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New to the vocabulary? The glossary defines every word this curriculum uses, in one sentence each.

Guitar lessons, stage by stage.

7 stages, from your first clean note to a set of your own. Start at the top, jump to your level, or pick up where you left off.

Every lesson requires verified lifetime access. Browse the curriculum below. Progress saves in this browser.

Sound Check

Guitar in tune, hands in place, one clean note you can repeat

9 lessonsLifetime accessNew to guitar

Hold, Fret, Pick

Find and repeat the six open-string pitches

Preview
  1. 1Three Points of ContactLearnPreview
  2. 2Six Open StringsPractice · Mic exercisePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Six Open StringsCheckpointPreview

Tune It Yourself

Tune and recheck all six strings at a comfortable pace

Preview
  1. 1What In Tune Actually MeansLearnPreview
  2. 2Tuner Target PracticePracticePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Six Strings in TuneCheckpointPreview

Read the Page

Identify eight of ten notated shapes and positions correctly

Preview
  1. 1Tab, Boxes, and SlashesLearnPreview
  2. 2Name the ShapePracticePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Eight of Ten ReadsCheckpoint · Reading checkPreview

Two Chords, First Study

Learn A and D, count your changes, and play an original two-chord study

12 lessonsLifetime accessNew to guitar

D and A

Build D and A and check their sounding strings deliberately

Preview
  1. 1D, Then ALearnPreview
  2. 2Check D, Then APracticePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Check Both ChordsCheckpointPreview

The Change

Practice silent anchor movement and record your own sixty-second A/D change count

Preview
  1. 1Keep One Finger in PlaceLearnPreview
  2. 2Count Your One-Minute ChangesPracticePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Your One-Minute CountCheckpointPreview

Down on the Beat

Play an original sixteen-bar study and check sixty-four quarter-note attacks across sixteen bars at eighty BPM

Preview
  1. 1Four Beats, One DownstrokeLearnPreview
  2. 2First Light: An Original A/D StudyPracticePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Sixteen Bars at EightyCheckpoint · Mic exercisePreview

First Riff

Play an original one-string riff through three consecutive passes at ninety BPM

Preview
  1. 1A Riff Is a Melody You Can HoldLearnPreview
  2. 2One String, Four NotesPractice · Mic exercisePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Three Complete Passes at NinetyCheckpoint · Mic exercisePreview

Drill it in the Advanced Lab: The Musical Alphabet on One String

The Open Eight

Eight open chords, a capo, and any three-chord song you like

15 lessonsLifetime accessKnow your open chords

Minor Colors

Place Em, Am, and Dm and check each deliberately by hand and ear

Preview
  1. 1Why Minor Sounds Like ThatLearnPreview
  2. 2Three Minors on CuePracticePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Three Minors, Self-CheckedCheckpointPreview

E, C and G

Play and self-check the full open eight, with every permitted string ringing

Preview
  1. 1The Stretch ChordsLearnPreview
  2. 2Four-Corner Turnaround: An Original StudySongPreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Eight Open Shapes, Self-CheckedCheckpointPreview

Up and Down

Keep a counted strumming pattern through 24 bars and document recovery

Preview
  1. 1The Hand Never StopsLearnPreview
  2. 2Ghost StrumsPractice · Mic exercisePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Twenty-Four Bars, Self-CheckedCheckpointPreview

Capo and Keys

Play one original study in three capo positions and document the key shift

Preview
  1. 1Same Shapes, New KeyLearnPreview
  2. 2Three Keys, One Original StudyPracticePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: One Original Study, Three CaposCheckpointPreview

Three-Four and Six-Eight

Count and play an original map through 4/4, 3/4, and 6/8 with self-checks

Preview
  1. 1Counting in ThreesLearnPreview
  2. 2Lantern Tide: An Original 6/8 StudySongPreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Meter Switch, Self-CheckedCheckpointPreview

The First Scale

Single notes, alternate picking, and the shape every solo starts from

15 lessonsLifetime accessKnow your open chords

Box One

Play the authored minor-pentatonic box route and review pitch separately from technique

Preview
  1. 1Five Notes That Always WorkLearnPreview
  2. 2Box One, Up and DownPractice · Mic exercisePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Box One, Self-CheckedCheckpointPreview

Alternate Picking

Build an alternate-picking cell through a sustainable tempo ladder

Preview
  1. 1Down-Up Is Not OptionalLearnPreview
  2. 2Metronome Ladder, Sixty to One HundredPractice · Mic exercisePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Eighth-Note Cell, Self-CheckedCheckpointPreview

Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs

Play three-string legato pairs and separate pitch evidence from technique

Preview
  1. 1Notes Without PickingLearnPreview
  2. 2Legato Pairs, Three StringsPractice · Mic exercisePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Legato Pairs, Self-CheckedCheckpointPreview

Eighths and Palm Mute

Hold a counted palm-muted eighth-note study and review mute balance

Preview
  1. 1Where the Edge of the Hand GoesLearnPreview
  2. 2Iron Road: An Original Palm-Muted StudySongPreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Twenty-Four Bars, Self-CheckedCheckpointPreview

Fingers, Not Pick

Play an original alternating-bass map and review continuity by ear and feel

Preview
  1. 1Thumb Keeps TimeLearnPreview
  2. 2Alternating BassPractice · Mic exercisePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Alternating Bass, Self-CheckedCheckpointPreview

Popular Song Companions

Original practice studies for recognizable songs, with external guitar tutorials linked for the actual arrangements.

30 lessonsLifetime access

Foundations in familiar songs

Prepare four recognizable chord loops with clean counted attacks.

Preview
  1. 1Wonderwall — Oasis practice companionSong · Mic exercisePreview
  2. 2Let It Be — The Beatles practice companionSong · Mic exercisePreview
  3. 3Knockin' on Heaven's Door — Bob Dylan practice companionSong · Mic exercisePreview
  4. 4Perfect — Ed Sheeran practice companionSong · Mic exercisePreview
  5. 5Module 1 checkpoint — four song companions preparedCheckpoint · Mic exercisePreview

Dynamics and texture

Prepare muted, picked, and dynamic changes without losing the pulse.

Preview
  1. 1Enchanted — Taylor Swift practice companionSong · Mic exercisePreview
  2. 2Teardrops On My Guitar — Taylor Swift practice companionSong · Mic exercisePreview
  3. 3Photograph — Ed Sheeran practice companionSong · Mic exercisePreview
  4. 4Here Comes The Sun — The Beatles practice companionSong · Mic exercisePreview
  5. 5Module 2 checkpoint — four song companions preparedCheckpoint · Mic exercisePreview

Steady strum and groove

Prepare repeatable accompaniment patterns with deliberate accents and silence.

Preview
  1. 1Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) — Green Day practice companionSong · Mic exercisePreview
  2. 2Stand By Me — Ben E. King practice companionSong · Mic exercisePreview
  3. 3Take It Easy — Eagles practice companionSong · Mic exercisePreview
  4. 4The Sound Of Silence — Simon & Garfunkel practice companionSong · Mic exercisePreview
  5. 5Module 3 checkpoint — four song companions preparedCheckpoint · Mic exercisePreview

Fingerstyle and melody

Prepare independent thumb, treble, and ringing-note control.

Preview
  1. 1Fast Car — Tracy Chapman practice companionSong · Mic exercisePreview
  2. 2Hallelujah — Leonard Cohen practice companionSong · Mic exercisePreview
  3. 3Blackbird — The Beatles practice companionSong · Mic exercisePreview
  4. 4Wish You Were Here — Pink Floyd practice companionSong · Mic exercisePreview
  5. 5Module 4 checkpoint — four song companions preparedCheckpoint · Mic exercisePreview

Roots and movement

Prepare classic open-chord motion, pickups, and bass awareness.

Preview
  1. 1I Walk The Line — Johnny Cash practice companionSong · Mic exercisePreview
  2. 2Take Me Home, Country Roads — John Denver practice companionSong · Mic exercisePreview
  3. 3Hey Joe — Jimi Hendrix practice companionSong · Mic exercisePreview
  4. 4Brown Eyed Girl — Van Morrison practice companionSong · Mic exercisePreview
  5. 5Module 5 checkpoint — four song companions preparedCheckpoint · Mic exercisePreview

A small singalong set

Prepare four flexible companions whose dynamics survive a room.

Preview
  1. 1Yellow Submarine — The Beatles practice companionSong · Mic exercisePreview
  2. 2Songbird — Oasis practice companionSong · Mic exercisePreview
  3. 3Heart Of Gold — Neil Young practice companionSong · Mic exercisePreview
  4. 4Ain't No Sunshine — Bill Withers practice companionSong · Mic exercisePreview
  5. 5Module 6 checkpoint — four song companions preparedCheckpoint · Mic exercisePreview

Barre Line

The chord that stops most players, the blues form, and your first solo

18 lessonsLifetime accessKnow your open chords

The F Problem

Enter and exit a clean partial F barre four times in a row

Preview
  1. 1Barre Is Leverage, Not StrengthLearnPreview
  2. 2Partial F, In and OutPracticePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Four Clean EntriesCheckpointPreview

