Beginner Learning Pathway
Learn the fundamentals of guitar playing.
Complete beginners
First time picking up a guitar? You've come to the right place. This learning pathway requires no prior experience.
3 months
Karl will guide you through 6 guided grades with step-by-step instruction and daily practice exercises.
Zero to hero
Develop a rock-solid foundation of essential guitar skills so you can play and jam along to your favorite songs.
Take the next step
Once you've tackled this course, take your rhythm and lead skills to the next level in the Late Beginner pathway.
What you'll learn
This crystal-clear Learning Pathway will get you playing right away as you build a solid foundation for rhythm guitar.
- Use iconic songs to build up your chords and rhythm.
- Learn the fundamentals of lead guitar playing.
- Get personalized video feedback on your playing.
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Curriculum
Stay focused with this step-by-step learning program designed by our expert team of music educators.
Your guided learning pathway
This ultra-guided course takes the guesswork out of learning guitar. Over the course of six grades, you'll learn the fundamentals of guitar as you develop the ability to play your favorite songs and embark on a journey to become confident a rhythm & lead guitarist.
Guitar Basics
By the end of this Learning Pathway, you'll be able to play the chords to any of your favorite popular songs.
To get you started on the right foot, Karl will guide you through the fundamentals of guitar playing. You'll tackle simple melodies and learn your first chords so you can start making music ASAP.
Building Blocks
Once you learn the absolute essentials in Grade 1, you'll begin building up your rhythm guitar vocabulary with new chords and rhythms that'll enable you to play 1000's of iconic songs.
Power Chords & Blues
In this grade, you’ll go beyond open chords into the land of power and dominant seventh chords.
Plus, we'll expand into the world of blues to help you learn how to play riffs and follow a chord progression.
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Grades 4-6
In Grade 4, you'll focus on one of the biggest weak spots we see in beginner playing: chord transitions. Here, Karl will walk you through a series of exercises designed to help you play smooth chord progressions with confidence.
Then, in Grades 5 and 6, you'll conquer the almighty bar chord. These are your ticket to playing just about any song out there. They're a step up in difficulty, but Karl's tried-and-true teaching approach makes learning them a breeze.
Grade 1. Fretboard Foundations
Take the first steps in your guitar journey.
When you're just starting out with guitar, it's crucial to establish proper technique. To kick off this Learning Pathway, Karl will guide you through the absolute fundamentals of guitar playing – from holding the guitar to playing your first notes.
Then, over the next 7 days, you'll dig into playing essentials, like fretting notes, strumming your first chords, and playing your first lead guitar line. You'll practice all of these over professionally-produced backing tracks to keep the focus on making music.
At the end of the grade, you'll have the opportunity to assume the role as lead guitarist with a live-recorded backing band as you apply what you learned in a musical context.
Once you learn a song with the band, you can submit a video of yourself playing it to our team of pro guitarists for 1:1 video feedback on your playing to ensure that you're playing with proper technique and help you with anything you're struggling with.
Grade 2. Building Blocks
Build a rhythm guitar foundation with open chords.
For the next leg in your guitar journey, Karl will guide you through basic rhythm guitar concepts that every guitarist needs to know.
You'll learn how to play in 6/8 time, add essential chords to your vocabulary, and unlock the ability to play 1000's (yes thousands!) of popular songs.
At the end of the grade, you'll once again have the opportunity to jam out with a live-recorded backing band and get 1:1 video feedback on your performance from the Pickup Music team.
Grade 3. Power Chords & Blues
Expand your rhythm guitar foundation and use the blues to solidify your skills.
In this grade, you’ll go beyond open chords into the land of power and dominant 7th chords. Plus, we'll expand into the world of blues to help you learn how to play riffs and follow a chord progression.
Why learn the blues? It sits at the foundation of nearly all Western music. Learning the basics of blues guitar will equip you with skills that will benefit you across different musical styles.
As always, you'll have an opportunity to get 1:1 feedback on your playing after you jam out with the Pickup Music band.
Grades 4-6
Wrap up your beginner guitar journey by polishing your rhythm skills and learning bar chords.
Grade 4. Chord Transitions
It doesn’t matter how many chords you know. If you can’t switch between them smoothly, they won't do you much good.
In this grade, we’ll shine a spotlight on your chord-switching skills by blending rhythm & lead playing, incorporating singer-songwriter techniques, and adding even more chords to your vocabulary. You'll also tackle two essential picking techniques that will increase the accuracy of your rhythm and lead plying.
Grade 5. Bar Chords
This is where the rubber meets the road! In this grade, you'll tackle the almighty bar chord – rich chord shapes that pack a punch and will unlock 99% of popular music for you.
With Karl's tried-and-true teaching approach, the path to learning these challenging chords is crystal clear. You'll work your way up from simple shapes to the full bar chord while using popular songs for practice.
Grade 6. Bringing It All Together
To cap off the first leg of your beginner journey, we'll polish your new bar-chord skills, study lush open-string chords, and dig into the mechanics of alternate picking.
After a jam session with the Pickup Music Band, an opportunity to get a 1:1 feedback video, and an interactive quiz, you're ready for the next step in your journey: The Late Beginner Learning Pathway.
REAL students
Don’t take our word for it, take theirs
What guitarists love about this course
FULL REFUND, NO QUESTIONS ASKED
Improve your playing or get your money back
We’re so confident that we can improve your playing that we’re underwriting your membership with a 60-day satisfaction guarantee.
Your Instructor
Karl Kerfoot
Take your playing to the next level by learning fundamental lead & rhythm concepts from Pickup Music's Head of Education.
Explore LessonsWhat’s in every Pickup Music membership?
Try free for 14 days
1,000+ Lessons
All skill levels
Interactive tabs
Track your progress
Daily practice plans
Live lessons every week
Limitless learning.
All-inclusive access to every instrument and course.
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Frequently asked questions
The most structured approach to learning music
