Guitar guides that actually click
Short, plain-language explainers for the things guitarists get stuck on, each paired with a free interactive tool so you can try it as you read.
The CAGED System Explained (Without the Confusion)
The CAGED system turns the whole guitar neck into five shapes you already know. Here is how it works, why it matters, and how to actually use it.
How to Memorize the Guitar Fretboard (A Simple, Repeatable Method)
Learn the note names on your guitar neck with a few small daily habits: natural notes, string anchors, octave shapes, and the fret markers.
Guitar Scales for Beginners: A Simple Place to Start
New to guitar scales? Learn what a scale is, the three to know first, how scales connect to chords and keys, and how to practice them cleanly.
The Major Scale Explained (The Do Re Mi Sound)
The major scale is the do re mi sound behind most songs you know. Here is the pattern that builds it, why it defines a key, and how to play it.
The Pentatonic Scale Explained (Your First Scale for Solos)
The pentatonic scale is the five note scale behind most guitar solos. Here is what it is, the minor and major shapes, and how to start using it.
How to Solo on Guitar: A Simple Beginner Path
Learn how to solo on guitar step by step: one pentatonic shape, a backing track, chord tones, phrasing, and expression. A calm, practical starter path.
Barre Chords Explained: Move One Shape Up the Whole Neck
Barre chords use your first finger like a movable nut so an open shape can slide anywhere. Here is how E and A shapes work, plus tips for clean ones.
Power Chords Explained: The Two-Finger Shape Behind Rock
Power chords use just the root and the fifth, no third, so they are neither major nor minor. Here is how the shapes work and why rock loves them.
Seventh Chords Explained: Dominant, Major, and Minor 7ths
Seventh chords add one note to a triad and change everything. Here is what dominant, major, and minor sevenths are, how they sound, and where to use them.
How to Read a Chord Diagram (A Beginner's Guide)
A chord diagram is a tiny map of the guitar neck. Learn what the lines, dots, numbers, O marks, and X marks mean so you can play any chord you find.
Guitar Chord Progressions for Beginners: Start With Two
Two simple chord progressions cover a huge share of the songs you love. Learn the I IV V and I V vi IV by number so they work in any key.
The 12 Bar Blues Explained (By the Numbers)
The 12 bar blues is a 12-measure form built from three chords. Learn the bar-by-bar layout by number so you can play it in any key.
The Circle of Fifths Explained (A Guitarist's Guide)
The circle of fifths arranges all 12 keys so their relationships become obvious. Here is how to read it and use it to build chords and progressions.
What Is a Key in Music? A Plain Guide for Guitarists
A key is the home note a song centers on, plus the scale and chords built from it. Here is what that means and how to find any song's key.
The Relative Minor Explained: One Scale, Two Moods
Every major key shares its exact notes with one minor key. Here is what the relative minor is, how to find it fast, and why it makes playing easier.
The Nashville Number System Explained (Chords by the Numbers)
The Nashville Number System writes chords as scale degrees 1 to 7 instead of letter names, so one chart works in any key. Here is how to read and use it.
How to Change Key in a Song (Modulation Made Simple)
Learn how to change key in a song: direct bumps, dominant lead-ins, and pivot chords that make a modulation feel smooth instead of jarring.
How to Transpose a Song to a New Key
Transposing moves a whole song to a new key so it fits a singer or plays easier. Here are three simple methods, with a worked example.
How to Tune a Guitar: Standard Tuning, By Ear, and By App
How to tune a guitar to standard EADGBE, three ways to do it, why it drifts, and a stability trick that keeps it in tune longer.
How to Tune a Bass Guitar (4, 5, and 6 String)
Learn how to tune a bass guitar in standard tuning, plus 5-string, 6-string, and drop D. Tune by ear or with a tuner that reads low B.
How to Tune a Ukulele (Standard, Low-G, and Baritone)
Learn how to tune a ukulele: standard gCEA with its reentrant high g, the mellow low-G option, and baritone DGBE. Tune by ear or with a free tuner.
Drop D Tuning Explained: How to Get There and Back
Drop D lowers your sixth string a whole step for a heavier low end and one-finger power chords. Here is how to tune into it and back to standard.
Open G Tuning Explained: Strum a Chord With No Fingers
Open G tuning turns your open strings into a G major chord. Here is what it is, what it is good for, and how to tune into it from standard.
DADGAD Tuning Explained: The Open, Ringing Modal Sound
DADGAD tuning takes three strings down a whole step for a lush, droning modal sound. Here is what it is, what it is good for, and how to tune into it.
Alternate Guitar Tunings: A Practical Overview
A plain guide to the most common alternate guitar tunings, what each one is good for, and how to switch between them safely with a tuner.
Guitar Strumming Patterns: A Simple Guide for Beginners
Learn guitar strumming patterns the simple way: down and up strokes, counting eighth notes, keeping your hand moving, and practicing with a metronome.
How to Practice Guitar With a Metronome (The Right Way)
How to practice guitar with a metronome: why steady time matters, how to build speed cleanly, and the common mistakes that hold players back.
How to Use a Capo (and When Not To)
A capo lets you play hard keys with easy open shapes. Here is how to place it, how to find the right fret, and the two-guitar layering trick.
Music Intervals Explained: The Building Blocks of Everything You Play
Music intervals are the distance between two notes. Learn every interval from a minor second to the octave, and how to recognize each one by ear.
Ear Training for Guitarists: A Simple Daily Plan
Ear training for guitarists, made practical. Learn what to train, how to start in a few minutes a day, and what real progress actually looks like.