Bending and Vibrato Mastery
Learn to master bending and vibrato, two of the most expressive techniques on the guitar. This course takes you from the mechanics to full routines that build control, intonation, and a personal voice on the instrument.
Start Course
4ths Technical Workout
This routine is a focused technical workout built around 4th intervals—specifically diatonic 4ths in C major. We’re drilling across three scale shapes (A, E, and C), using a variety of picking strategies to target fretting hand rolls and string-crossing mechanics.
Bach Invention Speed Trainer
This follow-up to last week’s Bach study uses a speed trainer format to lock in the right hand part of the First Invention. We’ll work from 50 to 80bpm, focusing on clarity, control, and confident phrasing at every step.
Donna Lee Speed Builder
This one’s all about reps—ten tempos, two rounds of Donna Lee each, no shortcuts. It’s a deep-dive routine in deliberate practice, designed to build real fluency through focused repetition.
Donna Lee Pt. 2
We’re finishing off the melody to Donna Lee this week, covering the second half of the tune with a fresh set of changes and an even sharper focus on phrasing. It’s a tough stretch, but if you made it through last week, you’re ready for this. Break it down, play it slow, and let the details guide your progress.
Donna Lee Pt. 1
We’re diving into the first half of Donna Lee, tackling its infamous bebop phrasing with a strong focus on picking mechanics and articulation. This isn’t about getting close—it’s about playing it right, with clarity, feel, and control.
Obtuse Arpeggios
This week’s workout explores unusual 112 arpeggio shapes to challenge your picking and shifting control across all string sets. The goal is full-neck mobility—developing the freedom to move through arpeggios effortlessly, from position to position.
Ascending Pentatonic Sequence
We’re flipping the script this week with ascending 4s through all five minor pentatonic shapes—a technical challenge that demands precision and control. With trickier picking patterns and more pinky rolls, this routine pushes you to clean up your motion and expand your comfort zone.
Descending Pentatonic Sequence
We’re digging into descending groups of four across the five pentatonic positions—an intense but focused picking workout. It’s all about clean execution, pick slanting, and developing control within familiar shapes.
Extracting Triads and Adding Chromatics
This week’s routine focuses on building key-centered vocabulary, using G major as the foundation. We explore scale sequences, diatonic triads, and chromatic approaches to craft fluid, melodic lines. The goal isn’t speed—it’s control, clarity, and deeper understanding of harmony in motion.
C Major: “Tom Fayle”
This week’s routine continues our work in C major, shifting to a higher position and leaning into legato technique. Starting with a simple idea, the workout quickly evolves into a demanding study in three-note-per-string phrasing, precision, and endurance. It’s not about speed—it’s about timing, tone, and clean execution.
C Major
This week’s routine focuses on phrasing and tone using a simple C major scale. The goal isn’t speed or complexity—it’s playing with intention, control, and musicality. Think of this as a chance to refine your touch and make basic material sound expressive and alive.
Pentatonic Double Stops
This week we’re focusing on double stops in A major pentatonic over an A6 vamp. You’ll break the scale into two-note chunks on adjacent strings—mostly 4ths, with the occasional 3rd for contrast. It’s a simple but musical way to build fretboard fluency and phrasing.
Arpeggio April 3: Eugene’s Trick Bag Pt. 3
This week, we’re tying it all together—every arpeggio from Eugene’s Trick Bag in one full alternate picking workout. No new shapes, no surprises—just refining everything we’ve covered so far and pushing toward fluency and control. Watch your transitions, your tension, your technique. This is the moment where it all starts to click.
Arpeggio April 3: Eugene’s Trick Bag Pt. 2
We’re diving deeper into Eugene’s Trick Bag, focusing on the remaining arpeggios—especially the tricky Dm shape. The goal is to alternate pick everything, no matter how awkward it feels. This is strength training for your picking hand, so resist the urge to sweep. Watch the fingerings, choose what works for you, and keep it consistent. We’re almost there—next week, we tie it all together.
Arpeggio April 3: Eugene’s Trick Bag Pt. 1
We’re tackling the iconic intro arpeggios from Eugene’s Trick Bag—but with strict alternate picking to build precision, consistency, and motion control. Over a six-chord progression (Am–E7–A7–Dm–Bdim7–Am), we’ll explore different fingerings and picking pathways to help internalize both the harmony and the technique.
Arpeggio April 3: Upper Structure Arpeggios
This session explores colorful arpeggio fragments within A13 harmony—starting from each chord tone of A7—to create melodic movement and expand beyond basic shapes. We’ll connect these fragments in three positions and finish with a musical line to lock in the concept.
Arpeggio April 3
This week’s all about building speed and consistency with ascending dominant 7 arpeggios—A7, D7, E7—played at 60, 75, and 90 bpm to train stamina, control, and smooth alternate picking across tempos.
Melodic Minor Magnet
This week kicks off our melodic minor focus, using a 4-note picking sequence across five keys in one position to train fretboard fluency, ear–hand connection, and real-time recall—no tab, no prep, just play.
Picking Marathon Pt. 2
This week continues the alternate picking stamina routine at a slightly slower 80bpm, now shifting to D Dorian to emphasize the ♭3 and reinforce long-term fretboard fluency through repetition and control.
Picking Marathon Pt. 1
This week’s routine targets alternate picking stamina using one sequence mapped across all five D Mixolydian positions—ascending and descending—for a total of 10 exercises that challenge your endurance as much as your accuracy.
Minor + Major Triad Lines
This week we’re breaking minor vamp triad pairs into melodic vocabulary, using Cm and Bb as our core shapes. Starting with warmups and moving through arpeggios, rhythmic groupings, pentatonic integrations, and non-adjacent fingerings, we learn to weave these triads fluidly into real lines—no shifting, no guesswork, just pure fretboard fluency.
Arpeggio Workout 2
These 10 licks build on last week’s cross-picking foundation, blending C, F, and G arpeggios into more fluid, melodic phrases. The focus is rhythmic control and harmonic color—not just running shapes.
A MAJOR Arpeggio Workout
This week shifts our focus from learning to practicing, with 12 arpeggio-based workouts designed to build rhythmic clarity and control. It’s all about deepening your groove, not just adding more information.
The 4 Fundamental 16th Note Rhythms
This rhythmic workout revisits four essential 16th note groupings and applies them to modal scale shapes as a phrasing lab. You’ll sharpen your time feel, improve picking mechanics, and prep your ears for next week’s dive into Lydian.
B-String Bending Workout
This routine hones your string bending technique across all five pentatonic positions, targeting key scale tones with control and expression. You’ll develop phrasing that mimics slide guitar while exploring musical movement through multiple shapes.
Love Gun Solo
This solo study channels Ace Frehley’s lead from Love Gun to sharpen your alternate picking and pentatonic fluency. You’ll work across all five shapes while developing speed, control, and real-world musicality.
Treasure (Bruno Mars)
This lesson blends rhythmic precision with functional harmony, using triads and real-world groove applications to lock into 16th-note time. By the end, you’ll be able to comp through an entire tune with feel, form, and tasteful voicings.
Desire Solo
This routine focuses on rebuilding speed and precision through intense, rhythmically-driven practice using the synced Guitar Pro file. It’s a no-frills, no-excuses session built to push limits, restore confidence, and sharpen your inner pulse.
Accepting Our Shortcomings
This high-energy session hones triplet-based pentatonic licks with a focus on alternate picking, speed, and left-hand precision. Drawing inspiration from Zakk Wylde, the routine blends technical drills with expressive phrasing and wide bends to build endurance and unleash aggressive soloing power.
