Summary Episode 26: A native of Italy, D’Agostino has made his considerable international mark as a musical artist on the guitar since he arrived in America 37 years ago. In 2017 Guitar Player listed him as one of the 50 transcendent superheroes of the acoustic guitar. The CD, “Every Step of The Way,” was awarded by Acoustic Guitar’s People’s Choic…

Summary Episode 25: Jon Gomm is a singer songwriter considered to be one of the world’s true virtuoso guitarists possessing a unique style most elite musicians consider revolutionary. Jon was born and continues to live in the North of England. His songs are driven by his use of one acoustic guitar to create drum sounds, basslines and twisting melod…

Summary Episode 24: Thomas Fellow is a musician with an almost inexhaustible supply of innovative energy. He is a first-rate acoustic guitarist, a stunning virtuoso, and is considered one of the best musical collaborators in the guitar world. His name is associated with the development of the pioneering education program called the “Acoustic Guitar…

Summary Episode 23: Muriel Anderson is one of the more multi-dimensional guitarists on the scene today. She plays primarily nylon string but also plays a 20-string harp guitar in her concerts, frequently accompanied by a backdrop of visuals by photo-artist Bryan Allen. Her current program includes a virtual re-enactment of the solar eclipse, with m…

Summary, Episode 22: For twenty years, Billy McLaughlin astounded audiences around the world with his complex and rhythmic music. At the height of his international recording and touring career, Billy was diagnosed with Focal Dystonia, a mysterious and yet-to-be-cured neuromuscular disorder that rendered him unable to play his own music. Despite ev…

Summary, Episode 21: Richard started playing the guitar at age 5 and has never looked back. Focusing early on with the fingerstyle guitar of Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed, he began transcribing classical music, Jazz, the gypsy style of Django Reinhardt, bluegrass, ragtime and the blues to Sousa marches. https://vimeo.com/501236690 Richard is a seasone…

Summary, Episode 20: Don Alder plays acoustic fingerstyle guitar with a passion that has quickly earned him a reputation as Vancouver’s “best kept little secret”. Don is a world-class fingerstyle guitarist with a “wow factor” that has let to multiple endorsement deals with major manufacturers and a collaboration with Greenfield guitars to produce a…

Summary, Episode 19: In 1988, Don became the first Canadian to win the U.S. National Fingerpick Guitar Championship. He won again in 1996, still the only two-time winner of the competition. Don has toured regularly since 1989, across Canada, the USA, a dozen European countries, Japan, Taiwan, China, Australia, Russia and India. https://vimeo.com/37…

Summary, Episode 18: Jim Nichols has an unusual approach to the guitar – he uses a thumb pick and fingers to play everything from Chet Atkins style to modern jazz. He served as master instructor for the Jamey Aebersold Jazz Workshops, Stanford Jazz Workshops and held clinics on both jazz and Atkins style for the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society nat…

Summary, Episode 17: Over the past 25 years, Michael Fix has released fifteen albums, together with several DVD’s, songbooks, singles and EPs, tours internationally each year, and has established himself as one of Australia’s finest guitarists and composers, writing evocative music for television, film and documentaries. He’s won numerous awards fo…

Summary, Episode 16: Andrea Valeri is defined as the “Prince of the Acoustic guitar” and is now a veteran of many of the biggest stages around the globe. He’s toured from Australia to New Zealand, from Russia to Canada, from Europe to the African continent. At eighteen Andrea was awarded the title of “Italian musical excellence.” He has already rel…

Summary, Episode 15: Stephan Bormann is a guitarist with extreme openness and versatility. With a strong foundation in jazz, he adds creative fun and unique sounds to the music that he plays and helps shape projects with his individual style. His love of the music of America, Scandinavia, Africa and Brazil make him a world traveler on the guitar, v…

Summary, Episode 14: Petteri Sariola (1984) is a fingerstyle virtuoso and a singer/songwriter from Helsinki, Finland. He’s known for his fierce live performances, beautiful songwriting and percussive approach on the acoustic guitar. Sariola has been awarded with Nokia Young Talent scholarship, Honorary Prize in the Helsinki Funk Awards and been on …

