Acoustic Style Guitar Course: Level 2
In Acoustic Style Level 2 we’ll pick up the pace on our fingerpicking. We’ll explore a powerful tool; the capo, which allows you to play in any key. You’ll learn more embellishments on simple campfire chords and we’ll dive into open tunings. There’s a lot to get to in order to master the acoustic guitar, so let’s go learn how to play guitar acoustic style!
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Chapter: 1: Fingerpicking Up The Pace
In this chapter you’ll learn advanced picking techniques such as hybrid picking, clawhammer style, advanced Travis Picking and fingerpicking in ¾ time.
Anders will show you how to take your Travis Picking skills to the next level with one of the most classic patterns you'll ever learn.
Published: 04/14/2020Anders with show you one of his favorite ways of strumming on an acoustic guitar, which is often referred by the term that banjo players use called "clawhammer" because you alternate between "clawing" the strings on the upstrokes and lightly hammering them on the downstrokes.
Published: 04/14/2020Now that you have a whole bunch of left and right hand tools under your belt, it's time to test your strength with a full on Travis Picking Practice Tune.
Published: 04/14/2020Anders will show you the basics of the technique called hybrid picking.
Published: 04/14/2020Anders will show you how to start out with the most basic pattern of 3/4 time and then we'll build upon that until we end up with quite a few tools to draw from, whenever you run into a song that has this rhythmic feel.
Published: 04/14/2020Anders will put together a practice tune with a strong Travis picking country vibe using the skills and ideas in this chapter: Travis picking, clawhammer, hybrid picking.
Published: 04/14/2020Chapter: 2: Gear, Equipment and Tone
Let's take a look at some acoustic guitar gear. We'll teach you all about the capo, various right hand accessories, how to properly amplify an acoustic guitar and recording techniques to make your acoustic sound amazing.
Anders will discuss and demonstrate how to use the capo to change the key of your open chords, how to use a combination of your capo and transposing to play the same chord progression in a higher register and how to use that trick to come up with a complimentary part for when you're lucky enough to play with another guitar player.
Published: 04/14/2020Anders will discuss and demonstrate the basics of finding a flatpick that's right for you, and we'll also talk about some of the more alternative tools that people use like metal finger picks as well as both real and fake finger nails. He'll also demonstrate a classic tool called a thumb pick which is quite popular for certain styles of acoustic guitar playing.
Published: 04/14/2020Anders will discuss and demonstrate common ways to amplify an acoustic guitar for live performance settings.
Published: 04/14/2020Anders will discuss and demonstrate equipment and techniques for recording acoustic guitar.
Published: 04/14/2020Anders discusses and demonstrates different types acoustic guitars. In this tutorial we'll look at some of the most common types of acoustic guitars: dreadnought, nylon string, parlour guitar, resonator and archtop.
Published: 04/14/2020Chapter: 3: Killin' It At The Campfire
In this chapter you’ll learn the importance of dynamics and palm muting, advanced arpeggiation, with additional guitar chord embellishments and strumming patterns.
Anders will discuss and demonstrate how to strum with a swing feel, both for 8th and 16th note based strumming patterns. This may seem deceptively simple at first, but behind the basic mechanics there's a whole world of personal expression and important musicianship to be explored.
Published: 04/14/2020Anders will show you how to take hammer-on embellishments to the next level.
Published: 04/14/2020Anders returns to the technique of arpeggiating but in a different way which is really more of a overall approach than a specific part or pattern. It's a concept that is widely used and can incorporated in many different styles.
Published: 04/14/2020Anders will discuss the classic fretted power chords, but we'll also explore the more bluegrass-sounding open power chords that are particularly cool on acoustic guitar.
Published: 04/14/2020Anders will demonstrate how to take your palm muting to the next level by incorporating all the skills learned so far in the course.
Published: 04/14/2020Anders will demonstrate the concept of dynamics. It's an all-important tool for distinguishing the different sections of a song and making your playing more musical.
Published: 04/14/2020Chapter: 4: Open Tunings
Different tunings can sound great on an acoustic guitar. Learn the ins and outs of the most common alternate tunings including drop D, open D, DADGAD, classic open G and others. Be sure to open the guitar tuner!
Anders will introduce the concept of alternate tunings starting with drop D tuning as well as the lesser known double drop D.
Published: 04/14/2020Anders will explore a classic variation on the open D tuning, which is known as DADGAD referring to the names of the open strings D A D G A D.
