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Six Strings

Curriculum

Eight modules, in order.

Each module ends with a practical checkpoint. Nothing is locked: you can open any lesson, but the order is the order that works.

  1. Module 1

    Chord Fluency and Rhythm

    Make the chords you already know clean, fast to change and steady in time, then add barre chords, power chords and riffs, and keep a whole song going without stopping.

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    Clean chords and fast changes

    Clarity first, then speed, then time.

    1. Clean open chordsNext recommendedMake every string ring in the chords you already know.
    2. Efficient chord transitionsUse anchor fingers and shared shapes so changes need less movement.Builds on: Clean open chords
    3. Chord changes in timeLand every change on the beat, with a metronome.Builds on: Efficient chord transitions

    Strumming and rhythm

    A steady right hand carries every song.

    1. Steady strumming in eighth notesA constant down-up arm, with the pattern decided by what you hit.Builds on: Chord changes in time
    2. Accents and syncopationShape a pattern by emphasising some strums and leaving others out.Builds on: Steady strumming in eighth notes
    3. Sixteenth-note strummingFour strums per beat, kept loose and counted as 1 e & a.Builds on: Accents and syncopation
    4. Muting: palm mutes and chucksControl the length of your sound with the picking and fretting hands.Builds on: Accents and syncopation

    Barre chords

    Two movable shapes that open up the whole neck.

    1. Barre chord techniqueBuild a clean barre with the index finger, in small stages.Builds on: Chord changes in time
    2. E-shape barre chordsMove the E and Em shapes up the neck and name them by their root.Builds on: Barre chord technique
    3. A-shape barre chordsA second movable shape, rooted on the 5th string.Builds on: E-shape barre chords
    4. Seventh chords as barre shapesTurn the E-shape and A-shape barres into dominant 7, minor 7 and major 7 chords.Builds on: A-shape barre chords

    Power chords and riffs

    Rock and blues rhythm: power chords, palm muting, riffs and the shuffle.

    1. Power chordsTwo- and three-note root-and-fifth chords that move anywhere on the neck.Builds on: E-shape barre chords, A-shape barre chords
    2. Palm-muted power-chord rhythmChugging eighths, accents and the gallop: the right hand of rock rhythm.Builds on: Muting: palm mutes and chucks, Power chords
    3. Single-note riffsShort, repeating low-string figures, played tight with good muting.Builds on: Power chords, Palm-muted power-chord rhythm
    4. Shuffle and swing feelTriplet-based rhythm and the classic blues shuffle pattern.Builds on: Power chords, Accents and syncopation

    Playing songs

    Put it together and keep going.

    1. Playing a whole song without stoppingKeep going: pulse first, accuracy second, recovery always.Builds on: Steady strumming in eighth notes, Chord changes in time

    Checkpoint: Module 1 checkpoint: play a song start to finish

  2. Module 2

    Scales and Fretboard Mastery

    Learn the notes on the neck, how intervals measure distance, and the scales that grow from them, then turn scale shapes into small melodies.

    Builds on: Module 1

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    The fretboard map

    Notes, steps and intervals.

    1. Notes on the low stringsName every natural note on the 6th and 5th strings, and understand semitones and whole tones.
    2. Intervals and root notesMeasure distance between notes in semitones and name it.Builds on: Notes on the low strings

    Major and minor scales

    Your first complete scales.

    1. The major scaleThe formula, one practical fingering and a first melody.Builds on: Intervals and root notes
    2. The natural minor scaleCompare minor to major and see why A minor and C major share notes.Builds on: The major scale

    Pentatonic and blues scales

    Five-note scales and five positions.

    1. Minor pentatonic: box 1The five-note scale behind most rock and blues lead guitar.Builds on: The natural minor scale
    2. Major pentatonic and the blues scaleThe same shapes with a different home, and one extra note for tension.Builds on: Minor pentatonic: box 1
    3. Five pentatonic positionsCover the neck with five connected boxes.Builds on: Minor pentatonic: box 1

    Picking and melody

    Play scales cleanly and turn them into music.

