Dungeon Master (Dm – Lick – FP)
What happens when you pair a backward roll with drop D tuning… pure magic… pure magic is the answer. This lick uses the low strings and sounds dar…
Archives: Lessons
Crosspicking Week – Topsy Turvy (C – Lick – FLP)
Today's lick is one that may have you feeling topsy turvy because the picking can certainly be confusing. What's great about this lick is that it comb…
Jack Skellington (Gm – Lick – FP)
The lick today is in the key of Gm and it happens to be in a closed position. This lick features so many cool things such as; one: it’s moveable, tw…
Chord Shape Conundrum (C – Scale – FLP)
Magical improv day is here and you will be playing in the key of C, using the C major scale… but you will be soloing from the chord position that mi…
Smoke and Mirrors (C – Rhythm – FLP)
The magical C shape will be used today, and not only will it be used… it will be just plain abused. Using the C shape, you will perform a magic tric…
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…
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…
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…
Dungeon of Despair (Dm – Scale – FP)
The beauty of the backward roll continues today, as well as the exploitation of the dropped Low E string. Using a D minor scale on the D string, you w…
Torture Chamber (Dm – Rhythm – FP)
This chord progression does two things… first, it sounds quite sad (D minor is indeed the saddest of all keys), and two, it shows that the backward …
Crosspicking Week – Drone Zone (C – Scale – FLP)
Using a drone while flatpicking is seriously fun, especially when you can compose an entire solo infused with droney goodness. It just so happens that…
Crosspicking Week – Tricky Texture (C – Rhythm – FLP)
Crosspicking on the lower strings of your guitar is territory that absolutely must be explored and experimented with. The lush body that lower chord v…
Crosspicking Week – Seventh Heaven (C – Chord Transition – FLP)
Emphasizing dissonance is something that is wildly effective and it's exactly what you will be doing today. You will be using an "odd" crosspicking ap…
Edward Scissorhands (Gm – Scale – FP)
Closed position scales… the all powerful, moveable closed position scales. Closed position means that all of the notes in this scale are fretted. Yo…
Veruca Salt (Gm – Rhythm – FP)
The chord progression for today is creepy. Plain and simple, this is a creepy, Tim Burton-esque sounding chord progression. You will be playing a Gm, …
Make Your Bed (Key of C)
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WU11 Strong Pairs (FLP)
The warmup today is centered around pairs of fingers that are commonly used when executing scale patterns. You will focus on your index finger and rin…
WU11 Strong 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 designed to bu…
WU16 Fingerpicking Orientation (FP)
This warmup will give you a tour de force of basic finger usage while fingerpicking. After doing this warmup you will have a basic physical awareness …
WU16 Fingerpicking Orientation 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 designed to bu…
Signature Series – Mississippi Timing (FP)
Your warmup today is targeting one of the very things that made Mississippi John Hurt's guitar style so fascinating to listen to. You'll start by work…
Signature Series – Drive The Spike (G – Lick – FP)
Today's lick is very much inspired by Mississippi John Hurt's Spike Driver Blues. You'll use "compound hammer ons," a steady thumb, and even some palm…
Signature Series – Railroad Tracks (G – Scale – FP)
Today you will channel your inner Mississippi John Hurt to play a solo over a John Hurt inspired backing track. You'll be playing octaves horizontally…
Signature Series – Spike Driver (G – Rhythm – FP)
Your bouncy Mississippi John Hurt inspired thumb will be put to work today. You will use your steady thumb in conjunction with some spicy hammer ons t…
Signature Series – Catch and Release (G – Chord Transitions – FP)
Dissonance will become your very best friend today. Looking at chords in the key of G, today's exercise will show you a great way to add some highligh…
Bob Barker (Em – Lick – FP)
This lick is a beautifully resonant one in the key of Em. For this lick you will use a single string descending scale sequence in conjunction with a d…
Pat Sajak (Em – Scale – FP)
What do you get when you cross a single string scale, a drone string, and a steady fingerpicking pattern… pure awesomeness that's what. Today's scal…
Alex Trebek (Em – Rhythm – FP)
The chord progression on the menu for today is one that doesn't involve too many chords, but it packs a huge technique punch in the key of Em. What yo…
KC6 Major (Key of A)
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…
Bugs Bunny (A – Lick – FP)