Power Chords

Play a power-chord riff at one hundred and ten BPM

Preview
  1. 1Two Notes, No QualityLearnPreview
  2. 2Power-Chord Riff SongSongPreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Riff at One Hundred and TenCheckpointPreview

Twelve Bars

Play three choruses of the twelve-bar form from memory, no chart

Preview
  1. 1The Form You Already KnowLearnPreview
  2. 2Call the ChangesPracticePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Three Choruses From MemoryCheckpointPreview

First Solo

Improvise four bars in key over the blues form without stopping

Preview
  1. 1Four Bars Is a SentenceLearnPreview
  2. 2One Phrase, Three AnswersPracticePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Four Bars, In Key, No StopCheckpointPreview

Bend and Vibrato

Bend a semitone to within twenty cents of target, three attempts of four

Preview
  1. 1Pitch You Control After the PickLearnPreview
  2. 2Bend to TargetPracticePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Semitone Within Twenty CentsCheckpointPreview

Triads and Chords in Keys

Name and play the one, four, five and six chords in three keys

Preview
  1. 1Triads: Three Notes, Many ShapesLearnPreview
  2. 2One, Four, Five, SixPracticePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Three Keys, Named and PlayedCheckpointPreview

Drill it in the Advanced Lab: Your First Movable Shape

Whole Neck

Barre shapes everywhere, the major scale in five positions, eight bars of your own

18 lessonsLifetime accessAdvanced player

Full Barre, E Shape

Play E-shape barre major and minor cleanly at five positions

Preview
  1. 1One Shape, Twelve ChordsLearnPreview
  2. 2Five Positions, CleanPracticePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Major and Minor at Five PositionsCheckpointPreview

Full Barre, A Shape

Play a one-four-five progression using both barre shapes

Preview
  1. 1The Second Movable ShapeLearnPreview
  2. 2Barre-Chord Song, Both ShapesSongPreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: One-Four-Five, Both ShapesCheckpointPreview

The Major Scale, Five Positions

Connect three adjacent scale positions at one hundred BPM

Preview
  1. 1The Neck Is One ScaleLearnPreview
  2. 2Connect Three PositionsPracticePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Three Positions at One HundredCheckpointPreview

Eight Bars

Improvise eight bars landing chord tones on the changes

Preview
  1. 1Phrasing Over the ChangesLearnPreview
  2. 2Target the ThirdPracticePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Eight Bars, Chord Tones LandedCheckpointPreview

Steal It By Ear

Transcribe a four-bar phrase from audio at ninety percent accuracy

Preview
  1. 1Hear It, Hum It, Find ItLearnPreview
  2. 2Four Notes From AudioPracticePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Four Bars TranscribedCheckpointPreview

Rhythm Vocabulary

Hold a syncopated sixteenth pattern for twenty-four bars at one hundred BPM

Preview
  1. 1Sixteenths and the Space BetweenLearnPreview
  2. 2Syncopated Groove SongSongPreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Twenty-Four Bars at One HundredCheckpointPreview

Drill it in the Advanced Lab: Find Every C · Three Notes a String, G Major

Signature

Style, tone, and three songs you can play for anyone

18 lessonsLifetime accessAdvanced player

Funk

Hold a one-chord funk groove for thirty-two bars

Preview
  1. 1The Groove Is the MuteLearnPreview
  2. 2Sixteenth ScratchPracticePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Thirty-Two Bars, One ChordCheckpointPreview

Blues Beyond Box One

Improvise twelve bars moving through three scale positions

Preview
  1. 1Five Boxes, One ScaleLearnPreview
  2. 2Cross the BoxesPracticePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Twelve Bars, Three PositionsCheckpointPreview

Jazz Doorway

Comp a thirty-two bar standard form from memory

Preview
  1. 1Sevenths Change EverythingLearnPreview
  2. 2Two-Five-One CompingSongPreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: A Standard Form From MemoryCheckpointPreview

Extensions and Alterations

Reharmonise a progression and play it in time

Preview
  1. 1Colour Beyond the SeventhLearnPreview
  2. 2Ninths and ThirteenthsPracticePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Reharmonised and PlayedCheckpointPreview

Tone and Effects

Switch between two tones inside one song, in time

Preview
  1. 1Gain Staging in One MinuteLearnPreview
  2. 2Clean to Dirty Inside a SongPracticePreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Two Tones, One SongCheckpointPreview

Your Set

Play an unbroken three-song set, start to finish

Preview
  1. 1Sequencing Three SongsLearnPreview
  2. 2Set Rehearsal, Full TakesSongPreview
  3. 3Checkpoint: Three-Song Set, UnbrokenCheckpointPreview

Drill it in the Advanced Lab: Land on the Chord Tone · Syncopated Sixteenths

Need a daily routine?