    1. Alternate picking and scale sequencesPlay scales evenly and practise them in patterns.Builds on: The major scale
    2. Making melodic phrasesTurn scale notes into question-and-answer melodies.Builds on: The major scale

    The whole neck

    One scale, seven connected positions.

    1. The major scale in seven positionsStart the scale from each of its seven notes and the whole neck connects.Builds on: The major scale, The natural minor scale, Five pentatonic positions, Alternate picking and scale sequences

    Checkpoint: Module 2 checkpoint: name it, find it, play it

  3. Module 3

    Chord Construction and Harmony

    See why chords are built the way they are, how keys group them, and how to analyse and transpose a progression.

    Builds on: Module 2

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    Building chords and keys

    Triads, keys and the chords inside them.

    1. Building triads from intervalsMajor and minor chords as stacked thirds, with formulas you can apply to any root.Builds on: Intervals and root notes, The major scale
    2. Major keys and diatonic chordsThe seven chords that belong to a key, and the Roman numerals that name them.Builds on: Building triads from intervals
    3. Minor keys and relative chordsThe chords of a natural minor key and how they relate to the relative major.Builds on: Major keys and diatonic chords, The natural minor scale

    Using harmony

    Progressions, richer chords and smooth movement.

    1. Progressions and transposingWrite progressions with numerals and move them to any key.Builds on: Major keys and diatonic chords
    2. Seventh chordsMajor 7, dominant 7 and minor 7: the formulas, shapes and what they do.Builds on: Major keys and diatonic chords
    3. Suspended and add9 chordsReplace or extend the third to make chords that feel open.Builds on: Building triads from intervals
    4. Inversions and voice leadingPlay chords on the top strings and move between them with minimal motion.Builds on: Building triads from intervals, Progressions and transposing
    5. Seventh-chord inversionsFour voicings of one seventh chord, and how the bass note changes its pull.Builds on: Seventh chords, Inversions and voice leading
    6. Slash chords and moving bass linesRead chords like G/B and Am/G, and use them to walk the bass between chords.Builds on: Inversions and voice leading

    Checkpoint: Module 3 checkpoint: analyse and transpose

  4. Module 4

    Fingerstyle Guitar

    Build an independent thumb and fingers, then arpeggio patterns, alternating bass and Travis picking.

    Builds on: Module 1

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    Picking-hand foundations

    Independence and basic patterns.

    1. PIMA and thumb independenceAssign each finger to its strings and make the thumb steady and independent.Builds on: Chord changes in time
    2. Arpeggio patterns in 4/4, 3/4 and 6/8Three patterns that cover most fingerstyle accompaniment.Builds on: PIMA and thumb independence

    Bass lines under the pattern

    Alternating bass and Travis picking.

    1. Alternating bass and Travis pickingA steady alternating thumb with fingers on the off-beats.Builds on: Arpeggio patterns in 4/4, 3/4 and 6/8
    2. Melody over a bass linePlay a tune on the top strings while the thumb keeps a bass going underneath.Builds on: Alternating bass and Travis picking, The major scale
    3. Dynamics and percussive techniquesControl volume and add a rhythmic body tap.Builds on: Arpeggio patterns in 4/4, 3/4 and 6/8
    4. Your first fingerstyle arrangementPlan sections, dynamics and an ending for a whole piece.Builds on: Melody over a bass line, Dynamics and percussive techniques

    Colour and longer pieces

    Harmonics, alternate tunings and arrangements with several sections.

