Two Pad Stack
Mississippi Hill Country Blues is the genre this lick finds itself most at home. You will be using your new found sense of timing and control in conju…
Archives: Lessons
Puckstopper
Two single string scales paired with a steady bass pulse will open up a world of bluesy opportunity for you today. The scale is a basic pentatonic sca…
Butterfly Slide
Minimalism and sparseness, two words not commonly associated with rhythm guitar... but they should be. When you truly edit your rhythm guitar playing …
Glove Save and a Beaut
Using single notes to transition from one chord to another is really cool... Using single notes to transition to and from chords with the blues is rou…
Slow (Slow) Hand
Two seemingly separate techniques are in store for you today... while these seem very unrelated, I think you'll find that when you begin working on th…
Late In The Evening
This is the one... THE ONE. When you think of this song... when you think of memorable guitar licks... this is the one. You'll use a beautiful, emotio…
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'…
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…
Punching Bag
Today's technique challenge will bring together a few different pieces of the puzzle. First on the menu, a fretted pull off. This will find you fretti…
Punch It
Today's challenge will find you adding a solid musical exclamation point to your repertoire. You'll be learning this bluegrass lick in the key of G an…
Upper Cut
Pull offs and hammer ons are the key to today's improvisation challenge. There are some other goodies thrown in too like some blues as well as some dr…
Speed Bag
The rhythm guitar challenge for today is one that will help you with quick chord changes, and add a little giddy up to your current rhythm guitar offe…
Against The Ropes
Today's chord transition challenge is the culmination of what you have been working on all week long. You'll be adding a quick fill in between chord c…
Dogwood Flowers
Hammer-ons and pull-offs are on the menu today... a whole buffet of hammer-ons and pull-offs as a matter of fact. You'll be using every finger on your…
Rock Me
Where do guitar licks come from? Where do I even begin thinking about what to play for a guitar solo? The melody, the melody, the MELODY of the song y…
Wind And Rain
Today you'll take a standard G major scale one step further by targeting specific chord tones. You'll start by getting an open position G major scale …
North Country Winters
Rhythm guitar doesn't have to be busy, it doesn't have to be fancy, it just has to be steady, even, and supportive of the song. The strumming pattern …
Headin’ Down South
Picking up right where you left off yesterday this series of chord transitions is not crazy extensive, but it packs a punch and just so happens to use…
Home Sweet Home
Triplets are in the driver seat for today's technique challenge. Getting a hold of this rhythm will be the key to your progress this week, and it will…
Same Old Place
Upon hearing this lick for the first time, it takes you to a very distinctive place... it takes you right to the heart (actually the start) of sweet h…
Blues Brothers
The 'E' minor pentatonic scale is your focus for today, and you'll be learning two different versions of this scale starting in the same exact spot...…
Akroyd Shuffle
Before you today lies one of the most fun, useful, and recognizable rhythm patterns of the entire blues guitar world: the blues shuffle in the key of …
Belushi Bass
Combine ingredients and bake at 425 degrees for at least 10 minutes... nope, we're not cooking a pie today, we're cooking up a complete and varied app…
Day 1 – Dusting Off the Digit
Today's challenge is focused on getting your pinky in gear and shaking any dust or rust that may have accumulated from it not being an active member o…
Day 2 – Getting Along with Others
The pinky can be a meek, quiet little digit, often getting lost amongst the much louder and more boisterous ring finger... not today though. Today the…
Day 3 – Strength in Numbers
The pinky stands alone, or wait was it the cheese?!?!? Today your pinky will be teaming up with its other finger friends to unleash its full potential…
Day 4 – Slide Away
Sustained pinky pressure is the name of the game today. This challenge will essentially add a fret to the amount of ground you can cover in first posi…
Day 5 – The Gauntlet
Holy smokes does a challenge await you today. This challenge has it all: Slides with the pinky, check. Using the pinky to roll from string to string, …
Dogwood Flowers
Hammer-ons and pull-offs are on the menu today... a whole buffet of hammer-ons and pull-offs as a matter of fact. You'll be using every finger on your…
Rock Me
Where do guitar licks come from? Where do I even begin thinking about what to play for a guitar solo? The melody, the melody, the MELODY of the song y…
Wind and Rain
Today you'll take a standard G major scale one step further by targeting specific chord tones. You'll start by getting an open position G major scale …
North Country Winters
Rhythm guitar doesn't have to be busy, it doesn't have to be fancy, it just has to be steady, even, and supportive of the song. The strumming pattern …
Headin’ Down South
