How Do I Learn Chord Progressions
If you are here, it means you are interested in getting started with some chord progressions. You probably heard from a friend or teacher that you should start out learning the note names and perhaps […]
Beginner
These guitar lessons, exercises, and resources are intended to help beginner guitarists.
AP-012 What are the biggest chord mistakes for beginner guitar players?
Question What are some of the biggest mistakes you see beginner guitar players make when learning: a) basic guitar chords and b) barre chords. Answer a. Every individual is different, but a common issue is […]
LRT-028 Blues Ending in E
Upgrade your blues jamming with this classic blues ending that is suitable for beginners.
Ex-018 Horizontal Ladder Exercise
Improve your fretboard knowledge with this rut-breaking ladder exercise from my upcoming book on learning the fretboard. This exercise can be applied to any sequence of notes, such as a scale, mode, or arpeggio.
AP-008 How Do I Memorize Songs?
Question I started my music course this week and had to play a song from memory. I struggled to recall the chord progression without my safety net. Any advice on how to improve this please?
AP-007 Why are chords major or minor?
Question Why are chords called major chords or minor chords? ~Tony Answer Major and minor chords have a difference in one particular note, the third. Let’s look at how it gets that name through a […]
AP-005 – Why do guitars have dots?
Question I am a rank beginner to the guitar. I am trying to learn the function of the fretboard. The guitar I have borrowed is classical with 12 frets. How do I transfer what I […]
LRT-003 Jazzy Altered Scale Lick
Have fun with this jazz lick using the altered scale. This lick was recorded by Roman Garcia.
Ex-007 Fretting Combinations Exercise Set
The object of these exercises is to work on your fretting hand combinations over all 6 strings. Each exercise in the set of 6 varies slightly from the previous one. All of the exercises below […]
Beginner Guitar Amp Recommendations
Learn about beginner guitar amplifiers and my top recommendations. Amplifiers can change the sound of the guitar more than the guitar itself. Today’s beginner amps can model expensive tube amplifiers for pennies on the dollar. […]
LRT-002 Funky Blues Riff
This riff only uses four notes plus a couple 1/2 step bends. It has a nice funky blues edge to it. This riff was written and recorded by Charles Gervase.
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.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]