A bluesy infused lick is on tap today and it is one that utilizes the open position A pentatonic scale in glorious fashion. Starting with a slide into…
Elmer Fudd (A – Scale – FP)
The A minor pentatonic scale can be interpreted in so many different ways, and today you will learn another interpretation of it. Today’s scale is i…
Roadrunner (A – Rhythm – FP)
This chord progression is one that I know you will find incredibly useful. This is a blues chord progression that involves the A7 chord. The A7 is not…
KC6 Minor (Key of A)
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…
Sweet Spot (G – Lick – FLP)
One of the hard parts about playing up the neck is getting back to play the chords, when you switch from “solo mode†to “rhythm mode.†This li…
Sweeter Spot (G – Scale – FLP)
The scale you will go through today is a G major scale that accomplishes the goal of the week rather well… it is an up the neck/closed position scal…
Block Party (G – Rhythm – FLP)
Open chords are wonderful it’s true, I dearly love them with all of my heart… but what happens when you can’t get away from up the neck in time?…
KC6 Accidentals (Key of A)
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…
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…
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 …
KC6 Mixed (Key of A)
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…
Alternate Tuning Guidelines
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Create an Alternate Tuning
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Find a Scale
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Identify and Find Chord Shapes
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Use Your New Knowledge
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WU29 Up Stroke (FLP)
For every push there is a pull, for every red light there is a green light and for every down there is an up, and in today’s warmup you will focus o…
Ace Up Your Sleeve (A – Lick – FLP)
Nothing is better than a standard sounding lick with a tweak at the end. Today's lick fits that bill to a T. Placed in the key of A, this licks starts…
Jokers Are Wild (A – Scale – FLP)
I love double stops… just plain love them and today I wish to share that joy of double stops with you. You will have a look at an A major double sto…
Two of a Kind (A – Rhythm – FLP)
The boom chick-a rhythm is one that warms the hearts of guitarists across the world. Today's chord progression uses the boom chick-a rhythm, but adds …
KC4 Major (Key of F)
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…
WU18 Ring Finger Staircase (FP)
The exercise on tap for today is one that will increase the strength of communication between your fingerpicking hand and your fretting hand. This war…
Back Asswards (A – Lick – FP)
This lick puts the backward roll in action, and shows how it can be placed over a chord prior to a single note lick. This is a technique that really h…
Parallel Parking (A – Scale – FP)
The powerful interval of the octave is what this scale sequence is all about. So often the backward roll is performed on the higher strings, leaving t…
Nintendo Nuances (A – Rhythm – FP)
Today you will use little chord chunks so that you can see how effective even little pieces of chords can be. All of these chord chunks will be locate…
KC4 Minor (Key of F)
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…
WU29 Up Stroke 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 designed to bu…
Fairy Godmother (G – Lick – FLP)
The lick on tap for today is a somewhat whimsical one… Whimsical in title, of course, but also whimsical in sound. This lick is one that will take y…
Magic Wand (G – Rhythm – FLP)
The magic continues today and the chord progression you will have under your fingers after today’s session will leave you in awe. By using the same …
Hidden Sea of Awesome (G – Scale – FLP)
The scale for today is one that seems rather common, however I have added some extensions so that you can go from the low end of the guitar way up to …
KC4 Accidentals (Key of F)
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…
WU18 Ring Finger Staircase 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 designed to bu…
Tin Man (Dm – Lick – FP)
The lick today is in open D minor tuning and it is one that will give you some creative experimenting grounds. You will use an open position D minor s…
Scarecrow (Dm – Scale – FP)
The scale for today will use the low D string as a drone string while you play a D minor scale on the higher four strings. Now you might be thinking 
Cowardly Lion (Dm – Rhythm – FP)
This chord progression is one that involves three really crucial things, and the cool thing is that they aren't all that complicated either. So here g…
KC4 Mixed (Key of F)
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…
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…
