Foundation
Foundation Lessons
The ability to take a melody and combine it with chords to create a solo arrangement is an important skill that every guitar player should know. This lesson shows how to build a simple arrangement of a song in an easy-to-follow, step-by-step process.
If you’re serious about being a musician, then there is only one road that will get you there—practice. Practicing is a necessary key—really the only key—that will unlock the potential inside you to become the guitar player you want to be. Practicing is something you’re going to be doing a lot to become skillful, so let’s learn how to do it most effectively.
How would you like to be able to play any major chord, minor chord, seventh chord, minor seventh chord, or suspended chord in any key anywhere on the neck of the guitar?
Wouldn’t it be great to be able to look at any place on the guitar neck and automatically know the note names?
Whether you read music or not, every guitar player needs to know the notes on the instrument. You’ve got to know where a C is and where an Ab is. Much of guitar playing is going to be done in the first, or open, position so that’s a great place to start.
Many players are comfortable in the 1st position—they know the notes and can play a few licks. But the farther up the neck they go, the more unfamiliar it becomes, and they’re not too sure which note is which.
These 20 chords are the basic building blocks of most guitar chord playing. It doesn’t matter whether you’re playing songs with friends, sitting in with a band, or playing for the Grammy awards.
One thing a guitar has that no other instrument can replicate is the sound of open strings. The use of open strings automatically brings out the guitar part in any song.
Have you ever wondered how some guitarists can create something magical over the most basic of chord changes? They have the ability to see past the normal chord written in the music and play beyond it to create memorable guitar parts. This lesson uses a simple C7 chord as a foundation to create a wide variety of musical ideas. The concepts shown here can be applied to any chord.
Bending notes is a basic skill that every guitarist needs to know. Many players can bend but they can't seem to get the ideal sound that they are trying to achieve. But with proper technique your string bends can take on a whole new dimension.
There are many ways you can play a chord progression, each with its own sound and mood. And you, the player, get to choose how you want to play the chords you’re given. For example, you could strum the chords for a rhythmic fast sound or fingerpick them for a slow melodic sound. This lesson covers a variety of techniques to get the sounds you want.
Using a capo is a basic skill that every guitarist needs to know. Capos allow you to play in a variety of keys while using familiar chord shapes. Capos also work well when trying to find a good key to sing a particular song in by transposing songs up or down. This lesson discusses how to use a capo and the different types of capos.
Restringing Your Acoustic Guitar
Does your guitar sound lifeless? Has it lost that sparkle in the sound that it once had? Do your strings feel “gunked” up? If so, then it’s time to change your strings! Changing your strings is the quickest and most inexpensive way to make an immediate improvement in your tone. Plus, it is one of the most basic items of care for your acoustic guitar that every guitarist should know how to do.
Getting the Most from Your Strumming
Strumming is something that only a guitarist can do. No keyboard or drum machine can copy the sound of a great guitarist strumming open strings. Good strumming technique can add rhythm, accents and excitement to your playing. And, if you are working with a singer, learning how to strum comfortably is a must. This lesson covers some important keys to take your strumming to the next level.
In almost every studio recording session I'm in, whether on acoustic or electric, I tend to derive my ideas from a basic set of chord shapes. These chord shapes combined with a few chord substitution rules make for great sounding guitar parts. I call these chords the "money chords" and they have certainly put food on my table more than once. These are the nuts and bolts of great sounding guitar parts whether you are playing for your enjoyment or laying down the intro for a Grammy-winning artist's song in the studio.
In almost every studio recording session I'm in, whether on acoustic or electric, I tend to derive my ideas from a basic set of chord shapes. These chord shapes combined with a few chord substitution rules make for great sounding guitar parts. I call these chords the "money chords" and they have certainly put food on my table more than once.
Breaking Out of Position Playing
Have you ever said to yourself, "All my solos sound the same. It doesn’t matter what key I'm in, I always play the same licks." You've fallen into the age-old guitar player's trap of being locked into playing in positions. The good news is that you can break out of it and begin playing with a new freshness and life to your sound. All it takes is viewing your guitar from a new perspective.