Seven blocks, about 21 minutes: tune, shapes, changes and songs.

Open practice routine

Search every lesson and song

By song, artist, chord or skill.

Find your next song.

Choose a guided lesson, a song study, or a focused microphone exercise.

135 results · Guided

  1. Three Points of Contact

    Hold, Fret, Pick

    Where the guitar rests, where the thumb sits, how the pick is held. Everything downstream depends on this.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview3 min

  2. Six Open Strings

    Hold, Fret, Pick

    Play the six open strings from low E to high E. The coach waits for a stable note before moving on, and abstains when the room is too noisy to judge fairly.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview4 min

  3. Checkpoint: Six Open Strings

    Hold, Fret, Pick

    Play each open string and listen for an even sound. Check buzzing by ear; pitch feedback does not assess fretting technique or tone quality.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview4 min

  4. What In Tune Actually Means

    Tune It Yourself

    Pitch, cents, and why an out-of-tune guitar makes correct practice sound wrong.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview3 min

  5. Tuner Target Practice

    Tune It Yourself

    Check the string name and octave, pluck gently, and adjust the matching tuning peg in small steps. Recheck all six strings; accuracy comes before speed.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview4 min

  6. Checkpoint: Six Strings in Tune

    Tune It Yourself

    Check all six strings against their correct notes and octaves, then recheck after the final adjustment. Take the time you need; this is a self-assessed tuning check.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview4 min

  7. Tab, Boxes, and Slashes

    Read the Page

    The three notations you will read for the next year, explained once.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview4 min

  8. Name the Shape

    Read the Page

    Flash a chord box, name it and place it. Recognition before recall.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview4 min

  9. Checkpoint: Eight of Ten Reads

    Read the Page

    Ten notated prompts, eight correct, unassisted.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview4 min

  10. D, Then A

    D and A

    Build D, then A, in the taught finger order and identify each chord's sounding strings.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview3 min

  11. Check D, Then A

    D and A

    Three minutes each on D and A: place, strum, check individual strings, adjust, and strum again.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview6 min

  12. Checkpoint: Check Both Chords

    D and A

    Recall both shapes and record your own individual-string listening check.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  13. Keep One Finger in Place

    The Change

    Move silently between D and A while the index stays in contact with string 3, fret 2.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview3 min

  14. Count Your One-Minute Changes

    The Change

    Choose the starting chord, alternate for sixty seconds, and enter your own count afterwards.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  15. Checkpoint: Your One-Minute Count

    The Change

    Record a fresh one-minute manual change count. Thirty transitions is the early guide; tone quality remains a separate check.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  16. Four Beats, One Downstroke

    Down on the Beat

    Count four beats per bar, then place one downstroke on beat 1 before adding more strokes.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview3 min

  17. First Light: An Original A/D Study

    Down on the Beat

    Play a complete sixteen-bar original A/D study. Start with one downstroke per bar at a comfortable tempo.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview10 min

  18. Checkpoint: Sixteen Bars at Eighty

    Down on the Beat

    After four visual count-in beats, play sixty-four quarter-note down-strums across sixteen bars. Check the goal at 80 BPM; the microphone result measures attack timing only.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview5 min

  19. A Riff Is a Melody You Can Hold

    First Riff

    Read an original eight-note riff and prepare four positions on the low E string.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview3 min

  20. One String, Four Notes

    First Riff

    Play Low E Lantern in two four-note groups, then join the complete riff at a manageable tempo.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview5 min

  21. Checkpoint: Three Complete Passes at Ninety

    First Riff

    Play three consecutive riff passes at ninety BPM with every target pitch detected in its assigned slot.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview5 min

  22. Why Minor Sounds Like That

    Minor Colors

    One note moves. The whole mood changes. The first piece of usable theory.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview4 min

  23. Three Minors on Cue

    Minor Colors

    Random prompt, build the shape, ring it out. Recall under mild time pressure.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  24. Checkpoint: Three Minors, Self-Checked

    Minor Colors

    Em, Am, and Dm, each deliberately checked by hand and ear; no automatic three-second or clean-chord claim.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  25. The Stretch Chords

    E, C and G

    C and G ask more of the hand. Here is how to get there without straining.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview4 min

  26. Four-Corner Turnaround: An Original Study

    E, C and G

    An original E–C–G–D four-bar study with counted changes and a self-guided tone check.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview6 min

  27. Checkpoint: Eight Open Shapes, Self-Checked

    E, C and G

    Eight open shapes, each sounding string checked manually; record the two shapes to revisit.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  28. The Hand Never Stops

