Zero to Hero Overview

The Tutor"who's teaching the course"

Nigel Jones

"So I have been playing guitar since I was 12, which is now over 20 years. I’m a qualified guitar teacher with over 10 years experience, a member of the RGT. I have given lessons in schools and colleges across the UK, I have taught 1000s of guitar players in groups and one to one lessons; I’ve had many students get distinctions in grades. I’m now bringing my knowledge of guitar and experience of teaching to Rock Star Academy. I hope you enjoy my lessons…."

Synopsis"what it's all about"

In the Zero to Hero intermediate guitar course you will gain knowledge on core skills, music theory and putting that into real music. It will make you understand the connection between theory and practical and how this will continue to make you a better guitar player. You will cover demanding lead techniques and bigger extended chords; you’ll learn how to keep these skills under control and in time. This course will develop you as a musician and push you. The course is designed around grade 4 and 5 players but will help fill in any blanks for players that may have holes in their knowledge at any level. The course is designed to be interactive so you can improvise over chord patterns that are played.

Structure"what you will learn"

Lesson 1 - Intro (A look at what the course is all about)
Lesson 2 - The Chromatic Order (Overview)
Lesson 3 - Notes under your fingers (Knowing your way around the fretboard)
Lesson 4 - Talking notes not numbers (Testing yourself and using your knowledge)
Lesson 5 - What is a Chord (A look at what a chord is in its most basic form)
Lesson 6 - Finding Chords (Finding major, minor and power chords in barre position)
Lesson 7 - Extended Chords (Using extended chords and sus chords)
Lesson 8 - 7th Chords (Bigger chord family)
Lesson 9 - Playing in key (A guide to how music keys work)
Lesson 10 - Using Rhythm (Time signatures and playing ‘in time’)
Lesson 11 - Chord Patterns (5 different chord patterns to have a go at, using all the chords so far)
Lesson 12 - Putting it together (Bigger chord patterns and full songs)
Lesson 13 - Pentatonic Power (A look at 5 shapes of the Pentatonic scale)
Lesson 14 - Major Scales (A look at different Major shapes)
Lesson 15 - Minor Scales (A look at different Minor shapes)
Lesson 16 - Soloing in Key (Using scales so far to play in different keys)
Lesson 17 - Technique tricks (Looking at lead techniques)
Lesson 18 - Your lick bag (Building your own style)
Lesson 19 - Timing is everything (Playing lead ‘in time’)
Lesson 20 - Practice Routine (Making sure you practice your licks in the best way possible)
Lesson 21 - Putting it all together (Putting all the lead elements together)
Lesson 22 - Soloing over chords (Using Pentatonic’s to solo)
Lesson 23 - Soloing over chords extended (Using Majors and Minors to solo)
Lesson 24 - Ripping it up! (5 different patterns to solo over)

Challenges"what you will play"

Nigel has designed a challenge for each lesson. The challenge will put in to practice the theory you have learned in the lesson.

They start easy and get continually harder throughout the course. We hope you enjoy these challenges; they’ll help improve your playing and use all the techniques featured in the Zero to Hero course.