Generate Your Personalized Guitar Success Plan - Real Guitar Lessons by Tomas Michaud

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At the end of your quiz, a personalized guitar success plan tailor-made for you will be generated. Enjoy my free gift for you!

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This quick exercise will help reveal your current guitar playing strengths and areas you can focus on and improve next.
- This takes about five minutes.
- Just answer each question in turn.
At the end you will be presented with your completed checklist and personal action plan.

So, before we begin one background question…
Do you have a guitar yet?
- Yes
- No
What type of guitar do you have?
- Acoustic/Steel String
- Nylon String/Classical
- Solid Body Electric
- Acoustic Electric
How would you describe where you’re at with guitar?
- Newbie - ready to go
- Beginner 1 - started recently
- Beginner 2 - less than a year
- Feeling Stuck - Learning for awhile but hit a roadblock
- Pro - wanting to improve specific skills

Okay! We're going to go through a number of guitar playing skills. For each one, select if you can already do it and if it's a skill you want to have. If you're not interested in that skill, just leave it blank.
Play basic guitar chords
- I can do this
- I want to do this
Finger and easily use the open chords on guitar like D, G, C, A, E, etc.
Basic chords are the foundation of playing guitar regardless of what style of music you want to play. It's important to be able to finger the chords so they sound clear without buzzing or muted notes. Many students start by learning a few chords and then apply them to songs. This is a good way to get started, but if you're not careful there's one clear drawback. By learning songs you’re dividing your attention in many different directions… melody, lyrics, strumming, etc. It's difficult to solve issues with the chords unless you narrow down your focus. Recommendation: You'll want to learn both the fingering AND how to use the chords. A good place to start is at Basic Guitar Chords | The 3 First Chords to Learn
Change chords in time
- I can do this
- I want to do this
Changing chords from one to the other smoothly without stopping or slowing down
Fingering chords accurately is important, but equally important is being able to change from one chord to the other in time.This is a stumbling block for many students and is likely the biggest issue I see with self-taught beginners in my music school. One of the problems is that when you get accustomed to slowing down to change chords it's a difficult habit to break. Sometimes it's even difficult to detect because it begins to sound normal. To avoid this problem I have students practice chords in groups called common chord patterns. This way they learn the chords in a way that they’re often used in popular music. It's also helpful to practice with a timekeeping device like a metronome or drum machine. Sometimes it's difficult to detect changes in rhythm unless there's something to measure against. The key is to start slow and play in time… Then speed up little by little. Additional Recommendation: changing chords quickly and smoothly.
Clean sounding chords
- I can do this
- I want to do this
It's common when learning chords that some of the strings will either buzz or be muted out. Nothing takes the place of practice and experience, but here are a few tips to help… 1) Try to place your finger as close to the fret as possible without putting it on top. If the finger is too far back the string will tend to buzz against the fret. If it's on top of the fret it will sound muted. 2) It helps to have a good arc in your fingers when forming chords. I'm talking about going up and straight down on the fretboard. This will allow you to put enough pressure on the string without straining. 3) Practice placing your fingers on the guitar in the form of a chord, strum the chords and see how it sounds, then adjust your fingers and see what it takes to improve the sound. After about 10 seconds of doing this take your fingers off and start again. Do this a little each day and you'll see the sound begin to improve. Additional Recommendation: Here’s some more help: Real Secret To Playing Chords Effortlessly Without Muting Strings
Play bar chords
- I can do this
- I want to do this
Bar chords are the single biggest hurdle for beginning guitar players. Being able to play bar (or Barre) chords is a milestone that opens up a whole new world of playing guitar possibilities. Unfortunately for many, it’s a painful experience. Some even choose to just avoid playing bar chords, missing out on the whole bunch of guitar playing fun. Though it might seem that bar chords are difficult, in reality, it's the haphazard approach that makes it difficult. By preparing properly and practicing systematically you’ll find playing bar chords to be fairly painless. Recommendation: Here’s help to making bar chords easy along with some tips on how to place the fingers properly… this will save you a lot of time and frustration: Barre Chords | The Ultimate Guide
Tuning my guitar
- I can do this
- I want to do this
If a guitar needs to be tuned before playing, you can do this by ear or with an electronic tuner.
There are several methods I teach students to tune the guitar depending on the situation. The most common is to use an electronic tuner. Nowadays they’re easy to use, accurate and affordable. I also teach how to tune by ear so when you find yourself without a tuner you can still tune the guitar to itself. Recommendation: I’ve created a video that shows several different methods: How to Tune Your Guitar

