Lawrence Jones
PRESENTS

Gospel Guitar

Get a grip on essential gospel techniques & concepts.

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WHo it's for

Advanced

This intensive course is perfect for players who know their way around jazz chords and major/minor scales.

Time

1 week

Lawrence will guide you through seven days of step-by-step instruction with interactive TAB and daily assignments.

Outcome

Get the gospel sound

You'll leave this class with a new set of tools that'll spice up your playing with modern & classic gospel sounds.

Make it musical

Take the next step

Once you've mastered this course, keep learning with advanced Master Classes and guided practice plans.

What you'll learn

Over the next seven days, Lawrence will walk you through lessons & exercises that'll get you playing gospel right away.

  • Broaden your vocabulary with lush chord voicings.
  • Make your solos sing with expressive gospel melodies.
  • Learn through modern tunes & classic gospel ballads.
How it works

Your guided learning pathway

This music-first course is designed to walk you through the world of gospel guitar using real compositions. In each lesson, Lawrence will break down a technique or concept as it relates to a ballad, congregational, or modern gospel song. Simply put, this Master Class is the best way to get the sound of church guitar under your fingers.

Day 1. Introduction to gospel guitar

To kick off the class, we'll dive straight into a song so you can start playing right away.

You'll learn all the important chord shapes, melodies, and genre-specific approaches to Lawrence's song Norway Vibe.

Day 2. How to play modern gospel ballads

You can't talk about gospel guitar without exploring the rhythm of the genre.

Today, you'll explore the plucky rhythmic accompaniment from Lawrence's Norway Vibe. Then, you'll learn how to solo over the tune.

Day 3. Traditional congregational feel

The upbeat feel of the traditional congregational is a staple in gospel guitar.

In this lesson, you'll tackle a traditional congregational "What a Mighty God", from the ground up by starting with chords and working through to melodic expression.

Day 4. Amazing Grace

You can't talk about gospel music without this iconic song. In Day 4, Lawrence will guide you through the chords and melody to one of the most famous hymns ever, Amazing Grace.

Day 5. Modern funky gospel

As gospel evolved over the years, it found a natural companion in the joy-driven genre of funk. In Day 5, you'll explore the rhythm-centric world of modern gospel.

Day 6. Gospel ballad with vamp changes

Next, you'll explore a harmonically-rich ballad that features a classic gospel-style vamp section. First, Lawrence will walk you through the chords, then he'll show you how to solo over the tune.

Day 7. I'm a Soldier

To cap off the class, you'll tackle one last upbeat congregational tune. Tons of bright & bopping chord changes to sink your teeth into here!

Curriculum

Stay focused with this step-by-step learning program designed by our expert team of music educators.

10-Day Plan

Day 1. Introduction to gospel guitar

Learn about the fundamentals of the gospel guitar style

Whether you heard it in church, at a concert, or from your favorite players online, something has lead you here today seeking more info on gospel guitar playing. It’s not as common to stumble upon as rock, pop, and jazz, which lend themselves to a more familiar concert setting and radio dials. 

Guitar didn’t always have a strong presence in gospel music. It wasn’t easy to hear over the piano, upright bass, and drum sets – all more profoundly self-amplifying. As amp technology began to develop, so did the advent of quartet music where the guitar is prominently featured.

In today's lesson, you'll learn some gospel history, then dive straight into harmony, melody, and expressive techniques through the lens of gospel guitar.

Day 2. How to play modern gospel ballads

Check out the plucky rhythmic accompaniment from Lawrence's tune Norway Vibes.

Many gospel ballads leave ample room for contemplative melodic movement. It’s a sensual, soft, and tender dynamic that's best achieved by treating your electric almost like it’s an acoustic. The best way to learn how to navigate these chord changes in a soloing setting is by exploring the harmony of a gospel ballad.

Once you get a grip on the chords and rhythm, Lawrence will walk you through tips to solo over his song. This will bring you to a key point: emotion is key in gospel music. The exchange between audience and performer is a transformative space and can help shine light through the darkest of times. Keeping this in mind, you'll jam out with Lawrence and practice expressing yourself over the plucky rhythm.

Day 3. Traditional congregational feel

Dissect a time-honored gospel form and learn how to approach it in your playing.

The feel you'll explore today is part of a penecostal service called the devotional. In this interactive setting, members of the church will openly testify and engage in call-and-response songs. Every church has its own way of going about it, and a church ensemble’s members are not set in stone.

In today's lesson, you'll get comfortable with the harmonic backbone of What a Mighty God, then trade off licks with Lawrence in a super fun virtual jam session.

Days 4-7

Cap off the class with four more gospel-fueled tunes that'll help you hone your playing.