Ricki Lake (C – Lick – FLP)
Using portions of the C major pentatonic scale you will learn a lick today that really emphasizes phrasing. The beauty of this lick is that it is simp…
Geraldo Rivera (C – Scale – FLP)
A C major pentatonic scale is on the docket today and you will actually delicately balance two shapes during this lesson. The C major pentatonic scale…
Jerry Springer (C – Rhythm – FLP)
Palm muting and mini chord shapes combine today to form one awesome rhythmic technique. For this chord progression you will use small “two note chor…
KC3 Major (Key of E)
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…
WU28 Thumb Awareness (FP)
The thumb awareness warmup is one that although rather unconventional will play a huge impact in the confidence and accuracy you have in your thumb. T…
Call and Response (D – Lick – FP)
The lick on the menu today will exploit the D chord in a way that shows how incredibly useful that little buddy can be. You will use the D chord as yo…
Movement and Location (D – Scale – FP)
Using the D chord shape again today, you will complete a D harmonized scale and this time you will use the interval of a 5th. This scale sequence has …
Stack’em High and Watch’em Fly (D – Rhythm – FP)
Again with the D chord shape today!!! Today you will combine what you did earlier in the week and create a chord progression with a unique rhythm. Thi…
KC3 Minor (Key of E)
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…
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 designed to bu…
Bingo Bango (G – Lick – FLP)
Today's lick is focused mostly on the high two strings. This G major lick is one that shows the power of phrasing and combinations. Through different …
Oingo Boingo (G – Scale – FLP)
This scale is one that is more of a mutation than a true scale shape. The scale you will learn today is in the key of G and is oriented in a "horizont…
Flippety Doo (G – Rhythm – FLP)
A chord progression in the key of G that targets the high 3 strings is in store today. At first listen you might think, "just three strings, how can t…
KC3 Accidentals (Key of E)
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…
WU28 Thumb 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 designed to bu…
Roller Skating Rink (G – Lick – FP)
The lick for today will show how the forward roll (both with the ring finger and without) can be incorporated into a lick. This lick is a fun one in G…
Falcor Flies Again (G – Scale – FP)
A scale that contains double stops in the key of G is in order for today, but there is a beautiful thing that lies within todays scale… the use of t…
Merlin’s Mutant Brother (G – Rhythm – FP)
So often the forward roll is associated with a driving, almost momentum building effect, but today you will see a side of the forward roll that is muc…
KC3 Mixed (Key of E)
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…
WU19 Hammers and Pulls (FLP)
You will think that your picking hand is on a vacation today because today’s warmup is all about hammer ons and pull offs. You will have a chance to…
Wedgie (B – Lick – FLP)
This lick has a bit of everything, but mostly what it has is attitude. Today's lick is in the key of B and it is bluesy, just plain gritty and bluesy.…
Swirly (B – Scale – FLP)
Bends are the name of the game today. The scale you will learn may very well be a familiar minor pentatonic shape in the key of B, however you will be…
Wet Willy (B – Rhythm – FLP)
Today's chords progression is a prime example of not using chords in a chord progression. Yes it's true, today you will not use a chord in a chord pro…
KC5 Major (Key of G)
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…
Ditka (D – Lick – FP)
Ok so this lick is one that may sound very familiar. It is from a song that I loved growing up and still love to this day… I will just leave that th…
Coach Q (D – Scale – FP)
The scale that you will learn and use today is in the key of D major and it is a harmonized scale. By taking the 1st and 3rd degree of each chord in t…
Phil Jackson (D – Rhythm – FP)
You will welcome a new technique into your home today with this lesson. This chord progression is in the key of D and it utilizes a bare hand strummin…
KC5 Minor (Key of G)
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…
WU19 Hammers and Pulls 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 designed to bu…
Weeble Wobbles (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…
Rock’em Sock’em Robots (G – Scale – FLP)
The scale that awaits you today is one in the key of G major, and there is a very important technique combined with it. You will notice as you perform…
Lite Brite (G – Rhythm – FLP)
The chord progression that lies before you today is one that although it contains common chords gets a bit of a rhythmic curveball. You will be playin…