Beginner's Guitar Crash Course

Learn guitar from scratch in easy steps to fit your schedule

Last updated 9/2022

English

What you'll learn

Master basic chords used in many popular songs
Learn to easily strum straight and syncopated rhythms
Use one pentatonic scale to easily "jam" with friends in both Rock & Country styles
Play either Fingerstyle or Flat-Picking techniques (both are covered)
Play a Chord Melody style song

9 sections • 41 lectures • 2h 37m total length

Things to Know First and What's in this Course7:40
Download Printout Used in the Course0:08
Things to Know First - quiz.
Tuning the Guitar8:00
Tune a guitar with a clip-on tuner, aligning strings six to one to a=440 hz, while learning keyboard note names, sharps, flats, and chromatic mode.
Fingers or a Pick - Choose your Weapons8:38
Quiz: Reasons to Choose a Pick or Fingers
Why Adults Fail at Learning Guitar and How Not to4:28
Quiz: How to avoid failure at learning guitar
Tips to Make Best use of Your 15 Minutes a day Practice1:22

Fingerstyle Introduction1:43
Start your fingerstyle journey with a foundational intro to basic techniques and arpeggios. Learn the 1-6-2-5-1 chord progression and build playable skills by the course end.
Fingerstyle Mechanics1:36
Fingerstyle - Rest Stroke Exercise5:20
Apply rest stroke with a relaxed arm on the guitar, placing the middle finger on the second string, index on the third, and thumb on the sixth, so notes ring.

Arpeggios - with a Pick or Fingerstyle4:45
Simple Chords - Easy Does it!6:09
FUNKey TAB Explanation3:18
This is an explanation of the TAB sheet used in the next lecture.
FUNKey Chord Tones Playthrough 120 bpm2:13
FunKEY Chord Tones uses 3-fingered chords held for a long time.Try playing this where you apply most pressure on the string being played, but try to keep each finger in place for the duration of each chord. Use this to develop your strength and ability to hold down 3-fingered chords.
Follow along with the printout from the start of this course, or follow the on-screen fretboard representation.
FUNKey Chord Tones (TAB/Notation) at 95 bpm2:31
FUNKey Chord Tones (TAB/Notation) at 120 bpm2:49

Strumming Methods2:55
Explore strumming with fingers, nails, or a pick, weighing volume and finger comfort on nylon-string guitars, and learn to start strumming with your chosen style.
Basic Strumming while Changing Chords4:06
Master strumming across changing chords with a relaxed, constant motion, combining down and upstrokes, using a metronome to build accuracy, speed, and later syncopation.
Syncopated Strumming3:56

Blues & Country Scales2:49
Strumming - a Nameless Horse3:53
How to Improvise Using the Pentatonic Scale7:32
Tips to get you improvising and help you to express your soul through the music
Country Rock Track - Chords & Strumming Pattern2:04
Play along with the backing track repeating the chord progression on the attached sheet.
Jamming with Country Rock Track1:53
Jam along with a country rock track using only notes from the scale, aiming for a one-take performance and encouraging you to try.
Blues Chords3:38
Use these 7th chords to "get down" with this Blues Rock backing track.
Jamming with the Blues Rock Track3:16

4 Simple Steps to Play Chord Melody2:38
Listen to "Freight Train" by Elizabeth Cotton being played as Chord Melody, then get ready to learn the steps to playing this yourself.
Steps 1 and 2 Learn the Chords and the Scale3:10
Step 3.1 - Melody Notes With the C Chord2:36
Master melody notes on the first three strings over a C chord, using the pinky for fretting on the second string and open strings for smooth transitions.
Step 3.2 - Melody Notes With the G Chord2:33
Step 3.3 - Melody Notes With the E Chord2:55
Master the e chord in this beginner guitar lesson, noting a g sharp outside the key, using first and second fingers to move to the f chord in c.
Freight Train - The Fast Track!9:25
Try this first if you don't want to learn all the scales in the next lectures.
Step 3.4 - Melody Notes With the F Chord1:51
Step 4 - Putting it all Together4:50

No experience necessary - follow simple steps and surprize yourself and others by how well you can play
Have a guitar ready (acoustic, nylon string or electric is okay)
Plan 15 minutes or so each day (little and often is best for busy adults) and feel your progress

Who this course is for:

Beginners who want to just play without too much theory or note reading
Anyone who always wanted to play but could never find the time
Adults and late teens
This course is NOT recommended for younger children who can benefit from a more comprehensive approach

Requirements

No experience necessary - just be ready to take simple steps to learn how to play
Have a playable guitar ready (acoustic, nylon string or electric is okay)
Plan for some regular practice (little and often is best for busy adults)

Description

Learn guitar in simple, easy steps, even if you have very little time
Track your progress and see results
Choose fingerstyle or pick (plectrum). Both are covered and advantages of each explained.
Focus on one, then go back to learn the other when you have time

How it Works

Begin by learning modern sounding arpeggios (chords played as single notes).
Learn easy one-finger chords to gain basic skills and confidence switching between chords
Work your way up to three-finger chords, then get ready to take on strumming.
Begin strumming with down strokes then add up strokes. Once you're ready - add syncopation.
Challenge yourself by playing chords from a song called “A Horse With No Name.”
Learn ONE Scale used in blues, rock, and country music. Watch the example videos then use the scale to play along with backing tracks.
"Introduction to improvising" guides you to create your own single note solos to "jam" with friends.
Try your hand at chord melody following the example.

Follow this step-by-step approach and surprise yourself, friends and family with your new skills.

Learn guitar in easy steps with this beginner's crash course and start playing guitar today

Beginners who want to skip theory and just play
Anyone who always wanted to play, but could never find the time using traditional methods
Adults and late teens
NOT recommended for younger children who can benefit from a more comprehensive approach