    Up and Down

    The strumming hand keeps moving whether or not it hits the strings.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview4 min

  29. Ghost Strums

    Up and Down

    Miss the strings on purpose to keep the arm in motion. The core of every pattern.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview5 min

  30. Checkpoint: Twenty-Four Bars, Self-Checked

    Up and Down

    A self-guided 24-bar continuity and recovery run; note actual tempo and any stops.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  31. Same Shapes, New Key

    Capo and Keys

    The capo is how a guitarist sings in their own range — it moves the key without new shapes.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview4 min

  32. Three Keys, One Original Study

    Capo and Keys

    Move an original G–C–Em–D study between open, capo 2, and capo 4 while keeping written shapes.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  33. Checkpoint: One Original Study, Three Capos

    Capo and Keys

    Play the same original study open, at capo 2, and at capo 4, then record shape and tuning observations.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  34. Counting in Threes

    Three-Four and Six-Eight

    Waltz time and six-eight feel, counted out loud before you play them.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview4 min

  35. Lantern Tide: An Original 6/8 Study

    Three-Four and Six-Eight

    An original Em–C–G–D study with two large pulses per 6/8 bar and counted recovery.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview6 min

  36. Checkpoint: Meter Switch, Self-Checked

    Three-Four and Six-Eight

    A self-guided original map through 4/4, 3/4, 6/8, and back to 4/4 with spoken counts.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  37. Five Notes That Always Work

    Box One

    Why this shape sounds right over almost anything in the key.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview4 min

  38. Box One, Up and Down

    Box One

    Two notes per string, strict alternate picking, metronome on.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview5 min

  39. Checkpoint: Box One, Self-Checked

    Box One

    Two authored box-one route passes with pitch evidence kept separate from picking and tone.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  40. Down-Up Is Not Optional

    Alternate Picking

    Why all-downstrokes caps your speed permanently.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview4 min

  41. Metronome Ladder, Sixty to One Hundred

    Alternate Picking

    Five BPM at a time. Drop back the moment accuracy breaks.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview6 min

  42. Checkpoint: Eighth-Note Cell, Self-Checked

    Alternate Picking

    Run the authored cell at a sustainable tempo and record pitch evidence separately from picking mechanics.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  43. Notes Without Picking

    Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs

    How a note sounds when the fretting hand makes it alone.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview4 min

  44. Legato Pairs, Three Strings

    Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs

    Volume matching is the whole exercise. A weak pull-off is an inaudible one.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview5 min

  45. Checkpoint: Legato Pairs, Self-Checked

    Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs

    Two three-string legato route passes with separate observations for pitch, pick count, volume, and muting.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  46. Where the Edge of the Hand Goes

    Eighths and Palm Mute

    A centimetre decides between muted and dead. Find yours.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview4 min

  47. Iron Road: An Original Palm-Muted Study

    Eighths and Palm Mute

    An original E5 palm-muted eighth-note study with counted recovery and a self-guided mute check.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview6 min

  48. Checkpoint: Twenty-Four Bars, Self-Checked

    Eighths and Palm Mute

    A self-guided 24-bar palm-muted continuity run; record actual tempo, mute balance, and recovery.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  49. Thumb Keeps Time

    Fingers, Not Pick

    The thumb is the drummer. Everything else is decoration.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview4 min

  50. Alternating Bass

    Fingers, Not Pick

    Thumb alone first, then add one finger at a time.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview6 min

  51. Checkpoint: Alternating Bass, Self-Checked

    Fingers, Not Pick

    A self-guided original 16-bar C–G fingerstyle map with separate bass, treble, and continuity observations.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  52. Wonderwall — Oasis practice companion

    Foundations in familiar songs

    Original 4/4 preparation for steady quarter-note chord changes using Em7, G, D, A7sus4. Includes chord diagrams, a timed drill and an external full-song tutorial.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview10 min

  53. Let It Be — The Beatles practice companion

    Foundations in familiar songs

    Original 4/4 preparation for steady quarter-note chord changes using C, G, Am, Fmaj7. Includes chord diagrams, a timed drill and an external full-song tutorial.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview10 min

  54. Knockin' on Heaven's Door — Bob Dylan practice companion

    Foundations in familiar songs

    Original 4/4 preparation for steady quarter-note chord changes using G, D, Am. Includes chord diagrams, a timed drill and an external full-song tutorial.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview10 min

  55. Perfect — Ed Sheeran practice companion

    Foundations in familiar songs

    Original 4/4 preparation for steady quarter-note chord changes using G, Em, C, D. Includes chord diagrams, a timed drill and an external full-song tutorial.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview10 min