Day 4. Amazing Grace

This wouldn't be a proper gospel guitar Master Class if we didn't pay tribute to the legendary hymn Amazing Grace! In today's lesson, you'll learn an important point about the gospel music church setting: any musician should be ready to solo during a hymn. If you're in the church band, it's not a matter of if you'll be called to solo, it's a matter of when.


If you’re unsure what to play, it’s always a safe and satisfying solution to play the lyrical melody.
Going with the main melody and letting ad-libs bloom from there is a good starting point for any solo. Today, Lawrence will help you prepare for this gospel eventuality with Amazing Grace as your harmonic base.

Day 5. Modern funky gospel

Gospel and funk are two birds of a feather – when the guitars are spanking and voices come together it’s hard to sit still. In fact, the king of soul himself, James Brown, was inspired by uptempo gospel rhythms.

Today, you'll work on a tune that's inspired by James Brown’s grooves in the style of supporting a choral group. As always, you'll tackle the rhythm before practicing soloing applications.

Day 6. Gospel ballad with vamp changes

Vamp sections are a massive part of playing gospel music. You might know vamps as one or two-chord grooves that stay static in a harmonic sense while musicians solo over them. In gospel, a vamp can also refer to a repeating musical section that a band might play while someone delivers a dialogue.

In today's lesson, you'll learn how to address a vamp section in a chordal and soloing context.

Day 7. I'm a Soldier

For the final day of this soulful Master Class, you'll put the pedal to the medal with a fast-chanking, upbeat congregational tune. This is the true test of your gospel skills! You'll use the same approach as the previous class days by starting with the rhythm and working up to lead guitar skills.

Once you master the material in this class, we have plenty of additional soulful lessons for you to continue on leveling up in your guitar journey.

Student stories

Learn how Gospel Guitar has helped real guitarists break through their playing plateau and realize their potential.

“My favorite part about pickup music is probably nerding out in the forum with everyone. Just knowing you have a creative community to reach out to if you have any questions or you're stuck in a rut.”

Vicki Huang

United States

"I would highly recommend Pickup Music to pretty much anyone who has been playing for a few years and doesn't feel like they are getting better any more."

James Harrod

United Kingdom

“One of the things that's been the most fun for me has been the SongSquad challenges... connecting with other people in the Pickup Music community on Instagram and just encouraging each other as we're learning songs and practicing.”

Vin Thomas

United States

"Pickup Music really helped me push my musical boundaries."

Wytse Hokwerda

Germany

Hear from REAL students

Find out why 20,000 members all over the world love Pickup Music

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$149.99

/yr billed annually

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Monitor your guitar gains.

New releases every week

Never run out of lessons to work on.

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Follow along with every note.

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All-access to online guitar lessons to level up your playing.

$14.99

/mo

1,426 people started a free trial in the last 30 days.

Monthly plan includes:

See what a Pickup Music membership is all about.

14-day free trial

Guided learning

Know exactly what to practice at every step of your guitar journey.

Personalized feedback

Know exactly what to practice at every step of your guitar journey.

Progress tracking

Monitor your guitar gains.

New releases every week

Never run out of lessons to work on.

Interactive TAB

Follow along with every note.

Multiple HD angles

Get an up close and personal learning experience.

Supportive community

Workshop your playing, get feedback, and perform live in our online practice groups.

Members-only forum

Unlimited personalized learning support from our team of pro guitarists.

SAVE 17%

Save $30

Frequently Asked Questions

If your questions aren’t answered below, please chat with us.

Is Pickup Music right for me?

Do you feel like your guitar playing has hit a plateau? 

Are you stuck in a guitar rut where you're just playing the same old chords and licks?

Are you looking for fretboard freedom?

At Pickup Music, we specialize in:

  • taking beginner guitar players and turning them into intermediate players
  • taking intermediate guitar players and turning them into advanced players

How do we do it? 

  • First, we ask you a few questions to figure out exactly what skill level you’re at. 
  • Second, we ask you to commit to a series of Master Classes and Learning Pathways that focus on specific techniques. These comprehensive week-by-week courses are the best way to get your playing to the next level. 
  • Third, we get you to track your progress on your personalized learning dashboard.

Finally, we give you support and feedback through an exclusive members community and live practice group sessions with other members. This focused approach to learning guitar will help you bust through the beginner basics, break out of the intermediate plateau, and level up your playing.

This guided learning approach is the fastest way to make real progress on the guitar.

What makes Pickup Music better than other guitar lesson sites?

