-chord shapes. With audio and tab.

March 2010: The Fundamentals of Time Learn how to focus your practice on time and rhythm, and why these concepts are so important for musicians. With video and tab.

January 2010: Dominant Seventh Chords Lesson Explore the sounds and possibilities of the expressive (and important) dominant seventh chord. With audio and tab.

December 2009: Partial Chord Shapes Lesson Pare down guitar chord shapes you know for great-sounding results (that are often easier to play). With audio.

November 2009: Blues Forms Lesson Learn the common chord progressions that drive most blues guitar songs. With audio.

October 2009: Cuban Son Guitar Lesson Explore the roots of salsa music with this Caribbean folk style. With audio.

September 2009: Fretting-Hand Finger Placement Use (or bend!) these simple rules when deciding how best to fret unfamiliar chords. With audio.

August 2009: Pentatonic Scales Lesson Learn to express yourself with easy five-note major- and minor-pentatonic scale patterns. With audio.

July 2009: Singing While Playing Lesson Learn to put your guitar and voice together to play and sing your favorite songs. With audio.

June 2009: 4/4 Rhythm Patterns Lesson Learn to wield the shuffle, boom-chuck, Bo Diddley beat, and other classic rhythm figures in 4/4 time. With audio.

May 2009: Major-Scales Lesson Learn how to play and craft melodies from Western music's most popular scale. With audio.

April 2009: Chord Symbols Lesson Learn to read (and play) the various chord symbols you're likely to find in guitar music. With video.

March 2009: Build a Guitar Warm-Up Routine Learn how to stay loose and avoid injury by developing an acoustic guitar warm-up routine for your fingers. With video.

February 2009: Dropped-D Tuning Lesson Learn the art of dropped-D tuning to extend your bass range while preserving your hard-earned knowledge of standard tuning. With audio.

January 2009: Sus and Add Chords Lesson Create exciting new sounds by making slight alterations to standard major and minor chords. With audio.

December 2008: Bossa Nova Lesson Learn the basic elements of Brazilian bossa nova guitar playing. With audio.

November 2008: Guitar Soloing—One Note at a Time Start soloing by learning the sound of each note in context. With audio.

October 2008: Minor Keys Lesson Explore the melancholy side of music with this guide to the minor scale. With video.

September 2008: Diatonic Chords Lesson Create simple, sensible progressions using diatonic chords. With audio.

August 2008: Slash Chords Lesson Create moving bass lines and drones on the acoustic guitar by using slash chords to indicate bass notes. With audio.

July 2008: Basic Song Forms A songwriting lesson that explores the building blocks from which great songs are made. With audio.

June 2008: Tackling Difficult Chords A simple guide to forming tough guitar chord shapes. With audio examples.

May 2008: Get the Bends Lesson Use this handy guide on bending guitar strings to add bluesy expression to your acoustic guitar playing. With audio examples.

April 2008: A Lesson in Connecting Chords with Flair Beef up your rhythm guitar playing with riffs and bass lines between the chord changes. With audio examples.

March 2008: The C-A-G-E-D System Bust your way into this handy system and lock in your fretboard knowledge. With audio examples.

February 2008: Introduction to Ragtime Guitar Trace the blues back to its roots with this classic, piano-like style. With audio examples.

January 2008: The Art of the Classical Arpeggio Increase your sensitivity to the guitar by studying the arpeggio techniques of classical players. With Aguado's 'Study No. 19.' With audio examples.

December 2007: Harness the Power of Your Pick Does flatpicking have you flummoxed? Learn to pick with confidence. With music to 'String Chimes.' With audio examples

November 2007: All About Jazz Chords Add swing to your rhythm playing with jazz chords. With music to 'Avalon.' With audio examples.

October 2007: Intro to D A D G A D Alternate Tuning Learn your way around one of the need-to-know alternate tunings with these easy chord shapes and essential scales. With audio examples.

September 2007: Theme and Melodic Variations Learn seven ways to expand one short melody into a complete composition or arrangement. With music to 'Variations on 'Lacrimosa' from Mozart's Requiem.'

August 2007: Pick Up Speed Are your hands slowing you down? Use this lesson to identify your strengths and correct your weaknesses, and you’ll set new limits in no time. With music to 'New River Train.'

July 2007: Straighten Out Your Strumming Do strum patterns leave you wondering which way is up? Just start with a steady strum, then learn how to modify that to get the perfect rhythm for a song.

June 2007: Pinky Power Get your little finger into shape with these easy (and cool-sounding) licks.

May 2007: The Art of the Blues Turnaround These simple twists on the classic turnaround will give your playing the irresistible swagger of the great blues masters.

