Press Listen to me to play the exercise back to the page. You get a four-beat count-in, then the coach listens through your microphone and gives you feedback on the notes it heard, the pitch, your timing and how even you played. It can also read the feedback aloud. Chrome will ask permission to use the microphone.
The coach is an analyser built into this page, not a person or a chatbot. It checks notes, pitch and timing but cannot judge tone or feel the way a teacher can. Audio is analysed on your device and never uploaded. Use headphones if you turn the metronome on, or the click will be picked up as playing. Pitch checking works best on single-note exercises; chords, strums and fingerstyle are checked for timing.
Starting point and goal
You are an intermediate player with solid open and barre chords, and the aim is to play songs confidently across many genres. Slow progress at this stage is common: chords alone only get you so far, so this plan adds rhythm, lead playing, fretboard knowledge and a varied repertoire in a fixed rotation.
The plan runs 12 weeks, in three phases, and is built around the gaps that most often hold intermediate players back:
- Rhythm feel beyond basic strumming (muting, syncopation, groove)
- Knowing where notes are, so chords and scales connect
- Lead vocabulary: pentatonics, bends, slides, hammer-ons and pull-offs
- Richer chords: 7ths, sus, add and extended shapes
- Exposure to genre-specific techniques, one genre at a time
How the plan works
Practise 4–5 days a week for 30–45 minutes. Short, regular sessions beat one long weekend session. Every session uses the same structure, with the time split shifting by phase.
| Block | Minutes | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-up | 5 | Spider exercises, chromatic runs, slow scales with a metronome |
| Technique | 10 | One focus item: picking, legato, bends, barre transitions |
| Rhythm and chords | 10 | Strumming patterns, new chord voicings, chord changes at tempo |
| Repertoire | 10–15 | Learn or polish the current song of the fortnight |
| Ear and creativity | 5 | Work out a lick by ear, improvise over a backing track, or record yourself |
Use the floating Practice timer (bottom right of the page) to run these five blocks. It sounds an alarm and moves on to the next block when each one ends.
Two rules keep it working. Always use a metronome or backing track, and raise tempo only in 4–5 BPM steps once a part is clean three times in a row. Keep a one-line practice log after each session.
Phase 1 (weeks 1–4): Foundations
By week 4 you should keep steady time, play three strumming feels cleanly, and solo with the minor pentatonic in one position.
| Week | Technique | Rhythm and chords | Fretboard and lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alternate picking at 60 BPM, chromatic spider | 16th-note strumming with palm muting | Learn every note on the 6th and 5th strings |
| 2 | Hammer-ons and pull-offs | Offbeat and syncopated strums | Minor pentatonic box 1, in A and E |
| 3 | Slides and basic bends (half and full tone) | Barre chord changes at 80 BPM, switching E-shape and A-shape | Learn notes on strings 4 to 1 |
| 4 | Combine: licks using bends and slides | Choose one song and play it along with the recording | Improvise over a 12-bar blues backing track |
Phase 2 (weeks 5–8): Expanding vocabulary
By week 8 you should know where chords and scales sit across the neck and have 7th, sus and add shapes under your fingers.
| Week | Technique | Rhythm and chords | Fretboard and lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Fingerstyle: Travis pattern (thumb alternating bass) | Dominant 7th, major 7th and minor 7th shapes | Minor pentatonic across all five CAGED positions |
| 6 | Fingerstyle: arpeggio patterns in 6/8 and 4/4 | Sus2, sus4 and add9 voicings; use them in place of plain open chords | Major pentatonic and the difference in sound |
| 7 | Legato runs and vibrato control | Funk chord stabs on the top three strings | Major scale in two positions, with chord tones marked |
| 8 | Dynamics: playing the same part soft, medium and hard | Chord melody: play a simple melody on top of a chord | Intro to modes: Dorian and Mixolydian as sounds, not theory |
Phase 3 (weeks 9–12): Genre immersion
Each fortnight focuses on two genres. Spend about half of each session on the genre's key technique and the rest on one full song.
| Weeks | Genre | Key techniques to learn | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Blues and rock | Shuffle rhythm, pentatonic with blues note, double stops, power-chord riffs | Play one blues and one rock song start to finish |
| 10 | Funk and soul | Muted 16th-note strumming, ghost notes, 9th chords | Play one funk groove with a backing track |
| 11 | Folk and country | Hybrid picking, open-position walking bass, cross-picking | Play one fingerstyle folk piece and one country song |
| 12 | Pop and jazz-lite | Capo voicings, jazz 7th chords, ii-V-I in two keys | Record a three-song set: one pop, one jazz, one of your choice |
Repertoire roadmap by genre
Pick one song per genre, moving from the first column to the third as you improve. These are suggestions to swap for your own favourites.
