Tommy Emmanuel's Jaw-Dropping Acoustic 12-Bar Blues

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(Image credit: Erika Goldring/Getty Images)

If there's anyone who can shred on acoustic guitar with jaw-dropping effect, it's Tommy Emmanuel.

Hailing from Australia, yes, he has an excellent accent, and yes, he can put your fingerstyle moves to shame. But check out this video of a 12-bar blues. Here he runs through Arthur Smith's "Guitar Boogie" and "Stevie's Blues," a song he wrote for the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughan.

You might be flabbergasted when you finish watching. You might be shaking your head. Me, I have a big ear-to-ear grin and am gonna hit "replay."

Throughout his career, Emmanuel has played with many notable artists including Chet Atkins, Eric Clapton and John Denver. He picked up the guitar at age 4 and as you can tell, he hasn't put it down since. Emmanuel is on tour now. Find tour dates and more at tommyemmanuel.com.

Laura B. Whitmore
Laura B. Whitmore

Laura B. Whitmore is a music industry marketing veteran, music journalist and editor, writing for Parade.com, Guitar World, and others. She has interviewed hundreds of musicians and hosts the She Rocks Podcast. As the founder of the Women’s International Music Network, she advocates for women in the music industry and produces the annual She Rocks Awards. She is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Positive Grid, making the world safe for guitar exploration everywhere! A guitarist and singer/songwriter, Laura is currently co-writing an album of pop songs that empower and energize girls.