Learn about Mitchell’s pioneering guitar style and use of alternate tunings.

How a new lap steel guitar sparked Ben Harper’s first instrumental album

Advice and instructions on songwriting, in the words of Woody Guthrie.

Bruce Cockburn shares the guitar parts of some of his best-known songs, plus a solo performance of “If I Had a Rocket Launcher.”

Mark Erelli, Shawn Colvin, Anaïs Mitchell, Martin Sexton, and Anthony da Costa share their approaches to creating dynamic accompaniment parts.

A celebration of next-generation bluegrass, including a cross-picking lesson with Molly Tuttle.

A video lesson on John Prine’s guitar style, with examples drawn from his best-known songs.

Three guitar duos—Pharis and Jason Romero, Ryanhood, and Grant Gordy and Ross Martin—share their approaches to creating a full spectrum of sound and expression with two guitars.

Folk-rock songwriter Peter Mulvey shares his approach to guitar arranging and alternate tunings, by walking through the accompaniment parts of his song “The Knuckleball Suite.”

A video lesson on the Joan Baez’s influential guitar style, with examples drawn from her best-known songs.

A video lesson on John Denver’s guitar style, with examples drawn from his best-known songs.

A video lesson with the virtuoso Irish guitarist on accompanying traditional songs, and writing songs that fit with tradition.

A great practice to adopt if you want to write—whether prose or poetry or songs, fiction or nonfiction.

A toast to the failures and disappointments of 2019.

How becoming a parent helped me rediscover the joy and power of making music at home—just for kicks.

Becoming a writer is not a matter of accumulating clips and making a living with words; you have to earn your badge again and again.