Hear what my guitar
students have to say…
Explore the experiences of my guitar students and hear their stories of growth and success. See what they have to say about their musical journey.
So this was my first try on stage in Nashville. I've only played guitar since 2021... I worked and joked with the crowd and they seemed to love me, it was a wonderful experience! It's important to put yourself out there and play for others, it really improves your skill.
Thank you, James, for your patience and direction in teaching older people guitar. After two years of floundering around with every other course, some free, some pay I paid for, but after signing up for your play guitar once and for all course, by chapter two, I feel like I'm playing guitar.
“It feels like a one-on-one lesson”
I tried learning guitar on-and-off for about 15 years. I had lots of different teachers during that time, but nothing would stick. We would start playing one song, get stuck, and then start another song. It was so frustrating to never be able to play an entire song even after spending so much time and money on lessons… I just wanted to play a simple song all the way to the end. I searched “online guitar course” and found James’s course.
By the time I got to Chapter 3, I was already playing songs that I tried learning for 15 years. I’m still in disbelief that an online course was able to show me something that not a single one of my teachers could in real life. I guess it’s because he gives you access to the whole picture, and takes you through the process one bit at a time. It feels like a one-on-one lesson and it really worked for me. Thank you James.
“His positivity was the key to my success”
When I was working at the gravel pit, I kept on injuring my fingers on my chord hand. Since I was always busy and couldn’t stop, I would just put some electrical tape on them, put a work glove over it, and go back to work. After repeatedly damaging the same fingers, they became stiff and didn’t bend properly. I was worried I would never be able to play chords normally.
Some teachers used to tell me that stiff fingers would get in the way of my playing, but looking back, a lot of my sticking to it came down to James’ positivity, not pushing me, or worrying that I’m not getting it. He was the teacher for me because his positivity was the key to my success, and I’ve been playing ever since.
“I just wanted to learn how to play really good.”
I’m 74 years old, used to strum the guitar and sing with my kids when I was younger in my 20s and 30s. Put it down as life went on. So this time when I got serious a couple years ago about really learning how to play the guitar, I didn’t care about getting deep into music and all of that, I just wanted to learn how to play really good. I even took some courses from a live instructor at one point because I was really serious about it, but found that really just practicing diligently and watching YouTube instructors that I really connected with, helped me a lot.
You are a dynamic teacher. I am really impressed, and your background education in music really shows through in here. I was thoroughly dreading the music theory 101 course, and to my delight and surprise find it almost my favorite course. The first two modules were perfect in showing how to build a scale, connect chords, change keys, music formula, major minor keys, etc. Showing how barre chords come into play and why we need to learn them. Thank you so much for how diligently you have constructed these courses.
“My guitar playing has improved immensely in such a short time”
I must have gone through dozens of videos but none of them had all the ingredients I was looking for. They either were more about their own egos, or their tuition was so complexed I completely got lost until I came across GoodGuitarist. Apart from the clear simplistic and enjoyable teaching there was so much more than just a video with a guy teaching you to play the guitar. The easy step by step approach, articulate and encouraging manner…
James covers every little detail with warmth and enjoyable lessons which includes playing songs almost right from the start. I was so impressed I bought the strumming course which has meticulously been put together and, in a word, is brilliant! Sufficed to say, with the help from James’ course my guitar playing has improved immensely in such a short time. I’ve only just begun my journey playing the guitar and I am full of enthusiasm to learn more. Thank you, James!
“Worth every cent”
Last year, if you told me I’d be playing Hallelujah and House of The Rising Sun I wouldn’t believe you. After taking private lessons for 6 months, and getting nowhere, my confidence was pretty shaken. As a last ditch effort I decided to try an online course. That was about 2 months ago and I’ve gotten farther ahead than 6 months of lessons did for me. And here’s the kicker, it cost me less than a month worth of lessons that I was paying for before. Worth every cent. I can’t thank James enough and am eternally grateful for his awesome course.
[I was] always stuck on being a campfire guitarist, playing the same songs over and over
I had kind of lost interest in playing the guitar, always stuck on being a campfire guitarist, playing the same songs over and over…..until I lost the top of my middle finger on my chord hand 3 years ago in a lawnmower accident. It was when I realized that I might not be able to play again that I realized how much I loved playing. I found a company in Las Vegas who made finger extensions and protectors for injuries such as mine and I haven’t looked back since. Thanks to your channel I now play every day always trying to learn something new so thank you again, I really appreciate it.
“I look forward to my evening practice sessions now”
I’m 50 years old and have wanted to play guitar since I was about 12. For many years a guitar simply sat in my closet. Figuring out how to start seemed confusing and intimidating. Then I found this course. James is amazing. He is incredibly patient and thorough while simultaneously keeping it interesting and fun. I look forward to my evening practice sessions now, thanks very much to James! If you’ve ever wanted to play guitar but didn’t know where to turn, James and this course are for you!
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I enjoyed the course a great deal. Your explanations are clear and the “chunks” of each lesson are appropriately sized for a beginner. It took me a while to finish as I was doing this in spare time, but you have things structured to allow a quick review to get back on track after a pause in lessons. I have learned a couple songs along the way, I Walk the Line, Sweet Home Alabama, Bad Moon Rising, and parts of Knockin on Heaven’s Door and Sweet Caroline. You instruction is well worth the cost. Thanks!
Like most of us recreational guitarists, I felt, with a few chords I had already reached my plateau and became frustrated. However your video tutorials have changed my entire approach and has made me want to pick up the guitar again with the same love and passion I first had when starting to learn how to play. In my humble opinion, you are by far the best online instructor and there are many but your videos touch me and make me want to get better.
I really appreciated James style and the way he connects with you right where you are. He talks in a way that you can hear it. You can you can listen to it, you can receive it. And it makes you want to push into it and do your lesson and actually follow along. So I would encourage anybody that’s thinking about it to give his lessons a try.
I’m certain that each of the lessons that James prepares is very well thought out. In fact, his entire course represents a lot of preparation. But I think that if you follow the course and you do all of the exercises in the lessons, there’s no way that you can fail.
The courses were very well written and very well paced. I found it’s very helpful for someone like me who doesn’t take in-person classes.
“I love the fact that James is clear, goes slowly, is patient. It’s helped me immensely, to turn me from someone who doesn’t even know how to hold a guitar, to someone who can play.”
