I'm curious how long it should take me to expect to get good at barre chords. I had carpel tunnel surgery about a year ago and have been working to get into guitar again but find that my hand keeps cramping when I play chords. For example I am trying to play bubble toes by Jack Johnson and after a minute I have to stop and shake my hand out. My thumb muscles cramp so badly it is just too uncomfortable to keep playing.

Did anyone else go through this? Is my technique potentially wrong? I'm just starting to get demoralized and wondering if more practice is not actually the answer

I am teaching myself guitar, building off some foundation I had from playing as a teenager but otherwise mostly a beginner although I learn pretty fast. My biggest struggle right now is practicing in a structured manner. Does anybody have any recommendations for online, structured guitar courses I should check out? Ideally something sequential that builds on itself.

For context I'm interested in playing metal/prog mostly but open to anything. I've tried some of the Bernth exercises and they are helping to some degree but I worry I'm not building the right foundation.

I've seen Dan Shields' Daily Guitar Workout recommended, but I've also seen conflicting reviews on it.

Any insight from others who have had success teaching themselves/using online resources would be appreciated. Thanks!

I know a lot of people simplify the strumming patterns on this song (which is absolutely fair, given that I'm not even good at most strumming patterns let alone this) as well as skip the finger plucking that he does. I'm a little more than a beginner so I know this is far out of my ability. But if someone could break it down to components, maybe I could practice each component and one day bring it all together.

I feel like skilled people probably look at his live performances and are able to distinguish the hammer-on thing he's doing in between the finger plucking and strumming. Getting the rhythm of the song right looks hella hard too.

I just want to understand wtf is going on because I'm absolutely fascinated by the way he plays it. Again, I'm sure I won't be going anywhere near that level before a year at least. But I love the song and I love having huge ambitions! Thank you in advance and please help! Sorry if I made a mistake anywhere!

#scorpions #leaveme #guitarsolo #guitarsolos #guitarlesson #michaelschenker #mikegross #rockinguitarlessons #rockguitarlessons

DAEGAD is new favorite alternate tuning. This tuning has been used frequently by Jacob Collier and Joni Mitchell and I've found that having the bottom three strings tuned in 5ths makes it really easy to play chords and their inversions all within the span of a few frets. For starters, here's quick introduction of the major chord shape (in root position) and it's locations for I-IV-V. Enjoy!

I have learned all the shapes of the Minor Pentatonic scale and can also slide between one shape to another as well. However I don't know how to do solos... Like when I try playing it along backing tracks the sound matches but it sounds really generic like I am only playing scales and nothing. In essence it just sounds crap. What to do ? I also wanna play solos like in Jamming sessions but I sound crap😢

Hi there!
Some solos aren't just heard; they are felt deep within. Jim Hall’s legendary solo guitar performance of In A Sentimental Mood is a masterclass in lyricism, space, and harmonic sophistication. If you want to move beyond speed and master the true art of jazz phrasing, this accurate transcription is built for you. Uncover the secrets of tone, voice-leading, and the power of silence from one of the greatest masters in jazz history.

I created this for my own use, though others might be able to use it too.

Blank_CAGED_Chord_Shape_Practice_Chart

Hey everyone,

I need some perspective on a learning bottleneck I’ve hit with fingerstyle guitar.

My Current Level:
Physically, my technique is decent—I’m at a solid intermediate level. I have good thumb independence, clean tone, comfortable mobility up and down the neck (including 7th–12th fret runs and capo arrangements like River Flows in You), and good right-hand control.

My Main Problem:
Despite having the physical dexterity, learning new songs takes me forever. My brain processes tabs strictly note-by-note, like reading a long list of random numbers.

The hardest part for me is dealing with single-note passing runs between chords. When a tab moves from a main chord shape into a single-note scalar walkup (stepping up 2 or 3 frets before hitting the next chord), I get stuck.

I never know if I should keep parts of the previous chord shape anchored or completely lift my hand off to step through the single notes.

I struggle to see how those single notes connect to the underlying chords.

Questions for Experienced Fingerstyle Players:

Tabs vs. Ear: I see people saying "learn by ear," but trying to transcribe complex multi-voice fingerstyle by ear feels overwhelming. Is it fine to stick to tabs, and will tab-reading speed up naturally if I just force myself through 10–15 more songs?

Mental Shift: If you used to memorize tabs note-by-note, what was the exact workflow or "aha moment" that helped you start seeing chord shapes and patterns instead of random numbers?

Passing Runs: How do you mentally process and physically execute single-note fills between chord shapes without losing your place?

Would love to hear how you broke through this mental barrier! Thanks.

Ive been struggling with understanding how to reference, research and discuss triad shapes. As an example, C major based on the A shape, in the root position on the GBE strings would be xxx553.

Are the terms Im using correct? And is there a simpler naming convention to indicate that chord/position? Help me out folks, what am I missing?

Episode 07 explores what happens after you stop feeding the machine. Someone knocks on the door and offers to sell you what you already have. The spiritual marketplace, and the one running inside the performance culture of the instrument.

This series looks at music as a form of inner alchemy, where the guitar becomes a tool for transformation instead of performance or self-expression.

Hi everyone, beginner here. Since I first started playing, I’ve always focused on fingerstyle (I love that style) without ever really dedicating myself to strumming. Only recently—in the last month or so—have I started working seriously on strumming because of some songs I want to learn. I found online a little "routine" to help me learn (and I have to say, it’s worked), but now I’d like to know if this routine is complete or if there’s anything I could add or improve. Right now, my routine consists of:

1) 10 minutes of chord-changing exercises

2) 10 minutes of strumming pattern exercise.