Reading music notation
- I can do this
- I want to do this
- Not interested
You can read traditional music notation (notes) and play from sheet music.
Among the many questions beginning guitar students ask, this is the one I get often: “Do I need to learn how to read guitar notes?” Some might think it’s obvious that if you want to play an instrument that you must read music. Others point to the many rock guitarists that apparently don’t read a note and question if they should waste their time with following little dots on paper. The truth is, you don’t have to read music to play guitar. In fact, many well-known guitarists don’t read traditional notes. But… and you knew there was a “but”… there are some clear advantages, and it’s really not that difficult or mystical as it might initially appear on the surface. To learn more and access a free Guitar Note Chart go here: Guitar Notes: Best Method And Free Guitar Notes Chart
Understand guitar theory
- I can do this
- I want to do this
- Not interested
You know and understand the basic concepts of how music works and why certain notes and rhythms sound better than others.
Guitar theory should be learned little by little as part of a balanced program for learning to play guitar. This includes learning the terminology that will allow you to talk to other music players. By understanding some of the mechanics of how music works and the language involved you will gain a sense of confidence that the uninitiated long for. To make the most of your effort follow these guidelines: 1) Learn in small bites. Absorb and apply what you learn. This will help you connect it to the guitar and playing music. 2) Study in the correct order. Start with intervals, then learn how to apply this knowledge to chords and scales. 3). Using your ears is essential. Don’t settle for intellectual understanding only. Learn to identify the sound of intervals, chords, and scales. 4) Make time to let go of thinking about music theory and just play from your heart. No amount of intellectual knowledge can replace inspiration. Recommendation: Guitar Theory That Doesn’t Suck
Jamming with other musicians
- I can do this
- I want to do this
- Not interested
When a group of musicians are informally playing live together you can join them confidently.
Jamming with other musicians can be a lot of fun and is a great way to get better. You end up playing longer with others and you’ll learn new things from them at the same time. It also can be scary. The easiest way to get started jamming is to have one person play rhythm guitar using chords and have another person playing the lead (or melody) guitar. If you happen to have a drummer to keep the beat all the better, but not necessary. Recommendation: Real Guitar Live #41 | Q & A Session | Improvisation.
Performing confidently live
- I can do this
- I want to do this
- Not interested
You can perform a piece you've learned in front of a live audience.
I’m naturally on the introverted side and playing in front of others used to be really difficult. Over the years I've learned how to work with this to the point where I enjoy performing. I still feel nervous, but it's a nervous energy that actually makes it more exciting instead of being debilitating. Here are the two main things I’ve discovered: 1) Be prepared. I used to practice until I felt I was almost there and then assume I'd work it out on the fly. Not! Practice the material until you can play it by yourself easily. Then practice it some more. 2) To deal with the actual fear of performing in front of others there's really only one thing that works. Psychologists call it systematic desensitization. That’s a fancy word for doing it over and over. Start small, with one or two people and play something easy. Then push your comfort zone little by little. Keep looking for opportunities to play for others. Recommendation: Performing Live With Confidence And Reducing Performance Anxiety.
Creating my own music
- I can do this
- I want to do this
- Not interested
You can write songs or compose music to express your own musical ideas.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of music is creating your own. It can, however, seem sort of daunting. There is no one right way to create music, but here are some tips that can help you get started: 1) Listen to music with the intention of getting ideas on what you like and don't like. 2) Learn the basics of music… Especially common chord patterns. Much of popular music is created using common patterns and if you can play these patterns as a starting point to create your own music. 3) Experiment and make up short chord progressions and melodic phrases that sound good to you. Record these on a recording device such as your mobile phone. 4) When you've collected enough recordings take time to listen to your recordings and see if any of them can fit together. It's common practice for both writers and composers to collect bits and pieces and then combine them together into larger works. 5) When combining bits and pieces try to think about what would sound good as a verse and what would some good as a chorus. The chorus should repeat regularly and stay pretty much the same. The verse can vary more. This form is commonly called ABAB. Try to organize your music this way to give it a sense of structure. There are other structures but it's good to start with a simple one. 6) If creating your own music is important to you this is something you’ll want to work at a little every day along with practicing the mechanics of playing the guitar and learning music fundamentals.
Improvising a solo
- I can do this
- I want to do this
- Not interested
You can make up a short original melody on the spot, to match a piece of music.
My favorite part of performing is exploring different notes while expressing myself through improvisation. I love when I can travel off the “beaten path”. Improvisation may seem mystical witnessing it in the moment. I can assure you it’s not. The best way to get started is to first learn and practice a scale. If you're just getting started I recommend the A minor pentatonic scale. This is a common scale to use for rock and blues music. First practice the basic scale in one position on the guitar. Then practice different variations or exercises derived from the scale so that you can start and stop at different places within the scale. At the same time practice playing some licks that are composed of notes from this scale. Licks are short little phrases that you can practice ahead of time. When you practice the phrase enough you’ll be able to play it with ease. Start with three or four fairly easy licks. You can always add to your “repertoire” as you progress. Now the fun part. Play along with chord changes. You can create your own by recording yourself playing chords and then playing it back while you practice improvising. There are also many pre-recorded backing tracks that you can use online. Make sure the chord changes are in the same key as your scale and licks...in this case A. You can also practice by playing with another guitar player. One guitar player plays the chords while the other practices improvising. Then you switch roles so everyone gets a chance. Do this a little bit every day either with backing tracks or with another guitar player. As time goes on you can add to your "lick" repertoire, learn new scales and practice over different chord progressions. As you progress you'll be able to listen to guitar solos that you like and borrow licks and phrases to add to your own playing. Recommendation: How to Improvise a Solo With The A minor Pentatonic Scale (with free backing track)

