Beginner Guitar Academy

In the first episode of Become a Better Rhythm Guitarist, I explain how reading rhythm can make you a better guitarist even if you learn most of your songs by ear. A little rhythm reading can help you work out unfamiliar parts, hear exactly where your timing goes wrong, and keep a steady beat through held notes and rests.

In this episode

• What guitar tab tells you about timing and when you’ll need to listen to the recording
• How counting aloud can help you spot why a chord change feels early or late
• Which note values to learn first and how to count through a rest
• A two-bar clap-along you can try without a guitar

Your five-minute practice challenge

Pick one bar with the rhythm written out. Count the beats aloud, clap the rhythm, then play it on one string or one chord. Compare it with the recording, or record yourself and listen back. If you need a rhythm to start with, try two quarter notes followed by a half note. Play on beats one, two and three, and let that last note ring through beat four.

Next week, I’ll show you how the same chords can take on a different feel in blues, country, pop and rock in A Bluffer’s Guide to Rhythm Guitar.

Does pressing record suddenly make your guitar playing feel harder? And when you listen back, do you only notice the mistakes?

In the final episode of Songs, Start to Finish, Paul explains how to use a simple recording to recognise your progress and decide what to practise next.

Whether you’re ready to record a complete song or still connecting a few sections, you’ll learn how to make a useful recording, listen constructively and turn what you hear into a clear practice task.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to record your playing with a simple phone setup.
• Why choosing a familiar arrangement and tempo helps.
• How to continue through small mistakes without endlessly restarting.
• What to listen for on your first and second listen.
• A three-line review to guide your next practice session.
• How to compare recordings fairly and notice improvements.
• How to keep developing your song and build a repertoire.

Your challenge this week

Record your chosen version of your October song. Aim for a complete play-through if you’re ready, or record the longest connected passage you can currently manage.

Listen once for the overall flow, then again for one priority. Write down:

1. One thing that worked.
2. One thing to improve.
3. One specific action for your next practice session.

Save the recording so you can return to it and hear how your playing develops.

For BGA members: Which song did you choose, what can you do now that you couldn’t do at the beginning, and what is your next step? Share your update in the forum. Recordings are welcome, and a written update is equally useful.

Catch up on Songs, Start to Finish

• 306: Choose a song and arrangement you can realistically complete.
• 307: Map the song’s structure so you know what comes next.
• 308: Keep the song moving through difficult chord changes.
• 309: Connect the sections into a complete play-through.
• 310: Record, review and choose your next step.

Find out more about structured guitar lessons and feedback at Beginner Guitar Academy.

In part four of Songs, Start to Finish, Paul explains how to connect the sections you’ve learnt and work towards one complete play-through.

Through practical guitar demonstrations, you’ll discover how to practise across section boundaries, build longer passages and prepare a clear beginning and ending. You’ll also learn how to review a full attempt and choose a useful next step.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why transitions need practice, even when you know both sections.
• How your song map can help you prepare for what comes next.
• A simple exercise using the last bars of one section and the first bars of the next.
• How to build a short transition into a longer, continuous passage.
• Why practising from different starting points helps the whole song.
• How to prepare your count-in, entry point and ending.
• How to attempt a full play-through and learn from what happens.

Your challenge this week

Choose one join in your October song:

1. Take a short passage that starts before the transition and continues into the next section.
2. Practise it at a comfortable tempo with a manageable rhythm.
3. Extend the passage until you can play both sections together.
4. Check that your arrangement has a clear beginning and ending.
5. When you’re ready, attempt a complete play-through.

Afterwards, note what worked, where the flow broke and one thing to practise next. A simple version at a comfortable speed is a worthwhile milestone.

For BGA members: Which two sections are you working on joining, and what happens when you try to connect them? Share your experience in the forum—and let us know if you’ve completed your first full play-through.

Coming next: In the final episode of the series, we’ll explore recording your song, listening back constructively and deciding what to improve next.

Find out more about structured guitar lessons at Beginner Guitar Academy.

Do you stop strumming every time a difficult chord comes along?

In part three of Songs, Start to Finish, Paul shares practical ways to keep your song moving while you improve your chord changes.

You’ll learn how to choose a manageable tempo, simplify your strumming and practise the movement that causes the hesitation. Through guitar demonstrations, Paul also explains how to recover after a missed chord without losing your place.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to identify what makes you pause during a song.
• How simpler strumming gives you time to prepare the next chord.
• The difference between a planned gap and an unplanned pause.
• How to practise a difficult change, then put it back into the song.
• How to recover from mistakes while keeping track of the beat.
• How to build up your rhythm without increasing every difficulty at once.

Your challenge this week

Choose one section of your song where chord changes interrupt the flow:

1. Identify the particular change that needs work.
2. Spend a few minutes practising the movement carefully.
3. Choose a comfortable tempo and a simpler rhythm.
4. Play the section through, keeping the chord changes in their correct places.
5. Note one improvement or one useful next step.