| Genre | Step 1 (comfortable) | Step 2 (stretch) | Step 3 (challenge) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blues | "Stormy Monday" (T-Bone Walker) | "Pride and Joy" (Stevie Ray Vaughan) | "The Thrill Is Gone" (B.B. King) |
| Rock | "Seven Nation Army" (The White Stripes) | "Sweet Child O' Mine" (Guns N' Roses) | "Hotel California" (Eagles) |
| Funk and soul | "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" (James Brown) | "Superstition" (Stevie Wonder) | "Cissy Strut" (The Meters) |
| Folk and country | "Wagon Wheel" (Old Crow Medicine Show) | "Blackbird" (The Beatles) | "Dust in the Wind" (Kansas) |
| Pop | "Wonderwall" (Oasis) | "Thinking Out Loud" (Ed Sheeran) | "Treat You Better" (Shawn Mendes) |
| Jazz-lite | "Autumn Leaves" (chords only) | "Fly Me to the Moon" | "Misty" (chord melody) |
For each song, learn the chords first, then the rhythm feel, then the signature riff or fill, and finally play it along with the original recording.
| Genre | Skills the songs above teach | Practice piece in this plan |
|---|---|---|
| Blues | Shuffle feel, 12-bar form, pentatonic licks, bends | Boogie shuffle and 12-bar blues in A |
| Rock | Palm-muted riffs, power chords, clean arpeggios | Power-chord riff |
| Funk and soul | Muted 16ths, ghost notes, 9th chords | Ghost-note pattern and E9 |
| Folk and country | Fingerstyle arpeggios, alternating bass, boom-chick | House of the Rising Sun accompaniment and boom-chick strum |
| Pop | Four-chord progressions, syncopated strumming, capo voicings | Four-chord pop strum |
| Jazz-lite | 7th chords, ii-V-I movement, chord melody | ii-V-I in C |
Progress tracking and plateaus
Record yourself on your phone at the end of weeks 4, 8 and 12, playing the same exercise and song each time. Listening back is the clearest measure of progress.
If you stall for more than two weeks, lower the tempo by 10–15 BPM, narrow the practice to one two-bar passage, and play it back from a different starting point. Taking a lesson, either with a teacher or a structured online course, every four to six weeks is a good way to catch bad habits early.
Exercise guide: what the tasks look like
Each task in the phase tables is an exercise you can do straight away. Tab is read from the bottom line (low E string) to the top line (high e string); numbers are frets. Play everything slowly with a metronome, around 60 BPM to start.
Technique examples
Chromatic spider (warm-up). Use one finger per fret, fingers 1-2-3-4 on frets 5-6-7-8, on one string, then repeat on the next string up. Keep fingers close to the fretboard and play each note cleanly.
E|-5-6-7-8-8-7-6-5-| A|-5-6-7-8-8-7-6-5-| D|-5-6-7-8-8-7-6-5-|
Hammer-ons and pull-offs. Pick the first note once, then let your fretting finger do the rest. h is a hammer-on and p is a pull-off. Aim for all three notes to sound at equal volume.
B|-5h7p5-5h7p5-5h7p5-|
Slides. Pick once and slide the same finger up (/) or down (\) without lifting.
B|-5/7-7\5-5/7-7\5-|
Bends. Bend the G string at fret 7 up a full tone (b9) and check the pitch against the 9th-fret note played normally. Use three fingers on the string for support.
G|-9-7b9-7b9-7-|
Minor pentatonic, box 1 in A. This is the main shape for lead playing. Play it up and down, then play it over an A minor or A blues backing track.
e|-5-8-| B|-5-8-| G|-5-7-| D|-5-7-| A|-5-7-| E|-5-8-|
Alternate picking. Play steady down-up-down-up on one string at 60 BPM, then use the spider pattern above. Raise the tempo by 4–5 BPM only after three clean runs.
Tab for a single-string version (D = down, U = up). Then apply the same down-up motion to the spider on frets 5-6-7-8.
