Lesson series

Play Guitar in 8 Weeks

Play Guitar In 8 Weeks is for beginning and experienced guitarist who want to master the fundamentals so it's easier to play songs on acoustic and electric guitar

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Online guitar course · Beginner guitar

Play Guitar in 8 Weeks

Learn guitar from scratch, one week at a time

Play Guitar in 8 Weeks is a beginner guitar course taught by GuitarZoom Master Instructor Steve Stine. You start with the parts of the guitar, how to hold it and how to use a pick. Week by week you add chords, strumming patterns and timing, and you use them on songs like Horse With No Name, Free Fallin' and Knocking on Heaven's Door. The course has 43 video lessons in eight weekly sections, about 3 hours and 50 minutes in total, plus a 54-page PDF book. This course is included in GuitarZoom Premium.

43video lessons

3+ hoursof step-by-step teaching

8 modulesin a clear order

Beginnerlevel

54-page PDF bookincluded

In Premiumwith 15 more core courses

Excellent · 4.8 out of 5 on TrustpilotRead our reviews

START FREE 14-DAY TRIAL BUY THIS COURSE · $67

Included in GuitarZoom Premium · course 1 of 16 in the path (Stage 1: Foundations)

Free preview

What Play Guitar in 8 Weeks is about

Steve breaks every skill into simple steps you can follow. In these videos, he introduces the course, walks through the parts of the acoustic guitar, and teaches the G, C and D chords.

Course intro: Introduction · 1:54

Free preview lesson: Parts of the Acoustic Guitar · 6:47

Free preview lesson: The G,C and D Chords · 11:49

Who it's for

Is Play Guitar in 8 Weeks right for you?

Complete beginners. Week 1 starts with the parts of the guitar, the strings and how to hold the guitar and pick.
Players who want a clear plan. Each week is its own section, so you always know what to work on next.
Acoustic and electric players. Early lessons cover the parts of both the acoustic and the electric guitar.
Returning players with gaps. Lessons on timing, note durations, tuning and the capo fill in the basics.

What you'll be able to do

Skills you'll walk away with

Hold the guitar and the pick correctly
Read a chord chart
Play the A, Em, G, C, D, Am, E and Dm chords
Strum in time with down and up strums and three strumming patterns
Tune your guitar and use a capo
Change chords in time while playing a song
Pick single notes and play a simple fingerpicking pattern
Try your first barre chords and power chords

What's inside

The course, module by module

Every module and every lesson, in the order you learn them.

Module 1

Week 1: Getting started

The parts of the acoustic and electric guitar, the strings, how to hold the guitar, using a pick, scratching, and down and up strums.

8 lessons · 38 min

See all 8 lessons

Introduction 1:54
Parts of the Acoustic Guitar 6:47
Parts of the Electric Guitar 2:06
The Strings 3:13
The Fingering & How to Hold the Guitar 6:24
The Pick 5:27
Scratching 6:58
Down & Up Strums 5:10

Module 2

Week 2: First chords and timing

An introduction to chords, the A and Em chords, reading a chord chart, tips for playing chords, how to practice using Electric Avenue and Horse With No Name, playing in time and note durations.

8 lessons · 45 min

See all 8 lessons

Introduction to Chords 4:07
The A Chord 5:26
Reading a Chord Chart 2:14
Tips for Playing Chords 6:04
How to Practice - Electric Avenue 10:13
The Em Chord - Horse With No Name 8:12
Playing in Time 4:45
Note Durations 3:52

Module 3

Week 3: Strumming patterns

Feeling the beat, three strumming patterns, dynamics in strumming and organic strumming.

6 lessons · 30 min

See all 6 lessons

Feeling the Beat 6:28
Strumming Pattern 1 3:49
Strumming Pattern 2 1:41
Strumming Pattern 3 6:07
Dynamics in Strumming 3:19
Organic Strumming 8:45

Module 4

Week 4: G, C and D

The G, C and D chords, a chord shortcut, and playing them in Sweet Home Alabama, Werewolves of London, All Summer Long, Can't You See and Last Kiss.

5 lessons · 30 min

See all 5 lessons

The G,C and D Chords 11:49
Chords Shortcut 7:49
Sweet Home Alabama, Werewolves of London, All Summer Long 7:36
Can't You See 1:01
Last Kiss 1:27

Module 5

Week 5: Tuning and the capo

Tuning the guitar, using a capo, Free Fallin' and "Cro Magnon" strumming.

