Our 30-Minute Lessons feature lessons of all styles. These lessons are for everyone, whether you're learning something for the first time or brushing up on something you already know. Have a great time playing!
The most current lesson is featured at the top.
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Alternate Picking Lesson (June 2010) Learn to mix upstrokes and downstrokes for speedy and articulate melodic lines. With audio, tab, and music to “Over the Moor.” |
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Approach Notes Lesson (May 2010) Learn to step outside the notes of a song’s key to spice up your musical ideas on the acoustic guitar. With video and tab. |
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Pedal Tones Lesson (January 2010) Experiment with this interesting compositional device to bring extra tension into your music. With audio and tab. |
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Master a Tricky Section Lesson (December 2009) Learn a helpful practice technique for confronting difficult pieces of guitar music. With audio. |
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Pinky Fingerpicking Lesson (October 2009) Put the smallest digit of your picking hand to work and extend your fingerstyle technique. With audio. |
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Reading Music Lesson (September 2009) Learn to understand the language of music by breaking the goal into half-hour practice sessions. With audio. |
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Harmonics Lesson (August 2009) Learn to command the bell-like tones of natural and artificial harmonics. With video. |
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Thirds Lesson (May 2009) Use thirds to spice up your licks and solos all over the fretboard. With audio. |
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Learn the Fretboard (February 2009) Use this method to gain a working knowledge of where each note falls on the fretboard. With audio. |
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Thumb Fretting Lesson (December 2008) Learn to use your thumb to fret hard-to-grab chords and licks. With audio. |
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Boom-Chuck Strumming Lesson (October 2008) Learn to play driving blugrass rhythm guitar. With audio. |
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Fretboard Slides Lesson (August 2008) Create fluid melody lines and grooves on the neck of the guitar by sliding between notes. With audio. |
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Power Chords Lesson (July 2008) Rock out on the acoustic guitar with movable power-chord shapes and meaty, root-position '5' chords. With audio. |
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Time Signatures (June 2008) Explore this guide to time signatures, and soon feeling the beat will be as easy as counting to four. With video. |
Fingerpicking Rolls Lesson (May 2008)Add variety to your fingerstyle guitar playing by integrating fingerpicking rolls. With audio examples. |
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Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs (March 2008) Add cool new sounds to your rhythms and riffs with these two simple maneuvers. With audio examples. |
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Syncopated Strumming Lesson (February 2008) Add syncopation to your strum patterns to make your rhythm playing more interesting. With audio examples. |
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Sequencing Scales (January 2008) Kick your solos into overdrive by playing scale tones in unconventional new patterns. With audio examples. |
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Scratch Rhythms Lesson (December 2007) Use scratch rhythms to propel your rhythm and funkify your riffs. With audio examples. |
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Single-String Scales (November 2007) Play scales on one string to visualize the intervals. With audio examples. |
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Arpeggios: Break Open Your Chords (October 2007) Play chord shapes as single notes—or arpeggios—to create new accompaniment patterns, cool riffs, and even stunning solos. With audio examples. |
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Think Inside the Box: The Minor Pentatonic Scale (September 2007) Also known as the 'blues box,' this scale is your secret weapon to soloing in any key. With audio examples. |
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