Learn to Strum and Sing Fats Wallers’ Classic “Ain’t Misbehavin’”
Penned in collaboration with composer Harry Brooks and lyricist Andy Razaf, the song made its debut in 1929 and was an instant sensation.
How to Play Simon and Garfunkel’s Bossa Nova–Inspired Ballad “So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright”
The guitar part is challenging yet satisfying to learn, full of unusual changes and rich voicings.
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Play Jimmie Rodgers’ Bluesy Hit “Waiting for a Train”
“Waiting for a Train” first became a hit in 1929. Here, we’re keeping it simple and playing in C—an easy key for open-position cowboy chords.
Learn “Michael, Row Your Boat Ashore” a Traditional Spiritual That’s Perfect for Playing with Others
“Michael” uses a four-chord progression, arranged here in D (D, F#m, G, A7).
How to Play Lisa Loeb’s Enduring Pop-Folk Hit “Stay (I Missed You)”
First released in 1994 with the movie ‘Reality Bites,’ “Stay” is in the long lineage of breakup songs, but in many respects is far from a conventional pop song.
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“Little Joe the Wrangler”—Learn Dom Flemons’ Fresh Take on a Classic Cowboy Ballad
The transcription here is based on the version Flemons recorded for his 2018 album ‘Black Cowboys,’ which highlights the African American experience in country music.
Learn to Play Gillian Welch and David Rawlings’ Powerful New Folk Rocker “Empty Trainload of Sky”
As with all of the duo’s songs, the basic ingredients of “Empty Trainload of Sky” are dead simple, with just two sections and four chords.
Learn Cole Porter’s Slightly Silly Show Tune “Let’s Do It, Let’s Fall in Love”
Compared to some of the songs we’ve covered in this series, this is a fairly adventurous arrangement using quite a few chords.
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Play Kacey Musgraves’ Dreamy Ballad “Too Good to Be True”
This intimate song is built on layers of acoustic guitar, with fingerstyle parts that are so closely entwined it’s often hard to pick out the individual instruments.
Learn to Play the Doobie Brothers’ Roots Rock Anthem “Black Water”
This mellow 1974 tune features an acoustic solo that requires a bit of dexterity and finesse to play convincingly.
Learn to Play Bob Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me, Babe” | Patreon Song of the Month
Learn to play “It Ain’t Me, Babe,” first released on the 1964 album ‘Another Side of Bob Dylan,’ a defining piece of Dylan’s catalog.
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How to Play “In the Jailhouse Now,” a Novelty Number Turned Country and Pop Hit
“Jailhouse” has been recorded many times over the years—often in very divergent styles—by the likes of Hank Snow, Johnny Cash, and others, and has been featured in major motion pictures.
Learn to Play “Green, Green Rocky Road” | Patreon Song of the Month
“Green, Green Rocky Road” is a traditional song that originated in the American South. Learn a dropped-D arrangement inspired by Dave Van Ronk's seminal version.
Learn to Play Mississippi John Hurt’s “I’m Satisfied” | Patreon Song of the Month
Mississippi John Hurt (1893–1966) was one of the great country blues singer-songwriters, and a superb, subtly eccentric guitarist whose work was teeming with colorful details. One of his most well-known recordings, “I’m Satisfied,” related to the Memphis Jug Band piece “You May Leave, But This Will Bring You Back,” offers…
Learn to Play “The Lakes of Pontchartrain” | AG Patreon Song of the Month
Learn a fingerstyle arrangement of this ballad; a tune interpreted by Paul Brady, Bob Dylan, Aoife O'Donavan, and countless pub session players.
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Play an Approachable Arrangement of the Classic Tune “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love, Baby”
There’s a fair number of chords in this arrangement—14 shapes in all—but they are mostly in open position and easy to play.
How to Play “Hey There Delilah” by the Plain White T’s
This arrangement is based on the original studio recording, which spotlights a fingerpicked acoustic guitar.
Learn to Play John Prine’s “Hello in There” | AG Patreon Song of the Month
The transcription here captures Prine’s original studio recording note for note.
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Learn to Play “Blue Yodel No. 1 (T for Texas)” | AG Patreon Song of the Month
Add this classic country tune, replete with Jimmie Rodgers’ trademark yodeling, to your repertoire.
A Fun Guitar Arrangement Inspired by Bobby Darin’s Swinging Cover of “Mack the Knife”
What really sets this version apart is the use of five half-step modulations that keep raising the tension with each pass through the song.
Learn to Play “You Gotta Move” | AG Patreon Song of the Month
Learn to play an African American spiritual as interpreted by the legendary bluesman Mississippi Fred McDowell
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Learn Sophisticated Chordal Ideas Through Stevie Wonder’s “You Are the Sunshine of My Life”
This gently rolling ballad is not only satisfying to play, it shows the musical benefits of learning pieces not originally composed for guitar.
“Help Me”—Learn to Play a Rare Solo Version of the Joni Mitchell Classic
While details of Mitchell's playing are tough to discern on the original, this newly released solo demo is especially illuminating.
Learn to Play “Blue Skies”—a Jazz Age Classic with Clever Harmonies and a Bit of Drama
"Blue Skies,” arranged here in the guitar-friendly key of C, has been covered in many popular styles from ragtime piano to big band jazz to country.
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Learn to Play “When the Levee Breaks” | AG Patreon Song of the Month
As I write this, California is seeing historic atmospheric rivers and treacherous flooding and I can’t help but think of this song from the blues canon.