4 lessons · 19 min

See all 4 lessons

Tuning the Guitar 8:00
The Capo 2:51
Free Fallin' 2:22
"Cro Magnon" Strumming 5:24

Module 6

Week 6: Minor chords and chord changes

The Am, E and Dm chords, comparing major and minor, and changing chords in time with Knocking on Heaven's Door.

4 lessons · 23 min

See all 4 lessons

The Am & E Chords 4:02
Comparing Major to Minor 5:00
The Dm Chord 3:49
Knocking on Heaven's Door & Changing Chords in Time 10:29

Module 7

Week 7: Single notes and fingerpicking

Single note picking, a single note example and fingerpicking.

3 lessons · 22 min

See all 3 lessons

Single Note Picking 7:03
Single Note Example 7:28
Finger Picking 7:44

Module 8

Week 8: Bm, F, barre and power chords

The Bm and F chords, an introduction to barre chords and power chords, and final words.

5 lessons · 21 min

See all 5 lessons

The Bm Chord 2:47
The F Chord 2:03
Introduction to Barre Chords 10:04
Introduction to Power Chords 3:39
Final Words 2:17

START FREE 14-DAY TRIAL BUY THIS COURSE · $67

How it works

Learn at your own pace

Clear video lessons

Every move is shown up close. Pause, rewind and repeat each lesson as often as you need.

Practice materials

Includes 54-page PDF book. Use them to practice what you learn in each lesson.

Part of a clear path

This is course 1 of 16 in the Premium path, so you always know what to learn next.

Your instructor

Steve Stine

GuitarZoom Master Instructor

Steve has taught guitar for more than 30 years and has helped millions of players in over 100 countries. He has a Music Education degree from Minnesota State University Moorhead and taught guitar at North Dakota State University. He's known for breaking hard things into simple steps you can follow. Read Steve's full story

Student reviews

What students say about Steve's teaching

Excellent · 4.8 out of 5 on TrustpilotRead our reviews

"Steve Stine is the teacher that I have been looking for a long time."
Jimmy H.United States

"I discovered your courses. I find them great. It's a complete guitar journey and I learned something every week."
Philip M.United States

"It made the fretboard much, much simpler and easier to understand than I have imagined it to be."
Geoffrey E.United Kingdom

"I'm amazed with just how much improvement I've seen in my own guitar playing."
Don B.United States

"What I'd really say is definitely take Steve Stine's course. I think you would find it really, really beneficial."
Demetrio G.Canada

"One major problem that I had was just being lost. Steve helped me find the way."
Jared H.United States

Read 100+ more student reviews

FAQ

Play Guitar in 8 Weeks questions

Is this course for complete beginners?

Yes. It starts with the parts of the guitar, how to hold it and how to use a pick, before any chords.

Which chords will I learn?

A, Em, G, C, D, Am, E, Dm, Bm and F, plus an introduction to barre chords and power chords.

Which songs are used in the lessons?

Lessons use Electric Avenue, Horse With No Name, Sweet Home Alabama, Werewolves of London, All Summer Long, Can't You See, Last Kiss, Free Fallin' and Knocking on Heaven's Door.

Do I need an acoustic or an electric guitar?

Either one works. Week 1 covers the parts of both, and the chords and strumming are the same on each.

Do I have to finish it in eight weeks?

No. The weeks are a way to organize the lessons. You can move faster or slower.

Do I need to read music?

No. You learn to read chord charts, and there is a lesson on note durations to help with timing.

How do I get Play Guitar in 8 Weeks?

Play Guitar in 8 Weeks is one of the 16 core courses in GuitarZoom Premium. Premium costs $39 a month or $299 a year and starts with a 14-day free trial. You can also buy Play Guitar in 8 Weeks on its own for a one-time $67.

What else is included in GuitarZoom Premium?

Premium gives you Steve Stine's 16 core courses in a clear, step-by-step path, from your first chords to improvising your own solos, plus a Jam Tracks library. You get every course from day one.

Can I cancel GuitarZoom Premium?

Yes. You can cancel any time. If you cancel before your 14-day trial ends, you won't be charged.

Can I watch on my phone or tablet?

Yes. You can watch on any computer, tablet or phone with an internet connection, as often as you like.

Next in the Premium path