April 2007: Augment Your Chord Knowledge Augmented and diminished chords aren't as mysterious as you might think. They'll spice up your music—and this lesson will show you how.

March 2007: The ABCs of Fingerpicking Get started playing fingerstyle guitar with this easy guide. With music to 'Greenland Whale Fisheries.'

February 2007: Let Your Fingers Do the Walking Add some swing and sass to your fingerstyle blues by learning to play “walking bass” lines.

January 2007: Intro to Slide Guitar Explore the funky, 'vocal' sound of barrelhouse-blues guitar by wrapping a bottleneck around your finger and sliding into your notes.

December 2006: Cook Up Some Chord Melody Use your guitar as a one-man band, playing the melody, bass, and chordal harmony all at once.

November 2006: Sixth Sense Simple two-note chords, called sixths, can dress up a melody, add tasty accompaniment to a song, and generally add an appealing texture to your playing.

October 2006: Read Tablature Intelligently Make your tab reading more efficient—and you playing more enjoyable—by learning to see groups and phrases, as you would in standard notation.

September 2006: Harmonize Your Bass Lines Combining bass lines with harmonies based on intervals of thirds is a splendid—and surprisingly easy—way to add some spice to your playing.

August 2006: Transposing Made Easy The ability to change keys so you can play or sing a piece more readily is one of the most useful skills in a guitarist's trick bag—and, with the help of this handy guide, it's a lot easier than you may think.

July 2006: The Guitar as Dulcimer While playing a melody on the bass strings, use your guitar's open strings to recreate the rhythmic drive and haunting drone of a dulcimer, giving your arrangement a fuller sound. By Ron Forbes-Roberts. with music to 'Black Is the Color'

June 2006: Slurs—Hammer-ons and Pull-offs Especially useful in folk songs, this simple technique—in which you play two or more notes with a single string pluck—is relatively easy to learn and will add a nice flair to your playing. By Ron Forbes-Roberts. with words and music to 'The Cuckoo'

May 2006: Swing Rhythm Guitar Learn to swing with just six simple, movable chords.

April 2006: Bluegrass Bass Runs Help drive your bluegrass band with some well-placed bass runs. Includes music to 'Greenback Dollar'

March 2006: Open-String Blues Add open strings to the pentatonic scale

February 2006: Harmonize a Melody Add color to your melodic lines by harmonizing them with chord or scale tones a third or sixth below the melody. With words and music to 'The Yellow Rose of Texas'

January 2006: Sustained-Note Chords Create exciting new chords by simply holding onto a note or two when you change from one chord to another. By David Hodge With instructions on how to play Green Day's 'Time of Your Life'

December 2005: Monotonic Bass Fingerpicking Accompany your blues licks with a thumping one-note bass.

November 2005: Crosspicking Pop Songs Use simple crosspicking techniques to create full, driving acompaniments to pop tunes, country songs, or any other song you can think of.

October 2005: Rhythms in Three Get comfortable playing rhythm in 3/4, 6/8, and 12/8, and you'll open up a whole new world of songs to add to your repertoire.

September 2005: Step Up to the Barre Play any major, minor, or seventh chord in any key with barre chords.

August 2005: Embellishing Cowboy Chords Create countless easy and cool patterns by adding hammer-ons and pull-offs to first-position chords.

June 2005: Movable Open-String Chords AG's music editor shows you how to turn simple chord patterns integrating open strings into magic bullets you can fire from across the fretboard.

May 2005: Alternate Tunings Made Easy David Hodge explains alternate tunings from the ground up. With words and music to ''Handsome Molly.''

April 2005: Do the Shuffle Chris Grampp gives an easy introduction to one of the most popular rhythms of all time.

March 2005: All-Purpose Rhythm Guitar A few rhythm techniques useful in a wide variety of playing styles and situations.

February 2005: Creating Chord Progressions Coming up with your own chord progressions with basic chords.

January 2005: Understanding Modes A primer in learning and playing in seven different modes.

December 2004: Blues Lead Phrasing Building licks from a few essential notes.

November 2004: Fingerstyle for Flatpickers An introductory fingerpicking lesson using blues progressions and walking bass lines.

October 2004: Movable Minor Chords Learn to play movable minor chord shapes up and down the neck.

September 2004: Chords and Melodies up the neck A lesson in how to play ''up the neck.'' Includes music to the song ''Forked Deer.''

---

---

Got a question for Acoustic Guitar's editors? Please send us an email at editors.ag@StringLetter.com or snail-mail Acoustic Guitar Editorial, PO Box 767, San Anselmo, CA 94979. We regularly print reader letters in our Mail column and reader questions and tips in Q&A.

---