
Introduction to the Essential Theory and Technique for Guitar course
Make sure to download and print off the accompanying E-Book to follow along with your guitar lesson and make notes
Learn the different parts of the guitar
Master neck diagrams by visualizing the guitar neck orientation, mapping strings from the low E bottom to the high strings top, and reading frets from the nut with consistent diagrams.
Hold the guitar with good posture, sit upright, and rest it on your leg. Wrap your right arm, keep the neck parallel to the floor, balance it with your body.
Learn to pick the strings with a controlled downward motion, rest a finger on the guitar body to maintain a constant distance between strings, and build steady muscle memory.
Master left-hand technique with one finger per fret, keep the thumb centered and aligned with the middle finger, and play near the frets for clean tone.
Explore the C major scale on guitar, focusing on the white-key C-to-C pattern, one finger per fret, thumb position, and ascending/descending technique.
Learn the basics of standard notation, including treble and bass clefs, the full staff, and middle C, then relate the C major scale and whole notes to chords.
Discover how to build a major chord by stacking the first, third, and fifth notes from the major scale, demonstrated with a C major chord.
Learn to form the G major chord from the G major scale by using the 1–3–5 notes (G, B, D). Discover practical fingerings that facilitate quick transitions to D.
Kickstarter level 1 builds on essential theory and technique for beginner to intermediate guitar, guiding you to apply chords and strumming patterns to start making music.
Practice scales with a metronome to warm up while refining left-hand technique—one finger per fret, notes ringing, and patterns like G major, B major, and C-sharp major across the neck.
Switch from G major to D major using common notes as pivot points, move fingers from lowest to highest strings, and practice with a metronome before strumming.
Develop finger independence and dexterity through major scales, memorize neck notes, and practice chord switches (G, C, D) with a metronome, paced and chunked for steady progress.
Learn the easy e minor chord built from the minor scale’s one, minor third, and five, using two fingers on the second fret with open strings.
Learn the e minor 7 chord, with notes e, g, b, d, and how the minor seven smooths transitions to other chords.
Master chord changes between G major and E minor 7 by lifting the middle finger, sliding the index back, and keeping the ring and pinky in place during the strum.
Learn to add rhythmic interest by skipping beats while the right arm keeps strumming in time, starting with beat two, across the G, C, E minor, D progression.
Master common strumming patterns by keeping the right arm moving, muting strings to practice without chords, and applying the down down up up down up pattern to chord progressions.
Learn to add sixteenth notes to strumming with down strokes, muted strings, and after-beat accents, skip beats, and keep a steady tempo with a metronome.
Identify chords and chord changes, count quarter notes and eighth notes, and practice straight down strums to capture the Coldplay sound; experiment with patterns and groove to fit each song.
Continue from level 1 and deepen guitar skills by exploring more chords, strumming patterns, complex rhythms, and scales with theory. Grab your guitar, tune up, and start level 2.
Master the D sus4 chord by raising the three to four from the D major scale, explore suspended chords on guitar, and resolve to the regular major chord.
Learn how to form a Csus4 chord from C major by lifting the third to a fourth, using the pinky on the third fret, and resolving back to major.
Learn to form D sus2 by replacing the third with E and using the open string, then switch between D major, D sus4, and D sus2 for an evolving sound.
Explore chord progressions with dsus4 and dsus2, integrating D major, G major, C add9, and strum patterns to craft a song-ready rhythm while mastering smooth finger transitions.
Learn the A major chord by building 1–3–5 from the major scale, using open strings and three-finger patterns, with variations and a transition to D and a common strum pattern.
Move from the a major to the a minor chord by lowering the third note one fret, keeping the first and fifth notes unchanged, and adjust fingering accordingly.
Master palm muting by resting palm near the bridge to mute strings while downstrumming eighth notes, focusing on the lower strings for rhythm across G, C add9, Em7, and D.
Explore why scales matter for guitar, practice one octave major and minor scales plus two-octave patterns, and learn alternating thirds to build finger strength and dexterity for chords.
Explore how to form D minor from D major by lowering the third one fret, maintaining root and fifth, and adjust fingering by swapping middle and index fingers.
Master the E major chord on six strings, using E, G sharp, and B for a full ringing sound. Practice precise finger tips and curling to keep every string clear.
Explore Esus4 from the E major chord by raising the third (G#) one fret, using the pinky to press the note below, and resolve to major or minor as needed.
Practice a two-bar E major progression, move to D major for one bar, return to the two-bar pattern, then finish with two bars of E major, using the down-down-down-up-down-up strumming.
Put it all together by applying palm muting with the coal play rhythm to the E major chord and susp chords, emphasizing the one and the and after two.
Learn arpeggiated chords with G major, C add9, and D major, using string skipping to fit into one bar and connect the chords smoothly while keeping five strings ringing.
Advance your string skipping by using G major, C 9, and D chords, skipping over strings and targeting high strings to boost picking accuracy; practice slowly and ramp speed gradually.