Strum and sing at the same time
- I can do this
- I want to do this
- Not interested
You can strum chords and sing along without fumbling or losing your place.
When you watch someone who's been playing and singing for years it looks as if it's as easy as walking down the street. But when you try it you realize it's not as easy as it looks. It reminds me of patting my head and rubbing my tummy at the same time. The key is to get one of the actions going without having to think about it too much. For some who are more experienced at singing it's easiest to focus on the guitar and let the singing take care of itself. For most, however, it's best to practice the guitar chords separately until it becomes fairly automatic... Then add the singing. Here’s a step-by-step approach to getting started playing and singing at the same time. 1) Chose a song that uses only two or three chords and that you know. 2) Strum the chords to the song straight down just to keep time. 3) Now “sing” the melody using syllables such as “la, la, la”. Listen carefully to where the chords change with the melody. 4) When this seems reasonably comfortable replace the “la, la, la” with the lyrics of the song. Don’t try to add embellishments or style to the vocal part yet. Just sing the melody as clearly as possible. 5) Now replace the straight down strums with a strumming pattern. Do this by practicing the strumming pattern with the chords first, then adding it to the song. 6) Finally work to add style to the vocal part to make it sound more musical... keeping in mind that sometimes less is more. One of the best things you can do when learning guitar is to learn a few common chord patterns and practice them until you can play them automatically... without thinking. Then when choosing songs look for ones that are composed of those chord patterns. Recommendation: Easy Method To Sing and Play Guitar
Play fingerpicking patterns
- I can do this
- I want to do this
- Not interested
You can play a number of fingerpicking patterns to accompany songs.
Many songs lend themselves well to fingerpicking as opposed to strumming. Being able to play even a handful of fingerpicking patterns will add a tremendous amount of variety to your guitar playing. When learning your first fingerpicking patterns it's important to learn good basic technique. You’ll be creating habits that will allow you to play easily and effortlessly. Start with a basic pattern. Place your thumb on the bass note and one finger on each note of the chord. If you start with a C chord, for example, you would place your thumb on the 5th string, your first finger on the 4th string, your 3rd finger on the 3rd string, and your 3rd finger on the 2nd string. Now press the thumb down to sound the bass note. Pull each finger into the palm, starting with the first finger, until you’ve played all four notes. Once you can do this evenly try moving to another chord. A good exercise would be to go from the C chord to the G chord. Go slow and try to get the notes as even as possible. You'll likely find it most difficult to stay even when 1) placing your fingers back on the strings, and 2) changing chords. In the beginning, you'll need to work on the right-hand first and get comfortable with the motion of plucking the strings and replacing the fingers. Little by little, with practice, it will become one fluid motion. Be patient with yourself… but persistent. Keep coming back at it a little bit each day. Check-in with your right hand regularly to make sure you're staying relaxed. Stop and shake out your hand if you need to... then start up again. Recommendation: Essential Fingerpicking Accompaniment Patterns for Guitar
Play solo fingerstyle guitar
- I can do this
- I want to do this
- Not interested
You can play songs using your fingers that include both the chords and melody… sounding like a complete song without singing.
There are many different approaches to learning to play fingerstyle guitar. The classical approach is typically to learn a single-note melody, then add harmonies with your thumb. The pop approach is to start with chords, then add fingerpicking parts for the melody. To get started, learn some basic fingerpicking patterns using basic chords. Start with simple songs with simple chords. And over time you will develop an ear for hearing how the melodies interact with the chords. Here’s an order for playing a solo fingerstyle song that has worked for many students: 1) Chose a simple 2 or 3 chord song with a melody you know. 2) Play the melody by itself. 3) Play the chords in a simple strumming pattern. 4) Play the chords on the “long” notes only (1.5 beats and longer). 5) Play the chord on the first beat of each measure. 6) Put the melody note inside of the chord if it’s not already in there. Recommendation: In this lesson, I use the song "Happy Birthday" to demonstrate how to arrange a song for fingerstyle guitar. Happy Birthday Fingerstyle Solo
