Guitar: a complete introduction--Foundation to Grade 3

The very beginning, learn string names, how to fret notes, different parts of the guitar and how to keep good time. PDF files and audio included.

Lesson 2 introduces Chords, how to read them and how to start playing them, also we have a continuation of single string work increasing your right and left hand dexterity.

Introducing basic ear training, developing string to string single note techniques, learning note values and the basics of playing in time and changing chords.

More essential chord, rhythm and technical development.

Ear training, basic finger techniques, changing chords and rhythm work, keeping time and introducing scales....there is a lot in this lesson but its all good essential stuff!!

Some more music theory with note values, starting on our first real song...developing plectrum technique, the exciting world of syncopation and the obligatory open chord recap.

This lesson we introduce the blues...this is a vital component of Rock, Country, Jazz, Folk and Pop as well as a great doorway into the world of improvisation.

Developing our pick technique and sense of time further with more scale work which will feed into your Blues/Improv work.

Hopefully you have your open chords memorised as well if not go back and recap, these will be your gateway to play any song and will appear again and again.

More chord work, introducing 12 bar blues, learning common riffs, finger exercises, introducing arpeggios, different time signatures and picking technique.

Developing your finger exercises further with rhythm. Minor Pentatonic scales, note names on the neck, legato technique with hammer ons and pull offs, finishing off the arpeggio exercise and playing to the backing track.

Tons of material in this lesson. Open position scales, hammer on and pull offs, playing the 12 bar blues in a second key and introducing improvisation with a play along, loads of material below including backing tracks.

A slightly less hectic lesson this time, introducing the song Hey Joe, learning a riff with your Pentatonic scale from last week, making it into music!!

A bit of theory this time with some basic terms used across all instruments and a basic understanding in how to interpret written notation.

Introducing Barre chords and the idea of transposition, this will open up the neck and start you on the road of playing in any key.

Barres chords as explained can be very tough at first but keep with it and dont strain too much.

Introducing a new song building upon your chords and barre chord from last time, this includes a great right hand pattern to practise with your pick.

Some syncopated rhythm ideas introduced in a reggae style helping to develop your rhythmic control and independance, this is a great exercise for any style as it works purely on the essential that is rhythm.

Continuing with our song and now to add in our picking pattern.

Developng our barre chord shapes back into our blues riff so we can move around and play in any key, this also stretches into developing our scales we use already into every key!!

Breaking down the guitar neck some more looking for patterns and naming notes all over the neck, sounds a lot but in reality it is very simple!

Some fingerstyle technique based on the three chord trick and incorporating palm muting, also a look at how to bend strings properly, common mistakes and check if your keeping them in tune.

Audio only with this lesson so you have to rely on only your ears as we take look into ear training, the audio file is below and available to download.

Adding dominant 7th barre shapes onto our fingerstyle blues from last time, with this method you can play in any key, a second barre shape will also be introduced..very common and useful, here we use it with Hey Joe Introducing natural and tapped harmonics.

Lead guitar techniques, licks and developing a more expressive sound with correct vibrato technique. Build a collection of licks and learn how to practise them efficiently. Also how to include a more rhythmic approach in your playing.

Some more listening this time, recapping with some visulisation ideas and more extended sounds. Working with the metronome swapping rhythms...this is where some real technique can built as well as a rock solid sense of time, and some suggestions to break through any speed barriers.

Finding flat notes on the fingerboard and transposing our 1-4-5 blues progression to different keys.

A deeper look into barre chords and how the Major scale chords work together, the basis of western music. Also a handy improvisation exercise which works on rhythm and phrasing.

Home stretch now working on a piece of music written to test the different skills you have learned so far. This includes different rhythm styles, melodic and improvised solo section. This also includes basic road mapping of a piece of music.

The final lesson in the course where we finish up work the piece of music we have been working on. If you have made it this far, well done!!! you should have a good idea about chords, soloing, playing in different keys. reading music, rhythm skills and playing with backing music...if you feel the need for more, then advaning lessons will be added to the other tiers to allow you to continue.

Help in getting your guitar in tune.