Learn to Play Guitar

A Practical Guide to Learning Guitar and Bass

For personal worship and worship band settings

Introduction

The guitar is one of the most beautiful and approachable instruments to learn. It offers deep enjoyment for personal music making and is a powerful tool for worshiping God.

The purpose of this website is to help beginning players develop a basic understanding of the guitar and bass, music theory, and develop a growing love for using music in worship. My goal is to help raise up worship leaders and prepare students to use their gifts and talents for the glory of God.

This online guide does not guarantee success, but it does provide practical tools that can help a beginner discover both a love for music and the confidence to grow as a player. The level of success will be determined by your willingness to practice.

When I was growing up, no one showed me how easy the guitar really was to learn to play or how quickly it could be used to lead others in worship. When I finally picked up a guitar at 25, I sought help from friends and began learning on my own. I was surprised by how excited I was. I remember thinking, “Why didn’t someone show me this sooner?”

Because of that experience, my hope is to help as many interested guitarists as possible discover the joy and excitement of playing guitar and bass.

As You Begin This Journey, Keep These Things in Mind:

You must practice.
Once you learn a basic strum pattern and a few basic chords, you will already have the tools needed to play hundreds of songs. Growth, however, comes through consistent practice—even when it feels slow or frustrating.

Your fingers will hurt at first.
Yes, especially your pinky and ring finger (and honestly, all of them). This is normal. Play through the discomfort as calluses begin to form on your fingertips. After a few weeks, the pain will fade, and playing will become much more comfortable.

Confidence grows through playing for others.
It takes time to become truly skilled, but that doesn’t mean you need to wait forever before playing with or for others. Learn one song well and play it for your family or friends. Playing in front of others—even in small settings—builds confidence and accelerates growth.

Click on the pictures below to navigate to the different learning pages.

Guitar Class Curriculum and Schedule (7-week group class)