Learn how slash chords indicate inverted chords, like D slash F sharp, and use first and second inversions to place the lowest note while muting unnecessary strings.
Explore slash chords like d over f sharp in a g major, d major, and e minor 7 progression to create a moving walking bass sound.
Learn how first and second inversion slash chords work, with practical D and G over B examples, plus muting techniques and smooth finger-order transitions for common chord progressions.
Explore time signatures from four four to three four, learn how beats and quarter notes shape rhythm, and practice down-stroke strums in three four with G, D, and C.
Practice arpeggiated chord picking in 6/8 time with a swing feel, using a major and d major chords, and apply it to the g-d-em progression, inserting f# on sixth beat.
Learn transposing by moving a song's key and chords up two frets from G to A to suit a singer or fellow musician.
Learn how a capo lets you transpose songs by moving the nut up the neck, two frets at a time, preserving open strings and creating movable voicings.
Learn to form minor barre chords from the add nine shape using the A-string root, placing the middle finger on the B string to create C minor and related shapes.
++++VIDEO CONTENT IS OVER 9 HOURS OF MATERIAL
++++COURSE INCLUDES 4 DOWNLOADABLE E-BOOKS TO FOLLOW ALONG WITH OR PRINT OUT AND MAKE NOTES ON
LEARN GUITAR THE RIGHT WAY!
If you have been trying to learn the guitar on your own, you may be frustrated with your progress. If you are trying to gather information from many different sources, taking a little bit from one teacher and a little bit from another and attempting to piece it all together, you will probably find it difficult to stay focused and on track toward your goal.
The Kickstarter series is designed in a very structured and systematic way. Every aspect is taught in extensive detail and every section progresses from the previous one. You can spend as much time on each section as you need.
Start first with the Essential Theory and Technique course-
ESSENTIAL THEORY AND TECHNIQUE
The Essential Theory and Technique for Guitar course designed for two main types of people; the beginner guitar player who has no guitar or musical experience and those who can play guitar a little bit but are wanting to understand the music theory behind what they are playing and to improve on their technique.
Music Is A Language
Learning music is like learning a language. Music notes are like letters of the alphabet. When you learn how to combine them, you can create chords, which are like words, and with words you can create sentences and tell stories.
There are some great guitar players who don’t necessarily know all of the theory behind what they are playing, but using the above analogy of music as a language, imagine the potential that is being missed out on by not fully understanding what you are playing. If you were taking a trip to France, you could buy a translation book that could tell you how to say certain phrases in French, such as “Where is the bathroom?” or “What time is it?”, but imagine how much more you could communicate if you were able to construct your own sentences and phrases in French? You could say whatever you wanted without limits. Music is similar; by understanding the “why”, and practicing the “how” you reduce the limitations and open up a world of opportunity to express yourself with your instrument.
The course includes a full color PDF E-Book which is over 50 pages and provides further explanation of the material in the videos as well as guitar neck diagrams for your reference.
This course is 2 hours and 20 minutes long and should provide you with weeks worth of material to work on.
The topics you will learn in this course include;
Part 1: Parts of the Guitar
Part 2: The Musical Alphabet
Part 3: Notes on the Neck
Part 4: Neck Diagrams
Part 5: Holding the Guitar
Part 6: Holding the Pick
Part 7: Picking the Strings
Part 8: Left Hand Technique
Part 9: The Chromatic Scale
Part 10: The Spider Exercise
Part 11: The C-Major Scale
Part 12: What is a “Key?”
Part 13: Standard Notation
Part 14: How Chords Are Made
Part 15: Playing Chords on the Guitar
Part 16: Other Major Scales
Part 17: Other Major Scales on the Guitar
Part 18: The G-Major Chord
Follow up with the Kickstarter course, our most popular course, enjoyed by thousands of students!
KICKSTARTER: LEVEL ONE
The Studio 33 Guitar Lessons Kickstarter course is designed to start at the beginner level and progress up to intermediate. This series not only teaches you “how” to play, but also focuses on the “why”. We won’t just tell you to “put your fingers here” to play this chord, we want you to really understand why certain notes work together, while others don’t. Because once you understand how scales work, and how chords are made, it will unlock the mystery of music theory and really open up the guitar neck so you can play beyond the basics.
Kickstarter Level One is over 2 and a half hours long and picks up right where the Essential Theory and Technique course left off.
Some of the things you will learn in this course will include Playing with a metronome, learning how to change chords smoothly and quickly, some new Major and Minor chords, proper strumming technique and
many popular strumming patterns and chord progressions to help you play your favorite songs.
The course also includes a full color PDF E-Book which is over 45 pages and provides further explanation of the material in the videos as well as guitar neck diagrams for your reference.
This course is packed with information, but it is presented in a structured, and systematic way. Each step of the way you will be building upon the knowledge you have learned in the previous lessons, so you will never feel overwhelmed or in over your head. You can move through these lessons at your own pace and watch the videos as many times as you like.
