Rootsy Country Blues By Ruthie Foster

Ruthie Foster is dubbed "the best kept secret in America". This gospel-folk-blues singer from the Lone Star state of Texas is the real deal. Ruthie is a downhome performer and she's worth listening.

Miss Foster shows off her beautiful voice with this country blues number "Smalltown Blues" in this video footage - the song is one of the outstanding cuts in her "Runaway Soul" album.

"Full Circle" was her debut album in 1997 and since then, she has come a long way, making her major breakthrough in 2002 with "Runaway Soul" and last year she came out with her fifth release "The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster" which really showcases her musical talent.

You can't take away from Ruthie that she's a great soul/blues artiste. The "Phenomenal..." album is a little departure from her traditional style. It evokes a new discovery that she's just as comfortable when taking on a more contemporary sound. - AcousticTwang



Ruthie Foster website

Debi Jordan - Spunky Blues Singer

Jamaican Blues written by female blues guitarist Debi Jordan.
Debi Jordan rockin' out on her original blues tune "Jamaican Blues". Check out this guitar playin' and singin'!

About Debi Jordan: She's multi-talented, full of energy and vocal power. Debi started out as a street musician, performed her original music at Nashville's legendary Bluebird Cafe. As a singer-songwriter Jordan has found her niche with acoustic blues. 

Jordan's style has been compared to Keb Mo', Susan Tedeschi, Janis Joplin and Robert Johnson among blues greats. She has a passion to hit the road performing at various venues. She's one spunky blues guitar-totin' roadie. Hear her out, you won't be disappointed if you love the Blues. - AcousticTwang

How to Play Acoustic Guitar

If you want to learn how to play acoustic guitar there are some things that you need to know right from the start. Believe me when I say that they will save you a great deal of frustration.

Here are some great tips that should help:

#1 : Because you will need to practice often (and sometimes you won't want to), playing along to a favorite song can be a great motivator. Even if you are a raw beginner you will be surprised at how many songs you can play along to."Google" your favorite song and see if there's a result that offers chord charts for them. Study the charts to find a song you know that has a simple chord progression, these will be chords that you can already play or would like to learn. Download the chord charts and start practicing. You'll be amazed at how good you will feel when you are playing along to your well loved songs.

#2 : Make sure that your guitar is tuned properly. You may not believe this but I've met people who wanted to know how to play acoustic guitar that didn't know that each string on a guitar had to be tuned to a specific pitch!. It's not a case of getting the tuning nearly right either, you need to get it "spot on" why? because you will judge your playing by the way you sound and if just one string is slightly of pitch, your "sound" won't be as good as you would like or indeed would have been had your guitar been in tune.To make sure your guitar is in tune you can use a set of inexpensive pitch pipes. Learn to tune from string to string. Use an electronic guitar tuner or tune from a piano or another guitar. To save room in this article I wont go into detail but you can find some excellent information here.

#3 : Decide on what type of pick (plectrum) you want to use. This is one of the most overlooked pieces of equipment. Picks come in various gauges. A very thin pick will give a much softer sound than a thick one so try experimenting and choose the pick that achieves the sound you want. Some guitarist wear a pick on there thumb and some guitarists just use their fingers. It's all a matter of choice and something you do need to be aware of.

#4 : Now you'll have to excuse me here as I'm going to use a word that some people find quite upsetting. Are you ready? The word is "practise". I'm sorry but it just had to be said. Of course, we all promise we will practise but there's always a good film on or the big game just about to start and a hundred other excuses. I'm no different, so here's my suggestion.

Don't promise yourself that you will practise for an hour every day. Make that a promise of twenty minutes everyday. Little and often is best I find. Have your guitar and chord books or tabs to hand if you're watching TV, that way you can have five minutes practice during the commercial break (and sometimes longer). I find that this works really well as it's sort of unplanned (and far more enjoyable than most of the commercials).

I hope that these tips will help you on your way to becoming a great guitarist.Practise, Practise, Practise. That's how to play acoustic guitar.

Play On.

When learning how to play acoustic guitar you will need the very best information available. You will find the information and help you need at: How To Play Acoustic Guitar -  By Ian Major 

Photo credit: acoustictwang

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ian_Major

Slaid Cleaves on the Road Again

Slaid Cleaves singing Horses & Divorces with Michael O'Connor on guitar

Texas troubadour Slaid Cleaves has come a long way in his singing career. With seven albums under his belt in the last 16 years, Cleaves will be hitting the road again this year (2008).

According to his website, Cleaves and his band will make a brief trip to the Netherlands in February and then it's back to the US highways sometime in March.

Although the singer-songwriter grew up in Maine, he now lives in Austin, Texas and has become a favorite with the crowd in the largely underground folk scene.

Cleaves is always drawn to traditional allusions and melodies. And like Nanci Griffith on Other Voices, Other Rooms, Cleaves' musical arrangements are more often than not straight-up Americana but his songs are more contemporary than historic.

Listen to his albums like No Angel Knows, Broke Down and his last output Unsung, and you'll get to know Cleaves better for his flair with lyrics and melodies. - AcousticTwang

Learning Flamenco Guitar

Flamenco Busker

Hey hombre, this flamenco guy is not bad. enjoy the performance of this street busker.

Hi, Acoustic Guitar Aficionado...!

Hi! Welcome to AcousticTwang

If you love the sound of acoustic guitar this is the place to hear it. It doesn't get any better when you are listening to some real guitarists showing off their playing skills and styles.

Wood and steel or wood and nylon - the acoustic sound from these guitars will thrill you no end as you watch some of the selected video clips performed by professional artistes and amateurs.

Of course, we shouldn't forget the writeups. Yeah, for some of you beginners, you may want to know more about how to shop for a decent acoustic guitar. Understand the different types of woods that are used by luthiers. Know the various chords and other guitar tricks to make your playing more enjoyable.

Imagine what it's like to own a custom-made acoustic guitar - one that reflects your musical sensibilities. If you can't afford to buy a Ramirez, Taylor or C F Martin, don't worry because today's guitar makers are coming out with fantastic value-for-money acoustic guitars where you don't have to sacrifice a leg and an arm to get one.

And that's not all, there'll be info on some of your favorite models, new guitars in the market and where to find them. Hey dude, if you are a true blue aficionado of acoustic guitar you'll find plenty of varieties here, information that you can use...and much, much more.

Enjoy...! - Acoustic Twang