Joshua Ray Gooch
PRESENTS

Rock Learning Pathway

Take a journey through the decades of rock.

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WHo it's for

Intermediate

Progress from fundamental rhythm & lead techniques to advanced rock 'n' roll shredding in the style of legends.

Time

3 months

Joshua will guide you through 6 grades of instruction with daily practice plans and assessments.

Outcome

Versatile rock vocab 🤘

You'll leave this pathway with a well-rounded set of rock skills and a deep understanding of the genre's history.

Make it musical

Take the next step

Once you've built your rock foundation, step up your skills next with advanced Learning Pathways.

What you'll learn

In this music-first Learning Pathway, we'll show you how to play rhythm and lead in the style of rock 'n' roll icons.

  • Rock through the decades: from 50s to modern day
  • Play like Hendrix, ACDC, the Strokes, & so much more
  • Spice up your soloing with expressive rock techniques
How it works

Your guided learning pathway

In this 3-month program, LA rock guitarist Joshua Ray Gooch will break down concepts and techniques pioneered by legendary rock guitarists throughout the genre's lifespan. With guided jams, daily practice exercises, and straightforward lessons, you'll know exactly what to work on at every step of the way.

Decades (Part I)

To kick off the Learning Pathway, Joshua will start at the absolute roots of rock 'n' roll.

You'll learn techniques pioneered at the birth of rock by Chuck Berry before blasting off into 60s surf rock and ending up at the polished grit of 2000s pop punk.

Decades (Part II)

In this grade, you’ll take another trip through the decades of rock to build upon the knowledge you developed in Grade 1.

Here, you'll learn how to play like Bo Diddley, The Kinks, The Who, The Rolling Stones, The Clash, The Police, Elvis Costello, NOFX, The White Stripes, and more. 'Nuff said!

Decades (Part III)

Deepen your rock skills.

In this grade, you'll kick things off by diving into early rock rhythms. Then, we'll shift gear to study AC/DC, U2, The Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters, and Queens of the Stone Age.

Grade 4. Decades (Part IV)

Here, we'll take one final journey through the decades of rock as you forge into some more advanced material. In this grade, you'll solo like George Harrison, play rhythm like Hendrix, take a page out of the prog rock playbook, study Johnny Marr's approach to guitar, strum like the Strokes, and descend into drop D tuning.

Grade 5. Rock Legends (Part I)

With your time travel trips complete, we'll shift focus to intently study some of rock's most iconic players. In this Grade, you'll tackle the styles of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), David Gilmour (Pink Floyd), Joe Walsh (The Eagles / James Gang), Brian May (Queen), and Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath).

Grade 6. Rock Legends (Part II)

You'll be deep in advanced territory at this point in the pathway. Here, we'll focus on (arguably) the most influential rock guitarist of all time: Jimi Hendrix. After two days of intense Hendrix study, we'll move on to Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) and Angus Young (AC/DC). Finally, we'll cap off the grade by exploring how major pentatonic, hexatonic, and Dorian soloing take part in the rock lexicon.

Curriculum

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

6 Week Plan

Grade 1. Decades (Part I)

Journey through 70 years of rock history.

We're with you every step of the way in this Learning Pathway. In every lesson, Joshua will break down a new concept and run through mini drills with you so you can lock it into your muscle memory. To cap off each day's work, you'll put what you learned in a musical context with a guided jam session.

Day 1. 50s – Boogie rhythm

Kick things off with the roots of rock by diving into bluesy boogie rhythms of Chuck Berry.


Day 2. 60s – Surf rock

Let’s get tubular! Capture the wavy sounds of SoCal surf rock pioneered by legends like Dick Dale.


Day 3. 70s – Punk rock

Grab your leather and get your power chords ready. It’s time for the blistering crunch of early punk rock.


Day 4. 80s – The Cure

Study the melodic power of Robert Smith’s genre-blending rock sounds.


