Clean Chord Switching in 7 Days
Change chords in time, every time.
Beginner guitarists
You should be comfortable with open and power chords to take this class. Bar chord experience is helpful but not required.
7 days
Dan will guide you through 7 days of step-by-step instruction with daily practice plans and assessments.
Smooth chord changes
This class will help you strengthen your chord-changing skills to flow through progressions with ease.
Take the next step
Once you've mastered this challenge, keep learning with more challenges and guided Learning Pathways.
What you'll learn
In this class, Dan Kalisher breaks down the essential fretting-hand mechanics that help chord changes feel easier and steadier. Each day, you’ll focus on a practical chord-switching concept so you can move between shapes without rushing or freezing up.
- Sharpen your timing.
- Nail chord changes that slow beginners down.
- Learn how to stop falling off the beat.
- Build fundamental rhythm muscle memory.
Curriculum
Stay focused with this step-by-step learning program designed by our expert team of music educators.
Your guided learning experience
In this 7-day Challenge, Dan will help you improve your fretting-hand dexterity and speed so you can switch chords right on the beat every time.
Wiggle or no wiggle
Start the class by learning a simple shape-memorization technique called the wiggle.
You’ll train your fretting hand to find chord shapes faster, then practice landing each change on the downbeat.
Pivot fingers
Now that you’ve started building muscle memory, you’ll learn how shared notes can help your fingers stay anchored between chord shapes.
You’ll use pivot fingers to make common chord progressions feel smoother and more connected.
Smarter chord switches
Next, you'll take on more challenging progressions by learning how to use certain fingers to lead the rest.
You’ll also work on finding the most efficient movement and choosing the easiest route between chords.
Then, you'll apply those ideas to open and power chords.
Day 6. Bar chords crash course review
Dan helps you take the mystery out of bar chords. You’ll get a clearer handle on the mechanics, then work through the main shapes and root movements so they start to feel more manageable.
Day 7. Integrating bar chords
In the final lesson, you’ll bring every chord type into one focused practice session. Dan guides you through efficient movement and cleaner switches using a John Mayer-inspired progression.
Performances
Before you move on from this class, Dan will challenge you to learn a song and put everything into practice in a real musical setting. This is your chance to apply the techniques in context and start making them your own.
Day 1. Wiggle or no wiggle
You’ll start building stronger chord-shape memory with a simple technique called the wiggle. Learn how to land changes on the downbeat by resetting your hand and visualizing each chord shape.
In this intro lesson, Dan will introduce the wiggle – a technique that helps you strengthen your muscle memory for chord shapes. You’ll build up to sustaining each chord for as long as possible before catching the next downbeat.
Day 2. Pivot fingers
Your fingers don’t always need to start from scratch with every new chord. You’ll learn how shared notes can help you pivot between chords and keep your progressions moving with less effort.
Many chords share one or more notes. That’s where pivot fingers come in handy. Using an Oasis-inspired progression, Dan shows you how to use pivot fingers to connect chord shapes more smoothly.
Days 3-5. Smarter chord switches
In these lessons, Dan will help you move through tougher progressions with better control. You’ll explore smarter ways to guide your fretting hand between shapes, including using leading fingers and finding the more efficient path from one chord to the next.
Day 3. Challenging chord switches
You’ll take on more difficult chord progressions by learning how leading fingers can guide the rest of your hand into place. Dan will help you work through multiple chord combinations inspired by AC/DC’s Back in Black.
Day 4. Path of least resistance
Smooth chord changes are all about spotting the easiest route between chord shapes. You’ll learn how inward and outward hand movement can make progressions feel more natural while practicing shapes inspired by Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here.
Day 5. Power chords
Now, you’ll add power chords into the mix and practice switching between open and movable shapes. Dan will help you combine open and power chords for rock-inspired progressions – giving you more chordal options to play through your favorite songs.
Days 6-7. Bar chord challenge
In these final days, you’ll tackle the dreaded bar chord and combine everything you’ve practiced so far. You’ll bring your chord switching together by playing through a full progression using bar chord shapes, power chords, and open chords.
