Play guitar like you actually know what you're doing
A five-level, skill-first progression — from your very first chord to lead playing, songwriting, and performing — built on real technique, real theory, and the musical vocabulary that working guitarists actually use.
I won't dumb this down — I'll meet you where you are and raise the bar until you don't recognize how far you've come.— Kirkland R Small
What you'll learn
What you'll be able to do
- Master the complete fretboard — every note, position, scale, and chord shape — so no part of the neck feels unfamiliar
- Read both standard notation and guitar TAB fluently, including advanced techniques like bends, harmonics, and sweep picking
- Play confidently in multiple genres — from fingerstyle folk to electric lead — with solid rhythm, groove, and dynamic expression
- Understand music theory deeply enough to construct chords and scales, navigate the Circle of Fifths, use modes, and improvise over any progression
- Write and arrange original songs with structured verse/chorus/bridge forms, strong hooks, and the ability to record a polished demo
- Perform and communicate musically in live and studio settings — with the technique, tone control, and professional habits of a working guitarist
How it works
A school that adapts to you
This isn't a set of static videos. Every lesson is generated live and tuned to where you actually are.
We learn your level
A quick placement check tailors your starting point so you're never bored or lost.
Lessons adapt as you go
Each lesson is written for your pace and your goal, adjusting as your skills grow.
Your AI coach keeps you moving
Checkpoints, feedback, and gentle nudges turn progress into a real result.
The curriculum
What's inside your school
13 modules · 72 lessons
Meet Your Guitar
Students learn every physical part of the guitar and how the instrument produces sound.
- 1.1Parts of the GuitarIncluded
- 1.2How a Guitar WorksIncluded
- 1.3String Names and FretsIncluded
- 1.4Volume, Tone, and Pickups (Electric)Included
Types of Guitars
Students survey every major guitar family — acoustic, electric, bass, and specialty — and understand when and why each is used.
- 2.1Acoustic GuitarsIncluded
- 2.2Acoustic Guitar Use CasesIncluded
- 2.3Electric GuitarsIncluded
- 2.4Bass GuitarsIncluded
- 2.5Specialty GuitarsIncluded
Accessories
Students learn to choose and use every essential accessory that supports playing, practicing, and performing.
- 3.1Picks, Capos, and SlidesIncluded
- 3.2Tuners and MetronomesIncluded
- 3.3Straps, Stands, and CasesIncluded
- 3.4Strings and String GaugesIncluded
- 3.5Amps, Pedals, Cables, and WirelessIncluded
Guitar Maintenance
Students develop the habits and skills to keep their guitar clean, in tune, and properly set up.
- 4.1Cleaning Your GuitarIncluded
- 4.2Changing and Stretching StringsIncluded
- 4.3Tuning and IntonationIncluded
- 4.4Action, Neck Relief, and HumidityIncluded
- 4.5Storage and Basic RepairsIncluded
Finger Position System
Students master Guitar Academy's signature method — learning the fretboard through systematic finger numbers, positions, and exercises before tackling songs.
- 5.1Finger Numbers and Hand PositionIncluded
- 5.2Fret Positions on the NeckIncluded
- 5.3Chromatic and Spider ExercisesIncluded
- 5.4Stretching, Speed, and CoordinationIncluded
- 5.5Scale Positions and Pentatonic BoxesIncluded
Reading Standard Notation
Students learn to read written music on the treble clef staff, unlocking access to the full library of classical and modern guitar literature.
- 6.1The Staff, Treble Clef, and Ledger LinesIncluded
- 6.2Note Values and Time SignaturesIncluded
- 6.3Key Signatures, Measures, and RepeatsIncluded
- 6.4Dynamics, Articulations, and TempoIncluded
- 6.5Rhythms, Intervals, and Sight-ReadingIncluded
Guitar TAB and Advanced Techniques
Students read TAB fluently and master the full vocabulary of guitar techniques notated within it.
- 7.1TAB Basics — Numbers and StringsIncluded
- 7.2Slides, Hammer-ons, Pull-offs, and TrillsIncluded
- 7.3Bends, Releases, and VibratoIncluded
- 7.4Harmonics — Natural, Artificial, and PinchIncluded
- 7.5Palm Muting, Dead Notes, and Ghost NotesIncluded
- 7.6Tapping, Sweep Picking, and Hybrid PickingIncluded
- 7.7Fingerstyle TechniqueIncluded
Chords
Students build a complete chord vocabulary — from first open chords to barre chords, advanced voicings, and voice leading.
- 8.1Open Chords and Power ChordsIncluded
- 8.2Barre Chords — E and A ShapeIncluded
- 8.37th Chords — Major 7, Minor 7, Dominant 7Included
- 8.4Diminished, Augmented, and Suspended ChordsIncluded
- 8.5Slash Chords and Chord InversionsIncluded
- 8.6Triads Across the NeckIncluded
- 8.7Voice Leading and Chord EmbellishmentsIncluded
Music Theory
Students develop the theoretical vocabulary to understand, construct, and communicate everything they hear and play.
