Wonderful (This Evening)
Picking up where you left off yesterday, you'll discover the scale positions where the lick(s) you played yesterday were born. Two closed position 'G'…
Archives: Lessons
Wonder Of It All
Four common chords, a relatively common chord progression, and a simple rhythm guitar pattern combine to create one of the most memorable and singable…
Go To A Party
It's all about that bass... yes THAT bass... one of the most catchy things about this beautiful song is the slow and lilting bass line that is used to…
Desert Highway
Your technique challenge involves developing picking accuracy while playing a chord one note at a time, also known as playing an arpeggio. This approa…
Mission Bell
Today's challenge will find you picking up right where you left off yesterday. Using mini chord shapes you'll be hinting at the chord progression to t…
Master’s Chambers
On the docket for today is a gaggle of scales in the key of A minor. By the end of today's challenge you'll have 3 different A minor pentatonic scale …
Lovely Place
"Hotel California" is and always will be one of the best guitar chord studies available, and lo and behold... that's what today's rhythm guitar challe…
Check Out Anytime
With a chord progression that contains as many chords as "Hotel California" does it's a nice touch to add some subtle bass led chord transitions. Toda…
Once Had Me
3/4 time, also known as waltz time, can be tricky if you've never tried it before. It can feel a bit disorienting and even confusing, which is why tod…
Rubber Bird
There is nothing more gratifying than playing the vocal melody to a song note for note on your guitar... that being the case I think you'll find today…
Isn’t It Good?
The improvisation challenge ahead of you today will be an eye opener for sure, as you'll be using two subtly different scales outside the standard maj…
This Bird Has Flown
Today's rhythm guitar challenge provides solid ground to further refine your waltz strumming. The chord progression is not one that has too many chang…
Norwegian Forest
All of the pieces you have worked on this week will come together for a grand finale of sorts today. A grand finale that results in you playing one of…
Light My Fuse
Two physical movements are the focus of today's technique challenge. For the first part you will be focusing on your pinky and stretching it quite a f…
Layin’ It Down
The guitar lick on deck for today is actually a core part of the song "Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo." Not only is it a focal point of this song... it ju…
That Funky Sound
The scale that started it all... for me anyway... the A minor pentatonic scale. If I had a nickel for every hour I spent with this scale when I first …
Hoochie Koo
I'd like to introduce you to your new best friend... the power chord. Today's challenge is the chord progression to the entire song "Rock and Roll Hoo…
Spread The News
Today you combine all of the ingredients you have collected thus far to bake a rock and roll casserole specifically designed for the acoustic guitar. …
Day 1 – Boogie
Today you will head on over to your friendly neighbor's house (the bass family), and ask to borrow a cup of one of the most useful bass lines in all o…
Day 2 – Bassman Bobby
Today you'll lean on the bass end of the spectrum yet again, but this time you'll be incorporating some off beats to give it a little oomph. This patt…
Day 3 – High and Lonesome
The thing I love about 12 bar blues progressions is that they are fun, simple, and effective. The 12 bar blues form shows up in nearly every genre, wh…
Day 4 – Hammer the Hurt
You're going to switch gears to finger style today. You'll be using a simple finger picking pattern, but adding a spicy little hammer on that adds som…
Day 5 – Jimi’s Chord
I love the chord shape that you're going to play today and to be honest I know it only as the Jimi Hendrix chord... and that's enough for me. You'll b…
Nice List, Naughty List
Today, you break the rules... well, first you'll follow the golden rule of flatpicking and then in nearly the same breath you will proceed to break th…
Sleigh Bells
Today's lick will keep you coming back for more. This is a blues turnaround in the key of E, that will show how the use of repetitive down pick stroke…
Milk And Cookies
Two blues scales that just so happen to be next door neighbors is what you'll be exploring today. These two scale shapes will expand your knowledge of…
Santa’s Brother, Seventh Claus
The use of percussion and seven chords will be copious today. Nothing says the blues like some ear friendly dissonance and that's what you'll be impar…
Blitzen Blues
Taking what you learned yesterday, you'll add two different styles of chord transitions. One will be a short smooth transition and the other will be a…
I’m A Lot Like You
Chord modifications sound mysterious and seem difficult, but the good news is that they are quite easy, especially if you use the chord you are holdin…
So Much More
The "Neil Young" chord is what's in store for you today. You know the one... I know you know the one. The great thing about this chord is that it's an…
Rolling Home To You
A bit of a shake up happens on today's challenge. You are going to mix two things that maybe you thought could never be mixed before... a major and a …
Take A Look At My Life
The main chord progression for "Old Man" is on deck and although it may seem pretty standard it has a bit of a twist... two twists actually. Twist #1 …
Run Around The Same Old Town
Remember those chord modifications from way back on Monday's technique challenge? Well, you're going to lean on those heavily to accentuate the change…
Seeing Clearly
Nothing crazy to start the week this week... it is the holidays after all. Your focus today is on palm muting and finding the sweet spot for some diff…
The Rain Is Gone
The melody of a song is the most important thing you can get under your fingers. Finding and learning the melody is good for your fretting hand, it's …
Obstacles In My Way
Two scales on tap for today... kind of three, but first let's focus on the two main ones. You'll be learning a D major scale as well as a D mixolydian…
Nothing But Blue Skies
Strum, strum, strum your way into the New Year. This challenge will help you harness one of the most useful syncopated strumming patterns in all of gu…
Bright Sun Shiny Day
Bringing in the palm muted strum you worked on on Monday, you'll freshen up the verse portion of this song and give it a mellow laid back feel. You'll…