Build Your Guitar Skills 
Up From the Very Basics

Featuring over 1,000 videos organized to keep you focused on what matters most

When building The Woodshed, I wanted thorough yet structured resources.Yes, you’ll gain access to a huge amount of material. But I won’t just pour it out for you to wade through.

The program is arranged into short micro-levels. Each is a mini-series of 2-20min lessons and practice videos. These bring you forward in each of the 6 key areas of classical guitar:

Lessons will take you one small step at a time.You’ll be shown one technique, rhythm idea, or collection of notes to read. That way you can internalize each concept and skill. Clear, focused practice without the overwhelm.

Plus, you get access to all the extra skills and repertoire courses. You can explore more music, and plug any holes you perceive in your playing.

Get your fingers moving quickly, clearly and comfortably
(even if your joints are getting creaky)

You might be worried that your age or health means you’ll never be able to play those speedy passage. Of course, I’m going to tell you, “It’s all in the technique”. Once you’ve learned how to use your hands efficiently, your fingers will fly across the strings.

You’ve probably seen one of my technique videos, but The Woodshed will cover every essential detail. I’ll break techniques down into three parts.

Form - The relationship of your joints and how to hold your hands to make those stretches..

Position - Where you hold those forms, e.g. over the sound hole, to produce a rich tone.

Movement - How to efficiently move your body to play a note, so you add speed without discomfort.

You’ll discover you’re surprisingly dextrous. With good technique your playing turns from mere notes into real music.

For self-taught players, this allows you to further refine your technique. By removing bad habits, you’ll suddenly be able to play those fast passages without any dead notes.

Build up your sight-reading abilities one aspect at a time

I know sheet music can look like martian hieroglyphics. That’s why we’ll decipher one symbol at a time.

The dedicated sight-reading videos are split into notes and rhythms.

Each note-focused lesson will introduce just a few new notes. You’ll build up ability to instantly translate any note onto the guitar. Soon you’ll be at home anywhere on the fretboard. This means you’ll learn pieces faster, and be able to explore more new music.

The specialized rhythm lessons let you embody all the most common musical rhythms. You’ll come to recognize rhythms like you do old friends, with a sense of easy appreciation.

Understand music’s common building blocks and patterns

Composers don’t like admitting this…but most tunes are made up of a limited set of ideas. Once you recognize them, sequences give you a feeling like: “Oh, it’s just a ___!”

The lessons in The Woodshed will take you step-by-step through these concepts.

You’ll learn how the “cowboy chords” in folk and rock songs apply to classical guitar. You’ll then see how passages in classical pieces are often the notes of these chords plucked individually. (It almost feels like cheating).

It’s like learning to read whole words instead of sounding out “a-p-p-l-e”. By recognizing whole phrases, you’ll play new pieces more quickly and easily.

Hear instant warmth in your tone,
followed by gradual improvements in fluidity

You can also expect to hear big improvements in a matter of days. It’s like adjusting the color on an old TV: suddenly everything's just better.

These basics go a long way towards beautiful music flowing out of your guitar.

After these (very satisfying) easy wins, come more subtle signs of progress. Over weeks and months, dead notes or big stretches will stop bothering you. You’ll breeze through more intricate pieces. You’ll move more gracefully and enjoy the feeling of using your hands.

It’s these audible signs of progress that make practice so satisfying. And The Woodshed will let you hear them, from the very first lesson, and in each going forward.

Know exactly what and how to practice, with play-along practice videos

You won’t be sent off with an “Okay, go find a way to practice that!” after each lesson.

I know it can be hard to decide what to actually do when you sit down to practice. Maybe it stops you from even starting.

That’s why every lesson has guided play-along practice videos. They'll guide you through exactly what pattern, rhythm, or technique you should be using at each point and how to combine them.

You can follow the exercise, happy that your new skills are being reinforced in a methodical manner.

Gain a whole support network for your passion

The aim might be evenings lost in your playing, but it’s also fun to share your enthusiasm or have help when you’re stuck.

ANYTIME EMAIL SUPPORT - You get unlimited email support. You can send a quick question and get an answer, usually within 24 hours.

PERSONAL VIDEO REVIEW - You can share videos with me privately, and I will share my thoughts on what’s working and what your next steps may be. Be at ease, instructions are included!

FREE PRIVATE VIDEO CALLS - Sometimes we need that little nudge to get our head around an issue. So I’ve included 1-on-1 Skype calls as part of your membership.You can schedule sessions online. Then, by the miracles of technology, we can check in and see how it’s all going.We can look at the technique that isn’t feeling right, passages you’re struggling with, concepts that aren’t clicking or any other questions.

MEMBER’S PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP - Your family might not appreciate you showing them endless guitar videos. That’s why you’ll be part of a private online community of fellow guitarists.

You can share your progress, interesting articles, or favourite recordings. Or you can just browse what others share. Now you won’t be alone in your guitar-learning journey. Instead, you can be inspired and (if you like) inspiring!

How to join The Woodshed
Here is what you’ll receive as part of your membership:

Unlimited access to The Woodshed Program, to take you from fundamentals through to expert guitarist

Unlimited access to The Woodshed Library, with over 1000 instructional and play-along videos, so you always know what and how to practice new skills

Full access to all 33+ premium courses, taking you through specific skills and repertoire

Custom pieces, written to only use the material and techniques you’ve learned so far while still sounding beautiful

Printable practice logs, to track your progress and tell you exactly when you’re ready for the next level

Evaluation tools, so you can keep track of your successes and reflect on your practice habits

Access to all new videos I upload, so you can make use of all my constantly updated material

Free video calls with me, so we can talk through any stumbling blocks you’ve encountered

Access to the private Facebook group, where you can connect with others with the same interests, and share in progress and enthusiasm

Email support, for when you have small questions about your playing or practice

Personal video review, for when you’d like to make sure you’re doing everything right