Newest Lessons

In this tutorial we're going to study funk guitar in the style of Cory Wong. This style is known for using crisp, percussive rhythms and tight riffing. This style features plenty of precision, energy, and groove. We’ll break it down into several key components, learn what makes it special, and then learn to play riffs and licks in this style.

In this tutorial we'll learn some typical strategies to connect chords with single note lines in the key of E major. Sometimes this is referred to as "walking into or out of" chords. You’ll see examples that use and combine 1/4 note and 1/8 note walk ups and walk downs. We'll practice these approaches using the I IV V open chords in the key of E major to create 3 chord progressions, and then finish up with a practice song that combines everything we've learned.

Christopher will show you how to play the solo classical guitar piece 'Andantino' Op. 241 No. 5 by Ferdinando Carulli. This is a beginner level classical guitar piece that focuses on developing picking hand technique along with open chord voicings and scale harmonization.

In this tutorial we'll learn some typical strategies to connect chords with single note lines in the key of C major. Sometimes this is referred to as "walking into or out of" chords. You’ll see examples that use and combine 1/4 note and 1/8 note walk ups and walk downs. We'll practice these approaches using the I IV V open chords in the key of C major to create 3 chord progressions, and then finish up with a practice song that combines everything we've learned.

In this tutorial we'll look at how to Travis Pick the blues. This is a super fun and satisfying style to play the blues with. The blues consists of a certain chord structure, I-IV-V in its basic form. It’s a fairly simple structure and hundreds of songs are built on this. So we’re going to learn a basic blues and also learn ways to spice it up, add some chords, a melody line and put it all together in a performance piece.

In this tutorial we’re going to continue learning the fundamentals of Travis Picking, this time with a focus on adding different rhythmic concepts. Groove, rhythm and syncopation is an incredibly important part of Travis Picking, so be sure to really focus on your timing and feel throughout this tutorial.

In this tutorial we'll learn the basics of Travis Picking, proper hand position, technique and motor skills for thumbpicking. We'll learn exercises and then compile it all into a mini song at the end.

In this tutorial we’ll learn some typical strategies to connect chords with single note lines in the key of A minor. Sometimes this is referred to as "walking into or out of" chords. You’ll see examples that use and combine 1/4 note and 1/8 note walk ups and walk downs. We’ll practice these approaches using the i-iv-v open chords in the key of A minor to create 3 chord progressions, and then finish up with a practice song that combines everything we’ve learned.

Christopher will show you how to play the solo classical guitar piece 'Andante' Op. 241 No. 18 by Ferdinando Carulli. This is a beginner level classical guitar piece that focuses on developing picking hand technique along with open chord voicings and scale harmonization.

In this tutorial we’ll practice the open major chords in the key of E: E major, A major and B major. We’ll practice playing them in time using some basic strumming patterns. As usual we’ll have a lot of opportunities to play these chord changes along with a backing track to get you ready for real world playing.

In this tutorial we’ll practice the open major chords in the key of C: C major, F major and G major. We’ll practice playing them in time using some basic strumming patterns. As usual we’ll have a lot of opportunities to play these chord changes along with a backing track to get you ready for real world playing.

In this tutorial we’re going to study the playing style made famous by John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. This style is widely regarded as one of the most influential of modern day pop rock music. The unique blend of technique and emotional expression has inspired countless musicians around the world. We'll break this style of playing down in into several key factors, learn what makes it special, and then learn to play riffs & licks. This study is not endorsed by the artist or the band. It is only done for educational purposes of teaching.

In this tutorial we'll explore some more stripped down, precision chords that use a minimum number of notes for a maximum impact or shell voicings as they’re often called. Not only are the chords boiled down to the essence, the movement between the I, IV and V chord voicings is also optimized, so each of the notes within the chords move as little as possible. This gives our rhythm playing a very deliberate and mature sound. There is some theory involved in this, but you don’t have to understand the theory to use this approach - just use your ears to determine how little you can get away with playing.

In this tutorial we will learn a Francisco Tarrega (1852-1909) piece for solo classical guitar, 'Capricho Arabe'.

In this tutorial we'll learn some typical strategies to connect chords with single note lines in the key of A major. Sometimes this is referred to as "walking into or out of" chords. You'll see examples that use and combine 1/4 note and 1/8 note walk ups and walk downs. We'll practice these approaches using the I IV V open chords in the key of A major to create 3 chord progressions, and then finish up with a practice song that combines everything we’ve learned.

Barrett will show you how to play root chord strumming, which is a common rhythm technique used widely on acoustic guitar in many different styles. It's called root chord strumming because we rhythmically separate the low root note of each chord from the rest of the notes in the chord while we strum. We’ll learn root chord strumming with a variety of our most common open major and minor chords. From there we’ll apply this technique to a basic practice song set to a backing track. Our main goal here is to master this rhythmic strumming technique so that when used along with our most common open chord shapes we can apply it in many different styles.