  56. Module 1 checkpoint — four song companions prepared

    Foundations in familiar songs

    Fresh bounded preparation evidence for one selected companion; it does not assess chords or full-song mastery.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview12 min

  57. Enchanted — Taylor Swift practice companion

    Dynamics and texture

    Original 4/4 preparation for offbeat upstrokes and silent hand movement using G, Bm, C, D. Includes chord diagrams, a timed drill and an external full-song tutorial.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview10 min

  58. Teardrops On My Guitar — Taylor Swift practice companion

    Dynamics and texture

    Original 4/4 preparation for offbeat upstrokes and silent hand movement using G, C, Em, D. Includes chord diagrams, a timed drill and an external full-song tutorial.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview10 min

  59. Photograph — Ed Sheeran practice companion

    Dynamics and texture

    Original 4/4 preparation for offbeat upstrokes and silent hand movement using C, Am, G, F. Includes chord diagrams, a timed drill and an external full-song tutorial.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview10 min

  60. Here Comes The Sun — The Beatles practice companion

    Dynamics and texture

    Original 4/4 preparation for offbeat upstrokes and silent hand movement using A, D, E, F#m. Includes chord diagrams, a timed drill and an external full-song tutorial.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview10 min

  61. Module 2 checkpoint — four song companions prepared

    Dynamics and texture

    Fresh bounded preparation evidence for one selected companion; it does not assess chords or full-song mastery.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview12 min

  62. Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) — Green Day practice companion

    Steady strum and groove

    Original 4/4 preparation for short down-up groups with counted rests using G, Cadd9, D, Em. Includes chord diagrams, a timed drill and an external full-song tutorial.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview10 min

  63. Stand By Me — Ben E. King practice companion

    Steady strum and groove

    Original 4/4 preparation for short down-up groups with counted rests using G, Em, C, D. Includes chord diagrams, a timed drill and an external full-song tutorial.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview10 min

  64. Take It Easy — Eagles practice companion

    Steady strum and groove

    Original 4/4 preparation for short down-up groups with counted rests using G, C, D, Em. Includes chord diagrams, a timed drill and an external full-song tutorial.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview10 min

  65. The Sound Of Silence — Simon & Garfunkel practice companion

    Steady strum and groove

    Original 4/4 preparation for short down-up groups with counted rests using Am, C, F, G. Includes chord diagrams, a timed drill and an external full-song tutorial.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview10 min

  66. Module 3 checkpoint — four song companions prepared

    Steady strum and groove

    Fresh bounded preparation evidence for one selected companion; it does not assess chords or full-song mastery.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview12 min

  67. Fast Car — Tracy Chapman practice companion

    Fingerstyle and melody

    Original 4/4 preparation for thumb-and-finger coordination using C, G, Em, D. Includes chord diagrams, a timed drill and an external full-song tutorial.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview10 min

  68. Hallelujah — Leonard Cohen practice companion

    Fingerstyle and melody

    Original 4/4 preparation for thumb-and-finger coordination using C, Am, F, G. Includes chord diagrams, a timed drill and an external full-song tutorial.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview10 min

  69. Blackbird — The Beatles practice companion

    Fingerstyle and melody

    Original 4/4 preparation for thumb-and-finger coordination using G, Am7, C, D. Includes chord diagrams, a timed drill and an external full-song tutorial.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview10 min

  70. Wish You Were Here — Pink Floyd practice companion

    Fingerstyle and melody

    Original 4/4 preparation for thumb-and-finger coordination using Em, G, A, C. Includes chord diagrams, a timed drill and an external full-song tutorial.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview10 min

  71. Module 4 checkpoint — four song companions prepared

    Fingerstyle and melody

    Fresh bounded preparation evidence for one selected companion; it does not assess chords or full-song mastery.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview12 min

  72. I Walk The Line — Johnny Cash practice companion

    Roots and movement

    Original 4/4 preparation for alternating bass notes and upper-string brushes using A, D, E. Includes chord diagrams, a timed drill and an external full-song tutorial.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview10 min

  73. Take Me Home, Country Roads — John Denver practice companion

    Roots and movement

    Original 4/4 preparation for alternating bass notes and upper-string brushes using G, Em, D, C. Includes chord diagrams, a timed drill and an external full-song tutorial.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview10 min

  74. Hey Joe — Jimi Hendrix practice companion

    Roots and movement

    Original 4/4 preparation for alternating bass notes and upper-string brushes using C, G, D, A. Includes chord diagrams, a timed drill and an external full-song tutorial.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview10 min

  75. Brown Eyed Girl — Van Morrison practice companion

    Roots and movement

    Original 4/4 preparation for alternating bass notes and upper-string brushes using G, C, D, Em. Includes chord diagrams, a timed drill and an external full-song tutorial.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview10 min

