Phase 1
Skill Name
Description

WHERE ARE YOU?

6 quick questions to find your phase. Honest answers only.

PRACTICE TIMER

Set your time. Pick your phase. The plan builds itself.

How long do you have?
30 min
Your current phase
Your session plan

METRONOME

Set your tempo. Tap to find it. Don't skip warm-up.

80
BPM
306090120160200240
Common Tempos
Time Signature
Electric Guitar · Rock · All Levels

YOUR
GUITAR
ROADMAP

A phased curriculum from your first chord to advanced soloing. Check off skills. Click any skill for targeted resources.

↓ SCROLL TO BEGIN
The Journey
FOUR PHASES.
ONE GUITARIST.
01
Phase 01
ABSOLUTE BEGINNER
Your first guitar. Your first chord. Your first song.
0 of 10 skills
02
Phase 02
BEGINNER
Power chords, palm muting, first riffs. You start to sound like something.
0 of 10 skills
03
Phase 03
INTERMEDIATE
Barre chords, pentatonic soloing, lead basics. You can jam with people.
0 of 12 skills
04
Phase 04
ADVANCED
Modes, alternate picking, composition. You have your own voice.
0 of 12 skills
ABSOLUTE BEGINNER
⏱ 15–30 min/day

✓ Exit Criteria — You're ready for Phase 2 when:

You can play Em, Am, E, A, D and G open chords cleanly. You can switch between two chords in time. You've played one full song start to finish, even slowly.

Core Skills — click any for resources

Guitar anatomy & tuningString names (EADGBE), using a clip-on tuner
Correct posture & hand positionFretting hand thumb placement, picking hand angle
Em, Am, E, A open chordsGetting Em, Am, E, A to ring clean without buzzing
D and G open chordsThese are harder — especially the G stretch. Also learn D and C
Basic down-strum rhythmKeeping time on quarter notes with a metronome
Reading guitar TABUnderstanding string/fret notation
Amp basicsVolume, gain, tone — what they actually do
Single-note picking on one stringAlternate picking introduction (down-up motion)
Two-chord song transitionsSmooth Em–Am or E–A switch in tempo
First complete songPlay through a real song start to finish

Milestone Songs

AC/DC
Back in Black (intro riff)
Pure open-position rock riff. The first real "wow" moment.
Click for tutorial →
Nirvana
Come As You Are (intro)
Single-note melody, trains alternate picking.
Click for tutorial →
The White Stripes
Seven Nation Army
World's most recognizable riff. One string. Massive payoff.
Click for tutorial →

Gear — Phase 1

Squier Affinity Stratocaster (~$250) Epiphone Les Paul Standard (~$300) Boss Katana-50 Gen 3 Orange Crush 20RT Snark clip-on tuner .88mm picks

Skip pedals for now. Focus on clean tone and building callouses.

BEGINNER
⏱ 20–45 min/day

✓ Exit Criteria — You're ready for Phase 3 when:

You can play 5+ power chords cleanly with palm muting. You know the Em pentatonic shape. You can play 3 full rock songs at tempo.

Core Skills — click any for resources

Power chords2 and 3-string shapes on E and A strings
Palm mutingThe "chug" — essential for rock and metal rhythm
Distortion / overdrive toneAdding gain — amp channel or first pedal
Down-up strumming patterns8th note strumming with dynamics
Em pentatonic scale (open position)Your first lead guitar tool
Basic string bendingHalf-step and whole-step bends
Simple riff constructionBuilding a 4-bar riff with power chords
Hammer-ons & pull-offsFirst legato technique — smooth note connections
Consistent metronome practiceTime is the skill nobody wants to work on
I–IV–V chord relationshipsWhy certain chords sound good together

Milestone Songs

Nirvana
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Power chords + palm muting dynamics. The gateway song.
Click for tutorial →
Green Day
American Idiot
Fast power chord changes. Tempo discipline.
Click for tutorial →
Black Sabbath
Iron Man (main riff)
Slow, heavy, methodical. Great for tone control.
Click for tutorial →
Jimi Hendrix
Purple Haze (intro)
Tritone riff + single-note lines. First taste of blues-rock feel.
Click for tutorial →

Gear — Phase 2

Boss DS-1 Distortion (~$70) Zoom G1X Four (multi-FX) Planet Waves tuner pedal

Add one gain pedal. Learn to control your tone before stacking effects.