Give yourself time for both careful chord practice and short play-throughs where you practise continuing through small mistakes.

For BGA members: Which chord change interrupts your song, and what simpler rhythm are you using while you work on it? Share your answer in the forum.

Coming next: How to connect your verses, choruses and other sections into one complete play-through.

Find out more about structured guitar lessons at Beginner Guitar Academy.

Do you know the chords to a song but lose your place when you try to play it all the way through?

In part two of our Songs, Start to Finish series, Paul explains how to create a simple song map so you know where you are and what comes next.

You’ll learn how to identify the sections, keep track of repeats and use listening cues to follow your chosen arrangement from the intro to the ending. With a practical guitar demonstration, Paul shows why knowing the chord sequence is only part of learning a complete song.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to recognise verses, choruses, bridges and instrumental sections.
• A three-listen process for building your song map.
• How to count bars and repeats without assuming one chord equals one bar.
• How starting chords and musical cues can help you stay on track.
• Why verses and choruses can sound different even when they use the same chords.
• How to use your map to identify what needs practice next.

Your challenge this week

Create a simple map of the song you’ve chosen for October:

1. Listen to your chosen version from beginning to end.
2. Write the sections in order, including the intro, instrumental passages and ending.
3. Add useful reminders: starting chords, section lengths, repeats or listening cues.
4. Follow your map while the recording plays.
5. If you’re ready, try adding a simple accompaniment.

You can start by listening and pointing to each section. Following the whole arrangement is a useful step towards playing it.

If you’re a Beginner Guitar Academy member, share one thing you discovered about your song in the forum.

Coming next: How to keep your song going when chord changes are difficult, using a rhythm you can maintain.

Find out more about structured guitar lessons at Beginner Guitar Academy.

Can you play a few chords and riffs, but struggle to get through a whole song?

This episode kicks off Songs, Start to Finish, our October series helping you work towards a complete song play-through. We’re starting with a decision that can make everything else easier: choosing a song and arrangement that suit your current ability.

Paul explains how to find a song you enjoy, check for unexpected challenges, and decide exactly what you’ll play from beginning to end. Whether you’re strumming chords, playing along with a backing track or learning a simple instrumental arrangement, you can choose a version that gives you a realistic goal.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What counts as playing a complete song.
• Why songs often stay unfinished.
• Four questions to help you choose a suitable song.
• How simpler strumming and a comfortable tempo can help you get started.
• How to plan for difficult sections, including solos and unfamiliar chords.
• How to fit your chosen song alongside your regular practice.

Your challenge this week

Choose one song for October, listen to it all the way through, and write down:

1. The song title and artist.
2. The version or guitar part you’ll play.
3. The chords or skills you already have.
4. The section that will need the most work.
5. Your first small action.

If you’re a Beginner Guitar Academy member, share your choice in the forum so we can follow your progress together.

Coming next: Learn how to map your song’s intro, verses, choruses and ending so you know what comes next.

Find out more about structured guitar lessons at Beginner Guitar Academy.

Are you becoming a better guitarist, or just getting better at noticing your mistakes?

Guitar progress usually happens so gradually that it can be difficult to see. While you’re focused on the chord you still can’t change cleanly or the song you haven’t finished, it’s easy to overlook everything that has already improved.

In this episode, we explore the signs of progress that beginner guitarists often miss, and why feeling more aware of your mistakes may actually mean that your musical ear is developing.

You’ll discover:

• Why guitar progress can be difficult to recognise
• How improving can sometimes make you feel worse about your playing
• Why faster doesn’t always mean better
• The difference between playing something once and playing it reliably
• Why recovering from mistakes is an important musical skill
• How reduced mental effort shows that a skill is becoming automatic
• Why learning new material more quickly is evidence of progress
• How returning to older songs and exercises reveals how far you’ve come
• Three useful ways to measure progress: numbers, recordings and experience
• What to do when your playing reaches a plateau

Complete these three steps:

1. Revisit a song, riff, chord progression or exercise you were learning a few months ago and notice what feels easier now.
2. Find an old recording, practice entry or course milestone and compare it with where you are today.
3. Write down three specific pieces of evidence that your playing has improved.

Your improvements don’t need to be dramatic. Cleaner chords, steadier rhythm, greater confidence, more consistent practice or recovering from a mistake without stopping all count.

Then ask yourself:

What can you do on the guitar now that you couldn’t do three months ago?

This episode concludes September’s Build Momentum series:

• Begin again without trying to catch up
• Build a routine that doesn’t depend on motivation
• Choose the right practice priority
• Recognise the progress your work is producing

If you’d like a structured path, unlimited teacher support and a community of adult guitarists learning alongside you, join Beginner Guitar Academy.

You’ll also receive access to the BGA Practice Studio, where you can create focused sessions, set goals and build a record of your guitar journey.

Start your 14-day trial for just $1:

https://www.beginnerguitaracademy.com

If you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast and share it with another guitarist who may be overlooking how much progress they’ve already made.

When you sit down with your guitar, having too many options can make practice harder, not easier.

