Manuel G. Fernandes
PRESENTS

How to Write Prog Riffs

Deepen your compositional approaches.

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WHo it's for

Advanced

For prog-curious guitarists and advanced players looking to deepen their compositional approaches.

Time

10 days

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

Outcome

New tools, fresh insight.

You'll leave this class with a new set of compositional techniques that'll seriously level up your prog playing.

Keep going

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 10 days, Manuel will guide you through advanced prog techniques that fuel his playing.

  • Learn transcending prog techniques – fuel your writing.
  • Master complex rhythmic subdivisions.
  • Work on hybrid picking, harmonics, percussive techniques, tapping, and more.
How it works

Your guided learning pathway

This advanced course is designed to help you break new ground in your instrumental songwriting. Whether you're a seasoned prog guitarist, or an advanced guitarist who's looking for fresh inspiration, the dynamic techniques you'll tackle in this class will take your playing to the next level.

Simple Hybrid Picking Riff

We'll kick off the class with a riff that'll get you warmed up for what's to come.

Here, you'll use your picking hand to expand the guitar’s compositional possibilities via hybrid picking.

Rhythmic Harmonic Riff

Complex rhythmic subdivision is a hallmark of Manuel's mind-melting playing style.

Today, you'll add rhythmic complexity to the picking-hand patterns you’ll have developed in Day 1.

Percussive Riff

Manuel is a fierce guitarist with the heart of a percussionist.

On Day 3, you'll add muted notes into the mix to enhance your rhythmic propulsion. Then, on Day 4, you'll go even further by adding licks into the mix.

Day 5. Repeated fingerpicking riff

Explore a chicken pickin’ approach to prog composition.

Day 6. Repeated fingerpicking riff with tapping

Add melodic virtuosity with picking-hand tapping techniques.

Day 7. Thumping riff

Use your thumb like a pick for unique rhythmic creativity. Triplets will play a crucial role here.

Day 8. Roze Skin (Part 1)

Tackle sweep picking and more on the first half of Manuel’s original composition.

Day 9. Roze Skin (Part 2)

Employ harmonics amongst moving chord progressions to wrap up the technical lessons of the Master Class.

Day 10. Recap and Final Challenge

Your turn! Take a few techniques from this Master Class and conjure up your own original progressive riff.

Curriculum

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

10-Day Plan

Day 1. Simple hybrid picking riff

Brush up on your hybrid picking skills.

Today, you'll learn a simple hybrid picking riff that involves a repeated top note or melody note (hybrid picked) with moving power chords underneath. Manuel will start with a simple pattern and guide you through exercises to take things further by adding pentatonic slides into the mix.

Days 2-4

It's time to up the ante.

Days 2. Rhythmic harmonic riff

Today, you’ll build on Day 1’s harmonic mood with a more advanced rhythmic harmonic riff

We’re taking everything to the next level of complexity today with multi-string hybrid picking, wider chord shapes, hammer-on and pull-off licks between shapes, and more natural harmonics.

Days 3 & 4. Percussive riff

Day 3 has us exploring our plucking-hand technique with a short percussive riff. You can get a unique perspective on Day 3’s riff by thinking of your right hand as a percussion ensemble. Your thumb takes care of the bass drum and your fingers can act as cymbals and snare.

The work you put in on Day 3 will pay off in Day 4, as you fill in sonic gaps to achieve a non-stop flowing loop of rhythm and melody, almost like an arpeggiator.

Days 5 - 7

Put the focus on percussive elements in your playing.

Day 5. Repeated fingerpicking riff

Today we’ll keep the compositional fuel flowing with a repeated fingerpicking riff.

Originating from West Africa, Day 5’s style of constantly-rolling picking-hand plucking is something you might be familiar with from country-style guitar playing. It goes to show that any technique can be used and infused into a new sound in the hands of a riff-writer.

Day 6. Repeated fingerpicking riff with tapping

Here on Day 6, we’re going to augment the previous riff with some picking-hand tapping.

Fret tapping can seem really advanced at first glance, but by slowing things down, taking them apart, and meditating on the movements, the technique will unlock itself before your eyes.

Day 7. Thumping riff

Time to go deeper into the prog-zone. Day 7 will have us exploring the power of our thumb via the thumping technique. The guitar thumb-thumping technique was first popularized by Animals as Leaders guitarist Tobin Abassi well over a decade ago. There’s a unique paradox between the aggressive sound and the finesse required to achieve it.


Days 8-10

Cap off the class with one of Manuel's original tunes and an original prog riff of your own.

Days 8 & 9. Rose Skin (Parts 1 & 2)

Over the next two lesson days, we’ll go under the hood of Manuel’s song Roze Skin. Get ready to add even more maneuvers to your overflowing fountain of riffage when learning this tune.

Inspiration can come from anywhere. It’s not always a linear or clear-cut process. For Roze Skin, Manuel’s unique combination of inspirations stemmed from his time playing Call of Duty: Warzone and the rosy color of his Stratocaster's body

Day 10. Write your own prog riff

Time for your prog guitar graduation! Manuel provides a backing track for you to mold a melody over top of, then it's over to you to compose.

You can pen a strong single-note line, a hybrid-picking lead, a thumb-thumping rhythmic accompaniment, or even a fully orchestrated guitar part There’s no wrong way to create. Once you have your idea down, film the whole thing and upload it.

Student stories

Learn how How to Write Prog Riffs 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

REAL students

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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
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You get to enjoy amazing features that create a premium learning experience:

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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.
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  • 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.
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  • 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.

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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.

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