Day 6. Bar chords crash course review
Take a deep breath because we’re working on bar chords today. Fortunately, Dan breaks down the mechanics of bar chords so they feel less intimidating. You’ll practice E- and A-shape bar chords, minor bar chord shapes, and smoother switches between 5th- and 6th-string roots.
Day 7. Dynamics
In the final lesson, you’ll combine open, power, and bar chords in one complete workout. Dan will help you apply the path of least resistance, cleaner finger movement, and full bar chord switching in a John Mayer-inspired progression. This is where it all comes together.
Performances
Now that you’ve worked so hard on your chord-switching skills, it’s time to put them into practice. Work on pivot fingers with an Oasis-inspired jam, then combine open chords, power chords, and palm muting in a Nirvana-inspired performance piece.
REAL students
Don’t take our word for it, take theirs
What guitarists love about this course
FULL REFUND, NO QUESTIONS ASKED
If you don’t get better, we’ll give you your money back
We’re so confident that Pickup Music can help you make progress that we’re underwriting your membership with a 60-day satisfaction guarantee.
Your Instructor
Dan Kalisher
Dan is an expert session guitarist, pedal steel player, and producer who’ll help you become a more confident rhythm and lead guitarist.
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1,000+ Lessons
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Is Pickup Music right for me?
Are you a guitar player who feels like you haven’t made progress in a few months… years… or even decades?
You’re probably stuck in what’s called the ‘intermediate plateau’. This is very common and can be very frustrating.
What’s the cause? Well, it’s pretty easy to learn the basics on guitar. Learn a few open chords and you can play Wonderwall and hundreds of other songs. Learn a couple of scales and a few licks and you can play some lead.
But what then? Triads? Modes? Arpeggios? The phrygian scale?!
Without a clear plan and learning system you fall back to playing the same old chords and licks over and over again. Or you bounce around free lessons online but nothing seems to stick. It’s a recipe for a lot of practice without much progress.
That’s where Pickup Music can help. We specialize in taking players stuck in a guitar rut and turning them into advanced guitarists.
We do this through Learning Pathways that take you on a step-by-step journey towards fretboard mastery. We give you a highly structured system that shows you exactly what to work on each week to make serious progress.
These Learning Pathways take the guesswork out of your practice routine. You are guided through a proven grade-by-grade system with daily lessons, play-along practice exercises and interactive workouts.
But it’s not all about theory. We apply everything you learn to real music. That’s why every grade of our Learning Pathways build up to performing a song with a live backing band. This simulates what it’s like to play a real gig, with real musicians. It’s the absolute best way to learn.
You also get 1:1 video feedback on your playing from our expert instructors and can attend weekly live lessons. This personal feedback makes Pickup Music the closest thing to taking in-person lessons, but at a fraction of the cost.
So does this method actually work? Will you see results in your playing?
The most common thing we hear from new members is that they’ve made more progress with Pickup Music in a few months than in years of teaching themselves. As one member recently told us, “I'm finally seeing progress for the first time in many years”.
Want to hear about other members’ experiences with us? Read our independent Trustpilot reviews.
Is Pickup Music worth the money?
Private guitar lessons will cost you about $50 per lesson or $2,600 a year.
Going to a music academy will cost you about $40,000 a year.
A Pickup Music membership will cost you just $180 for the whole year.
That works out to 50 cents a day!
But it’s not just about the money. It’s about not wasting your precious time. It’s about making actual progress on this beautiful instrument.
By following our proven Learning Pathway system, you can stop wasting your time and effort trying to guess what you should practice next. Our guided programs eliminate the guesswork so you know exactly what you need to focus on each day and week to make lasting progress with guitar.
What makes Pickup Music better than other guitar lesson sites?
Most online guitar lesson sites are very good at teaching one-off songs and licks. Or they get super famous guitarists to record one-hour video lessons talking at length about their particular style and career.
The problem is that these approaches don't stick. They don’t help you to actually get better as a guitarist. You can waste a lot of time bouncing around these types of unconnected, one-off lessons. It’s a recipe for a lot of practice without much progress.
