Which guitar technique do you want to work on?
Choose the movement that makes you stop in a piece you already play. Each starting lesson isolates one skill. The suggested piece lets you hear what that skill does for a musical phrase.
Reading and counting
Match each tab number to a string and fret. Count the beats aloud before playing the first phrase.
Tone and nails
Play the same note near the bridge and then over the fingerboard. Listen to how the point of contact changes its colour.
Arpeggios
Keep the chord ringing as the right-hand fingers play in turn. Listen for any voice that cuts out when you cross strings.
Slurs and trills
Sound two notes with a single right-hand attack. Aim for a second note as clear as the first.
Barré chords
Lay your index finger across a few strings. Play them separately to find which one needs an adjustment before extending the barré.
Scales and shifts
Alternate index and middle fingers across two strings. Keep the beat steady when your left hand changes position.
Harmonics and effects
Lightly touch a string directly over the twelfth fret. Listen for the note that keeps ringing when you lift the finger.
Tremolo
Play the bass with your thumb and repeat the high note with ring, middle and index fingers. Listen to the space between all four attacks.