Beginner Silent Night
This is an easy beginner version of silent night. It is played predominantly in the second position, with a shift to the fifth position in measure 17.
2015
Ex-006 Simple Chord Change Exercise
This is a simple exercise that you can do for about 1 minute. It can easily be fit into anyone’s practice or warmup schedule. You will need a metronome and two chords that will challenge […]
Twas the Night Before Rocking
A few years ago, I adapted the lyrics to “Twas the Night before Christmas”. I hope you enjoy it! Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the stage Not a strummer was strumming, not […]
Blank Notation and Tablature Sheet
Blank Notation and Tablature PDF
Glossary of Guitar Terms
Accent An emphasized note Accidental A symbol used to raise or lower the pitch of a note in standard notation. The symbol is either a sharp (♯), a flat (♭), or a natural sign (♮). […]
List of Chord Formulas
(♭ = flat ♯ = sharp) Major I – III – V Major 6 I – III – V – VI Major 6 add 9 I – III – V – VI – IX Major […]
List of All Minor Scale Notes
Scale I II / IX III IV / XI V VI / XIII VII I (octave) A A B C D E F G A A♯ A♯ B♯ C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ B♭ […]
List of All Major Scale Notes
This is a simple listing of the major scale notes.
List of Alternate Tunings
Standard Tuning EADGBE Drop D DADGBE Drop D down 1/2 step D♭A♭D♭G♭B♭E♭ Double Drop D DADGBD DADGAD DADGAD Open D Major DADF♯AD Open A Major EAC♯EAE Open E Major EBEG♯BE Open G Major DGDGBD
Ex-005 Fretting Combinations Exercise 2
This exercise expands on the Fretting Combinations exercise. This exercise will train both your fretting hand and your picking hand by playing all the fretting combinations and all the picking combinations. The picking combinations are […]
Ex-004 Fretting Combinations Exercise 1
The goal of this exercise is to improve the speed of your fingers when playing on a single string in a given fretboard position. The example below shows the 6th string in 1st position. Place […]
Ex-003 Finger Strength Exercise
This exercise has three steps and can be done on any string and in all fretboard positions Step 1 – Place all four fingers on adjacent frets of a string. Step 2 – Lift two […]
Ex-002 Alternate Picking Exercise
The goal of this exercise is to improve the speed and accuracy of your alternate picking. Go slow enough to play it perfectly before increasing the speed. The following picking combination should be used: d, […]
Ex-001 Fretting Hand Exercise
The goal of this exercise is to make each finger on your fretting hand as smooth and independent as possible. The fingers of the hand do not move equally well. This exercise helps you overcome […]
Alternate Tunings
This lesson teaches you how to approach learning alternate tunings. I will also discuss a few alternate tunings, why they’re useful, and my approach to using them.
Determining the Key
I am going to show you how to find the key when you have just a written piece of music in standard notation and also when you just know the chord progression. Determining the Key […]
Drop 2 Chords
Drop 2 chord voicings are formed by taking a chord and then dropping the next to the highest note, or voice, to the lowest note of the chord. Similarly, there are drop 1, drop 3, […]
Ear Training
Training your ear is something that is extremely valuable but hard to acquire. You cannot train your ear by just reading. It requires that you can hear the differences in sounds. After you play a […]
Transcribing Tips
Everyone wants to know how to transcribe but no one finds out so here we go. These are really tips and tricks because there is no other way than to listen to the song and […]
Transposing
Learn how to transpose songs using three different methods. Transposing is an essential skill for any musician. This lesson will tell you why you need to know it and provide step-by-step guidance on how to do […]
Minor System
If you know your chords, and you know your patterns, then this lesson will benefit your playing immensely. Knowing how chords and scales relate to each other helps you to find them more easily than […]
Chord to Scale Relationships
If you know your chords, and you know your patterns, then this lesson will benefit your playing immensely. Knowing how chords and scales relate to each other helps you to find them more easily than […]
Chord to Chord Relationships
In this lesson, I am going to show you how to find and form chords easily from the basic chords that most guitarists know. This lesson will show where chords are in relation to each […]
Jazz Progressions
Jazz Progressions are simply common chord progressions in jazz music. One of the most common progressions is the ii-V-I progression. The ii-V-I sounds at its best when you use seventh chords and their expanded voicings. […]
Flat Five Substitution
The flat five substitution is a chord that you can use as a substitute for any dominant chord. It applies very nicely to the 12 Bar Blues, because of the use of Dominant 7th chords. […]
Blues Soloing
This lesson is going to familiarize you with the chord tones within the scale patterns. Yes, that’s right now you have to learn the notes instead of blazing trough patterns. Why should you learn them… […]
Blues Scale
The Blues Scale is derived from the Minor Pentatonic Scale. It has an added #4th. This note gives the scale a bluesy feel. It is the only difference between the Blues Scale and the Minor […]
Pentatonic Scales
Learn the major and minor pentatonic scales, their patterns, when to use them, and why they’re the scale shortcut.