Kickstarter Course: Level 1 is 2 hours and 32 minutes long and includes the following lessons:
Part 1: Technique Review
Part 2: Playing With a Metronome (Part 1)
Part 3: Plating With a Metronome (Part 2)
Part 4: The CADD9 Chord
Part 5: Counting Music
Part 6: Changing Chords
Part 7: D Major Chord
Part 8: Changing From G to D Chords
Part 9: Changing Chords G, D and C
Part 10: Forcing the Changes
Part 11: Strumming “Upstrokes”
Part 12: Practice Routine
Part 13: 2 Octave Major Scales
Part 14: E Minor Chord
Part 15: E Minor 7
Part 16: Changing To and From EMIN7
Part 17: Common Chord Progressions
Part 18: Strumming Patterns
Part 19: Common Strumming Patterns (Part 1)
Part 20: Common Strumming Patterns (Part 2)
Part 21: Common Strumming Patterns (Part 3)
Part 22: Common Strumming Patterns (Part 4)
Part 23: Common Strumming Patterns (Part 5)
Part 24: Which Strum Pattern?
KICKSTARTER: LEVEL TWO
In Kickstarter Level Two, we continue from Level One where you will expand your chord knowledge and learn even more chords including “Suspended Chords” like the Sus4 chord and Sus2 chord. You will understand what they are how to easily modify any chord and give it this more interesting “suspended” sound.
You will also learn more chord progressions from popular songs, the Minor scale, more popular strumming patterns and a very cool strumming technique called Palm Muting. We will also teach you the secret behind the popular “Coldplay” rhythm.
This course is packed with information, but it is presented in a structured, and systematic way. Each step of the way you will be building upon the knowledge you have learned in the previous lessons, so you will never feel overwhelmed or in over your head. You can move through these lessons at your own pace and watch the videos as many times as you like.
The Kickstarter Course: Level 2 is 2 hours and 6 minutes long and includes the following lessons:
Part 1: Dsus4 Chord
Part 2: Dsus4 in a Chord Progression
Part 3: Csus4 Chord
Part 4: Dsus2 Chord
Part 5: Csus2 Chord
Part 6: Strumming Dsus2 and Dsus4
Part 7: Progressions with Dsus2 and Dsus4
Part 8: A Major Chords
Part 9: Asus4 and Asus2 Chords
Part 10: The Minor Scale
Part 11: Major vs. Minor Scale
Part 12: A Minor Chord
Part 13: A Minor Chord Progressions
Part 14: Palm Muting
Part 15: The Coldplay Rhythm
Part 16: Major Scale Sequence
Part 17: D Minor Chord
Part 18: E Major Chord
Part 19: Esus Chord
Part 20: E Major Chord Progressions
Part 21: E Major Chord Progression with D Major
Part 22: Adding in Sus Chords
Part 23: Putting It All Together
KICKSTARTER: LEVEL THREE
In Kickstarter Level 3, we really step it up and start looking at more advanced right hand picking, with string skipping and melodic arppegiated chords. This might sound complicated, but we break it down into its simplest form so you will be playing great sounding melodic playing in no time.
You will also learn inverted chords or “slash” chords such as D/F# or G/B. These are great sound chords that can give your music a real lift.
You will learn to play in different rhythmic feels and time signatures like 3/4 and 6/8, which create more of a swinging type feel.
You will learn the main Barre chord shapes, which can be used to play any barre chord in any key. These chords will really open up some new possibilities in your playing. How to transpose songs in to different keys to make them easier to play or easier to sing. How to use a capo, not only to change the key of a song, but to provide more chord options and variations.
This course is packed with information, but it is presented in a structured, and systematic way. Each step of the way you will be building upon the knowledge you have learned in the previous lessons, so you will never feel overwhelmed or in over your head. You can move through these lessons at your own pace and watch the videos as many times as you like.
Kickstarter Course Level 3 is 2 hours and 17 minutes long and includes the following lessons:
Part 1: Arpeggiated Chords
Part 2: Arp Chords String Skipping (Part 1)
Part 3: Arp Chord String Skipping (Part 2)
Part 4: Advanced String Skipping
Part 5: Slash Chords (Part 1)
Part 6: D/F# in Chord Progressions
Part 7: Slash Chords (Part 2)
Part 8: Slash Chords In A Song
Part 9: Time Signatures (Part 1)
Part 10: Time Signatures (Part 2)
Part 11: Arpeggios in 6/8
Part 12: Major Scale Sequence 2
Part 13: The F Major Chord
Part 14: F Major Chord in a Progression
Part 15: Transposing
Part 16: Using A Capo
Part 17: Barre Chords (Part 1)
Part 18: Barre Chords (Part 2)
Part 19: Barre Chords (Part 3)
Part 20: Barre Chords (Part 4)
Part 21: Chord Numbering System
Part 22: Barre Chords in a Progression