INTERMEDIATE
⏱ 30–60 min/day

✓ Exit Criteria — You're ready for Phase 4 when:

You can play barre chords cleanly anywhere on the neck. You can improvise a basic solo over a backing track. You understand the CAGED system.

Core Skills — click any for resources

Barre chords (E shape)The hardest wall most guitarists hit. Push through it.
Barre chords (A shape)Major and minor barre shapes across the neck
All 5 pentatonic positionsConnecting shapes across the fretboard
Vibrato techniqueThe most expressive technique in rock
Pitch-accurate string bendingBending to a specific note, not just "up"
The CAGED systemHow 5 chord shapes map the entire fretboard
Basic improvisationTargeting chord tones while soloing
Alternate picking at speedClean picking at 100+ BPM on single strings
Music theory: keys & scalesMajor scale, natural minor, key signatures
Playing by ear (basic)Working out riffs and solos from recordings
Slides & position shiftsMoving fluidly up and down the neck
Rhythm feel & syncopationOff-beat accents, dynamic strumming, groove

Milestone Songs

Metallica
Enter Sandman
Palm muting precision, moderate-difficulty riffing.
Click for tutorial →
Led Zeppelin
Rock and Roll
High-energy groove, blues-rock feel, Jimmy Page licks.
Click for tutorial →
Pink Floyd
Comfortably Numb (solo)
Phrasing, bends, vibrato. The gold standard for feel.
Click for tutorial →
The Who
Behind Blue Eyes
Suspended chords, intricate picking, inverted shapes.
Click for tutorial →
Black Sabbath
Paranoid
Moveable riff, minor pentatonic, blues-metal bridge.
Click for tutorial →

Gear — Phase 3

Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9 Boss DD-8 Delay TC Hall of Fame Reverb Dunlop Cry Baby Wah Fender Player Strat / Gibson LP Studio

Build a proper signal chain: Tuner → Drive → Modulation → Delay → Reverb → Amp.

ADVANCED
⏱ 45–90 min/day

✓ Exit Criteria — You're an advanced player when:

You can improvise fluidly in multiple modes. You have a recognizable sound. You can compose original material and play comfortably in a band without thinking about shapes.

Core Skills — click any for resources

Modal soloing (Dorian, Mixolydian, Phrygian)Which mode fits which chord or genre
Economy & sweep pickingEfficiency across strings at high tempo
Legato runsExtended hammer-on/pull-off sequences
Two-hand tappingVan Halen-style tapping, melodic applications
Advanced chord voicings7ths, 9ths, sus chords — beyond basic triads
Arpeggios across the fretboardOutlining chords with single-note runs
Transcribing by earWorking out full songs without tabs
Hybrid pickingPick and fingers simultaneously
Original composition / songwritingWriting riffs, progressions, complete songs
Tone sculpting & recording basicsMic placement, DI recording, DAW basics
Live performance skillsStage management, in-ears, presence
Developing a signature styleIdentifiable sound, phrasing, musical identity

Milestone Songs

Jimi Hendrix
Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
Wah control, feel-first approach, blues mastery.
Click for tutorial →
Van Halen
Eruption
Two-hand tapping benchmark. Changed everything.
Click for tutorial →
Led Zeppelin
Stairway to Heaven (full)
Fingerpicking + electric lead. Full dynamic range in one song.
Click for tutorial →
Guns N' Roses
November Rain (solo)
Melodic phrasing, emotional arc, extended solo structure.
Click for tutorial →
You
An original composition
Write and record your own piece. That's the real milestone.

Gear — Phase 4

USA Stratocaster / Gibson LP Standard Fender Blues Junior / Marshall DSL Strymon BigSky Reverb MXR Carbon Copy Delay Focusrite Scarlett (audio interface)

At this stage, tone is personal. Invest where your ears tell you to.

Visual Map
SKILL TREE

Click once to unlock, twice to mark mastered. Skills build on each other — follow the path.