    1. Natural and artificial harmonicsBell-like notes from touching, not pressing, the string.Builds on: PIMA and thumb independence
    2. Drop D and open tuningsRetune the guitar for a deeper bass, one-finger chords and ringing open strings.Builds on: Alternating bass and Travis picking, Natural and artificial harmonics
    3. A longer, multi-section arrangementPlan and perform a piece with intro, verse, chorus, bridge and ending.Builds on: Your first fingerstyle arrangement, Natural and artificial harmonics

    Checkpoint: Module 4 checkpoint: independent thumb

  5. Module 5

    Lead Guitar and Expression

    Add the techniques that make notes sing, then use them to improvise phrases instead of running patterns.

    Builds on: Module 2

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    Expressive techniques

    Slurs, slides, bends and vibrato.

    1. Hammer-ons, pull-offs and slidesSound notes with the fretting hand alone to make lines smooth.Builds on: Minor pentatonic: box 1
    2. Bends and vibratoRaise a note's pitch and give it a voice.Builds on: Minor pentatonic: box 1
    3. Legato sequencesChains of hammer-ons and pull-offs that flow, with one pick per string.Builds on: Hammer-ons, pull-offs and slides, Alternate picking and scale sequences

    Picking-hand control

    Double stops, hybrid picking, string skipping and tremolo.

    1. Double stopsTwo notes at once: pentatonic pairs, thirds and sixths.Builds on: Bends and vibrato, The major scale
    2. Hybrid pickingPick and fingers together, for wide intervals and country-style snap.Builds on: Double stops, PIMA and thumb independence
    3. String skipping and tremolo pickingJump over strings accurately, and sustain notes with rapid alternate picking.Builds on: Alternate picking and scale sequences, Double stops

    Improvising

    Turn patterns into phrases.

    1. Call and response improvisationImprovise by answering your own short phrases.Builds on: Minor pentatonic: box 1, Hammer-ons, pull-offs and slides
    2. Blues phrasing over the 12-bar formPlay over a backing track by following the form and landing on the changes.Builds on: Call and response improvisation, Major pentatonic and the blues scale, Seventh chords
    3. Chord-tone targetingMake a solo follow the harmony by landing on notes from each chord.Builds on: Blues phrasing over the 12-bar form, Seventh chords
    4. Learning a short solo by earTake a short phrase from a recording and work it out, note by note.Builds on: Intervals and root notes, Call and response improvisation

    Checkpoint: Module 5 checkpoint: say something

  6. Module 6

    Advanced Music Theory and Musicianship

    Connect the whole fretboard with CAGED, triads and arpeggios, train the ear, and go further with modes, extended chords and rhythm.

    Builds on: Module 3

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    Seeing the whole neck

    CAGED connects the shapes you know.

    1. The CAGED systemFive open chord shapes, moved up the neck, cover every chord everywhere.Builds on: A-shape barre chords, Major keys and diatonic chords
    2. Triads on every string setThree-note major and minor triads on the middle and lower string sets, in all inversions.Builds on: Inversions and voice leading, The CAGED system
    3. Arpeggios across the neckChord tones one at a time: major, minor and minor 7 arpeggio shapes that connect.Builds on: The CAGED system, Chord-tone targeting

    Ear training

    Hear what you play.

    1. Ear training: recognising intervalsLink intervals to tunes you know, then use them to find notes by ear.Builds on: Intervals and root notes

    Theory in practice

    Modes, form, extended chords and how chords relate.

    1. Modes: Dorian and MixolydianSame notes as the major scale, a different home, and two modes you will actually use.Builds on: The natural minor scale, Major keys and diatonic chords
    2. Lydian, Phrygian and LocrianThe remaining modes of the major scale, each heard over a drone.Builds on: Modes: Dorian and Mixolydian
    3. Song structure and formLabel the sections of a song and count the bars in each.Builds on: Progressions and transposing
    4. Harmonic function and secondary dominantsGroup chords by what they do, and borrow a dominant to approach another chord.Builds on: Seventh chords, Major keys and diatonic chords
    5. Chord extensions: 6ths, 9ths, 11ths and 13thsKeep stacking thirds past the seventh, and choose which notes to leave out.Builds on: Seventh chords, Harmonic function and secondary dominants

    Advanced rhythm

    Odd meters, polyrhythm and moving a phrase across the beat.

