In Spite of Ourselves

Enjoy My Lessons? Show Your Support!

Most of the lessons on my website are 100% free. If you have the means, please show your support with a tip jar contribution. I put many hours into every lesson — but it only takes you a minute to make a donation. You have my thanks!

Donate

Looking for More Song Lessons?

Featured Courses

Fun & Helpful Tools I've Made

Coming soon is Jambox – which shows all the video jam tracks I've made. It's note quite ready for the spotlight, but check it out if you like!

---

Subscribe to my YouTube channel

Be sure to never miss a lesson by subscribing on YouTube. I put out 2-3 new videos every week. These include full song lessons, as well as covers, practice tips, behind-the-scenes updates. Thanks!

---

Recent Lessons

• June 12, 2026

  "Ramble On" Acoustic Bassline Groove (Led Zeppelin)

  Learn a strummed version of this iconic Led Zeppelin bassline, made playable on an acoustic guitar! Includes a fun variation that allows continuous strumming throughout.

• June 6, 2026

  Melody, with Chords: "Love Me Tender"

  Learn to play Love Me Tender's melody and chords at the same time! This lesson uses Key of C chords (capo 2), which simplify things in several helpful ways.

• June 5, 2026

  "Love Me Tender" as played by Elvis Presley

  Learn to sing & strum this all-time classic! I'll teach you the alternating bass note approach that Elvis uses in his 1956 recording, with plenty of helpful tips included.

• May 29, 2026

  Learning Triads with "Happy Birthday" (Key of G)

  Here's an amazingly helpful way to get better with triads: use it to play the familiar song Happy Birthday. In this lesson, I'll show you two ways to do this in the Key of G.

• May 19, 2026

  Guitar Jam Tracks: How I Make Them!

  In today's lesson I'll answer a common question: how do I make the audio + video jam tracks that accompany my lessons! I walk through the process in real-time using my DAW of choice (GarageBand on the Mac).

• May 4, 2026

  New and Improved! Song List Update.

  For years, 50+ song-inspired lessons I've made haven't been in the "Song" section of my website... until now! A few other improvements are included too.

• April 24, 2026

  Country Fingerstyle, Melody + Bass (feat. "Live Forever" by Billy Joe Shaver)

  Learn three ways to dive into a melodic country style groove, inspired by Billy Joe Shaver's Live Forever.

• April 21, 2026

  Sneak Peek! Step-by-Step Travis Picking Course

  The last few months I've been working on a brand new course, and the first 13 lessons are now online. Over 20 exercise videos are also included. Much more to come soon!

• April 10, 2026

  "Free Fallin'" by Tom Petty

  Learn to strum and sing Tom Petty's 1989 classic. I include a campfire version (no capo), as well as the colorful chord variations used in Key of D (capo 3) and Key of E (capo 1) versions. Rhythm & strumming tips too!

Browse All Recent Lessons →

---

← back to homepage