  76. Module 5 checkpoint — four song companions prepared

    Roots and movement

    Fresh bounded preparation evidence for one selected companion; it does not assess chords or full-song mastery.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview12 min

  77. Yellow Submarine — The Beatles practice companion

    A small singalong set

    Original 4/4 preparation for syncopated strums with counted spaces using G, D, C, Em. Includes chord diagrams, a timed drill and an external full-song tutorial.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview10 min

  78. Songbird — Oasis practice companion

    A small singalong set

    Original 4/4 preparation for syncopated strums with counted spaces using G, C, Em, D. Includes chord diagrams, a timed drill and an external full-song tutorial.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview10 min

  79. Heart Of Gold — Neil Young practice companion

    A small singalong set

    Original 4/4 preparation for syncopated strums with counted spaces using Em, C, D, G. Includes chord diagrams, a timed drill and an external full-song tutorial.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview10 min

  80. Ain't No Sunshine — Bill Withers practice companion

    A small singalong set

    Original 4/4 preparation for syncopated strums with counted spaces using Am, Dm, E. Includes chord diagrams, a timed drill and an external full-song tutorial.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview10 min

  81. Module 6 checkpoint — four song companions prepared

    A small singalong set

    Fresh bounded preparation evidence for one selected companion; it does not assess chords or full-song mastery.

    Mic exerciseLesson preview12 min

  82. Barre Is Leverage, Not Strength

    The F Problem

    Thumb position, elbow angle, and why squeezing harder makes it worse.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview4 min

  83. Partial F, In and Out

    The F Problem

    Build it, check it, release it. Tension is the enemy and the clock is not running.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview6 min

  84. Checkpoint: Four Clean Entries

    The F Problem

    Four in a row, every fretted string ringing.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  85. Two Notes, No Quality

    Power Chords

    Why a power chord is neither major nor minor, and why that makes it universal.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview4 min

  86. Power-Chord Riff Song

    Power Chords

    A full riff-driven song, played to the metronome.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview6 min

  87. Checkpoint: Riff at One Hundred and Ten

    Power Chords

    Clean, muted between, no ringing strings.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  88. The Form You Already Know

    Twelve Bars

    Twelve bars, three chords, a century of songs.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview4 min

  89. Call the Changes

    Twelve Bars

    Call the next chord one bar early, then reduce the prompts as the form becomes familiar.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview6 min

  90. Checkpoint: Three Choruses From Memory

    Twelve Bars

    Chart hidden. Form held.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  91. Four Bars Is a Sentence

    First Solo

    Improvising is answering a question, not filling a silence.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview4 min

  92. One Phrase, Three Answers

    First Solo

    Learn an original written phrase with individual pitch references, then answer it three different ways.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview6 min

  93. Checkpoint: Four Bars, In Key, No Stop

    First Solo

    Rung one of the improvisation ladder.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  94. Pitch You Control After the Pick

    Bend and Vibrato

    The two techniques that make a guitar sound like a voice.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview4 min

  95. Bend to Target

    Bend and Vibrato

    Use an external chromatic meter for guided bends, then repeat by ear without live visual correction.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview6 min

  96. Checkpoint: Semitone Within Twenty Cents

    Bend and Vibrato

    Attempt four blind semitone bends; report actual external observations, or keep the numeric result unverified.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  97. Triads: Three Notes, Many Shapes

    Triads and Chords in Keys

    Triads, and why the big open shapes are just triads with doublings.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview4 min

  98. One, Four, Five, Six

    Triads and Chords in Keys

    Build the four workhorse chords in any key you are handed.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview6 min

  99. Checkpoint: Three Keys, Named and Played

    Triads and Chords in Keys

    Named first, then played, no chart.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  100. One Shape, Twelve Chords

    Full Barre, E Shape

    The moment the neck stops being a list of shapes.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview4 min

  101. Five Positions, Clean

    Full Barre, E Shape

    Same shape, five frets, every string checked at each.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview6 min

  102. Checkpoint: Major and Minor at Five Positions

    Full Barre, E Shape

    Use self-shuffled fret-and-quality prompts and check every intended string.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview6 min

  103. The Second Movable Shape

    Full Barre, A Shape

    Use a fifth-string-root major grip alongside the sixth-string-root family.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview4 min

  104. Barre-Chord Song, Both Shapes

    Full Barre, A Shape

    A song that forces the switch between shapes, played to the metronome.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview7 min

  105. Checkpoint: One-Four-Five, Both Shapes

    Full Barre, A Shape

    Play three keys with the specified nearby E- and A-shape roots.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview6 min

