Dr. Molly Miller
PRESENTS

How to Break Out of the Box

Achieve fretboard freedom with the CAGED system.

Trailer
Sample
share
WHo it's for

Intermediate guitarists

Stuck in the same licks? Feeling uninspired? This class will help you break out of the intermediate plateau.

Time

3 weeks

Molly will guide you through three weeks of step-by-step instruction with interactive TAB and assignments.

Outcome

Get unstuck

Blast out of pentatonic boxes and learn to fluidly solo across your entire fretboard with the CAGED system.

Make it musical

Take the next step

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

What you'll learn

Join Molly as she breaks down how to map out your guitar and express yourself in any key using the CAGED system.

  • Get to know your fretboard on a deeper level
  • Learn practical theory that won't put you to sleep
  • Incorporate triads and voice leading in your solos
How it works

Your guided learning pathway

In this five-part Master Class, Molly will walk you through her proven method to break out of the box. If you find yourself always playing the same licks or feel uncomfortable soloing outside of familiar pentatonic boxes, this class is definitely for you.

How to See the Fretboard in Numbers

In Part I, we start with the nuts and bolts.

Here, Molly introduces two key concepts: the CAGED system and how to visualize your fretboard using the numbers system.

Triads: The Building Blocks of Everything

Once you get the hang of the CAGED and numbers systems, you'll learn to harness the mighty power of the triad.  

This section consists of six lessons that will teach you how to play major and minor triads across all string sets.

Making Music With Triads

After an interlude lesson on how to learn music theory effectively, we’ll jump right into putting your newfound triadic knowledge into a more musical context.

At Pickup, we take a music-first approach to all of our lessons. Our guiding light is to get you playing and having fun making music as soon as possible.

Part IV. Making Music and Melodies

Next, we'll get even more musical! This section builds on everything you'll have covered so far. In it, you’ll learn how to play guitar parts for five chord progressions using triadic shapes across multiple string sets.

Part V. SongSquad

Finally, we’ll wrap up the class with three unique compositions by Molly that tie together everything you've learned. After that, you can dive into Molly's extensive CAGED Bootcamp to take your skills further or explore the rest of our extensive lesson library.

Curriculum

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

3-week Plan

Part I. How to See the Fretboard in Numbers

To kick off the class, Molly will show you how to map out your fretboard into zones.

The CAGED system is a method of mapping out your fretboard, and it's going to change the way you make music. In this section, Molly will introduce you to CAGED and break down why it's important to internalize, how to think about it, and how to incorporate it in your playing.

Then, say hi to your new best pal: the Circle of 5ths. While complex at first glance, the Circle of 5ths is a remarkably simple and useful concept. It shows the relationship between the 12 notes of the chromatic scale and their corresponding key signatures. Finally, you'll learn how to think in numbers rather than note names, which is crucial to unlocking the ability to create music in any key.

Part II. Triads: The Building Blocks of Everything

With your new fretboard navigation system locked in, we'll explore the musical power of triads.

Triads are an extremely underrated musical device. They apply to every style of guitar and learning them is an important part of the pathway to breaking out of the box.

In this section of the class, you'll work on internalizing major and minor triads across all string sets.

Part III. Making Music With Triads

This section is all about voice leading - your musical glue.

Guitarists tend to play in block chords that don’t always connect. Voice leading is your solution to that problem. It's an essential skill for guitarists to master that's widely used by pianists.

In this section, Molly will guide you through four string-set applications where you'll learn how to play a common chord progression using major triads, minor triads, and voice leading.

Parts IV & V

Wrap up the class by tackling real-world chord melody examples and original compositions.

Part IV. Making Music and Melodies

Triads present near endless melodic possibilities and your newfound knowledge of the fretboard. The great thing about this approach is that it works for both chordal and lead playing in any genre.

In this section, you'll play through five chord progressions using triadic shapes across multiple string sets. For each progression, Molly provides simple and complex versions, then explains key concepts that you can use to craft your own guitar parts.

Part V. SongSquad

Wrap up everything you've learned in the class with three original compositions (called SongSquads) by Molly. Each SongSquad includes interactive TAB and a breakdown lesson video.

Student stories

Learn how How to Break Out of the Box 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

What’s in every Pickup Music membership?

Start learning – free trial

1,000+ Lessons

All skill levels

Interactive tabs

Track your progress

Daily practice plans

New lessons every week

Try free for 14 days.

Choose your plan. Cancel anytime.

Save 17%

Monthly Plan

$14.99

/mo

Stay flexible

Included in your membership:

Unlimited guitar lessons

Personalized feedback from pro instructors

Weekly live lessons

Monthly practice groups

800+ songs in modern styles

New releases every week

Included in your membership:

Unlimited guitar lessons

Personalized feedback from pro instructors

Weekly live lessons

Monthly practice groups

800+ songs in modern styles

New releases every week

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.

Get your 14-day free trial.

Try it out