Welcome to your first bass lesson! This video covers all the essential terminology and basic knowledge you will need as you continue developing your bass playing skills. Even if you feel you know a bit about the bass already, don’t be tempted to skip over this lesson, as there may well be some important information you have yet to pick up.
One of the grand masters of blues guitar, BB King has been responsible for developing a wealth of solo blues techniques that have influenced some of the greatest players. In this lesson, we will take a look at a selection of his signature licks, which will be a must for any aspiring blues guitarist.
Download Tab PDF: Artist Spotlight BB King
Understanding quarters and eighths is foundational to understanding rhythm, and of course rhythm is foundational to understanding strumming! That's why we're starting here. If you have any questions about the lesson, let me know in the comments below!
Today's lesson is all about how to combine a quarter note strum with an eighth note strum to make things more interesting. If you missed the first lesson where I explained quarters and eighths, you can find it here.
In this lesson we're going to use the chord progression G, D, Am, G, D, C. If you have any questions or comments, leave them below the video!
In this artist spotlight lesson, we will be looking at one of Bob Dylan’s most famous songs, ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door’. There are only four open chords required, but in order to get this song down, it’s vital to get the right feel for your strumming.
There’s also a Level 3 spotlight on Bob Dylan as well.
In this lesson we will be examining the six main chords used for the key of A major – you will soon discover many combinations that can be heard time and time again in songs using this key. Some positions will require barring the fretboard, so be sure you’re prepared.
The six chords we’re looking at today are A, D, E, F#m, Bm and C#m.
Once you've got the basic strum patterns down, there are a few directions you can take next. One of those is to learn how to add bass notes to your strumming. This can really help break things up and add more flavor... always a good thing!
In this lesson you'll learn how to take a simple D-C-G chord progression and really spice it up into something a lot more interesting. Pay attention along the way, as we'll be learning quite a few different strumming patterns!
This video is a must for newcomers. Here we will be looking at the all the basic, but vitally important, areas of guitar playing, such as how to go about playing the strings, the correct sitting position and practicing effectively.
This is a handy way to get around the more awkward barre chord shapes in the key of A major – using a capo on the 2nd fret. This trick may not work in some scenarios, but for those who are still getting used to their barre chords, this is an easy solution to start playing in the key of A.
In this guitar lesson you'll learn a few different guitar strumming patterns for beginners. These are great strumming patterns to work on, and have been used in many famous songs.
So you want to play like Bob Dylan? Here are a few things to get you started! There’s also a Level 1 spotlight on Bob Dylan too.
In this lesson we’ll explore the 6 main chords you need to play nearly any song in the key of C major. If you’re a beginner and just getting the feel for your chords, this is a great lesson for you!
In this lesson, we’ll walk you through Open D Major tuning (D–A–D–F#–A–D), one of the easiest and most powerful ways to get started with slide guitar.
It only takes a few quick adjustments from standard tuning — and the result is a full D major chord when you strum all six strings open. That means you can start making music with your slide almost immediately.
We’ll also learn how to find your I–IV–V chords in this tuning (D, G, and A) and give you tips for finding the sweet spot on the fret when using your slide.
Want to take the next step?
The Essentials of Slide Guitar course shows you how to:
✅ Choose the right slide and get set up properly
✅ Play riffs that follow the chords (not just noodling)
✅ Seamlessly blend rhythm and lead playing
✅ Sound confident, expressive, and musical — even as a beginner
Whether you’re brand new to slide or just looking for a better way in, this course will show you how to sound great with just one move.
Want to sound good on slide — without learning a bunch of theory first?
In this lesson, Colin Daniel walks you through a simple way to follow the chords and build musical-sounding slide riffs right away. It’s all based on just a few shapes that work great in open E tuning — no note memorization required.
If you’re comfortable with a 12-bar blues progression, you’re more than ready to try this.
Slide guitar can feel like a mystery when you’re first getting started — but it doesn’t have to be.
With the right tuning and a simple approach to following the chords, you can sound expressive and confident without needing to overthink it.
Like this approach? You'll love the full course:
It’s built for players who want to break into slide playing the easy way — one move at a time.
Bringing octaves into your phrasing can really add some extra weight to your solos – it is especially effective in jazz and blues styles, but it is a technique that is found in most guitar genres. Here we will be applying octaves to the diatonic minor scale.
Thinking about trying slide guitar but not sure where to start?
In this quick lesson, Colin shows you a simple way to add character to your 12-bar blues using a flatted third — a classic move that gives your playing more expression without making things complicated.
Slide guitar doesn’t have to be complicated.
With the right approach, it’s actually one of the easiest ways to add feel, character, and expression to your playing — even if you’ve never tried it before.
Want to keep going?
Click below to learn slide guitar the simple, musical way.
Bar chords can be a real struggle for the majority of guitar players – it can take a long time for the average person to build up enough strength to hold down all the strings with just one finger. But in this lesson we will be looking at mini bar chord variations that are a great way to get you started.
Just as we looked at bass symmetrics in major keys, here we will be applying the same theory to minor – again, knowing your I, IV, V theory will be important before tackling this lesson.
Bass symmetrics involves taking scales and other patterns and joining them together on the fretboard. You will need to have grasped a bit about I, IV, V theory and know a few scale patterns before tackling this lesson.
We have taken a look at symmetrics for major and minor-key patterns, but here we will be working off the pentatonic minor scale.
In this lesson we will be looking at the style of the legendary John Fogerty, best known for his time with Creedence Clearwater revival and for creating a whole host of classic rock n’ roll riffs.
In this lessons we will be looking at how to move scales starting on the the 6th string to start on the 5th. This is relatively easy way to add more variation and positions to your playing, but also a very good way of getting to know the fretboard.
Please make sure you’ve gone through the various lessons mentioned in the beginning part of this lesson.
Okay – here are the tabs for the lesson. The first set of three is for the A pentatonic minor scale. The second set of three are for the A diatonic minor scale, and the final set of tabs are for the G major scale.
Here we will be taking relatively straightforward blues riffs and using them to start shredding on the guitar. These moves will be based upon the standard scales we use for blues – this is something you will often see in more shredding-based styles. This is a great place to start learning to adapt your blues riffs to a heavier rock or metal style of playing. At the end of the day, a lot of the stuff you find in those genres is rooted back in the blues!
If you have already got a few blues riffs together, it will be easy to convert them into a chickin’ pickin’ style – all it takes is a little theory and knowing where your key notes are located on the fretboard.
In the second of our two lessons on I IV V, we will be taking a closer look at how these notes fit into the scale and how all this theory can help you construct more interesting bass lines. You can find part 1 here.
Coming to grips with I IV V theory is essential for any serious musician – it has formed the cornerstone of many great bass lines and guitar solos, and also makes learning songs and jamming with other musicians so much easier. The information provided in this lesson will prove to be indispensable no matter what level you aspire to.
After you’ve gone through this lesson, please proceed to the second part of this lesson, where we break away from the theoretical and apply this stuff directly to the fretboard of your guitar or your bass.
If you have yet to get to grips with your I IV V theory, then you will be certainly glad you have clicked on this lesson. Understanding what I IV V is all about will help you learn songs faster, help you play better phrases and riffs, and make it far easier to jam with other musicians.
Please make sure you go through Part 1 of this lesson first.
In Part 1 we discussed the theory; in this lesson we’ll apply that theory directly to the guitar.