E|5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-| D U D U D U D U
Rhythm and chord examples
Strumming patterns. D is a down strum, U is an up strum, - is a missed strum where your hand keeps moving. Count out loud.
| Task | Count | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| 16th-note strum with palm muting | 1 e & a 2 e & a | D U D U D U D U, resting the picking-hand palm on the strings by the bridge |
| Offbeat (reggae-style) strum | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | - U - U - U - U, with a short, sharp chord on each "&" |
| Syncopated pop strum | 1 2 & 3 & 4 & | D - D U - U D U |
| Blues shuffle | 1 trip-let 2 trip-let | Long-short feel, like the word "hum-ty hum-ty" |
Tab for each pattern on an A5 power chord (A string 0, D string 2, G string 2):
16th-note strum, palm muted 1 e & a 2 e & a G|2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-| D|2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-| A|0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-| D U D U D U D U Offbeat strum 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & G|--2---2---2---2-| D|--2---2---2---2-| A|--0---0---0---0-| - U - U - U - U Syncopated pop strum 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & G|2---2-2---2-2-2-| D|2---2-2---2-2-2-| A|0---0-0---0-0-0-| D - D U - U D U
12-bar blues in A. Each chord name is one bar of four beats. Play it with the shuffle, then improvise with A minor pentatonic box 1.
| A | A | A | A | | D | D | A | A | | E | D | A | E |
Tab for the shuffle riff over the A chord. Play the A and D strings together and swing the rhythm long-short. The 4 on the D string turns A5 into A6.
D|-2-4-2-4-2-4-2-4-| A|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
Play the same pattern a string-set higher for the D chord (A string 0 to D string 2 becomes D string 0 to G string 2) and for the E chord (low E string open, A string 2, then 4).
New chord shapes in the A family. Play each one, then swap it for plain A in a song you know. Fret numbers run from the low E string to the high e string; x means don't play it.
| Chord | Shape | Use |
|---|---|---|
| A7 | x02020 | Blues and funk |
| Amaj7 | x02120 | Soft pop and jazz |
| Am7 | x02010 | Soul and folk |
| Asus2 | x02200 | Open, airy pop and rock |
| Asus4 | x02230 | Tension resolving to plain A |
| Aadd9 | x02420 | Rich pop and worship style |
The same six chords as tab (the low E string is not played):
A7 Amaj7 Am7 Asus2 Asus4 Aadd9 e|0------0------0------0------0------0------| B|2------2------1------0------3------2------| G|0------1------0------2------2------4------| D|2------2------2------2------2------2------| A|0------0------0------0------0------0------| E|x------x------x------x------x------x------|
Travis picking (fingerstyle). Hold a C chord. Your thumb alternates between the A string (3rd fret) and the D string (2nd fret) on every beat, while your index and middle fingers pick the higher strings between the bass notes. Get the thumb steady on its own first, then add the fingers.
Here is the pattern as tab, over a C chord (x32010). Each pair of characters is one eighth note, so count "1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &". The thumb plays the lowest notes on the beats (A string fret 3, then D string fret 2), and your fingers pick the higher notes on the "&".
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & e|--------------0-| B|------1---------| G|--0-------0-----| D|----2-------2---| A|3-------3-------|
Practise in three steps: thumb only (A, D, A, D) at 60 BPM, then add the G and B string notes, then add the final high e note. Once it is smooth, move the same thumb pattern to a G chord (thumb on the 6th and 4th strings) or an Am chord.
Barre chord switching. Move between an E-shape barre at fret 5 (A major) and an A-shape barre at fret 5 (D major), changing every two bars. Set the metronome to 80 BPM. The goal is no gap and no buzz on the change.
Tab for the two barre shapes at fret 5:
A (E-shape) D (A-shape) e|--5-----------5--| B|--5-----------7--| G|--6-----------7--| D|--7-----------7--| A|--7-----------5--| E|--5-----------x--|
Ghost notes (funk). Lay your fretting fingers lightly across the strings without pressing down, then strum. You should hear a short percussive click, not a pitch. Add it on beats 2 and 4 of a muted 16th-note strum.
Tab over an A7 shape on the B, G and D strings. x is a ghost note (fretting fingers resting lightly, so you only hear a click). The fretted chord lands on beats 2 and 4.
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a B|x-x-x-x-2-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-2-x-x-x-| G|x-x-x-x-0-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-0-x-x-x-| D|x-x-x-x-2-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-2-x-x-x-|
Learn a note by ear. Pick one phrase from a recording, play it at half speed, and find it note by note on the fretboard. Start with the first four notes of a melody you know well, such as a chorus.
Example to practise on: the first eight notes of "Ode to Joy", all on the B string. Listen to the tune, sing it, then find each note before you check the tab.
B|-5-5-6-8-8-6-5-3-|
Phase 2 and 3 examples
Major pentatonic, box 1 in A. The same shape as the minor box, moved down to fret 2. It has a brighter, happier sound.
e|-2-5-| B|-2-5-| G|-2-4-| D|-2-4-| A|-2-4-| E|-2-5-|
Major scale, one octave in A. Play it slowly and name each note: A B C# D E F# G# A.