Published: 04/14/2020Anders will show you a handful of wild card tunings including: various single string tuning, open minor tuning, Nashville Tuning.
Published: 04/14/2020Chapter: 5: Stripping It All Down
With acoustic guitar you'll likely be playing along with a singer, so let's talk about accompanyment. Here we will show you how to fill between phrases, how to fill with your fingers, how to play with another guitarist and much more.
Anders will start in the simple end of the spectrum and explore how little we can get away with when accompanying a singer completely by ourselves.
Published: 04/14/2020Anders will explore some useful and fun ways to add embellishments and fills in between the vocal phrases using a pick. These tools can also be used for instrumental sections like intros, outros and solo sections, and it's really fun to explore the gray are between rhythm and lead playing.
Published: 04/14/2020Anders will explore the different tricks and techniques you can use to fill in the space between vocal phrases when you're fingerpicking.
Published: 04/14/2020Anders will explore how to double a guitar part for extra emphasis or use your knowledge of voicings, chord licks and capos to come up with complimentary guitar parts.
Published: 04/14/2020Anders will show you how to apply the skills in this chapter to a fun practice tune with a groovy 16th note feel.
Published: 04/14/2020Chapter: 6: Fingerpicking Paradise
Finalize your fingerstyle knowledge in the last chapter in Acoustic Style Level 2. You’ll learn how to play with a swing feel, to make open string melodies, harmonics, jazzy voicings and more.
Anders will show you how to use a thumb pick to take your Travis picking technique to a new level.
Published: 04/14/2020Anders will show you a classic and useful way to play melodies on an acoustic guitar, which uses a combination of open strings and fretted notes to create a piano-like sustain between the notes. This can be a bit confusing to wrap your head around at first, but it's a really cool sound and something you encounter quite frequently when you're learning classic instrumental guitar arrangements in this style.
Published: 04/14/2020Anders will break down, practice and ultimately play through a slightly more advanced instrumental guitar arrangement of a melody written to include a lot of classic sounding tension notes.
Published: 04/14/2020Anders will show you how to use natural harmonics to play triads, scale patterns and an interesting and somewhat harp-like sound.
Published: 04/14/2020Anders will show you some of the more jazzy chord voicings that often come in handy, when you want to play instrumental versions of classic songs. This is where country and blues really start to overlap with jazz, and the result is a beautiful and classic sound which is a ton of fun to play.
Published: 04/14/2020Anders will break down, practice and play through one final practice tune that incorporates most of the techniques taught in this chapter. This will include the swing feel, open string licks, tension notes, a few harmonics and some of the jazzy chord voicings. It's a fun tune for using a thumb pick, but it is completely possible to play the arrangement without one as well.
Published: 04/14/2020Frequently Asked Questions
The 3 to 1 rule suggests focusing on playing correctly three times for every one mistake you make during practice. It’s a way to reinforce good habits and improve your muscle memory while minimizing errors.
Yes, 30 minutes a day is enough to see steady progress, especially if you focus on specific skills or songs. Consistency is more important than long sessions, so stick with it!
Not necessarily, but it can feel tough for beginners because of the thicker strings and higher action (the distance between strings and fretboard). Once you get used to it, though, it’s a joy to play.
Practice regularly, focus on clean chord transitions, and work on your rhythm. Experiment with fingerpicking and strumming patterns to make your playing more versatile and dynamic.
It might be because of high action, stiff strings, or even the guitar’s setup. Consider getting your guitar professionally adjusted or switching to lighter strings for easier playability.
Start slow with simple exercises to build accuracy and speed. Practice alternate picking, scales, and patterns, and make sure to relax your hand to keep the motion fluid.
You can get “decent” in about 3-6 months with regular practice, meaning you’ll be able to play basic songs and switch between chords smoothly. Becoming truly skilled takes more time, but it’s a rewarding journey.
Complex fingerstyle pieces or songs with intricate chord shapes can be really challenging. Some advanced players also struggle with fast strumming or alternate tunings if they’re not familiar with them.
Use the thumb for the bass strings (E, A, D) and your index, middle, and ring fingers for the higher strings (G, B, E). Start with simple patterns, go slow, and focus on keeping your hand relaxed and your movements precise.
Fingerpicking is often harder for beginners because it requires more coordination and independence of fingers. Strumming feels more intuitive, but both get easier with practice!