Phase 1
Tuning
Posture
Open Chords (Em, Am)
Open Chords (D, G, C)
Reading TAB
Down Strumming
Single-Note Picking
Metronome Practice
Phase 2
Power Chords
Palm Muting
Distortion / Gain
Down-Up Strumming
Em Pentatonic (Pos. 1)
Hammer-ons / Pull-offs
Basic String Bends
Riff Construction
I–IV–V Progressions
Phase 3
Barre Chords (E shape)
Barre Chords (A shape)
CAGED System
All 5 Pentatonic Shapes
Vibrato
Pitch-Accurate Bends
Alternate Picking (speed)
Basic Improvisation
Major & Minor Scales
Playing by Ear
Syncopated Rhythm
Phase 4
Modal Soloing
Sweep Picking
Legato Runs
Two-Hand Tapping
Advanced Voicings
Arpeggios (full neck)
Transcribing by Ear
Hybrid Picking
Songwriting
Studio Recording
Signature Style

Click once = unlocked · Click twice = mastered · Click again = reset

Music Theory
JUST ENOUGH
THEORY.

Theory isn't a separate subject — it's just naming what you're already doing.

Phase 1–2 Theory

The Musical Alphabet12 notes, sharps and flats, why there's no B# or E#
String Names & OctavesEADGBE — why the guitar is tuned this way
What a Chord Is3 notes stacked in thirds = a triad
Major vs. Minor FeelWhy Am sounds sad and A sounds bright
The I–IV–V RelationshipThe backbone of 90% of rock, blues, and country
What a Key IsA home base note + a set of related chords

Phase 3 Theory

The Major Scale FormulaW-W-H-W-W-W-H — how all scales are built
Natural Minor ScaleSame as major starting from the 6th degree
Pentatonic Theory5-note subset — why it works over everything
Diatonic ChordsThe 7 chords that naturally belong in any key
Chord Tones vs. Scale TonesTargeting chord tones for melodic soloing
Relative Major/MinorAm is the relative minor of C — same notes, different feel

Phase 4 Theory

The 7 ModesIonian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian
Dorian ModeMinor with a raised 6th — Santana, Metallica, Hendrix
Mixolydian ModeMajor with a flat 7th — classic rock staple (AC/DC)
Phrygian DominantSpanish/metal sound — essential for heavy playing
Chord Extensions7th, 9th, 11th chords and outlining them melodically
Harmonic Minor ScaleThe raised 7th that creates dramatic neoclassical tension
Branching Paths
PICK YOUR
DIRECTION.

Around Phase 3, you'll start gravitating toward a style. These aren't mutually exclusive.

Lead Guitar

Solos, improvisation, melodic playing. The flashier path — and the one that takes longest to master.

Pentatonic fluencyVibrato & bendsModal soloingAlternate pickingPhrasing & spaceWah pedal

Rhythm Guitar

The foundation of any band. Underrated by beginners, essential to every great song.

Power chord masteryPalm mutingSyncopated strummingBarre chord speedTight timingDrop D tuning

Blues-Rock

Feel over technique. The Hendrix, Clapton, SRV lineage. Pentatonic mastery + emotional phrasing.

Blues scaleString bendingCall & response12-bar bluesDouble stopsDynamics & feel

Hard Rock / Metal

Precision, speed, aggression. Alternate picking, downtuning, and the Phrygian mode.

Drop D / D standardGallop pickingSweep pickingPhrygian modeHarmonic minorTapping
External Links
FREE
RESOURCES.
Reference
SCALE
LIBRARY.

Every essential scale for electric rock guitar. Select a key, pick a scale, see the full neck map and all five positions. Each scale includes mood, genre context, and the songs that made it famous.

Select Key
Select Scale
Full Neck — All Positions
The 5 Positions
Reference
CHORD
LIBRARY.

Every essential chord for electric rock guitar. Click any diagram to enlarge it. Organized by type — open chords first, then barre shapes, then power chords.

Your Journal
PRACTICE
LOG.

One entry per session. What you worked on, what clicked, what didn't. At Phase 4 the gains are subtle — writing them down is the difference between feeling like you're improving and knowing you are.

What did you work on?
Practice BPM
Session Length (min)
Notes
How did it feel?
Past Sessions
Train Your Ears
INTERVAL
TRAINER.

Two notes play. You identify the interval. The single most effective ear training exercise — and the one most guitarists skip. Uses your browser's audio engine, no plugins needed.

0Score
0Streak
Accuracy
0Questions
Know Your Neck
FRETBOARD
TRAINER.

A random note lights up on the neck. You name it. At Phase 4 you should know every note cold — most players don't. This fixes that.

Strings to include
Fret range: 0 – 12
0Score
0Streak
Accuracy
Play Along
BACKING
TRACKS.

Curated backing tracks organized by key, scale, and feel. Every link opens a specific YouTube track — not a search. Pick a vibe, hit play, improvise.

Key
Scale / Mode
Feel