Use jazzy chords
- I can do this
- I want to do this
- Not interested
You can play more elaborate or “extended” chords and use them effectively in songs and chord progressions (such as Cmaj9, D7#9, Am7b5…)
It can be a lot of fun to learn new chords. I think of it as learning a new vocabulary. I encourage you to make learning new guitar chords a regular part of your learning program. What I call "jazzy chords" are chords that use more extensions than most standard folk or pop/rock guitar chords. They often have more dissonance (or tension) built into them. They have names like Dm9, G7(#5), FMaj7, A13(b9), and so on. Of course, there's not a clear line drawn in the sand. I often find I can use extended or “jazzy chords” in other styles of music to add a little spice. The real key to learning new jazz guitar chords is to practice them in some type of progression that makes sense. In the same way that it's important to use new words you learn in a sentence, these progressions can be used to strengthen your command of the chords. Recommendation: Jazz Guitar Chords Progression #1
Playing from a written Song Sheet
- I can do this
- I want to do this
- Not interested
You can perform a song using just the simplified "lead sheet" or "chord chart".
To take full advantage of sheet music would require learning how to read music. However you can use many aspects of lead sheets to help play songs on guitar without actually “reading” the notes. The most common way a guitarist uses sheet music is as a chord chart. This means that you are following the chords and supply the appropriate guitar strumming pattern. This does generally require that you know the song well enough to be able to figure out an appropriate strumming pattern and to know if what you're playing sounds right. When I use sheet music this way I'm just using the chord symbols as a guide and using my ears to hear where the chords fit with the melody. If you want to play the melody of the song on guitar you will either need to learn to read standard music notation (recommended) or find music that has the guitar tablature written out underneath the standard notation. Recommendation: You’ll find step-by-step instructions and a free download here: How To Read Sheet Music For Guitar
Playing songs by ear
- I can do this
- I want to do this
- Not interested
You can hear a sequence of chords and play them back on your instrument without needing written music.
Being able to listen to a song and play the chords and melody is a very valuable skill. It is, however, a skill that most people will need to develop over a period of time and with practice. The best thing you can do is to learn Common Chord Patterns. It’s much easier to hear a pattern than to distinguish an individual chord. Most popular music is either based on a common pattern or at least uses a pattern somewhere in the song. By practicing the chord patterns, over time, you’ll be able to recognize them in songs. Here are some tips that will help you to develop the skill of playing songs by ear: 1) Start with simple songs. This is a skill that you'll have to develop. I recommend simple folk songs or children's songs for practice. 2) Listen for the movement from one chord to another. See if you can identify a common chord pattern. 3) Some find it easiest to identify chords from the bass notes. Try listening to the bassline and play it on your guitar. Then for each bass note identify by ear what type of chord uses that note in the bass. 4) Some find it easier to work from the melody. Try humming along with the melody and then play it on your guitar. From there experiment with chords that fit with the melody, going back and forth with the song to see if it sounds right. 5) I actually use a combination of the two. I go back and forth between the bass line and the melody. 6) If I get stuck I resort to a web search to see if someone has written out the chords. Even though a lot of stuff on the web is not accurate it might help me find that one chord that I can't seem to get. Recommendation: Common Chord Patterns.

One last quick question.
Roughly how old are you?
- teenager
- in my 20’s
- in my 30’s
- 40-60
- Over 60

Hi. I’m Tomas. What’s your name?
My name is:

Where should we send your completed checklist and action plan?
Email

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