Day 5. 90s – Nirvana

You can’t talk about rock without Kurt Cobain. Learn how to wield the massive grunge sounds he blended with pop-inspired songwriting.


Day 6. 00s – Pop Punk
Explore the chugging muted rhythms of Green Day and Blink-182.


Day 7. Recap
Review what you learned and put in some listening time with one final assignment.

Performance pieces

Perform songs that incorporate the concepts you just learned in a purely musical context. Here, you'll have the opportunity to jam with a live-recorded band of pro musicians. You can submit your performance to the Pickup Music team for personalized video feedback – who said online learning wasn't interactive?!

Final quiz

Cap off the grade with a quiz to make sure you've adequately absorbed the core concepts involved.

Grade 2. Decades (Part II)

Take a second lap through the decades of rock history.

Day 1. 50s – Bo Diddley

Get to know one of the most crucial strumming patterns in rock and roll history. The Bo Diddley beat.


Day 2. 60s – The Kinks

Combine catchy rhythmic patterns and power chord riffs, with gritty distortion and you’ll discover the British rock sound.


Day 3. 70s – The Who and The Rolling Stones

Discover how the 1970s changed the game for rhythm guitarists by studying 3 of its most creative players.


Day 4. 80s – The Clash, The Police, Elvis Costello

Learn how rock bands began to diversify their songwriting approaches by drawing on reggae, salsa, and other external influences.


Day 5. 90s – Skate Punk

Two underground worlds collide to create the perfect environment for punk rock classics.


Day 6. 00s – The White Stripes and Dan Auerbach

Learn how two bands flipped the script on an entire industry by drawing their playing influences from the masters that came decades before.

Day 7. Recap and listening assignment

Cap off the grade with a review and one final listening exercise to test your memory.

Performances

Apply what you learned in a musical context with three performance pieces that you'll play with the help of a live-recorded band backing track.

Get feedback

Get personalized video feedback on your playing from the Pickup team.

Final quiz

Make sure you're ready for Grade 3.

Grade 3. Decades (Part III)

Hone your rhythm skills, and explore a new round of iconic rock artists.

Day 1. 50s – Chuck Berry lead playing

Take a shot at double stops, and learn how to incorporate them in your own playing. You'll learn how to mix minor pentatonic/blues scales with the major pentatonic scale.

Day 2. 60s – Expanding on the boogie rhythm

Strum with the rhythm that the drivers made as you learn three rhythm parts that feature double stops galore in combination with a steady pedal tone.

Day 3. 70s – Malcolm Young’s rhythm playing

Malcolm and his brother Angus formed AC/DC together – they both played guitar so they had to figure out how to make both rhythm and lead guitar pop. Today, you'll learn how great music is often about what you don't play.

Day 4. 80s – The Edge and U2

Cross your t’s and dot your 8th notes. Today, you'll explore the delay-soaked sounds of U2's The Edge – an innovative guitarists who has pushed the limits of guitar composition and arrangement.


Day 5. 90’s – The Smashing Pumpkins

One order of #5s, in octaves, please. Today, we’ll focus on one technique that The Smashing Pumpkins are often associated with: drones and octaves. You’ll use them to fill rhythmic space AND as a melody device.


Day 6. 00’s – Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age

Rock, but make it pretty. Today, you’ll learn how open strings add beautiful colors to otherwise simple chord voicings.

Day 7. Recap and assignment

Review what you learned and complete a listening assignment.

Performances

Apply what you learned in a musical context with three performance pieces that you'll play with the help of a live-recorded band backing track.

Get feedback

Get personalized video feedback on your playing from the Pickup team.

Final quiz

Make sure you're ready for Grade 4.

Grade 4-6.

Forge into advanced rock territory.

Grade 4. Decades (Part IV)

Take a closer look at the 60s and beyond.

Day 1. 60s pt. 1 – While My Guitar Gently Weeps

If we can feel it, we can think it…let’s try both. Here, you'll study the unique guitar stylings of George Harrison.


