Learning path
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Learning path
A learning path page for the members' area of an online lessons or course site. It sets out the whole journey as five levels, each with what it covers, roughly how long it takes and a clear milestone that tells students when they're ready to move on, so nobody wonders what to do next. Below it are honest progress tips, answers for when you feel stuck, and printable practice sheets. Rename the levels and milestones for your own course, point each card at its first lesson and add your files.
Welcome to the map. Every lesson at Fretwork Guitar Academy sits somewhere on this path, in the order Marcus has found works best for adults. Start at Level 1 unless you can already play the milestone song at the end of it.
Each level ends with a milestone: one song or skill that shows you're ready to move on. Hit it, post a clip in the community if you like, and step up. There's no rush and no test. Most members take four to eight weeks a level.
The five levels
Click a level to open its first lesson.
Level 1: First Chords
32 lessons, about 6 weeks. Tuning, posture, eight open chords and three strumming patterns. Milestone: play Porch Light Blues all the way through at 80 bpm.
Start Level 1Level 2: Rhythm and Feel
38 lessons, about 7 weeks. Steady time, eighth-note strumming, your first barre chords and picking patterns. Milestone: a clean F chord and Harbor Lights with the picking pattern.
Start Level 2Level 3: Riffs and Lead
36 lessons, about 8 weeks. The pentatonic scale, bends, slides and your first riffs and solos. Milestone: a 12-bar blues solo over the Level 3 backing track.
Start Level 3Level 4: Understanding the Neck
40 lessons, about 8 weeks. Notes on the neck, CAGED shapes, triads and learning by ear. Milestone: work out a new song from a recording without tabs.
Start Level 4Level 5: Session Skills
34 lessons, ongoing. Country picking, funk rhythm, fingerstyle and playing with others. Milestone: record and share your own full arrangement.
Start Level 5Song Library
96 song breakdowns, each tagged with the level it suits. Mix them in at any point for fun and motivation. Tip: one song for every five lessons.
Browse songsProgress tips
How to make steady progress
When you feel stuck
I don't know which level to start at
Try the milestone song at the end of Level 1. If you can play it cleanly at the listed tempo, start Level 2. If not, start Level 1 and move quickly through anything you already know. It's quicker than it sounds.
My chord changes are still slow
Completely normal through Levels 1 and 2. Do the one-minute changes drill in lesson 1.14 every day for two weeks. Count how many clean changes you make in a minute and write it down.
My fingertips hurt
They will for the first two or three weeks. Practice in short sessions, press only as hard as you need to, and check your action. Lesson 1.03 shows how to tell if your guitar needs a setup.
I haven't practiced in a month
Welcome back. Go back two lessons from where you stopped, replay the last milestone song you enjoyed, and pick up from there. Nobody is keeping score.
I've hit the milestone but don't feel ready
Move on anyway. Feeling ready usually arrives halfway through the next level, and the earlier skills keep getting practiced as you go.
Practice sheets
Print them, pin them up, scribble on them.
Level 1 and 2 chord chart
Every open and barre chord in the first two levels, with fingering, on one page.
Weekly practice log
A simple tracker for minutes, tempo and wins. Fill one in each week.
20-minute practice plans
A ready-made routine for each level: warm-up, technique, song and fun.
Backing track pack
Blues, rock and country jam tracks at three tempos for Levels 3 to 5.
Use this page
Make it yours in a few minutes
- Find it in your Control Panel. Go to Content > Page Library and search for "Learning path".
- Add it to your site. Choose a title and a department. The page arrives as a draft, with its pictures copied to your site and your site's name already in place.
- Change the words and pictures. Open it in the page builder, replace the sample text and images with your own, and make it live when you are ready.