September Guitar Updates

🎸 A New Season and a Fresh Routine

Summer’s winding down, and after wrapping up some long-overdue renovations (and giving my thumb a break from swinging a hammer), things are finally feeling normal again.

With back-to-school season here, my days are much more predictable — which means more time for music, filming, and answering your questions.

That new Ask James button inside the membership has already made a huge difference. I’ve been hearing from more of you than ever — by video, text, and even voice memos — and I’m loving the back-and-forth.

The biggest change? I’ve moved my filming space into my house. With the kids (now 6 and 4) on a better routine, I can finally capture those “spur-of-the-moment” lesson ideas I used to miss.

🧾 Membership Updates

We’ve rolled out major improvements to Learn Guitar Once-And-For-All!
👉 See all the changes here

Added full-song play-throughs:
My Girl (Acoustic) | My Girl (Electric) | Faith (Intermediate)

Added worksheets:
Scales in 10 Minutes | Palm Muting

🎸 Join the All-Access Pass Here →

🌟 Member Spotlight: Cathy Cornwell-Brown

This month’s spotlight goes to Cathy Cornwell-Brown, a science teacher who was asked to teach guitar with only two weeks’ notice — despite never playing before!

Using my 30 Days of Guitar series, Cathy learned alongside her students, starting with Horse with No Name and working through chord-switching games until the whole class was strumming four-chord songs together.

“When the guitars arrived, you should’ve seen their smiles,” Cathy said. “We learned together. And James? He was our teaching assistant.”

Cathy’s love of music was inspired by her mom and grandmother — and now she’s passing it to a new generation. I’m proud to have her in our community.

If you’d like to be featured in a future spotlight, reply with your story. I’d be honored to share it.

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🎶 What I’ve Been Teaching Lately

• My Girl (Electric) — a fun mix of melody, rhythm, and groove.
• Palm Muting for Guitar (Beginner’s Guide) — learn this essential technique for both acoustic and electric.
• Scales in 10 Minutes — understand why scales matter and how to use them musically.

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🎧 Other Recent Additions

If you missed them, check out:

• In the Air Tonight (Easy 4-Chord Version)
• Faith (Intermediate Version)
• My Girl (Acoustic Strumming Version)
• The Main Riff from Back in Black by AC/DC

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🔜 Coming Soon

Here’s what I’m working on next:

• A deep-dive Q&A on the most common guitar questions I get
• Over the Rainbow (easy strumming & singing)
• A Hard Day’s Night (The Beatles)
• Don’t Dream It’s Over
• Fingerstyle version of How Deep Is Your Love

🧡 Until Next Time

Thanks as always for being part of this community — and for making music a daily part of your life.

– James