  106. The Neck Is One Scale

    The Major Scale, Five Positions

    Five positions are five views of the same thing.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  107. Connect Three Positions

    The Major Scale, Five Positions

    Connect the written three-position route while keeping each shift inside the pulse.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview7 min

  108. Checkpoint: Three Positions at One Hundred

    The Major Scale, Five Positions

    Continuous, no gap at the shifts.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview6 min

  109. Phrasing Over the Changes

    Eight Bars

    Rung two of the ladder: long enough that shape-running stops working.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  110. Target the Third

    Eight Bars

    Practise landing each chord’s third on its arrival, then connect the targets with short phrases.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview7 min

  111. Checkpoint: Eight Bars, Chord Tones Landed

    Eight Bars

    Self-review an eight-bar take for all four planned chord-tone arrivals and intact form.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview6 min

  112. Hear It, Hum It, Find It

    Steal It By Ear

    Sing it before you look for it. The step everyone skips.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  113. Four Notes From Audio

    Steal It By Ear

    Hear a helper repeat an original four-note prompt while its answer stays out of view.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview7 min

  114. Checkpoint: Four Bars Transcribed

    Steal It By Ear

    Use an accurate unseen helper performance; compare the first transcript’s pitch and rhythm separately against ninety percent.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview6 min

  115. Sixteenths and the Space Between

    Rhythm Vocabulary

    Keep sixteenth subdivisions moving while selected off-beat attacks sustain across unplayed downbeats.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  116. Syncopated Groove Song

    Rhythm Vocabulary

    A full song built on a displaced sixteenth pattern.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview7 min

  117. Checkpoint: Twenty-Four Bars at One Hundred

    Rhythm Vocabulary

    Self-review the complete written pattern for twenty-four bars at one hundred BPM, including off-beat sustains.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview6 min

  118. The Groove Is the Mute

    Funk

    Coordinate pitched chord hits and quieter scratches on a continuous sixteenth grid.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  119. Sixteenth Scratch

    Funk

    Constant sixteenths, fretting hand deciding what sounds.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview7 min

  120. Checkpoint: Thirty-Two Bars, One Chord

    Funk

    Self-review thirty-two complete bars for the written hit/scratch grid, steady pulse and dynamic contrast.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview6 min

  121. Five Boxes, One Scale

    Blues Beyond Box One

    The positions connect. Here is where they overlap.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  122. Cross the Boxes

    Blues Beyond Box One

    Start a phrase in one position, finish it in the next.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview7 min

  123. Checkpoint: Twelve Bars, Three Positions

    Blues Beyond Box One

    Improvise one complete twelve-bar A-blues chorus with actual accompaniment and three observed hand regions.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview7 min

  124. Sevenths Change Everything

    Jazz Doorway

    One added note and the whole harmonic language opens.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  125. Two-Five-One Comping

    Jazz Doorway

    Play a complete original thirty-two-bar AABA study using seventh-chord shells and ii–V–I movement.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview7 min

  126. Checkpoint: A Standard Form From Memory

    Jazz Doorway

    Close the chart yourself and self-review the complete original form from memory.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview7 min

  127. Colour Beyond the Seventh

    Extensions and Alterations

    Compare selected extensions and one altered dominant against the chord identity and actual melody.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  128. Ninths and Thirteenths

    Extensions and Alterations

    Voicings that fit under one hand without a barre.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview7 min

  129. Checkpoint: Reharmonised and Played

    Extensions and Alterations

    Choose a written substitution and perform it under the unchanged original melody supplied by a helper or your own recording.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview7 min

  130. Gain Staging in One Minute

    Tone and Effects

    Where the volume actually comes from, and where the noise does.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  131. Clean to Dirty Inside a Song

    Tone and Effects

    Rehearse clean/driven changes on your actual equipment at two fixed boundaries in an original rhythm study.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview7 min

  132. Checkpoint: Two Tones, One Song

    Tone and Effects

    Self-review both real tone changes at their bar lines and compare perceived levels by ear.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview6 min

  133. Sequencing Three Songs

    Your Set

    Plan three complete pieces by key, pulse and texture, with two fixed transition bars.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview5 min

  134. Set Rehearsal, Full Takes

    Your Set

    Play complete takes with planned transitions, then do focused repairs between takes.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview9 min

  135. Checkpoint: Three-Song Set, Unbroken

    Your Set

    Play the complete three-piece set in one attempt; compare earlier work only when an actual baseline exists.

    Guided self-checkLesson preview10 min

Take a field guide with you

Free PDFs to keep beside the lessons. Download one, put it on the music stand, and come back to the next lesson.

See all 15 field guides