Learn how to take a bland progression and turn it into something amazing by using a few diminished chords.
This lesson covers these important "money chords" in the key of G that make up great sounding guitar parts. Learn some new forms and start creating the sounds you hear everyday in songs.
This lesson gives three incredible hand and finger flexibility exercises that can potentially change your facility on the guitar in a major way. I guarantee that a few weeks of doing these exercises faithfully will allow you to reach chords and stretches that you may have thought impossible.
This lesson covers some of the important "money chords" in the key of E that make up great sounding guitar parts. Learn some new forms and start creating the sounds you hear everyday in songs.
In almost every studio recording session I’m in, whether on acoustic or electric, I tend to derive my ideas from a basic set of chord shapes. These chord shapes combined with a few chord substitution rules make for great sounding guitar parts. I call these chords the “money chords” and they have certainly put food on my table more than once. These are the nuts and bolts of great sounding guitar parts whether you are playing for your enjoyment or laying down the intro for a Grammy-winning artist’s song in the studio.
There are four main areas of the neck that guitarists tend to play in – Open Position, Fifth Position, Seventh Position, and 12th Position and above. Every guitarist should become familiar with these four main regions of the guitar neck. The seventh position is a very comfortable place to play on the guitar but it also tends to be the area of the neck that most guitarists know the least. The position name comes from what fret your first finger is positioned. If your first finger is on the 1st fret, then you are said to be playing in the 1st position. If you move your hand to where your first finger is on the 5th fret, then you are in the 5th position. Positions are often notated in guitar music in roman numerals. This lesson teaches the notes in this important area of the neck.
The Nashville Number System: Part 1
“It’s 1465!” shouted the bass player as the bandleader counted off the tune. I did my best to keep up and play the guitar part as we began the tune. On that bandstand many years ago was my crash course in the Nashville Number System. Since that time I’ve seen, used, and written this notation numerous times.
The Nashville Number System: Part 2
“It’s 1465!” shouted the bass player as the bandleader counted off the tune. I did my best to keep up and play the guitar part as we began the tune. On that bandstand many years ago was my crash course in the Nashville Number System. Since that time I’ve seen, used, and written this notation numerous times.
Open strings—one of the coolest things you can utilize in your playing to get some great sounds relatively easily! Combining open strings with hammer-ons and pull-offs can create a wide variety of sounds that only a guitar could make happen. This lesson covers several ideas using open strings that can be worked into your own playing to create sounds ranging from Fingerstyle to Celtic!
The ability to break out of the tight little circle of open chords and a few comfort zones will cause your playing to explode. Don't be hemmed in to only a few positions. Learn to use the whole fretboard in this lesson.
After repeatedly tuning, playing, and replacing the strings on your guitar, there are certain components that will eventually wear down or wear out. The nut is definitely one of these components, and when it wears to the point that the open strings buzz, this lesson offers a quick fix. This is a simple repair that you can probably do yourself, presented by master tech, Greg Voros (author of the course, Learn & Master Guitar Setup & Maintenance). Enjoy!
Everything wears out if you use it...even guitars. One of the common wear-out points is the jack (at both ends of the guitar cord--amp and guitar). It will first get scratchy, then begin dropping signal. At that point, it's got to be fixed. In this lesson, presented by master tech, Greg Voros (author of the course, Learn & Master Guitar Setup & Maintenance), you'll learn how to do this simple repair yourself. Enjoy!
Guitar Modes: An Easier Way [NO VIDEO]
The ability to take a melody and combine it with chords to create a solo arrangement is an important skill that every guitar player should know. This lesson shows how to build a simple arrangement of a song in an easy-to-follow, step-by-step process.
Greg Voros--Fret Maintenance [NO VIDEO]
The foundation of every great setup is the guitar’s fretwork. After long periods of play, the frets on your guitar can eventually wear. Once the wear is visible, the guitar is likely to develop fret buzz as well as intonation problems. If left unattended, the guitar will eventually refuse to stay in tune with itself. This lesson covers a couple of the most common fret maintenance, called a fret dress or a grind and polish. You’ll have your frets looking and playing like new in no time. Enjoy!
