The Americana Guitar Book

If you don’t know the tradition of Americana Guitar, get ready to pay your dues… The Americana Guitar book lets you instantly discover the evolving heritage of American music. You’ll master authentic Americana guitar along with 126 audio tracks you can download for free…

Americana is the crossroads where Country, Blues, Folk and Bluegrass collide – a century-old melting pot that is still evolving.

The Americana Guitar Book introduces you to every essential technique that will enhance your musical palette on both acoustic and electric guitar… from Travis and Carter picking, to slide licks and raucous electric guitar work.

This Americana Guitar Book will also help you discover lush new textures, rich chords, open tunings and unique musical voicings.

With Guitar Techniques Magazine’s Stuart Ryan as your expert guide, you’ll learn essential guitar techniques like:

Bluegrass-style alternating basslinesStrumming patternsThe “Carter picking” style of Maybelle Carter“Travis picking” developed by Merle TravisSimple to advanced fingerpicking approachesAccompaniment in the styles of Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and many moreCreative open tunings

…and much more. In fact, you’ll master a rich tapestry of techniques and songs that will heighten your creativity on guitar.

This unique Americana guitar method is organised chronologically to help you discover the whole history of Americana music... 

And each generation of heroes has something new to offer the aspiring Americana guitarist

You'll discover:

The Pioneers – Elizabeth Cotten, Maybelle Carter, Lester Flatt, Clarence White

The Renegades – artists who changed the sound of Americana, including Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Luther Perkins

The Hitmakers – Paul Simon, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Emmylou Harris

The Renaissance – a new generation of Americana-influenced artists including Steve Earle, Gillian Welch, John Hiatt, Melissa Etheridge, Lyle Lovett, Peter Buck

Americana Today – the artists who are still evolving the style: Alison Krauss, Lucinda Williams, Wilco, Aimee Mann, Rodney Crowell, Ray LaMontaigne, Chris Stapleton

But that’s not all! You’ll also learn these essential creative songwriting techniques:

Guitar hooks that dovetail beautifully with vocal partsTight, cohesive rhythms embellished with legato melodiesLinking chords with scale runs and licksAccompaniments with moving basslinesChord-melody arrangementsUsing diverse Americana styles to write your own songs

And there’s more… 

Award-winning author Stuart Ryan has included four full-length pieces that combine the techniques and styles into beautiful songs.

You’ll move from capturing the “old time” sound of Americana, through intricate fingerpicking, to learning how artists like Steve Earle and Springsteen fused traditional Americana with rock guitar to bring you bang up to date. 

With 126 audio tracks you can download for free, The Americana Guitar Book is your ticket to the evolving heritage of American music. 

Buy it now...