Summary, Episode 13: His roots lie in Gypsy Swing music, the style pioneered in the 1930s by the legendary jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. Joscho Stephan has not merely absorbed this music, but also interprets it on the highest level and is actively engaged in extending its boundaries. He has toured Australia with top guitarists Martin Taylor and …

Summary, Episode 12: Steeped in the tradition of the folk guitar, but constantly refined by his classical studies, Ulli Bögershausen’s playing continues to leave audiences with the best of both worlds. His playing has been called “breathtaking in its intertwined harmonies and its unfailing timing.” His performances have been considered “as if from …

Summary, Episode 11: FGH-0011: Interview with Emil Ernebro – Country, Jazz, & Fingerstyle Guitar Powerhouse from Sweden Emil Ernebro is one of the leading fingerstyle guitar players today – offering a virtuosic blend of country, jazz and fingerstyle guitar. Show Notes: In this episode of the Fingerstyle Guitar Hangout Podcast, we chat about his ear…

Summary, Episode 10: Interview with Sönke Meinen – Guitarist, Composer and Winner of the 2016 “Guitar Masters” Competition. Sönke Meinen is one of the new masters of the guitar. His technical prowess and poetic compositions leave listeners spellbound and guitarists asking “how does he do it?” Show Notes: In this episode of the Fingerstyle Guitar Ha…

Summary, Episode 9: In this listener Q & A episode, my guitar student Frank asks about how to stay calm and overcome nervousness and panic while performing solo guitar on stage. I share my 15 best tips for staying calm, focused and relaxed. 1 – 7: “Practical” points. These points address preparation as opposed to dealing with the actual feeling of …

Summary, Episode 8: Interview with Robin Bullock – Celtic Guitar, Mandolin, Cittern and More… Hailed as a “Celtic Guitar God” by Baltimore City Paper and “one of the best folk instrumentalists in the business” by Sing Out! Magazine, Robin Bullock is one of the preeminent acoustic music masters of our time. His virtuosity on guitar, cittern and mand…

Summary, Episode 7: Interview with Master Guitarist Mike Dowling, Master of American Roots, Bottleneck Blues, Ragtime and More… Mike Dowling plays bottleneck blues guitar, fingerstyle, vintage swing, ragtime, and more with grace wit and dexterity. Mike digs deep into the musical bag of American roots guitar, favoring the melodic Piedmont style of a…

Summary, Episode 6: Interview with legendary percussive guitar innovator Preston Reed. One of the most influential and innovative guitarists of the past quarter century, Preston Reed invented integrated percussive guitar playing in the late 1980’s, revolutionising the way the acoustic guitar is played and inspiring generations of musicians around t…

Summary, Episode 5: In this episdode you will hear a personal interview with guitarist and composer Bill Cooley. Bill Cooley has been called “one of Nashville’s most respected sidemen” by Guitar Player Magazine. He has toured and recorded with Kathy Mattea for over 28 years. Bill has also toured with Merle Haggard, Reba McEntire, and Alan Jackson t…

Summary, Episode 4: In this episdode you will hear a personal interview with guitarist and composer Al Petteway. Show Notes: FGH-0004: Interview With Al Petteway – Grammy & Indie Award Winning Fingerstyle Guitarist and Composer In this episode of the Fingerstyle Guitar Hangout Podcast, Al Petteway gives his thoughts and insights on: His wide array …

Summary, Episode 3: In this episdode you will hear an exclusive interview with Celtic Fingerstyle Guitar Master Tony McManus. Show Notes: In this episode Tony tells us what Celtic music is, his influences & background plus he demonstrates techniques on the guitar live for us. 4:53 Tony tells us what Celtic music is, where it’ from & describes the s…

Summary, Episode 2: In this episode we have student Q & A. Ben from Virginia asks… “How do you maintain a repertoire of several fingerstyle guitar pieces and also learn new tunes, arrangements and concepts?” I have 8 points that I mention in this episode, so here is a quick review. Show Notes: 8 points to help you remember old pieces and learn new …

Summary Episode 1: Welcome to the new Fingerstyle Guitar Hangout Podcast, Episode 1. In this very first episode we have student Q & A. Gary from New Zealand asks… “How will practicing triplet based rhythms like 6/8 make my straight 4/4 time better for fingerstyle guitar?” One of the most important aspects of guitar playing is rhythm. Many players s…