D|-------0-2-4-6-7-| A|-0-2-4-----------|
Mixolydian and Dorian as sounds. Play the A major scale above but change one note, then listen to the difference. Mixolydian (dominant and bluesy) uses G natural; Dorian (minor but bright, as in funk and soul) uses C natural.
A Mixolydian D|-------0-2-4-5-7-| A|-0-2-4-----------| A Dorian D|-------0-2-4-5-7-| A|-0-2-3-----------|
Fingerstyle arpeggio on Am. Hold Am (x02210) and play the notes one at a time with the thumb on the bass string and fingers on the rest.
e|--------0-------| B|------1---1-----| G|----2-------2---| D|--2-----------2-| A|0---------------|
Double stops. Play two strings at once, with a pick-and-finger grip or a flat pick. These fourths on the B and e strings are a blues-rock staple.
e|-5-7-5-7-5-| B|-5-7-5-7-5-|
Dominant 9th chord. E9 for funk and soul stabs; compare with plain E7.
e|0| B|0| G|1| D|0| A|2| E|0|
ii-V-I in C. Dm7, G7 and Cmaj7, one bar each. Repeat in the key of F for the second key.
Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 e|1------1------0------| B|1------0------0------| G|2------0------0------| D|0------0------2------| A|x------2------3------| E|x------3------x------|
Walking bass (folk and country). Thumb plays a simple line that climbs from C to F, ready to play under a melody.
D|---0-2-3-| A|-3-------|
Genre practice pieces
These pieces are either traditional (so free to tab) or original patterns written for this plan. Each one trains the skills of the songs in your roadmap, and each has sound. Learn the notes slowly, then bring the speed up.
Blues: boogie shuffle
A classic blues bass line. Play the A and D strings together and swing the eighth notes (long-short). Play it over the 12-bar form: this A pattern for the A bars, then move it to D (D string 0, G string 2, 4, 5, 4) and E (E string 0, A string 2, 4, 5, 4).
D|-2-4-5-4-2-4-5-4-| A|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|
Rock: power-chord riff
An original two-bar riff. Rest your picking-hand palm on the strings by the bridge so it sounds chunky, and play the first chord of each bar a little harder.
D|2-2-5-5-7-7-5-2-| A|2-2-5-5-7-7-5-2-| E|0-0-3-3-5-5-3-0-|
Folk: House of the Rising Sun accompaniment
A traditional folk song, so the accompaniment is free to tab here. Play it in 6/8, with six eighth notes to a bar: the thumb plays the bass note, then your fingers pick up the G, B and top e strings and back down. The progression is Am, C, D, F, Am, C, E, E. The BPM display counts the dotted-quarter beat, with two beats to a bar.
Am C D F e|------0-----|------0-----|------2-----|------1-----| B|----1---1---|----1---1---|----3---3---|----1---1---| G|--2-------2-|--0-------0-|--2-------2-|--2-------2-| D|------------|------------|0-----------|3-----------| A|0-----------|3-----------|------------|------------| E|------------|------------|------------|------------| Am C E E e|------0-----|------0-----|------0-----|------0-----| B|----1---1---|----1---1---|----0---0---|----0---0---| G|--2-------2-|--0-------0-|--1-------1-|--1-------1-| D|------------|------------|------------|------------| A|0-----------|3-----------|------------|------------| E|------------|------------|0-----------|0-----------|
Country: boom-chick strum in G
An original pattern. The thumb plays a bass note on beats 1 and 3, alternating between the root and a second bass note, and your fingers or pick brush the top three strings on beats 2 and 4. The chords are G, C, D, G.
G C D G e|----3-------3---|----0-------0---|----2-------2---|----3-------3---| B|----0-------0---|----1-------1---|----3-------3---|----0-------0---| G|----0-------0---|----0-------0---|----2-------2---|----0-------0---| D|--------0-------|--------2-------|0---------------|--------0-------| A|----------------|3---------------|--------0-------|----------------| E|3---------------|----------------|----------------|3---------------|
Pop: four-chord strum
The most common pop progression, G, D, Em, C, with the syncopated strum from earlier. Chord shapes: G 320003, D xx0232, Em 022000, C x32010. Capo it higher to match a singer's key, and keep the same shapes.
Pop strum (one bar per chord, four beats each) G D Em C | D - D U - U D U | D - D U - U D U | D - D U - U D U | D - D U - U D U |
For funk, use the ghost-note pattern and the E9 chord from the exercises above. For jazz-lite, use the ii-V-I in C.
Tab is read from the bottom line (low E) to the top line (high e). Check the tabs against your guitar as you go, and use a metronome for everything.