Strumming with Triads [NO VIDEO]
Do you know what separates good rhythm guitar players from great ones? It’s the ability to look at the same G-C-D chords and create musical “magic” instead of just strumming the old stand by open chords that every other guitar player plays. This lesson covers a simple, creative way to take a simple progression and create guitar “magic” by using triads and their inversions. So, grab your guitar and let’s leave the world of boring open chord rhythm strumming and create some great rhythm guitar parts!
Soloing Over a Dominant 7th Chord [NO VIDEO]
Tired of playing the same worn out pentatonic licks? Open up some new sounds by viewing 7th chords in a different way. Seventh chords, also called “dominant 7th” chords, like C7, F7, or Eb7, are everywhere in guitar music, so learning to solo over them is a skill that is golden! This lesson covers the mixolydian mode and how it can be used over a dominant 7th chord to get some great sounds. Grab your guitar and let’s get started!
The 30-Minute Practice Routine [NO VIDEO]
Have you ever asked yourself, “How should I be practicing” or “What should I be practicing”? Here are some real world tips on what you should be doing in your practice time to get the most amount of progress in the least amount of time. There are four important sections to a good practice session: Warm-Up, Technique Practice, Song Practice, and Creative Free Play. Here is a suggested 30-minute practice session. Feel free to vary this according to your needs.
Chord Magic: Many Chords from One Form [NO VIDEO]
Have you ever been learning a song and come across an unfamiliar chord? What do you do? Most will look to find the specific chord form needed, play the song, and move on. But, if you don’t take the time to relate the new chord to a form you already know, then you end up with an isolated chord form in your knowledge with no reference to be able to use it in another setting. Wouldn’t it be great if you could take a form that you already know and just adjust a note here and there to make the chord needed? This lesson shows you a little bit of chord magic—how to build many chords from one base form from which all others are derived. Grab your guitar and let’s learn a little bit of chord magic!
Greg Voros--Direct Pickup Swap [NO VIDEO]
Sometimes you need a little extra "umph" from your tone and one of the ways to get it is to replace one or more of your pickups. When you buy a new, raw pickup and get a hankerin' to install it yourself, you just gotta dive in. But don't dive in without watching this video. It's easier than you think, especially when you've got guidance from one of Nashville's best luthier/guitar techs. Let Greg Voros walk you through it step by step. Enjoy!
Choosing the Right Acoustic Guitar [NO VIDEO]
Have you ever gone into the holy “Acoustic Guitar Sanctuary” at the local music store and wondered which guitar was right for you? Picking out a new instrument is exciting but also a bit intimidating when choosing between different types of guitars, body shapes, woods, and a host of other important factors. This lesson covers some practical tips, from a player’s perspective, on choosing the right acoustic guitar for you. You and your guitar are in for a long-term relationship. Somewhere in that “guitar room” may be “your” guitar. It’s your job to find it.
Choosing the Right Electric Guitar [NO VIDEO]
Have you ever looked up at that “wall of guitars” at the local music store and wondered which guitar was right for you? Picking out a new instrument is exciting but also a bit intimidating when choosing between different types of guitars, body shapes, pickups, and a host of other important factors. This lesson covers some practical tips, from a player’s perspective, on choosing the right guitar for you. You and your guitar are in for a long-term relationship. Somewhere on that “wall of guitars” may be “your” guitar. It’s your job to find it.
How to Play Harmonics [NO TAB]
Harmonics are one of the best things you can do on a guitar! Few instruments can provide such an unusual but musically useful technique. With a little practice, they’re pretty easy to play and produce a beautiful chime or bell-like tone. If you’ve ever heard a guitarist suddenly play these high bell-like sounds while just barely touching the strings then you have heard harmonics. Harmonics can be utilized in several very musical ways. This lesson covers how harmonics work and how to play natural harmonics, false harmonics, and harp harmonics, in addition to giving you several great licks to use along the way.