Barrett will show you how to play power chords in a rock style. Power chords are commonly used way to voice chords in rock style music because it works so well with an overdriven tone. In this tutorial we’ll strip a bunch of E and A styled barre chords down to power chords, learn how that can help us with map the musical notes on the E & A string, and along the way learn a practice tune using these powerful voicings.

In this tutorial we'll learn a beginner classical guitar piece by Fernando Sor 'Study No. 3, Opus 60'.

In this tutorial we’ll explore one of the most expansive creative tools you can have in your setup, which is the looper pedal. There are almost infinite ways to use this pedal and in this tutorial we’ll explore some of my favorites. If you don’t already have a looper pedal you can still watch along and see if it’s something that inspires you enough to acquire one. They’re very affordable and come in a million different versions!

In this tutorial we'll explore some universally useful open chord embellishments in the key of A major. These are the kinds of tricks and techniques that most of us use more or less every time we pick up a guitar. We'll explore this within the chord family consisting of A major, D major and E major.

In this tutorial we'll explore some universally useful open chord embellishments in the key of A minor. These are the kinds of tricks and techniques that most of us use more or less every time we pick up a guitar. We'll explore this within the chord family consisting of Am, Dm and Em (the key of A minor).

In this tutorial, we’ll learn some common strumming patterns that will sharpen your rhythm acoustic guitar chops. We’ll also get plenty of practice changing chords in time while using our 5th and 6th string root barre chords shapes. We’ll finish up with a practice tune that combines everything we’ve learned. This tutorial uses barre chords, strumming patterns and is played on acoustic guitar.

In this tutorial we're going to explore some extremely useful open chord embellishments in the key of E. Along with the E major and A major chords, the key of E includes our notorious B barre chord, which is quite challenging for the left hand when you're first starting out. But since the key of E is such a popular guitar key and B is an integral part of that, it shows up all time and is well worth the effort.

In this tutorial, we’ll explore the fundamental concept of arpeggiation, and how it differs from strumming chords. Learning this technique will add a world of possibilities to your acoustic playing. In the following lessons, we’ll review barre chord shapes, learn 1/4 note and 1/8 note arpeggiation examples, and finish up with a practice tune that combines everything we’ve learned.

In this tutorial we're going to explore some universally useful open chord embellishments in the key of C. The key of C includes the notorious F chord, which is a bit of a beast when you're first starting out. But it's one of those chords that there’s no getting around, so in this tutorial you'll get some extra practice time on it as well as some cool variations you can throw in for variation.

In this tutorial we'll boost your blues rhythm playing by exploring a handful of extremely useful dominant 7 chords and combine those with a simple but powerful right hand approach. The dominant 7 chords are the ones we write out by simply adding the number 7 after the letter name. They hold a lot of bluesy tension and they're some of the most common chord type used in this style of music.

In this tutorial we'll level up our blues rhythm playing by exploring some extremely precise and punchy voicings of our dominant 7 and 9 chords. These chords are stripped down to a minimum number of notes for a maximum impact, and they're often referred to as shell voicings. These little clusters really cut through the mix and only take up a minimum amount of space in the sonic picture, which is particularly useful when there's a lot going on in the music and you're having a hard time finding a place to sit in the mix.

In this tutorial we’re going to cover the topic of hammer-ons and pull-offs in fingerstyle guitar. The hammer-on/pull-off is an essential tool to have in the bag for creating melodies. It creates a note that doesn’t have to be played with the right hand. This is great for adding in extra notes, or playing melody notes that otherwise wouldn’t be possible. It also adds different sound and can add a variety of articulations to your playing.

In this tutorial we will learn a Francisco Tarrega (1852-1909) piece for solo classical guitar, 'Study In E Minor, No. 2'. This piece will help you develop various chord voicings used in classical style for the fretting hand and common fingerpicking patterns used in classical guitar style.

In this tutorial we’ll practice the open major chords in the key of A: A major, D major and E major. We’ll practice playing them in time with a backing track using some basic strumming patterns and various rhythms.

In this tutorial we’re gonna explore a super cool type of Rock known as Grunge Rock. This sound was a musical tsunami when it first came out, and it pretty much defined the sound of rock bands in the 90’s with iconic riffs, unpredictable harmony, cool effects and loads and loads of attitude. In this tutorial we’re gonna explore this sound within a practice tune that I’ve written to incorporate all my favorite Grunge elements.

In the following tutorial, we’ll up the ante of your rock riffs by integrating palm muting, syncopation, hammer ons and pull offs, and bending. All the while, we’ll be mindful of the dynamics of an arrangement, and how we can tailor each riff with various dynamic levels. These techniques are sure to add more excitement and creativity to your riffs! We’ll play through examples of each approach, and finish up with a practice tune that combines everything we’ve learned.