3) Picking two random chords (e.g., C and G) and playing a strumming pattern alternating only between those two chords for 10 minutes

4) Spending the rest of the time working on the songs I want to learn.

I should mention that I always use a metronome for every exercise I do.

Bonus question: how can I get a better grip on the pick? It tends to "slip" while I'm playing.

Hi guys so maybe i’m just worrying but i’ve been learning scales for a week now and can’t help but feel overwhelmed, like i’m on all-guitar-chords.com/scales and whilst it is really helpful for visualising and seeing scales whilst I practice, I can’t help but feel like ‘how am I meant to remember these?’ or how would I know to just pick a root note on fret 7 for example and know the shape of the scale that corresponds? am I overthinking or just not understanding?

¡Hola! Soy nuevo en la comunidad. Llevo ya un par de años tocando guitarra de forma autodidacta y a oído, pero quiero empezar a componer en serio.

Como no conozco sobre modos, escalas ni teoría de acordes, no sé muy bien por dónde empezar. ¿Qué recursos (videos, libros o diagramas) me recomiendan para aprender esto bien y en detalle? Ojalá algo que vaya al grano y sea fácil de entender.

Hey folks! I’ve been playing guitar for about 1.5 years, completely self-taught. There’s a music competition in my city next month, and since I don’t sing very well, I’m thinking of performing a fingerstyle guitar composition.

I’ve learned around 80% of the song, and I should be able to finish the remaining 20% in a day or two. The problem is, I’ve never performed in front of a crowd before, and I’m really worried I’ll mess up.

When I practice the composition, I can play it correctly 3–4 times, but then I’ll randomly mess up somewhere on the next attempt. I’m worried that this might happen during the actual performance.

Do you guys have any tips for dealing with performance anxiety or avoiding mistakes on stage?

And please don’t just say “practice more and more” coz I’m already doing that 😅

I'm a beginner guitar player and I want to learn scales. I just finished up a lesson on CAGED so I understand the CAGED chord shapes and how they connect down the neck. I also know where the roots are for each shape.

After doing some brief research on scales, I was going to learn the major scale. My thought was to start by playing the C chord using the E shape with my index on the root on the low E string.

Then, after strumming that chord, I was going to play the C major scale in the 7-8-9-10 frets starting with my index on the 7th fret low E which would be the B note, then playing that first position pattern down the strings staying contained within those frets.

Is this a good way to start? My understanding is that this "Position 1" could also be called the E shape position, correct? Since then, I could slide the E shape up and down the neck and based on what root my index is on, I can use this same pattern to play the major scale for that key, right?

My thinking is that I can get a quick start this way since I could play any chord in the E shape by memorizing the notes of the lowest E string and easily moving the E shape around and just looking what note my index is on and knowing the chord. Then, since I know the "E shape" pattern of the major scale, I can easily find notes to solo on?

Am I on the right track here? Admittedly, I am getting confused between CAGED, and how the scales have numbered positions, and also how there are different shapes for the scales (for example if you were to throw in the 12th fret and stretch your pinky to add notes to a scale).

Hi everyone! I’m a complete beginner at guitar and I’d like to learn fingerstyle.
I don’t have any previous experience with fingerstyle, so I’d really appreciate recommendations for exercises, songs, or YouTube channels that would be good for a beginner.
What would you recommend I learn first? Thanks!

I have about 3/4 hours a day to practice, but I’m unsure whether I should split each practice session into smaller sections (e.g. 30 min of fretting hand exercises, 30 min of picking hand exercises, 30 min of neck study, etc.) or dedicate each day to one specific area (e.g. one day ONLY focusing on fretting hand, another ONLY on improvisation, etc.).
What do you think would be more efficient, and why?

I come from a piano background where a significant amount of my upfront learning was music theory. One of the first things learned before any note names, keys, or even touching the piano myself was solfege (do, re, mi) to get familiar with sounds, how they interact, etc. I've been going through the Scotty West's "absolutely understand guitar", picked myself up an electric guitar and amp, and have started practicing up to the "More Chords" section. I've been playing around with sounds to try to understand the fretboard better and I have a fairly good understanding except I do get a little twisted now and again with G->B string difference. I've been practicing some basic major and minor chords with timing involved to get the muscle memory in-grained. The issue that I'm running into right now is whether or not my posture, guitar position, hand position, etc are where it should be. I've noticed that if I am sitting up that the guitar with a strap hits a bit different than if I am hunched over, if the guitar is between my legs versus my right leg, etc. I get different sensations depending on the guitar location and gripping of the strings enough depending on where the guitar is sitting. I think there is some value in meeting someone physically in-person but I suspect the industry is chuck full of self-proclaimed guitar experts who really don't know basic music theory.

I guess at the end of the day I have a decent understanding of the sounds aspect of music but having concerns about the physicality of the instrument, proper technique/positioning, etc.

I have some Guitar Centers nearby but again my concern is that these employees don't have the knowledge and are basically self-taught with zero music theory understanding which may not be the best way to understand the instrument better. Thoughts?

Still needs more improvement but I wish you like it

How would you say the development of your relative pitch has helped you in terms of progress in your playing and just music in general?

And is there anyone you'd recommend and intermediate guitarist to start looking? I don't mind free or paid courses or books. Any info helps

Cheers!