★★★★★
Concision at its finest. Varad's emphasis on fundamentals as a gateway to fretboard literacy has allowed me to understand how to use prior harmonic knowledge to negotiate new material and concepts. A guitar shaman!
Joshua Reyes
Almost every guitarist knows their CAGED shapes. Most of us learned them in C, and that’s where it stopped. Nobody showed us what to do next.
This course is about getting everything out of those five shapes. You won’t learn new patterns. You’ll learn how to use the ones you already have, so you can play your scales anywhere on the neck, in any key, without stopping to think about where you are.
The five shapes in a circle, and how to find any shape from any root.
All five shapes in every key, moving in fourths.
Start a scale from any note and get all the modes.
3 and 4 notes per string, plus a counterpoint exercise.
Link all twelve keys into one continuous line.
Connect the shapes over real chord progressions.
Every video comes with a companion PDF with the diagrams, practice notes, and a plan for what to work on before the next lesson.
If you play guitar, you’re ready. The course starts by teaching you what CAGED is and how the five shapes work, so you don’t need to know them already. If you do know them, you’ll learn how to get a lot more out of them.
A clear picture of the whole fretboard, built from five shapes
Every mode and minor scale, without new fingerings
Scales you can reach whenever you need them
A way to practice that teaches the note names while you play
Any guitarist. The course starts with what CAGED is and how the five shapes work, so you don’t need to know them already. It works whether you are brand new to the shapes or have known them for years. No other prerequisites.
No. Everything comes from the five CAGED shapes you already know. The course teaches you how to use them in every key, from any note, and through chord changes.
6 videos, each with a companion PDF that has the diagrams, practice notes, and a plan for what to work on before the next lesson.
No. It’s about knowing the fretboard. The shapes work for any style. The last video applies them to chord progressions, but the rest is style neutral.
Go at your own pace. Take a video, work through the practice plan, and move on when it feels comfortable. Most players will want a few days with each level.
Concision at its finest. Varad's emphasis on fundamentals as a gateway to fretboard literacy has allowed me to understand how to use prior harmonic knowledge to negotiate new material and concepts. A guitar shaman!
Varad is an amazing guitar instructor and it's been the first time that Ive been able to learn and understand theory with respect to the guitar (rather than the piano). advancing as a musician is actually possible, and his suggested ways to practice really do help (if you do it) commit to lessons with him. it's worth it.
Verad is a phenomenal music educator and a killer performer. My lessons with him have absolutely skyrocketed my playing and my approach to the guitar. His approach to understanding chord changes and getting chord tones into your playing makes for a very enjoyable process. I highly recommend his courses and his one-on-one lessons. If you want to get better at playing, you are in the right place.