Guitar music theory · fretboard · lead guitar · songwriting
Lessons that show you why things work on the fretboard, so you can write riffs, solos and songs of your own.
Free lessons, picked for you
You know a few chords, or none yet. Start with the stuff that gets you playing real songs fast.
Get my free lessons →You can play, but the fretboard is still a mystery. Learn why the shapes you know work.
Get my free lessons →You know your scales. Now connect them across the neck and write parts of your own.
Get my free lessons →Jill — PIL Method student, now touring
Jill didn’t know a lick of theory until she learned the Play It Loud Method. Now she’s on the road playing for crowds around the world.
“He doesn’t just show you what to play — he explains why it works, which really helped me develop a deeper understanding of the instrument.”
“Everything he teaches feels directly applicable — you’re not just memorizing shapes or patterns, you’re learning how to actually use them in real playing situations.”
James C. — Play It Loud student
The most-read lessons on Play It Loud. Pick one and dig in.
Never touched a guitar? Your first chords, first songs and a simple 7-day plan.
Read the lesson →How chords are built, the shapes worth knowing and how to use them in real songs.
Read the lesson →What scales are actually for, and how to stop running patterns and start making music.
Read the lesson →Songs people recognize the second you play them, plus pop, country and hip-hop picks.
Read the lesson →When to use each one, and why the same shape can sound happy or sad.
Read the lesson →All five shapes, how they connect, and how to make music with them.
Read the lesson →The chord-scale relationship, minus the confusing mode charts.
Read the lesson →Why theory turns so many guitarists off, and why it doesn’t have to.
Read the lesson →Holiday favorites with easy versions to start and hard ones to challenge you.
Read the lesson →Try it · turn your sound on
These are the exact same five notes. The only thing that changes is which note feels like home. Tap each one and listen.
Why does this happen? Read the lesson →Gold = the home note
Best place to start
Pentatonic Prison Break is 27 short courses that get you out of the box shapes and playing the whole fretboard like you mean it.
See the fretboard the way great players see it: the chord tones in gold, sitting inside the scale, moving with the progression.
Lifetime access included · $97 until Jan 2
Your path
27 short courses that get you out of the box and playing the whole neck.
$27one-timeSee What's InsideThe full system: theory, fretboard, soloing and songwriting, plus lifetime Lucid.
$97until Jan 2 · then $197See What's InsideCourses for when you’re ready to put it all together.
The full system: theory, fretboard, soloing and songwriting, built for players who want to create.
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Melody over speed. Learn the phrasing and note choices behind Slash’s most memorable solos.
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Cheat sheets for the fretboard, CAGED, modes and theory. Print them and keep them on your music stand.
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Hey there, my name’s Matt and I’ve been playing guitar since August 2003. I started out pretty much just like you, with no idea how to play electric guitar, acoustic guitar, metal guitar, or any kind of guitar — and the online guitar lessons at the time were just awful. So I learned despite all of that.
Play It Loud is for beginners, intermediates, pros and songwriters. I teach through real song examples, guitar music theory, songwriting principles and lead guitar.
Tell me what kind of player you are and grab the free lessons made for your level.
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