Day 2. 60s pt. 2 – Hendrix rhythm playing

Explore chord embellishments to liven up your rhythm playing in the style of Jimi Hendrix.


Day 3. 70s – Prog rock

Delve into the jazz-fueled sounds of prog rock with ddd time signatures, parallel sus9 chords, and gallop-style picking.


Day 4. 80s - Johnny Marr

Johnny Marr was truly one of a kind. Today, you'll learn how he incorporated arpeggiation, open strings, and chorus pedals into his playing.


Day 5. 90s – Shifting time signatures and drop D

Get some grungadelic heaviness into your lexicon through low tuning and quirky rhythm. Today's lessons will get you into the sound of bands like Soundgarden and Alice in Chains.


Day 6. 00s – The Strokes

Learn about the garage rock revival led by the Strokes. Two crunchy guitars, melding together in a similar register is a staple of The Stroke’s sound. In this lesson, you’ll learn one side of a twin-guitar piece.


Day 7. Recap and assignment

Lock it all in with a review and listening homework.


Performances

Apply what you learned in a musical context with three performance pieces that you'll play with the help of a live-recorded band backing track.


Get feedback

Get personalized advice on your playing from the Pickup team.


Final quiz

Make sure you're ready for Grade 5.


Grade 5. Rock Legends (Part I)

Take a deep dive into how seven different iconic rock guitarists wielded their axes.

Day 1. Eric Clapton

Get a lesson in blues rock from ol’ slowhand himself.


Day 2. Jeff Beck

Dive into the nuances that made Jeff Beck’s unique playing shine.


Day 3. Jimmy Page

Get the led out with the ripping mania of Jimmy Page’s blues-fueled shredding that helped skyrocket Led Zeppelin to fame.


Day 4. David Gilmour

Learn how to make your guitar scream out to the heavens and leave plenty of room via sonic space.


Day 5. Joe Walsh

Few musicians manage to take part in one iconic band. Joe Walsh did it three times. Here, you’ll capture his sound.


Day 6. Brian May

Ramp up the drama in your playing with the stylings of Queen’s Brian May.


Day 7. Tony Iommi

It’s time to get heavy. Learn how Tony Iommi paved the way for heavy metal with Black Sabbath.


Performances

Apply what you learned in a musical context.


Get feedback

Get personalized advice on your playing from the Pickup team.


Final quiz

Make sure you're ready for Grade 6.

Grade 6. Rock Legends (Part II)

The final gauntlet is upon you! Finish off the pathway with three final rock bosses, then dive into some conceptual melodic vocabulary.

Day 1. Jimi Hendrix lead playing (Part I)

There's no denying that Jimi is quite simply the king of rock guitar. We've saved his ferocious licks for last.


Day 2. Jimi Hendrix lead playing (Part II)

Take your Hendrix knowledge to the next level.


Day 3. Billy Gibbons

Learn how Texas blues left a cigar-shaped print on rock music.


Day 4. Angus Young

Wild clothing and even wilder licks. Step into the frenetic world of AC/DC’s lead guitarist and riff-writing genius.


Day 5. Major pentatonic and hexatonic soloing

Add new flavors to your minor pentatonic scales, then add a sixth note into the mix.


Day 6. Dorian soloing

Discover the Dorian mode and learn how to add an extra darkness to your next solo.


Day 7. Recap

A short recap of the grade and some honorable mentions.


Performances

Put your soloing skills to the test with these


Get feedback

Get personalized advice on your playing from the Pickup team.


Final quiz

Cap off the Learning Pathway and set sail on your next guitar journey.

Student stories

Learn how Rock Learning Pathway 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

You save $30 per year.

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

Annual 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.

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Get into the holiday spirit with step-by-step guitar lessons covering your favorite songs.

Members-only forum

Unlimited personalized learning support from our team of pro guitarists.

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Monthly Plan

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.

Get your 14-day free trial.

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