Intermediate Electric Guitar
14 lessons. Bridge from open chords to playing across the neck.
You finished the Beginner track or you can already play a 12-bar blues solo. This track teaches barre chords, the CAGED system, 7th chord vocabulary, hammer-ons and pull-offs, slides, all five pentatonic shapes, plus Mixolydian and Dorian modes. By lesson 14 the entire neck is open territory.
Welcome back, the intermediate mindset
What changes between beginner and intermediate, and how to practice from here.
The F barre chord (E-shape)
The hardest chord most beginners ever attempt. Today you cross it.
The B barre chord (A-shape)
A second movable barre. Same idea, different position on the neck.
CAGED: the same chord in five places
Why the guitar neck has hidden structure. CAGED reveals it.
Dominant 7 chords (the blues sound)
G7, A7, D7. Every blues song lives in these chords.
Major 7 and minor 7 chords (the smooth sound)
Cmaj7, Am7, Dm7, Em7. The chords behind every great ballad.
Hammer-ons and pull-offs (legato)
Two techniques that let you play fast without picking every note.
Slides (the connector note)
Push a finger along the string to a new fret without picking again.
Pentatonic shape 2 (and connecting from shape 1)
You know shape 1 (5th fret). Shape 2 sits right next to it.
All five pentatonic shapes (the whole neck)
Shapes 3, 4, 5 complete the picture. Now you can solo anywhere.
The Mixolydian mode (rock + blues outside pentatonic)
Major scale with a flat 7. The sound of every classic-rock solo.
The Dorian mode (funk + fusion)
Minor scale with a major 6. The sound of Santana, Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan.
A full intermediate song: Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd. Three sections, real chord changes, room to apply technique.
Putting it all together (advanced preview)
You graduated. Three directions for advanced.