Pickup Music takes a different approach. We give you a highly structured system that shows you exactly what to work on each week to make serious progress. We take you beyond the basics through a step-by-step journey towards fretboard mastery.
By following a Pickup Music Learning Pathway, you are getting the most guided way to learn guitar. Over 6 grades, you are taken through daily lessons and practice exercises that carefully explain what’s going on behind the music.
Each grade then builds up to song performances that apply everything you’ve learned with a live backing band. These challenges - where we simulate what it’s like to play a real gig, with real musicians - is the absolute best way to learn.
The Learning Pathway method takes the guesswork out of your practice routine. Most guitarists start to see a rapid acceleration in their progress in a matter of weeks.
You can also get 1:1 video feedback on your playing and weekly live lessons. This personal feedback makes Pickup Music the closest thing to taking in-person lessons, but at a fraction of the cost.
Want to hear about other members’ experiences with us? Read our independent Trustpilot reviews.
What exactly do I get from a Pickup Music membership?
When you become a Pickup Music member you get unlimited access to our huge library of lessons:
- 13 Learning Pathways giving you step-by-step instruction over 3 months
- 47 Master Classes going deep into different styles over 2 weeks
- 500+ original songs from some of the world’s best modern guitarists
- 100+ essential lick packages to add new flavors to your playing
- 200+ 5 minute lessons for bite-sized learning.
You get to enjoy amazing features that create a premium learning experience:
- day-by-day lessons
- 1:1 video feedback on your playing
- weekly live lessons
- progress tracking
- interactive TAB
- multiple HD camera angles
- play-along practice exercises
- downloadable course notes and diagrams
- quizzes to test your understanding
- jam tracks with the Pickup Music Live Band
- exclusive members-only forum, contests and giveaways.
How do the Learning Pathways work?
Learning Pathways are kind of our special sauce here at Pickup Music. They take all the guesswork out of what to practice.
You get day-by-day lessons, play along practice exercises with your instructor, interactive jams with the Pickup Music live band and you can submit videos of your playing for feedback from the Pickup Music team.
We designed this system so that you will know exactly what to practice every time you pick up the guitar. This means that even if you only have time to practice with us once a week, you will still make great progress by following a Learning Pathways.
How often do I need to practice to see results?
Ideally you would practice about three times a week for 30 minutes at a time. But we know that life gets in the way sometimes! So here’s the good news: deliberate practice matters so much more than how often you practice.
After working with thousands of guitarists, we’ve found that the most important thing is to know exactly what you’re going to practice before you pick up the guitar. Even if you can only use Pickup Music a few times a month, you will still make really good progress if you stick to the step-by-step structure of our Learning Pathways.
How long are the lessons?
Pickup Music's lesson plans are designed to suit the amount of time you have available to practice.
- Only got a few minutes? Try our 5-Minute Lessons to quickly add a new skill to your toolbox.
- Got half an hour? Try one of our Essential Lick Packages or original Songs to expand your vocabulary in different genres.
- Got a couple of days? Try a Master Class with one of our world-renowned artists. Each class is broken up into short, digestible modules focused on one topic.
- Ready to really commit to a multi-week program? Try one of our Learning Pathways. Over 3 months and 6 grades of learning, these detailed courses will take you on a day-by-day journey to master each level in the genre. Learning Pathways include daily practice exercises so you know exactly what to focus on. These courses are the best way to make lasting progress.
Whichever approach you choose, we recommend building the exercises you learn into your daily practice schedule. The best way to improve as a guitarist is through a consistent practice routine rather than sporadic, longer sessions. Learning guitar is a day-by-day, life-long journey.
Can I take the lessons at my own pace?
Everything on Pickup Music is designed to be taken at your own pace. There are no deadlines, so you can work at your own speed. You can stay on a topic until you really understand it before you move on.
While we divide our Learning Pathways into ‘days’ - this is a suggestion only. Some learners might take a few days in one sitting, while others will spend a few sessions on a single day. You can go at the pace that feels most comfortable to you.
How does the 1:1 video feedback work?
