Post archive - Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers | Words and music

Here's a Guitar Sessions episode sharing how to play Dave Matthews’ “Crash into Me,” one of his best-known songs.

I’ve been listening to Bruce Cockburn’s music since the ’80s, and I’ve interviewed him numerous times for Acoustic Guitar.

With my brother, Andy, on the steps of my first San Francisco apartment, 1986.

Early March, the head in the mirror is starting to look a bit poofy, and I’m thinking I’ll get a cut next week.

Here’s a video lesson teaching Bob Weir’s song “Only a River,” a gem from his final studio album, Blue Mountain.

I love playing the Kinks’ “Sunny Afternoon”—such a great melody, acerbically funny lyrics, and irresistible swing rhythm.

This episode of Guitar Sessions teaches a song of mine called “Write Again.”

In this episode of Guitar Sessions, learn “Ain't No Sunshine” the way Bill Withers actually played it.

Tom Waits made a huge impact on me when I discovered him in college—in particular, his seminal albums Swordfishtrombones and Rain Dogs.

Photo by Anne Hamersky I’m processing the news about the passing of Bob Weir, which came as such a shock.

Photo by Allen Clark Earlier this year, I had the chance to do an in-depth interview for Acoustic Guitar with the masterful multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Sierra Hull.

In this episode of Guitar Sessions, learn how to play the classic Christmas carol “Little Drummer Boy” two ways: in double-dropped-D tuning and with a partial capo.

Here’s a song for you, freshly arranged and just recorded in my home studio: the evergreen “What a Wonderful World.”

In this episode of Guitar Sessions, learn how to play a powerful, poetic song by the fast-rising folk-rock troubadour Jesse Welles.

Photo by Joey Lusterman Jesse Welles is one of today’s most dynamic young singer-songwriters—a folk-rock troubadour clearly in the tradition of Guthrie, Dylan, Prine, and Ochs (and Cobain too) yet also very much of this moment.

In this episode of Guitar Sessions, learn how to play John Prine’s classic song “Souvenirs,” originally released as a duet with Steve Goodman on the 1972 album Diamonds in the Rough.

In this episode of Guitar Sessions, learn how to play Jason Isbell’s lovely, wistful song “Strawberry Woman,” recorded on his album Weathervanes and also on Live from the Ryman, Vol. 2.

During the lead-up to the release of Jason Isbell’s first-ever solo acoustic album, Foxes in the Snow, I interviewed the esteemed songwriter for Acoustic Guitar—a cover story now out in the May/June 2025 issue.

In this episode of Guitar Sessions, I share how to play Bob Dylan’s “Tomorrow Is a Long Time,” a song that I’ve loved and played informally offstage for many years, and that came back into the spotlight recently when Timothée Chalamet performed it on SNL

Since interviewing Gillian Welch and David Rawlings for a recent Acoustic Guitar cover story (which you can read here), I’ve been happily re-immersed in their music.