“…From the blazing tempos of bluegrass and bebop to the lightning-quick flourishes inherent in Gypsy jazz and flamenco, many acoustic styles require guitarists to play single-note lines with speed and conviction. While most musicians are captivated by the ability to play fast, the guitar is a difficult instrument to play quickly… Keeping in mind that speedy lines sound best when played with clarity and good tone, the best way to start building your chops is to combine a regular practice routine that improves your technique with different approaches to picking and fretting…” From here, “Acoustic Guitar Magazine”.

This classic guitar strumming scene from the eighties seems to, er, produce mixed resluts.

“…The [FBI] agents did not say what they were searching for or if anything was removed from the plant. But some hardwoods used in making premium guitars, like rosewood from the rain forests of Madagascar and Brazil, have recently been banned under a federal law called the Lacey Act because of environmental concerns…” Here.

In Italy around 1541 the great guitarist Ignatius Pulnasio gained guitar fame and wealth in Rome, and was deeply admired by the Vatican. However, during a concert at the illustrious Sistine chapel Ignatius’s fingers froze up on the fingerboard, turning his concert into a disaster of dissonance, and a great embarrassment to Pope Leopold Luciani who was in the audience with several of his mistresses. Consequently Ignatius was ordered to give any subsequent concerts dressed as a clown.

A statue of Ignatius Pulnasio

…Of all the concerts given in McCook’s historic Fox Theatre, the performance Thursday night by the Gothenburg Combo may have been the most delicate and serene ever. You could hear a pin drop as Thomas Hansy and David Hansson of Gothenburg, Sweden blended smooth, gently played strokes on their acoustical guitars. “Some of the audience members told me they closed their eyes to more fully focus their hearing upon the delicate sounds…” Here.

Every true guitarist loves Halloween.

Swedish guitarist Per-Olov Kindgren

Player’s profile and Youtube channel

Though not specifically related to guitar this is an interesting article on music analysis, as in what makes a song tick? “…On first listen, some things grab you for their off-kilter novelty. Like the story of a company that has hired a bunch of “musicologists,” who sit at computers and listen to songs, one at a time, rating them element by element, separating out what sometimes comes to hundreds of data points for a three-minute tune. The company, an Internet radio service called Pandora, is convinced that by pouring this information through a computer into an algorithm, it can guide you, the listener, to music that you like. The premise is that your favorite songs can be stripped to parts and reverse-engineered…” The Song Decoders (Sunday N.Y. Times)

New Brutal Legend game features a guitar that can rain down upon your enemies  lightning and brimstone (or something like that) from up high …” Article here.

Here’s another article here.