    1. Odd meters: 5/4 and 7/8Count and feel bars of five and seven by grouping them into twos and threes.Builds on: Accents and syncopation, Song structure and form
    2. Polyrhythm and rhythmic displacementThree against two, the 3-3-2 grouping, and moving a phrase across the beat.Builds on: Odd meters: 5/4 and 7/8

    Checkpoint: Module 6 checkpoint: see it, hear it

  7. Module 7

    Carnatic Music on Guitar

    Learn the swaras, how ragas are defined by more than a set of notes, and how to approach gamakas honestly on a fretted instrument.

    Builds on: Module 2, Module 5

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    Swaras and ragas

    The vocabulary of Carnatic melody.

    1. Swaras, Sa and the twelve positionsThe vocabulary of Carnatic melody, measured from a chosen Sa.Builds on: Making melodic phrases
    2. Ragas: aarohanam and avarohanamA raga is more than a scale. Play the ascending and descending paths of two ragas.Builds on: Swaras, Sa and the twelve positions

    Gamakas and phrasing

    Ornamentation and what guitar can do with it.

    1. Gamakas and what the guitar can doUnderstand ornamentation and approximate some of it honestly on a fretted instrument.Builds on: Ragas: aarohanam and avarohanam, Bends and vibrato

    Notation and tala

    Reading swaras and keeping time the Carnatic way.

    1. Reading and singing tunes in swarasWrite a simple tune in swara notation and play it from any Sa.Builds on: Ragas: aarohanam and avarohanam
    2. Tala: keeping time with Adi tala and janta varisaiCarnatic time-keeping by hand, and the exercise with paired notes.Builds on: Ragas: aarohanam and avarohanam

    Going further with ragas

    More ragas, graded exercises and phrasing that sounds like the raga.

    1. More ragas: Shankarabharanam, Kalyani and HamsadhwaniThree new ragas, the next sarali varisai, and the same exercise in a new raga.Builds on: Ragas: aarohanam and avarohanam, Tala: keeping time with Adi tala and janta varisai
    2. Melodic phrasing within a ragaMove from running the scale to shaping phrases that rest, turn and arrive.Builds on: More ragas: Shankarabharanam, Kalyani and Hamsadhwani, Gamakas and what the guitar can do

    Checkpoint: Module 7 checkpoint: sing it, then play it

  8. Module 8

    Musical Independence

    Learn songs by ear, write your own progression and melody, and review recordings of yourself.

    Builds on: Module 3, Module 5

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    Learning by ear

    Work songs out yourself.

    1. Learning songs by earA repeatable method: find the key, the bass, then the chords.Builds on: Ear training: recognising intervals, Major keys and diatonic chords

    Writing your own

    Progressions, melodies and honest review.

    1. Writing a progression and a melodyCompose sixteen bars, record them and review honestly.Builds on: Making melodic phrases, Progressions and transposing, Call and response improvisation

    Craft and voice

    Transcribing, arranging and finding your own sound.

    1. Transcribing a melodyWrite down what you hear: notes first, rhythm second, check third.Builds on: Learning songs by ear
    2. Arranging a song for solo guitarCombine bass, melody, chords and a lead fill into one performance.Builds on: Song structure and form, Your first fingerstyle arrangement, Call and response improvisation
    3. Developing your own styleLearn from your influences, then make choices that are yours.Builds on: Writing a progression and a melody, Arranging a song for solo guitar
    4. Writing a complete pieceGrow a 16-bar idea into a three-minute piece with sections, contrast and development.Builds on: Writing a progression and a melody, Song structure and form, Arranging a song for solo guitar

    Checkpoint: Module 8 checkpoint: one piece, start to finish