In this tutorial we'll give another boost to your blues rhythm chops by exploring a handful of extremely useful 9 chords, which is the slightly jazzier sounding chord that's used all the time in blues.

In the realm of rock music, innovation and creativity have always pushed the boundaries of what the guitar can do. One of the most intriguing and inspiring ways to achieve this is through the exploration of alternate tunings. In this tutorial, we'll dive into 3 alternate tunings that will open the door to a whole new host of sonic possibilities.

In this tutorial we'll explore a super fun subgenre of rock, known as New Wave. This sound is a lot less guitar-centric than other types of rock, but the guitar is still very much a part of the sound and it’s a ton of fun to play around in this musical universe. Today we’ll break down a New Wave practice tune that I’ve written to incorporate all the best elements of this iconic sound.

In this tutorial we'll take the basic barre chord shapes we learned in a previous tutorial and practice them in a rock rhythm guitar style. We'll start by practicing these barre shapes by adding more rhythmic subdivisions to our strumming. This will add to the complexity and difficulty, giving us more to think about while we play. We'll add some rhythmic emphasis to certain strums to provide variety. We'll also experiment with strumming sets of strings instead of strumming all of them every time.

This tune features an acoustic guitar strumming the progressions and also adding plenty of lead embellishment and even a full guitar solo! There is also a pedal steel heard prominently in the mix, so we’ve adapted these ideas into clean electric guitar parts. This song uses open and barre chords, steady acoustic strumming, pedal steel influenced lead ideas, and some fiery acoustic lead approaches.

In this tutorial we will learn a Francisco Tarrega (1852-1909) piece for solo classical guitar, 'Study In C Major, No. 1'. This piece will help you develop various chord voicings used in classical style for the fretting hand and common fingerpicking patterns used in classical guitar style.

This song features one acoustic guitar that strums the progressions and embellishments throughout. Any acoustic guitar can be used to play this song. You’ll need a capo placed on the 1st fret to play along with this tutorial. This song uses open chords, the use of a capo, and dynamics.

In this tutorial we'll take the basic barre chord shapes we learned in a previous tutorial and apply them to rock rhythm guitar playing. We'll start by adding more rhythmic subdivisions. We’ll add some rhythmic emphasis to certain strums to provide variety. We'll also experiment with strumming specific sets of strings instead of strumming all six strings every time.

There are 2 clean electric guitars in this tune. Guitar 1 plays main rhythm parts, while Guitar 2 adds some lead fills in the chorus. The tune features a harpsichord that plays the main riff, and we’ll adapt it for guitar. This song uses triads, doubles stops, and barre chords, steady strum approaches, chord arpeggiation, and some early rock lead approaches.

This tune features 1 acoustic and 1 electric guitar. The acoustic strums the chord progressions and adds some slide ornamentations and riffing to provide a rich rhythm guitar bed. The electric guitar adds more slide fills to the arrangement. This song uses an open E tuning, a capo, strumming and riffing techniques, a swung eighth groove, dynamics, and some textbook slide lead approaches.

There is 1 acoustic guitar that lays down the foundation of the tune with chords and strumming. This song uses barre chords and steady strumming techniques.

In this tutorial we'll learn a beginner classical guitar piece by Fernando Sor 'Study No. 2, Opus 60'.

The song features two acoustic guitars. Guitar 1 has a capo on the 2nd fret and plays a combination of chord strums, arpeggiation, and ornamental fills. Guitar 2 does not use a capo, and plays leads and fills throughout the song. This song uses a capo, open chords, strumming with a swung eighths groove and adding embellishments, as well as some textbook acoustic licks and fills.

There is 1 clean electric guitar in this song that strums the progressions in an R&B style that emphasizes the backbeat. This song uses triads, and backbeat staccato chord stabs.

We’re going to cover ascending melodies, descending melodies, and repetitive melodies. We’re also going to combine these melodies with the chords/bass movement concepts you just learned. This will all be in the key of C still using the same chords and voicings as before so you don’t have to focus on too many new things at once. At the end you’re going to use these skills in a song.

There are 2 electric guitars in this tune. Guitar 1 plays the main riff and solo in the song, while Guitar 2 adds some rhythm guitar with a few tasty lead fills. This song uses single note riffs, solid rhythm strumming, and tasty rock lead approaches.

There are 2 electric guitars in this song. Guitar 1 plays the rhythm riffs, while Guitar 2 digs into some slide fills using Open E tuning. You’ll need a capo and slide to play along with this tutorial. This song uses a capo, open chords and triads, suspended chord embellishments, and some basic slide guitar approaches.

In this tutorial we'll learn a beginner classical guitar piece by Fernando Sor 'Study No. 1, Opus 60'. This is a very simple piece written as a mostly single note melody specifically for the purpose of providing beginners with beautiful pieces to play.