In this episode, Paul Andrews shares a simple way to choose what deserves your attention right now, so your practice sessions become more focused and productive.

• Why more lessons, exercises, and guitar information can create confusion
• How to start with your current goal
• How to identify the bottleneck holding back your playing
• Why smaller practice actions lead to clearer progress
• How to isolate difficult chord changes, rhythm patterns, transitions, and tempo increases
• The three parts of a useful practice session: progress, maintain, and play
• Why balance should be considered across weeks and months, not forced into every session
• How long to keep working on the same priority
• How to avoid constantly switching to new riffs, songs, and exercises
• What to do when you don’t yet have a clear guitar goal

Use these questions to decide what to practice:

1. What am I trying to achieve?
2. What is stopping me from doing it?
3. What is the smallest action that would improve it?

Instead of choosing a broad goal such as “get better at guitar,” identify a specific action, such as changing from G to C four times without pausing.

A balanced session can include:

• Progress: Work on your current bottleneck with your greatest concentration.
• Maintain: Revisit skills and material you already know so you don’t lose them.
• Play: Make music by playing a song, revisiting a riff, or improvising over a backing track.

For a 20-minute session, you might spend 10 minutes on progress, 5 minutes on maintenance, and 5 minutes playing. The exact timings can change, but each section should have a clear purpose.

Choose one practice priority and write down your answers to the three questions. Give that small action focused attention during each practice session this week.

Your priority could be:

• Changing between two chords smoothly
• Playing a rhythm consistently with a metronome
• Learning four bars of a song
• Working through a difficult exercise
• Playing a song from beginning to end without stopping

Keep it specific enough that you know exactly what to do when you pick up the guitar.

Beginner Guitar Academy provides a five-level curriculum covering seven essential guitar skills: picking, chords, arpeggios, scales, rhythm, notes, and ear training.

Members also receive focused exercises, songs, progress checks, assessments, unlimited teacher support from Paul Andrews, and access to the Practice Studio.

Join for a $1 two-week trial at beginnerguitaracademy.com.

Motivation can get you excited about playing guitar, but it’s too unreliable to build your progress around. In this episode, Paul Andrews explains how to create a realistic guitar routine that keeps you moving forward, even when life gets busy.

• Why waiting to feel motivated can hold back your guitar playing
• How small actions create momentum and motivation
• What consistency realistically looks like for adult guitarists
• How to build a practice routine around your actual week
• Using reliable anchors, such as after breakfast or after dinner
• Why keeping your guitar visible and ready to play reduces friction
• The three types of practice sessions:
• Minimum session
• Target session
• Bonus session
• How to recover quickly after missing a practice session
• Why showing up matters before measuring visible improvement
• How to adjust your routine when it stops working

Create your own:

1. Minimum session for difficult or busy days
2. Target session for a normal day
3. Bonus session for days with extra time and energy
4. Reliable anchor for when you’ll play guitar

Use your plan for the next seven days. You don’t need to practice every day or complete the target session every time. If you miss a session, return to the plan the next day without trying to catch up.

• Minimum: Five minutes working on one chord change
• Target: Twenty minutes split into four five-minute sections
• Bonus: Play through several songs you’ve learned
• Anchor: After dinner or before watching TV

Get a step-by-step curriculum across five levels, lessons covering seven essential guitar skills, songs, workshops, teacher support, a community of adult guitarists, and access to the Beginner Guitar Academy Practice Studio.

Start your two-week trial for $1 at beginnerguitaracademy.com.

Taking a break from guitar doesn’t mean you’ve failed. The hardest part is often starting again, especially when you feel like you need to catch up on everything you missed.

In this episode, Paul explains how to restart without creating unnecessary pressure. You’ll learn how to reconnect with the guitar, assess what feels rusty, and choose one small action you can repeat over the next seven days.

• Why you don’t need to catch up on missed practice
• How to avoid judging your playing during the first few minutes back
• Why large, ambitious practice plans often fall apart
• How small actions create momentum
• The three-step guitar reset:

1. Reconnect with the guitar
2. Take stock of where you are
3. Choose one repeatable action

• Why missing a day doesn’t mean you have to start over
• How to make guitar feel normal again after a break

Choose one guitar activity that takes five minutes or less. Complete it once today, then return to it as often as you can over the next seven days.

You could:

• Practice a G-to-C chord change
• Play the opening riff to a song you enjoy
• Work through one short exercise
• Play something familiar for five minutes
• Complete one short session in Practice Studio

Keep the target small. Don’t add extra exercises or try to make up for missed sessions. The goal is to make picking up the guitar easy and repeatable.

“Forget about catching up, just pick up a guitar, play something familiar, notice where you are today, choose one small action you can repeat, and that is how momentum begins.”

Beginner Guitar Academy provides a clear path through the seven essential guitar skills, while Practice Studio helps you turn that path into focused practice sessions, record what you’ve done, and see your progress over time.

Visit beginningguitaracademy.com to try the 14-day, $1 trial.