Jon Wands Guitar Academy | Complete Guitar Curriculum
This curriculum provides a structured, clear pathway from fundamental technique to advanced musicianship. Grounded in time-tested pedagogy—combining the systematic progress of the Hal Leonard Guitar Method with the comprehensive theory, fretboard mastery, and style exploration of The Complete Guitarist—it ensures every student builds a lifetime foundation in music.
Phase 1: Foundations & Fundamentals
Focus: Instrument mechanics, essential technique, reading music, and basic rhythmic literacy.
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Guitar Basics & Technique: Posture, fretting technique, pick hold, tuning, and instrument anatomy.
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Music Reading & Fretboard Essentials: Standard notation reading across the first position (Strings 1–6), natural notes, sharps, flats, and key signatures.
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Open Chords & Strumming: Fundamental open major, minor, and dominant 7th chords (E, A, D, G, C, Em, Am, Dm, E7, A7, D7, G7).
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Rhythmic Literacy: Quarter, half, whole, eighth notes, rests, dotted rhythms, and common time signatures (4/4, 3/4, 6/8).
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Applied Repertoire: Early folk, blues riffs, classical themes, and popular songs in open position.
Phase 2: Fretboard Navigation & Harmony
Focus: Unlocking the full neck, movable patterns, and core harmonic structures.
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Barre Chords & Movable Shapes: Major and minor movable barre shapes rooted on the 6th (E shape) and 5th (A shape) strings.
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Power Chords & Rock Riffing: Root-5th shapes, palm muting, syncopation, and driving rock rhythm patterns.
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Pentatonic Mastery: Minor and Major Pentatonic Scale patterns across all 5 positions; connecting positions up the neck.
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Theory Basics: Building diatonic major and minor scales, interval structures, and basic chord construction (triads).
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Technique Building: Hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, string bending, and alternating picking efficiency.
Phase 3: Advanced Theory, Styles & Expressive Technique
Focus: Genre-specific techniques, advanced chord voicings, and improvisational fluency.
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Modes & Extended Scales: Major scale modes (Ionian, Dorian, Mixolydian, Aeolian), Natural, Harmonic, and Melodic Minor scales.
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Advanced Harmony: 7th chords (Major 7, Minor 7, Dominant 7, Half-Diminished), extended chords (9ths, 11ths, 13ths), and chord-melody arrangements.
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Style Exploration:
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Rock & Blues: Expressive bending, vibrato, 12-bar turnarounds, and blues phrasing.
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Acoustic & Fingerstyle: Alternating bass lines, Travis picking, and polyphonic classical/acoustic pieces.
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Jazz & Fusion: Voice leading, shell voicings, guide tones, and ii-V-I chord substitutions.
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Ear Training & Sight-Reading: Interval/chord identification by ear, transcribing solos, and higher-position sight-reading.
Phase 4: Artistry, Performance & Mastery
Focus: Personal voice, soloing mechanics, studio preparation, and professional performance.
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Advanced Lead Guitar: Hybrid picking, sweep picking, two-handed tapping, and complex arpeggio sequences.
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Improvisational Mastery: Target notes, modal interchange, altered scales, and playing over chord changes.
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Tone & Equipment: Guitar setup fundamentals, pedalboards, gain staging, tube vs. digital modeling, and tone sculpting.
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Professional Prep: Repertoire building, stage presence, playing with a rhythm section, and studio recording techniques.
Ready to Start Your Journey?
Whether you're picking up the guitar for the first time or looking to break through a plateau, book your lesson today at jonwands.com!