5 Minute Lesson: Julian Lage Teaches You How to Get Great Acoustic Guitar Tone

Julian Lage is widely celebrated for his seemingly limitless technique on both the acoustic and electric guitar, as well as his sheer inventiveness as an improviser and composer. But the beauty of his steel-string tone-especially apparent on 2015’s World’s Fair and his most recent Blue Note album, Speak to Me-seems to attract less attention.
Lage gives a hint as to how he achieves that sound in this five-minute lesson that he filmed exclusively for AG, a sort of follow-up to this post. In the video, Lage demonstrates an exercise he learned from Debi Adams, a pianist and specialist in the Alexander technique of body awareness and movement.
The idea is to start with a “reset chord”-any voicing you find resonant on your instrument, like the open D5 (shown below) that Lage demonstrates using his signature-model Collings OM1A JL-and loosen any tension in your body. Play the chord in a steady rhythm, focusing on how it resonates in your hands, picking arm, chest, and leg and adding each point of contact one by one. In other words, just as a guitar’s body is a resonant cavity, so is yours, and being attuned to this can result in deeper and more nuanced tone.
“I think this is a wonderful way to recalibrate with the instrument, let us calm down our nervous system, get a bigger sound, and most importantly, just enjoy the beauty of an acoustic guitar,” Lage says.
To learn more about Julian Lage, and for transcriptions of his work, see the April 2018 and July/August 2023 issues of Acoustic Guitar magazine.

[@AcousticGuitarMag]

Here is another great (short!) lesson from Julian: acousticguitar.com/5-minute-lesson-practice-warm-up-tips-by-julian-lage/

[@flaviusmad]

You know you are a next level guitarist when that kind of exercise is part of your warm-up routine. Julian Lage is the man.

[@stainlesssteve25]

Mindfulness guitar playing ❤

[@brucevanhise972]

Thanks Julian! A great exercise. IMO, acoustic guitarists (me included!) often don't take enough time to focus on how to produce the optimum sound. Our instruments, strings, and picks are arguably better than ever, so it could be we're just now realizing the acoustic guitar's sound potential. The great bassist Ron Carter has said, "I try to get as warm a sound as I can and use as little physical effort as possible to produce it." Yes!🙂

[@Deepriver100]

Sadly I fear that the price tag on a signature-model Collings OM1A JL is always going to create a little tension in my body...

[@neurons0nfire]

Playing with true awareness. I love it and will give it a try!

[@rossthemusicandguitarteacher]

This is a real gift thank you

[@stefanvos1578]

Excellent! Thanks, Julian.

[@guitartech]

Thank you, Julian for this very valuable lesson on how to enhance the sound of an acoustic guitar. Much appreciated!

[@lorenneufeld4306]

Yeah, an interesting concept and something to try and incorporate into one's daily playing time(s). It's the 'little' things, like this, that we as guitar players take for granted and maybe don't come to realize the 'bonding' of our mind, body and soul when it comes to making music with the guitar at any given moment.Thanks Julian Lage and Acoustic Guitar Magazine!

[@MaurizioPaura]

Thank you Julian and thank you Acoustic Guitar!

[@JimmyGallowayGuitar]

This cat is truly the Source for guitar, he channels something from a deep well..... and what is exciting and terrifying is we haven't even seen half of what he can do yet. What will he do in 20 years? Astonishing musician.

[@antoniopozo9311]

What an artist!

[@bkirn5859]

I remember being totally amazed the first time I pressed my ear against the sides or back of an acoustic guitar while playing a note or chord. Amazing all the subtitles, resonance, and tonal stuff going on inside the body of the guitar.

[@moritzvdforst]

Mindblowing... this man is a genius

[@MusicisWin]

"Yep." -Julian Lage, 2024

[@edferguson1298]

Love the idea of focusing on resonance over volume. Excellent tip, well presented. Super excited for Saturday’s master class in Vermont!

[@darylching]

Great lesson. Thank you!

Brilhante! Obrigado pela partilha.

[@Transterra55]

I love this info…thanks so much.

[@CameraLaw]

Thanks! I’m enjoying your recent recording featuring your acoustic talents. You champion so many great sounds and this video was a valuable insight into them for me.

[@otismanousakos3946]

Terrific wisdom there

[@jgbirds]

Julian is an incredible musician and cool person!

[@vmorrisful]

Another gem! Thanks for putting this together. I can always use more mindfulness in my life! I tried this last night and found that I I started trying out new paths in my improvisation practice afterwards. Don't know if the exercise helped me break out of my routine or if it is all in my head. Either way, I will definitely keep doing it.

[@maturefox1]

... one of the best gutiar- online lessons I ever watched! Thanx for the upload - so useful and SO important issue! Grateful greetings from Germany from the silver fox, David 😉🦊

[@hamacaboy]

Legendary legend

[@cassadyseward4239]

Love it

[@OIP_1]

love this! the feeling of holding an alive resonating guitar body is one of my favourite things about playing acoustic guitar

[@andreasfranzmann9634]

And this is free, right? What a wonderful person and excellent lesson, thank you!

[@firecrackerheart]

freakin' loved (and muchly appreciated) this. there's somethin' about julian .. .

[@headly21]

I think this concept, at least for me, is one of the very first experiences when picking up the acoustic guitar for the first time. Almost immediately, however, when we begin learning and focusing on chords, fingering, technique, songs, etc., that initial experience gets out away for a long time as we "master the instrument" without mastering or connections to it. For some, that initial experience is forgotten forever. The instrument, let us not forget, is just an instrument. When we ground ourselves and make the connection with it, we give voice to the music within. Thank you for this reminder to come back full circle, to again learn why I started playing in the first place.

[@SahilPawar95]

Yes I feel the same way. Very well put. We must remember that the intangible and emotional aspect comes first and that will orient our practice and technique in the right direction.

