Learning to Play Guitar: Chords, Scales, and Solos

Overview

Go from zero to guitar hero, in this hands-on introduction to one of the most beautiful and versatile musical instruments out there. These 24 engaging lessons offer a fun and customizable learning system, refined by Dr. McAllister over decades, which will teach you to play the guitar in a surprisingly short time.

Starting with the basics, and building one element on another, Dr. McAllister gives you a spectrum of core principles and musical material, building a solid base for playing the guitar and for further exploration in any style. Each lesson is a complete unit, where you’ll work through five learning modules:

1. Technique

Learn all of the fundamental skills of guitar playing, from left hand fingering and shifting to right hand strumming, finger picking, and pick playing.

2. Musicianship and Note Reading

Learn how to read music, grasp the fundamentals of music theory, and develop the ability to play by ear.

3. Chords

Practice a wide range of basic chords – the musical foundation under a melody – and study chord theory.

4. Scales and Melodic Patterns

Learn all the essential scales for guitar, as well as melodic patterns or “licks”, tools that equip you to play lead guitar lines and melodies, and to improvise.

5. Putting it All Together

From the very first lesson, put together what you’ve learned in real guitar songs and tunes, covering a range of musical styles.

The program also takes you on an odyssey into the history of the guitar, its greatest players, and the styles they created and embodied, from guitar legends such as Andrés Segovia, Doc Watson, and Paco de Lucia to many pivotal but lesser-known figures.

Learning to Play Guitar: Chords, Scales, and Solos offers you an engaging and highly effective way to master the fundamentals of this universal instrument. With these brilliantly designed lessons, the world of the guitar and the joy of playing it are yours.

Course Breakdown

• Guitar Basics: Play a Song in 60 Seconds – 31 min

Discover how to play a simple song in just one minute and learn essential chords.

2. Tuning Up, Reading Music, and Dexterity – 38 min

Investigate tuning, warm-up exercises, and chord practice.

3. Classical Guitar Position and Posture – 38 min

Explore body posture, music measures, and fuller chord versions.

• Learning How to Practice the Guitar – 33 min

Delve into effective practice strategies and chord transitions.

• Playing Fingerstyle Guitar – 37 min

Learn about fingerstyle techniques and basic patterns.

• Playing Rhythm Guitar – 34 min

Discover rhythm guitar styles and practice melodic patterns.

• The Pentatonic Scale – 25 min

Explore the pentatonic scale with more complex exercises.

• The Blues Scale and Lateral Stretching – 35 min

Learn about the blues and practice syncopation.

9. Planting for Control and Accuracy – 28 min

Study techniques for tonal accuracy and new chords.

• Guitar Tremolo: Gaining Speed – 30 min

Understand the tremolo technique and its application.

11. Legato and Power Chords – 24 min

Refine legato techniques and learn power chords.

12. Travis Picking for Folk, Country, and Rock – 28 min

Develop your fingerpicking style and related techniques.

13. Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs – 33 min

Introduce dominant seventh chords and legato playing.

14. Finger Independence and Chord Theory – 32 min

Explore chords and finger independence exercises.

• Crosspicking and Bass Lines – 26 min

Investigate crosspicking techniques and practice tunes.

• Piano-Style Guitar and Fingernail Care – 27 min

Learn chord qualities and practice simultaneous melody and accompaniment.

17. Syncopated Strumming and Movable Scales – 29 min

Discover various strumming techniques and scale applications.

• A New Pentatonic Scale and the Capo – 32 min

Understand the use of the capo and improve your scales.

• Barre Chords: Movable Chords – 34 min

Deepen your knowledge of barre chords and practice pattern variations.

• Flamenco Technique: Rasgueado – 30 min

Learn flamenco strumming techniques and harmonization.

21. Playing with Natural Harmonics – 30 min

Master harmonics and seventh chords, applying them in songs.

22. Jazz Harmony and Dorian Mode – 34 min

Explore jazz harmony and effective melody playing.

• DADGAD Tuning and Lydian Mode – 25 min

Practice alternate tunings and dexterity exercises.

• Taking the Guitar to the Next Level – 38 min

Learn artificial harmonics and finish with a jazz and flamenco inspired song.