FINGERSTYLE: BEGINNER TO ADVANCED

We begin with the fundamentals of fingerstyle. From this solid foundation, we build our fingerpicking skills! You'll learn essential techniques and styles like travis picking, adding embellishments, reading TAB and more!

 
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Transform those simple chords into beautiful fingerstyle arrangements

 

Do you want to...

  • Go beyond the basic "chords & strumming" on guitar?
  • Develop comfort and control with your picking hand?
  • Learn to improve your timing and lock into the rhythm?
  • Add embellishments like hammer-on's and pull-off's to your playing?

Fingerstyle: Beginner to Advanced will help you confidently play the most common fingerpicking patterns from the most-learned songs. 

It starts at the most basic level and teaches you songs the whole way through. Eventually you'll even have the option of exploring some more advanced concepts and styles, like adding percussion to your playing (but you don't have to... all I want is for you to feel comfortable and confident with fingerstyle on any level).

Bundle Up And Save!

Due to popular demand, I am now including "Fingerstyle: Beginner to Advanced" as part of my Next Level Acoustic Bundle.

Save 42% and get four intermediate courses covering: fingerstyle, barre chords, music theory, intermediate/advanced rhythm.

It's basically "Buy 2, Get 2 Free" for a limited time only!

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Fingerstyle doesn't have to be complicated...

 

I think of it like an alternative to strumming. You play some basic chord shapes, but instead of a strumming pattern, you do a finger pattern. And guess what?

It sounds so intricate, so cool... but it was really just a couple simple things (chords and a pattern).

 

Who is this course for?

  1. Guitarists of any skill level who love the beautiful sound of fingerstyle guitar
  2. People who want to be able to play their favorite fingerpickers like: Landslide, Tears In Heaven, Blackbird, Unchained Melody, Dust In The Wind, Yesterday, Ain't No Sunshine, Love Yourself, The Boxer, Fast Car, More Than Words and a ton more!

 

How difficult is this course?

  • As far as fingerpicking - this course starts at ZERO, leaving no stone unturned
  • You should be comfortable with some of the basic chord shapes (C A G E D Am Em Dm) but they don't have to be perfect! If you need help with the fundamentals of chord switching, take my flagship course: Learn Guitar Once-And-For-All
  • If you've watched my YouTube lessons, you'll know I have a way of taking even complicated subjects, concepts and topics and breaking them down. In a way that anyone can learn them.

 

What will I learn in this course?

Chapter 1

  • Warm up with some basic "ascending" patterns
  • Learn the difference between anchoring and floating your picking hand
  • Learn descending patterns
  • Use fingerstyle as a way to clean up your chord shapes
  • Learn key differences in TAB for fingerstyle guitar
  • Learn a fun fingerstyle routine that I have used since I started guitar - it's so handy!
  • Basic warm-up routine
  • The simple & effective "thumb + finger" style used by many legends
  • How to "pluck" chords with your fingers
  • A full fingerstyle arrangement of Aura Lee (the basis for Elvis' Love Me Tender)
  • A handful of popular songs

Chapter 2

  • Learn about the mechanics of the picking hand
  • Use that information to build your own patterns
  • Work on your finger dexterity and get all your fingers working equally
  • Learn an incredibly versatile pattern
  • Learn the "alternating" thumb style made popular in Folk & Country music
  • Learn about what I call the "creative chord shape" used in Blackbird, Love Yourself and many many other popular songs
  • Learn to add percussion to your patterns
  • Add embellishments like hammer-on's and pull-off's
  • Learn to "follow the shapes" and intuitively add fingerstyle to any chord progression
  • Learn to play basslines during your fingerstyle arrangements
  • Learn a popular chord melody: Freight Train
  • Learn songs reinforcing everything in Chapter 2

Chapter 3

  • Learn to keep a melody overtop your fingerpicking progressions
  • Work through fast chord switches
  • Learn to stay loose and improve your picking speed
  • Develop "interconnectedness" between your hands, so there's no gaps, or delay during tough spots in songs
  • More embellishments!
  • Travis picking
  • Triads
  • Sliding into positions
  • More percussion elements
  • Songs to back this all up

Here's what you'll get...

  • 33 bite-size video tutorials that will take you from beginner to advanced
  • Workbook with all the exercises & diagrams
  • Direct access to James through the "GoodGuitarist Community" Private Group
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You’re not in it alone - the GoodGuitarist community has your back!

 

In order to provide you with the personalized feedback that you need to succeed, all my courses include access to the GoodGuitarist private community. You can ask questions there, and I’ll answer them myself. Plus you’ll be able to take part in the discussion with other students and support each other as you grow into confident guitarists.

It’s not only a great way to get feedback and prevent bad habits from forming, but it’s proven to be an incredible source of motivation and inspiration. We’re all in this together, and together we will succeed!

All you need to do is join now, and you will have my full support and we will all be there to make sure you become a good guitarist.

 

Is this the right course for you?

 

I want you to see for yourself if this is a good fit.

To help you make this decision, all my courses come with a 30-day no-questions money back guarantee.

I see other people offering 14-day guarantees, or 30-days but with the fine print that you need to actually get through a huge chunk of the course, and then have a conversation with them about why it’s not working.

I know my course works, so I’m going to give you 30 days. You're going to be able to see real results.

And if you feel you didn't get your money's worth, it can be day 1, or day 30… you're welcome to simply email me and say “I want a refund.” You don't have to tell me why, and you're gonna get all your money back.

The reason why I offer this… I'm gonna be completely honest. I have an over 99% satisfaction rate. In fact, oftentimes, when people do return my course, it's not because they don't like it. It's because they want intermediate or advanced content - and they end up trading up for my intermediate and advanced courses.

So if you want to learn guitar with me, there's really no risk involved. It's all on me.

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