How to Shred on Guitar (Tastefully)
Supercharge your playing with gospel and funk concepts.
Intermediate guitarists
Frustrated with fast playing? Hit a speed plateau? This unique class will help you blast past your max tempo.
3 weeks
TJ will guide you through 5 sections of step-by-step instruction with interactive TAB and daily assignments.
Shred in good taste
There's a fine line between shredding and showing off. This class will help you play fast licks that sound great.
Take the next step
Once you've mastered the art of shredding, keep progressing with more advanced Master Classes.
What you'll learn
Join your mentor TJ as he breaks down how to shred with ease through the lens of gospel and funk guitar playing.
- Develop the ability to play effortlessly fast
- Build out your melodic toolbox with gospel licks
- Level up your playing with gospel-fueled voice leading
.avif)
Curriculum
Stay focused with this step-by-step learning program designed by our expert team of music educators.
Your guided learning pathway
In this five-part Master Class, you'll learn how to play tasteful gospel, funk, and rhythm guitar fast – like really fast.
How to Shred
To kick off the class, we'll get right down to brass tax with a series of lessons designed to develop your speed and fluidity on the guitar.
You'll work through exercises that isolate your picking and fretting hands in order to get you playing fast and loose.
How to Stay Fluid
The biggest roadblock to speed is tension. Often, guitarists unconsciously tense up when working on a difficult passage or playing at fast tempos.
This section of the class addresses that problem. TJ will teach you how to play with a sense of effortlessness and ease so you can float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.
Chords: Voice Leading & Gospel Chords
TJ is a master of gospel guitar, which is no surprise, as the quartet style of playing lends itself to fast licks.
In this section of the class, you'll learn TJ's approach to voice leading and gospel chords. This is going to do wonders for your rhythm playing – even if you're not interested in playing gospel music.
Part IV. TJ’s Top Licks
The remaining sections of the class are all about making music and having fun. In Part IV, you'll learn four of TJ's favorite shreddable licks to quickly build out your melodic vocabulary.
Part V. SongSquad
Finally, we'll wrap up with four original compositions by TJ that'll put your skills to the test by drawing on everything you've learned throughout the class.
Part I. How to Shred
Isolate your fretting and picking hands as you learn the art of shredding.
To start, you'll develop your speed and fluidity with six exercises that isolate your picking- and fretting-hand.
The exercises in this section are unique in that TJ developed them by listening to and transcribing other musicians. They include motifs he’s developed over the years, which not only help him maintain speed and “shred-ability” but also serve as practical tools for live performances.
Part II. How to Stay Fluid
Learn how to play with ease.
Shredding isn’t just about speed and technique – it’s also about playing with a sense of effortlessness and ease. In this section, TJ shows you three exercises that he uses to maintain his light touch. This section will serve you for the rest of your guitar-playing days. Learning how to play tension-free guitar will maximize your potential on guitar and prevent repetitive strain injuries.
Part III. Chords: Voice Leading & Gospel Chords
Spice up your rhythm playing with gospel-fueled harmony.
TJ is a student of gospel quartet guitar – a style of playing where many great musicians cut their teeth. Fast melodic runs, rich harmony, and voice leading are all inherent to gospel. With your lead-guitar speed foundation built, this section will help you level up your chordal vocabulary.
We'll cover five chord progressions that increase in difficulty. Make sure to pay attention to how TJ plays the chords. This section is as much about the notes you play as the articulation of said notes.
Parts IV. & V.
Cap off the class with musical exploration.
Part IV. TJ’s Top Licks
In this section, TJ breaks down five of his go-to shred-able licks. These licks will help you put what you learned into a musical context and fuel ideas for your own improvisations. Each lick includes a lesson breakdown video and interactive TAB.
Part V. SongSquad
Cap off the class by tackling TJ's original compositions. These songs will incorporate everything you'll have learned in the class. As always, each song includes a lesson breakdown video and interactive TAB.
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
TJ Whitelaw
TJ is a gospel guitar guru who's here to help you shred tastefully.
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.
.avif)
.avif)
Frequently asked questions
The most structured approach to learning music