Diminished Chords
Learn diminished and diminished seventh chord grips, how they’re constructed, and when to use them. You’ll learn how dim7 chords form a fun pattern that can be played in many locations.
Slash Chords
Learn everything you need to know about slash chords in this quick and easy lesson.
Seventh Chords
To understand this method of figuring out seventh chords, you must have a basic knowledge of the degrees of the major scale. I will show you how to find every 7th chord you’ll ever need […]
Power Chords
Power chords are used in many musical styles, but Rock music may be the most common. These chords sound thick and raw. Power chords are easy to play because they are played using modified versions […]
Barre Chords
First let’s define Bar Chords. Bar Chords are chords that have your index finger holding down more than one string and not playing with any open strings. Confused? Well let me clarify things. I’ll show […]
Suspended Chords – No Thirds Apply
The neat thing about suspended 4 chords is that they are made up of this formula: I-IV-V. Now you’re asking what this means. I’ll tell you by showing you the degrees for the major scale […]
Circle of Fifths
The Circle of Fifths is an easy way to find out the key a song is in. The Circle of Fifths tells you how many sharps or flats are in a given key. C has […]
Soloing Over Chord Progressions
Learn several ways to solo over a chord progression by knowing the key or by knowing the chord. Learn to use several methods of approaching each method.
Chord Progressions
This lesson will teach you progressions in several styles so you can learn from known progressions and styles. This lesson will cover the 50’s progression, the Let It Be progression, jazz progressions, blues progressions, and […]
The Major Scale
Learn how to play, form, and use the major scale effectively. This is arguably the most important scale you can learn. It is used in improvisation, chord construction, diatonic harmony, and much more.
Fingerpicking Technique
Learn beginner finger picking techniques and the song, House of the Rising Sun!
Picking Techniques
Learn strumming, alternate picking, and sweep picking in this lesson that covers an introduction to each.
Reading Chord Diagrams, Fretboard Patterns, and Rhythm Charts
This lesson will show you how to read chord diagrams, fretboard patterns, and rhythm charts. These diagrams are a perfect way to quickly communicate what you are playing with other guitarists and musicians.
Reading Notation and Tablature
Although, we love to listen to music, we need to be able to read and write it. This lesson show you how to read (and write) tablature and notation.
Learning the Fretboard
Learning the fretboard is a challenge that this lesson will help you tackle efficiently. Did you know that a 22-fret guitar contains 138 notes? It is a huge task that challenges both beginner and experienced guitarists. […]
7 Beginner Guitar Playing Techniques
Learn the fundamental and common beginner techniques that every guitarist must know.
How to Tune a Guitar
There are many ways to tune a guitar. Even if you have an electronic tuner, which I recommend, you should know how to tune a guitar without one. In this lesson, you’ll learn the most […]
Parts of a Guitar – Learn the Guitar’s Anatomy
Did you know that there are at least 21 parts of a guitar for a beginner to learn? In this lesson, I’ll show you the parts of an electric guitar and an acoustic guitar. I’ll […]