Special Swamp Sauce (E – Lick – FP)
So many times I have heard a blues song and it just has that thing… that indescribable thing that makes your whole body react… that for clarificat…
Archives: Lessons
Raking The Leaves (E – Scale – FP)
The scale for today will allow you to work on the raking technique in conjunction with an E minor pentatonic scale. Now granted in a song where you ar…
Clunky Transmission (E – Rhythm – FP)
Today the guitar wizards come down and do a necessary blues rhythm spell for all of us. This rhythm that you are going to work on today has been used …
KC12 Mixed (Key of G Barre)
Today's lesson is focused on helping you roadmap keys with common chords that you will likely run into. This category is designed for a couple reasons…
Get Familiar With The Hybrid Pinch
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The Staggered Hybrid Pinch
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The Mobile Hybrid Pinch
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Hybrid Picking Over Chords
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Hybrid Picking A Banjo Roll
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Inside Out Hybrid Picking
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Channel Your Inner Chicken
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Why Hybrid Picking?
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Getting Familiar With Finger and Thumb Picks
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Learn The Alternating Thumb Roll
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Learn The Foggy Mountain Breakdown Roll
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Learn The Forward Roll
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Learn The Inside Out Roll
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Learn The Backward Roll
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Learn Bluegrass Banjo Backup For Guitar
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3 Core Values of TAC
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3 Pillars of Practice
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5 Categories of Practice
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WU3 Adjacent Strings (FLP)
The warmup on the schedule for today is one that will begin to help you maintain proper pick direction even when picking two different strings. This e…
Brian Boitano (G – Lick – FLP)
This lick is an awesome one for traveling up the neck. This flat picking lick is one that starts out fairly plain jane, and then it migrates up the ne…
Double Axle (G – Scale – FLP)
Today’s scale is a two for one special, yes it is your lucky day two scales all in one day… well kind of. You will execute a G major scale way up …
Ice Dancing (G – Rhythm – FLP)
Chord progressions can sometimes feel as though they are all the same, but this one today will take some common chords for a whole different ride. You…
KC13 Major (Key of C Barre)
Today's lesson is focused on helping you roadmap keys with common chords that you will likely run into. This category is designed for a couple reasons…
WU4 String Awareness (FP)
The warmup for today is a little one, but it will go a very long way in helping your fingerpicking fingers find the strings they are looking for. Usin…
Cement Mixer (C – Lick – FP)
The power of one hand position will be revealed today. Just by holding a basic C major open chord and combining that with some pull offs, hammer ons a…
Construction Zone (C – Scale – FP)
The C major harmonized scale is up on tap today and this one really focuses on the lower strings and it integrates sixteenth notes as well. This scale…
Orange Safety Cones (C – Rhythm – FP)
The rhythm technique used in this chord progression is one that really provides a huge punch on the one beat of the first measure of each rhythmic seq…
KC13 Minor (Key of C Barre)
Today's lesson is focused on helping you roadmap keys with common chords that you will likely run into. This category is designed for a couple reasons…
5 Day Pull Off Challenge – Day 1 Pulling Off All The Stops
The cycle is broken today to make way for an intense focus on making your pull offs more clear, better sounding, and ultra powerful. Welcome to the 5 …
5 Day Pull Off Challenge – Day 2 Pull Off Parade
The cycle is broken today to make way for an intense focus on making your pull offs more clear, better sounding, and ultra powerful. Welcome to the 5 …
5 Day Pull Off Challenge – Day 3 Pull Off Palace
The cycle is broken today to make way for an intense focus on making your pull offs more clear, better sounding, and ultra powerful. Welcome to the 5 …
5 Day Pull Off Challenge – Day 4 Pentatonic Pull Offs
The cycle is broken today to make way for an intense focus on making your pull offs more clear, better sounding, and ultra powerful. Welcome to the 5 …
5 Day Pull Off Challenge – Day 5 Practical Pull Offs
The cycle is broken today to make way for an intense focus on making your pull offs more clear, better sounding, and ultra powerful. Welcome to the 5 …
WU3 Adjacent Strings Speed Challenge (FLP)
You will get another crack at the warmup from week 1 of this month today, but this time the tempo will be increased :-) The warmups are designated to …
Zombie Walk (Am – Lick – FLP)
This lick is one that once you get it down you will 100% absolutely love it. This lick has it all, moving up and down the neck, three different chord …
Skull & Crossbones (Am – Scale – FLP)