[@djcuvcuv]

julian is the best

[@jimmccarley9609]

Wow Julian, I remember noticing from a young age how I could touch the guitar against a piece of furniture, and it would amplify. I never considered that it would happen with a person. I do remember bone phones from the 80's though. I am going to try this check in. I heard an interview where a producer was asked by a sessionist what to bring; the answer was "joy, bring joy in your playing".

[@dennisgodshalk]

Always a great lesson from Julian. Also, as you can see, most of the books on the shelf are intentionally placed in reverse so the title does not influence which book he picks to read.

[@SorinPopovici985]

kind of body scan meditation with the guitar, need to try it out

[@henrycadman5564]

That's why he's a genius.

[@CNFir-fs6zs]

Just got an OM Collings , rosewood, partly thanks to Julian Lage. Love it, though it's not mahogany like his. His taste , knowledge, and virtuosity are second to none. I even bought a Blue Chip pick which he uses and though relatively expensive, blows away my other picks. Now Maestro Lage is pointing out something that is obvious but overlooked ; the body contact points on the guitar, and resonance. Yeah!

[@bobzmuda3456]

guitar wizard

[@DavidGatto]

Riding the resonate chamber

[@normanspurgeon5324]

Very helpful concept and video- I think you could have taken it a step further and mentioned that the notes you played harmonize because their harmonics are shared. You have an A harmonic coming from the A's and the D's.

[@TavisAllen]

I have a C tuning fork, and am SO gonna hold it to a tooth of mine! 😂 I probably spend too much time on tone, and not enough on playing.

[@seancostello7608]

This is really interesting, Julian. Just one thing, though. When you say that our bodies are “resonant”, that isn’t true in the same sense that a guitar is. If, during your exercise, someone was able to mic your body, or the 4 body parts you mentioned, they wouldn’t produce a sound. There would be no audible sympathetic response. I suspect that the “bigger” sound we might experience is to do with the effect that noticing our contact with the instrument has on how we play. Happy to be corrected.

[@nllaeder]

I believe those additional contact points dampen the guitar body slightly.

[@andorrasrevenge1683]

I was hoping he just talked about Derek Bailey’s tone for 35 minutes just to throw everyone for a loop. Gotta love Julian.

[@MendryMusic]

❤

[@jltrem]

Sometimes when playing guitar (usually with an acoustic) I'll think about the fact that it was made from things that used to be alive; the tree the wood came from and the animal the bone saddle and nut came from.

[@kafoona]

"yeah, there it is" "yep"

[@andrewsblendorio]

Heavy shit man

[@ronlight7013]

Outside of one or two performances of his I'm not really familiar with Julian. Judging by this presentation he seems the embodiment of peace and calm, quite an extraordinary personal projection.

[@AcousticGuitarMag]

If you want to get more familiar, read our recent feature interview with Julian: acousticguitar.com/julian-lage-champions-the-steel-string-acoustic-on-his-latest-blue-note-release

[@dustyj4204]

I played a mint condition, 20 year old, Bourgeois OM custom today. Very good price, sounded and played excellent. However, I was disappointed at first at the lack of volume. For 3 hours I played this guitar, almost begging myself to just stop, let it go. I wanted so badly for it to be "more". I knew I was use to bigger rosewood guitars, this one being mahogany. Finally I told the young lady who works at the shop, "It isn't the guitar". It's excellent, perfect, I'm trying to hard, to pull to much from it. Monday I think I will purchase it, now having a little better understanding of my assumption......

[@starfishsystems]

I had a friend who had a very ordinary old inexpensive acoustic guitar that had not received a lot of care, but it happened to be fretted and intonated well, and he had put good strings on it. The guitar produced a thin reedy tone with surprising sustain. It was made to play Mississippi blues. I just played through my usual repertoire, really enjoying and getting inspiration from the novelty of it. Sometimes improvisations come more easily when you're nudged a bit out of your familiar frame of reference. That was thirty years ago, and I still remember that afternoon. As Carlos Castaneda put it, there are many paths through the forest. Choose any path, as long as for you it has a heart.

[@RPSartre01]

A pick will always sound fuller than nails. That, for starters.

[@mademepickaname]

I've heard it said that it's better to wear a long sleeve shirt when playing an acoustic, as your skin will dampen the resonance more so than cloth.

[@vmorrisful]

Could be! I am always surprised how different an acoustic guitar sounds when I am not resting arm on it at all. This unfortunately is not a very comfortable way to play for any length of time, just something fun to play around with. :) I've started to wear sleeves (arm warmers that I use when cycling) whenever I play acoustic guitar, especially in the summer because I found that condensation and sweat makes my matte finish guitars glossy and the gloss finish guitars matte. This happens anyway over time, but I found that wearing the sleeves slows down the process and reduces time needed to wipe guitar down after playing.

[@mojopin1122]

He would make a great yoga instructor.

[@Malteseflamingo845]

When restorative yoga meets playing guitar

[@rogerstephens4396]

That's 60 seconds I'll never get back

[@gingerjam2192]

Putting a tuning fork on my teeth? Never thought of this, but no thanks!! 😱

[@cfibanez]

Julian Lage is one of the most technically skilled guitarists of this time. But he is yet to produce a piece of work as leader that innovates and pushes the boundaries of this music. He is the ideal session guitarist. Yet, many of his contemporaries without his same outstanding technical proficiency, say Mary Halvorson, Miles Okazaki, Gilad Hekselman, are much more innovative and genre defining. It's puzzling.

[@Jack458111]

How does this have anything to do with getting good tone lol

[@owlsonik37]

Lesson 1, buy a good guitar

[@jodydigregorio469]

too much chitty chat dude

[@elcyd72]

❤️