We're glad you asked! So many things:

  • Pickup Music gives you week-by-week guided learning. This is so important for making progress and getting out of the beginner plateau. Instead of just making you watch a video of an instructor talking about how they play guitar, we break things down for you on a daily and weekly basis.
  • Each daily lesson is accompanied by practice exercises where the instructors play along with you - almost like they're sitting right beside you. This eliminates the guess work so you know exactly what you need to focus on to make real and lasting progress with guitar.
  • Our lessons take you beyond the basics. Most online guitar lessons are good at teaching new guitarists the easy stuff. Pickup Music goes beyond that to help advanced-beginners and intermediate guitarists break through to the next level.
  • Our teachers are the best new and modern guitarists in the world. You'll find touring musicians, professors of music, and virtuosos from every genre to guide you through your guitar journey.
  • We have an extensive library with over 1,000 lessons across most genres for every type of guitarist. This means we have the right learning pathway for your unique starting point and preferred style of playing.
  • Pickup Music lessons are jam-packed with features to enhance your learning experience. This includes interactive TAB, multiple HD camera angles, backing tracks, and extensive course notes. All of this is designed to speed up your learning so you can achieve real results in your playing.  
  • We keep it fresh - we drop new lessons every. single. week. Plus, we're always striving to make each new lesson better than the last.
  • Pickup Music is a supportive and welcoming community. This is the place to connect with fellow guitarists, get feedback, and grow together.

What's included in my Pickup Music membership?

Everything! You’ll have unlimited access to every lesson on Pickup Music from every instructor. That means every Learning Pathway, Master Class, SongSquad, Licks Package, 5-Minute Lesson... we could go on, but you get the idea. It's an all-inclusive membership for one affordable price.

How long are the lessons? How long will it take me to complete them?

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 SongSquads 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. We encourage you to complete the exercises for each lesson video before moving on to the next one because the lessons typically build on each other.

Ready to really commit to a multi-week program? Try one of our Learning Pathways. Over 6 weeks, 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!

I'm brand new to guitar. Is Pickup Music the right choice for me?

Absolutely! We make learning the guitar made fun & 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 Pahtways. These programs are designed to quickly take you from a beginner player to an intermediate one who feels comfortable across the whole fretboard.

What the difference between the annual and monthly plan?

The only difference is that the annual plan saves you $30 a year.

Both options come with a free 14-day trial. That means, we won't charge your card for the first 14 days - you can cancel anytime before then.

With an annual membership, we bill you once a year up-front, and you save 17% as a result. We'll send you reminders before we bill you each year so that you don't accidentally forget about it.

With the monthly membership, you pay month to month. It's a subscription, so we bill you each month until you cancel.

Cancelling your plan at any point is very easy to do online - no tricks, emails, or phone calls required. Just click a button on your account page.

Is a Pickup Music membership worth the money?

When you first start learning guitar, it's okay to bounce around with random free lessons on YouTube and searching for TABs online. 

That approach is going to make you an OKAY guitar player, but it's not going to help you take that leap to becoming a serious guitarist - a player who can:

  • Play naturally, without thinking about every move
  • Jam with friends and learn their favorite songs quickly.
  • Blast through that beginner level, break out of the intermediate plateau, and start playing like a pro!

To become a serious guitarist, you need a clear learning pathway to get to the next level. You need to free your mind and unlock your fret board - you can do this with Pickup Music's expert step-by-step instruction. Having this clear learning pathway is  key to making real progress on the guitar.

What about the price? Is it worth it?

Private 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 costs just $150 for the whole year. That works out to 41 cents a day!

Signing up for a Pickup Music membership also means that you can stop wasting your time and effort trying to guess what you should practice next. Our guided programs eliminate the guess work so you know exactly what you need to focus on each day and week to make lasting progress with guitar. This will increase your efficiency and speed up your progress.

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.

Once your membership expires, you will no longer have access to the classes you were enrolled in during your time as a member, but you can easily restart your membership at any time. Just log in to your account and renew a monthly or annual membership to pick up where you left off.

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 :)

Can I cancel my membership at any time?

Yes! All you have to do is click a button on your account page. No tricks, no emails, no calls. It's a straightforward process.

You won't be billed again at your next billing cycle. Your membership will remain active and you'll continue to have access to the site until your membership expires on the day it was originally set to renew.

You can easily restart your membership at any time. Just log in to your account and renew a monthly or annual membership to pick up where you left off.

Note: Once your membership expires, we'll save your progress on your Dashboard if you decide to rejoin at a later date.

How does the 14-day free trial work? What is your refund policy?

Your credit card won't be charged for the first 14 days
When you first sign up to a Pickup Music membership, your credit card 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.

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.

We don’t offer refunds for payments that have already gone through. But if you choose to cancel, you will retain full access to the membership until it expires on the day it was originally set to renew.

Will I be automatically charged each month / year?

The membership is a subscription. After the 14-day free trial, you'll be automatically charged monthly or annually (depending on which plan you choose). We send you reminders before your annual subscription renews so you don't accidentally forget about it. You can easily cancel by turning off auto-renew at any time in your account page.

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.

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