A roller coaster of a ride is in store for you today as you navigate through this combination of two different A minor scale shapes. These two scale s…
Brain Stew (Am – Rhythm – FLP)
This chord progression reveals an extremely important pattern on the fretboard and a beautiful connection that barre chords have to offer. All of the …
KC13 Accidentals (Key of C Barre)
Today's lesson is focused on helping you roadmap keys with common chords that you will likely run into. This category is designed for a couple reasons…
WU4 String Awareness Speed Challenge (FP)
You will get another crack at the warmup from week 2 of this month today, but this time the tempo will be increased :-) The warmups are designated to …
Hello Beautiful (A – Lick – FP)
Ok so I think this lick is just plain cool, it starts off with a simple slide into an A7 chord and then with flashes of sorcery and magic you find you…
Four Eyes (A – Scale – FP)
Today’s scale shape is actually three shapes connected, and the cool thing about this shape is that it is isolated to the high four strings on the g…
Sliding Into Home Base (A – Rhythm – FP)
The ever popular slide is back in full force today and this chord progression is fueled on the beautiful sound a slide creates. You are going to make …
KC13 Mixed (Key of C Barre)
Today's lesson is focused on helping you roadmap keys with common chords that you will likely run into. This category is designed for a couple reasons…
WU10 Staggered Pinch (FP)
This warmup will no doubt get your picking and fretting fingers ready to rock. The focus of this warmup is what I like to call the staggered pinch. Th…
Shuttle Run (C – Lick – FP)
Today’s lick is one that I think you will really enjoy. It uses some double stops, as well as a good portion of the open C major scale to create a c…
Rope Climb (C – Scale – FP)
A new look at an old favorite. Today you will check out a double stop scale in the key of C, but the manner in which you will move through the scale w…
Sit And Reach (C – Rhythm – FP)
The chord progression on the menu for today is a rather timeless one in terms of what chords are used. You will be comfortably relaxing in the key of …
KC1 Mixed (Key of C)
Today's lesson is focused on helping you roadmap keys with common chords that you will likely run into. This category is designed for a couple reasons…
WU13 Inside Out (FLP)
This flatpicking warmup is one that you will no doubt benefit from… think of it as a sort of fretting finger gymnastics. The warmup, if you so choos…
Bearded Lady (E – Lick – FLP)
The magical lick today is one that utilizes the low three strings in combination with hammer ons as well as pull offs. Take special note while perform…
Strong Man (E – Scale – FLP)
The scale on tap for today is one that will cover three octaves. This scale starts in what I will refer to as the "center" position. I refer to this p…
Shrunken Head (E – Rhythm – FLP)
This chord progression is one that shows the beauty of using different chord shapes for the same exact chord. This progression is fairly common as it …
KC14 Major (Key of A Barre)
Today's lesson is focused on helping you roadmap keys with common chords that you will likely run into. This category is designed for a couple reasons…
WU14 Traveling Pairs (FP)
A dual purpose warmup awaits you today. This fingerpicking warmup involves and works not only the fretting hand but the picking hand as well. The fret…
BIg Foot (C – Lick – FP)
Stair Step, Waterfall, Descending lick… whatever you want to call it this lick is it. A descending lick that has a repetitive rhythm is in store tod…
Yeti (C – Scale – FP)
A curveball is certainly in store for today. You will execute an open C major-ish scale… now I say major-ish because you will be going through this …
Abominable Snowman (C – Rhythm – FP)
What seemingly appears as a common key of C chord progression is spiced up today by integrating some triplets. Triplets will afford you the opportunit…
KC14 Minor (Key of A Barre)
Today's lesson is focused on helping you roadmap keys with common chords that you will likely run into. This category is designed for a couple reasons…
WU13 Inside Out Speed Challenge (FLP)
You will get another crack at the warmup from week 1 of this month today, but this time the tempo will be increased :-) The warmups are designated to …
Trampoline Accident (D – Lick – FLP)
Open strings are the name of the game today. In fact not only are there open strings, there are pull offs a plenty. This lick is in the key of D and i…
No Whammy No Whammy (D – Scale – FLP)
Combinations, combinations, combinations. Today is all about combinations (if you couldn't tell). Today I present to you three different D major scale…
Bankrupt (D – Rhythm – FLP)
This chord progression is one that utilizes only two strings but has big time sound. But how can that be ?!?!? Enter the magic of palm muting. By usin…
KC14 Mixed (Key of A Barre)
Today's lesson is focused on helping you roadmap keys with common chords that you will likely run into. This category is designed for a couple reasons…
WU5 DDU Crosspicking (FLP)
The warmup today will help you harness the power of the down, down, up crosspicking pattern. This exercise will help you navigate your way through all…
Multi-Tool (G – Lick -FLP)
The lick on tap for today is one that upon first glance looks like one lick, but upon further review you can pull it apart and generate at least two l…
3 Fretted Safety Cushion (G – Scale – FLP)
This scale is one that may raise an eyebrow or two… You are likely going to think, “ I thought this was a warmup, but now you are telling me it is…