- 9.1Notes, Scales, and the Major Scale FormulaIncluded
- 9.2IntervalsIncluded
- 9.3The Circle of FifthsIncluded
- 9.4Chord Construction and Roman NumeralsIncluded
- 9.5ModesIncluded
- 9.6Harmony, Melody, and CounterpointIncluded
- 9.7Cadences, Progressions, and Ear TrainingIncluded
- 9.8Transposition and Improvisation FoundationsIncluded
Rhythm
Students develop deep rhythmic feel, groove, and timing across straight, swing, and complex time feels.
- 10.1Time, Groove, and SubdivisionIncluded
- 10.2Syncopation, Swing, and ShuffleIncluded
- 10.3Odd Time Signatures and PolyrhythmsIncluded
- 10.4Metronome TrainingIncluded
- 10.5Playing with DrumsIncluded
Lead Guitar
Students develop a complete lead playing vocabulary — from foundational phrasing to advanced speed, tone, and expressive technique.
- 11.1Phrasing and LicksIncluded
- 11.2Scales for Lead PlayingIncluded
- 11.3Call and Response and DynamicsIncluded
- 11.4Speed Building and LegatoIncluded
- 11.5Bending, Vibrato, and ToneIncluded
- 11.6Improvisation and ExpressionIncluded
Rhythm Guitar
Students master the rhythmic and chordal role of the guitarist — from solid strumming to percussive and fingerstyle accompaniment.
- 12.1Strumming Patterns and TechniqueIncluded
- 12.2Fingerstyle AccompanimentIncluded
- 12.3Palm Muting and Muted GroovesIncluded
- 12.4Percussive GuitarIncluded
- 12.5Chord Embellishments and AccompanimentIncluded
Songwriting
Students write, arrange, and demo original songs with structured forms, compelling hooks, and professional presentation.
- 13.1Chord Progressions and Song StructureIncluded
- 13.2Hooks and MelodiesIncluded
- 13.3Lyric WritingIncluded
- 13.4Arranging for GuitarIncluded
- 13.5Recording DemosIncluded
Who it's for
Is this you?
The True Beginner
You've just picked up your first guitar and need a structured, confidence-building path that starts from scratch — gear, technique, and all.
The Frustrated Intermediate
You know some chords and songs but feel stuck; the theory, barre chords, and lead playing sections will finally break your plateau.
The Aspiring Songwriter
You have musical ideas but lack the theory and arrangement skills to shape them — the songwriting, harmony, and chord construction modules will change that.
The Self-Taught Tab-Chaser
You can follow tabs but don't really understand what you're playing; this school replaces guesswork with genuine fretboard knowledge and music theory.
The Returning Player
You played years ago, remember bits and pieces, and want a rigorous reset that fills the gaps and takes you further than you ever got before.
The Gear-Curious Tinkerer
You love the instrument itself — the setup, the gear, the tone — and want to understand acoustics, electronics, maintenance, and technique all in one place.
Questions
Frequently asked
Your teacher
A note from your teacher
Kirkland R Small
I know exactly where you are right now.
Maybe you just picked up your first guitar and you're staring at the fretboard wondering how anyone ever makes sense of all those notes. Or maybe you've been playing for a while — you know a handful of chords, you can stumble through a few songs — but every time you try to push further, you hit a wall. You don't know why a chord works, only that it does. You've watched a hundred YouTube videos and each one sends you in a different direction. You're busy learning songs, but you're not sure you're learning guitar.
That gap between "playing" and truly knowing your instrument — that's what Guitar Academy exists to close.
I built this school because I believe every guitarist deserves the kind of education that used to require years of private lessons and a lot of luck finding the right teacher. The kind where someone explains not just what to play, but why — where technique drills connect to real music, where theory isn't a chore but a superpower, and where every skill you build makes everything else click faster. From the very first lesson on how a guitar physically works and how to map the fretboard, to advanced lead phrasing, modal improvisation, and recording your own original songs, every step in this curriculum was designed to build on the last.
You're going to use real musical vocabulary here — from day one. Terms like intervals, voice leading, modes, and counterpoint won't be scary. They'll be tools. And I'll always connect every concept back to what matters most: the music you want to make. Whether that's fingerstyle folk, hard rock lead playing, singer-songwriter material, or something entirely your own, the same deep foundation of technique and theory will serve you in every direction.
I won't dumb this down for you. I don't believe in that. I believe you're more capable than most guitar instruction gives you credit for, and I'm going to meet you at that level — encouraging every small win, celebrating every breakthrough, and holding the technical bar high enough that when you reach it, you'll know you've earned it.
If you're ready to stop going in circles and start building something real, I'm glad you're here. Let's get to work.
— Kirkland R Small
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- 13 modules, 72 lessons
- AI-adaptive lessons tuned to your level
- Quizzes & checkpoints to lock in progress
- Your own AI learning coach
- Learn on any device, at your pace
- Full access for as long as you're subscribed