Author name: James

5 Common Fingerpicking Mistakes (And How to Fix Each One) The five most common fingerpicking mistakes I see – and the simple, one-at-a-time way to fix each one so your playing finally sounds clean. None of these five fingerpicking mistakes are hard to fix on their own. The real trick is how you approach them

The Smartest Way to Learn Your First 15 Guitar Songs Most beginners learn songs at random. Here’s the exact order to learn your first 15 – each one adds a single new skill so you improve while having fun. There are two ideas that usually feel like opposites. One says you can learn a handful

July Update – My First Live Workshop! James on nerves, live teaching, and one student who wouldn’t give up on her first song — plus every June lesson in one place. This month, I did something I’ve never done before with GoodGuitarist: I taught my first live workshop. I’ll be honest… it felt a little

The One Fretboard Shape That Unlocks Every Key (No Theory Needed) Learn the simple fretboard shape that ties keys, scales and chords together – so you can play any progression in any key without learning theory first. Most players skip right past this one simple idea. They jump straight to bar chords, memorizing keys, the

5 Chord-Switching Mistakes Beginner Guitarists Make (and Fixes) The five most common chord-switching mistakes beginners make – plus simple fixes like guide fingers and rhythm practice to smooth out your changes. Switching chords is where a lot of beginners get stuck – not because their fingers can’t do it, but because of a few small

Guitar Tab Symbols Explained: Hammer-Ons, Bends, Slides & More Learn what every guitar tab symbol means – hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, bends, vibrato, muting, and harmonics – so you can read almost any tab online. Once you understand the numbers in guitar tab, there’s still a whole layer of symbols that tells you how to actually

June Guitar Lessons Update Once those building blocks click, everything starts to connect — and that’s when guitar stops feeling like a guessing game and starts feeling like a language. What learning to read taught me about guitar Lately, my wife and I have been teaching our four-year-old how to read. We found a method

5 Easy Campfire Guitar Songs for Beginners (Just 2-4 Chords) Learn five easy campfire guitar songs using just two, three, or four chords – with simple tricks to keep your chord changes smooth. Great for beginners. Some of my favorite guitar moments happen around a campfire – no sheet music, no pressure, just a few

How to Build a Guitar Song Repertoire (Practice Smarter) Learn how to organize your guitar songs into a repertoire list so you practice smarter, stay motivated, and improve faster. One of the biggest mistakes guitar players make is practicing random stuff. A scale here. A chord exercise there. A riff you saw online. And none

7 Common Barre Chord Mistakes (And How to Fix Them) Struggling with barre chords? Learn the 7 most common barre chord mistakes, how to fix hand pain, improve clarity, and make barre chords easier. Barre chords are one of the biggest milestones on guitar. They open up the entire fretboard, unlock thousands of songs, and