Picking up right where you left off yesterday this series of chord transitions is not crazy extensive, but it packs a punch and just so happens to use…
Chuck Wagon
Changing gears isn't just for mountain bikers and race car drivers, it's for guitar players too. Today's technique challenge focuses on rhythm and how…
Mr. B. Goode
Taking the triplet idea from yesterday's technique challenge, you'll continue to expand on the use of triplets in both mini chords (double stops) and …
Goode and Bad
Get ready for a mind blowing moment... you can use both a minor and major scale that just so happen to be in the same exact physical shape in a single…
Duck Walk
Stretch your pinky finger for this one... seriously, its gonna need a pep talk for today's challenge. You'll be using a power chord as your anchor poi…
Berry Berry Goode
You don't know it yet, but you're a bass player as well as a guitar player. The challenge that lies ahead of you today builds off of the rhythm you le…
Smack You Upside the Head
Drop D tuning paired with a fingerstyle forward roll is a match made in heaven. Today you will be focusing the mobility of a forward roll on adjacent …
Drivers Ed
It's bluesy, it's moody, it emphasizes how you can play a lick from a chord position... it's today's guitar lick challenge. You'll be exploiting the b…
Strong and Silent
This scale will give you options upon options. Yes, it's just a minor pentatonic scale, but when you pair these notes with a forward roll either horiz…
Dogwood Flowers
Hammer-ons and pull-offs are on the menu today... a whole buffet of hammer-ons and pull-offs as a matter of fact. You'll be using every finger on your…
Rock Me
Where do guitar licks come from? Where do I even begin thinking about what to play for a guitar solo? The melody, the melody, the MELODY of the song y…
Wind and Rain
Today you'll take a standard G major scale one step further by targeting specific chord tones. You'll start by getting an open position G major scale …
North Country Winters
Rhythm guitar doesn't have to be busy, it doesn't have to be fancy, it just has to be steady, even, and supportive of the song. The strumming pattern …
Headin’ Down South
Picking up right where you left off yesterday this series of chord transitions is not crazy extensive, but it packs a punch and just so happens to use…
Chuck Wagon
Changing gears isn't just for mountain bikers and race car drivers, it's for guitar players too. Today's technique challenge focuses on rhythm and how…
Mr. B. Goode
Taking the triplet idea from yesterday's technique challenge, you'll continue to expand on the use of triplets in both mini chords (double stops) and …
Goode and Bad
Get ready for a mind blowing moment... you can use both a minor and major scale that just so happen to be in the same exact physical shape in a single…
Duck Walk
Stretch your pinky finger for this one... seriously, its gonna need a pep talk for today's challenge. You'll be using a power chord as your anchor poi…
Berry Berry Goode
You don't know it yet, but you're a bass player as well as a guitar player. The challenge that lies ahead of you today builds off of the rhythm you le…
Smack You Upside the Head
Drop D tuning paired with a fingerstyle forward roll is a match made in heaven. Today you will be focusing the mobility of a forward roll on adjacent …
Drivers Ed
It's bluesy, it's moody, it emphasizes how you can play a lick from a chord position... it's today's guitar lick challenge. You'll be exploiting the b…
Strong and Silent
This scale will give you options upon options. Yes, it's just a minor pentatonic scale, but when you pair these notes with a forward roll either horiz…
Backyard Catch
Space... one of the most powerful variables you have on the guitar. Instead of filling the entire measure, today's challenge will have you holding ont…
Father and Son Reunion
Taking what you learned in yesterday's challenge you will be adding a subtlety that will help with moving from chord to chord. You'll be taking a forw…
Cash It In
Just how much sound and oomph can you get out of three strings? Well, you can actually get quite a bit of magic out of just three strings if you give …
Jail Break
Today's lick is one that will put a smile on your face and have you sounding like a straight ahead country guitarist. You'll use a major pentatonic sc…
Walkin’ The Line
Country style guitar leans on the major pentatonic scale pretty solidly, and that's exactly what you'll experience today. You'll be learning two shape…
Maximum Security
Palm muting with a little flash is what's on deck for your challenge today. Using the palm muting you refined on Monday, today you'll add a bit more c…
Life Sentence
Remember that lick that was on Tuesday? You'll play the exact same thing in a different location today and it will function as a chord transition. Thi…
Dogwood Flowers
Hammer-ons and pull-offs are on the menu today... a whole buffet of hammer-ons and pull-offs as a matter of fact. You'll be using every finger on your…
Wind and Rain
Today you'll take a standard G major scale one step further by targeting specific chord tones. You'll start by getting an open position G major scale …
North Country Winters
Rhythm guitar doesn't have to be busy, it doesn't have to be fancy, it just has to be steady, even, and supportive of the song. The strumming pattern …