Leap And The Net Will Appear (G – Rhythm – FLP)
This saying is one that could quite possibly be on refrigerator magnets across the world, but it applies to this chord progression so well I couldn’…
KC15 Major (Key of D Barre)
Today's lesson is focused on helping you roadmap keys with common chords that you will likely run into. This category is designed for a couple reasons…
WU6 Forward Roll (FP)
The forward roll is an essential move in the dance that is finger style. It is borrowed from the banjo world, but makes itself right at home on the gu…
Bum Dittly (Em – Lick – FP)
The ever useful "dead" thumb will be exploited in todays lick. This lick is in the key of E minor and the "dead" thumb will be responsible for it's rh…
Hi-Diddlee-Ho (Em – Scale – FP)
Nothing quite sounds like adding a drone string to a scale position, it helps a scale transform from a one dimensional single note sequence to a much …
Flanders Fiasco (Em – Rhythm – FP)
This E minor chord progression will give you ample opportunity to practice and develop the "dead" thumb. The "dead" thumb means that your thumb is loc…
KC15 Minor (Key of D Barre)
Today's lesson is focused on helping you roadmap keys with common chords that you will likely run into. This category is designed for a couple reasons…
WU5 DDU Crosspicking Speed Challenge (FLP)
You will get another crack at the warmup from week 1 of this month today, but this time the tempo will be increased :-) The warmups are designated to …
Foggy Mountain Guitjo (G – Lick – FLP)
Today’s lick will sound familiar if you have ever heard any bluegrass banjo. Seriously, if you have ever heard a banjo kick off a song today’s lic…
Deliverance (G – Scale – FLP)
This scale is actually two scales in one… they are both G scales; the descending version is a bluesy, pentatonic scale and the ascending scale is a …
Squeal Like a Pig (G – Rhythm – FLP)
You will channel your inner banjo today… but the good news is you won’t have to run out and buy a banjo. Through the magic of cross picking you wi…
KC15 Accidentals (Key of D Barre)
Today's lesson is focused on helping you roadmap keys with common chords that you will likely run into. This category is designed for a couple reasons…
WU6 Forward Roll Speed Challenge (FP)
You will get another crack at the warmup from week 2 of this month today, but this time the tempo will be increased :-) The warmups are designated to …
Flying V (D – Lick – FP)
What a lick for this fine Tuesday!!! This lick is in the key of D, it incorporates the technique of the backward roll and it includes the flat seventh…
Goldberg (D – Scale – FP)
The scale on the menu for today utilizes not one but two drone notes. Yes, two drone notes will be employed today and you will use them with a single …
Knuckle Puck (D – Rhythm – FP)
Today’s chord progression combines strumming and fingerpicking… yes it can be done and it will be done. This key of D progression will reinforce t…
KC15 Mixed (Key of D Barre)
Today's lesson is focused on helping you roadmap keys with common chords that you will likely run into. This category is designed for a couple reasons…
WU7 Finger Pairs (FLP)
This warmup is one that will most certainly limber up your fretting hand. For this warmup you will be pairing your index and ring finger as well as yo…
The Suzanne Somers ( E – Lick – FLP)
This lick is ripe with hammer ons and pulls offs, and really ends up being a study as to how hammer ons and pull offs work together so that licks lay …
Nancy Kerrigan (E – Scale – FLP)
The scale today will be a challenge no doubt about it. You will have your fill of hammer ons, pull offs and as a result triplets. This is an E major s…
Tonya Harding (E – Rhythm – FLP)
This chord progression is one that isn’t strange by any means, however it has an interesting rhythmic treatment. The initial bass note of both the E…
KC1 Major (Key of C)
Today's lesson is focused on helping you roadmap keys with common chords that you will likely run into. This category is designed for a couple reasons…
WU12 Ring Finger Roll (FP)
This warmup is one of mythical proportions. This will engage your picking hand as well as your fretting hand in a test of strength, balance, and grace…
Thumpty Dumpty (A – Lick – FP)
This lick originates from a blues bass line and is morphed into a utility lick that you can use in a blues progression in the key of A. This is a move…
Octomorphasis (A – Scale – FP)
Taking a pretty typical pentatonic scale shape and adding octave patterns is exactly what is in store for today. This iteration of the A minor pentato…
Thumptoctotron (A – Rhythm – FP)
This chord progression is really more of a series of riffs threaded together to make an awesome iteration of a 12 bar blues. Really what you will do h…
KC1 Minor (Key of C)
Today's lesson is focused on helping you roadmap keys with common chords that you will likely run into. This category is designed for a couple reasons…
WU7 Finger Pairs Speed Challenge (FLP)
You will get another crack at the warmup from week 1 of this month today, but this time the tempo will be increased :-) The warmups are designated to …
Blues Barnacle (E – Lick – FLP)
This lick will put you in the mood for the blues no doubt about it. It combines the open high E string with a triplet, and then a descending run into …
Blue Locomotive (E – Scale – FLP)
The scale today is one that I have used for survival in the past, and it is one that I continue to use even when I am not in jam survival mode. This s…