We want our members to get the closest thing possible to in-person lessons but at a fraction of the cost. That's why you can now get individual video feedback on your guitar playing from our team of expert instructors.
Here's how it works:
- Choose a performance piece to learn at the end of each grade of a Learning Pathway.
- Upload a video of yourself playing the performance piece.
- An expert instructor from our team will review your playing and send you back a detailed video on what you're doing well and what you need to work on.
- Repeat for each grade of the Learning Pathway.
Want to see a sample? Check out this recent video feedback from Pickup Music instructor Jack Handyside.
Is Pickup Music good for beginners?
Absolutely! We make learning the guitar fun and simple – the way it should be.
Too many people get frustrated with guitar because they develop bad habits and poor technique. Avoid these costly and time-consuming mistakes by taking Pickup Music's structured and step-by-step approach to learning guitar.
You'll start with Pickup Music's introductory program Beginner Learning Pathway. Over three weeks, we break down everything from simple chords and melodies to rhythm and lead playing. By the end of the program, you'll be able to play any simple pop or rock song (and even write your own).
Most importantly, we make sure you don't get stuck in the beginner's plateau - a common pitfall for guitarists who are just starting out. You'll keep making progress through Pickup Music's guided Learning Pathways. These programs are designed to quickly take you from a beginner player to an intermediate one who feels comfortable across the whole fretboard.
Is Pickup Music good for intermediate and advanced guitarists?
Pickup Music is the best platform available for intermediate and advanced guitarists. Our courses take you beyond the basics to advanced concepts like the CAGED system, triads, arpeggios, modes and improvisation.
The biggest trap for intermediate players is bouncing around from lesson to lesson without a plan or structure to get to that next level. We are known for taking intermediate and advanced players who have hit a ceiling and busting through until they reach the next level.
Am I too old for guitar lessons?
Many of Pickup Music’s members are in their 60s and 70s and have seen amazing success with our programs. Our platform is designed to be user-friendly for all ages and skill levels. And our supportive community is made up of guitar learners of all ages, cheering each other on.
How does the 14-day free trial work?
When you first sign up to a Pickup Music membership, you enter your credit card but it will not be charged for 14 days. That means that if you decide to cancel within 14 days of signing up, you won't pay anything.
And we send you a reminder before your trial is about to end so you don’t forget about it.
If you decide to cancel after that, you won't be charged at your next billing cycle. That means: if you’re a monthly member, you won’t be charged for the next month. If you’re an annual member, you won’t be charged for the next year.
How does the 60-day money back guarantee work?
In addition to the 14-day free trial, we offer a 60-day money back guarantee. If you’re not satisfied with your progress in the first 60 days of your membership, we will give you your money back - no questions asked.
Is it easy to cancel?
Absolutely! You can cancel at any time (although we'd be sad to see you go). Cancelling is easy, no tricks. Just go to your account page and click a button.
You won't be charged anything if you cancel during your 14-day free trial.
If you cancel after your 14-day trial, you won't be billed again at your next billing cycle. Your membership will remain active until it expires on the day it was originally set to renew.
Note: Once your membership expires, we'll save your progress on your Dashboard if you decide to rejoin at a later date.
What’s the difference between the annual and monthly plan?
The only difference is the price. The monthly membership is $29.99 charged monthly and the annual membership is $179.99 charged once a year.
That means that if you select the annual plan you will pay 50% less and save $180 over a year compared to the monthly plan.
We'll also send you reminders before we bill you each year so that you don't accidentally forget about it.
We give such a big discount for annual members because it aligns with our long-term vision to inspire and support lifelong guitar learning.
Can I buy lessons individually?
We don’t sell lessons individually. But the good news is you get access to every single lesson on Pickup Music through the one membership. If you’re only interested in one lesson, you could purchase a monthly membership and cancel when you’ve finished it – we have a hunch you’ll want to stick around though :)
How do I restart my membership?
It’s easy to rejoin Pickup Music and we’d be thrilled to have you back! We even saved all of your lessons for you while you were gone on your Dashboard.
To restart your membership, simply head to this page, select the plan of your choice, and sign up with the email address you used to sign up the first time around.
