Get percussive with your chords in this Maneli Jamal guitar lesson

Percussive acoustic guitar playing is full of dynamic and inspiring techniques that allow players to be a drummer and guitarist simultaneously. But getting started with it can be daunting. Combining percussion with chords is an ideal entry point for newcomers and who better to show us than one of MusicRadar readers' picks for 2020 acoustic guitarist of the year – Maneli Jamal.

Elixir® Strings player Maneli takes us step-by-step through a tutorial on how to combine percussive hits on the guitar body with string strikes while using hammer-on and pull-offs to enhance simple chord shapes. And the melodic patterns Maneli shows us are in standard tuning with two easy chords (Em and A5) to make things more accessible for all acoustic players.

Elixir® Strings / Maneli Jamal

(Image credit: Elixir® Strings / Maneli Jamal)

The Canada-based fingerstyle player released two albums last year and uses Elixir® HD Light .013-.053 Phosphor Bronze strings with NANOWEB® Coating. Maneli says: "Elixir® Strings inspire me to pick up my guitar more because of that rich tone that we all want out of our acoustic guitars." 

For more information on the full range visit Elixir® Strings and to find out more about Maneli Jamal's music visit manelijamal.com.