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Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar with Sean McGowan

Master fingerstyle jazz guitar with virtuoso guitarist and educator Sean McGowan
  • Elevate your guitar skills, whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player
  • Master techniques in fingerstyle jazz, R&B, Latin jazz, and funk styles
  • Expand your repertoire of classic jazz standards and études
  • Learn essential improvisation techniques
  • Deepen your understanding of music theory & guitar mechanics
  • Receive personal guidance directly from Sean along every step of your learning journey
Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar: Learn more about Sean's course
  • Elevate your guitar skills, whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player
  • Master techniques in fingerstyle jazz, R&B, Latin jazz, and funk styles
  • Expand your repertoire of classic jazz standards and études
  • Learn essential improvisation techniques
  • Deepen your understanding of music theory & guitar mechanics
  • Receive personal guidance directly from Sean along every step of your learning journey
Select a Plan:
BONUS: Save 50% on any ArtistWorks course, plus access our Ear Training Workshop & Basics of Home Recording Course for FREE with code "CHEER50"!



What's In This Plan?
  • Unlimited Access to Lessons
  • Unlimited Access to Video Exchange Library
  • Unlimited Video Submissions to Teacher
  • Music Theory Workshop
  • Backing Tracks across Instruments
  • VIP Bonus Content
  • 100s of guitar lessons at your own pace
  • All levels and styles of playing welcome
  • Slow Motion & Looping on videos
Experience the Power of Video Exchange Learning®
Video Exchange Explained: how you'll connect with Sean
  • Get personalized video feedback directly from Sean
  • Watch and learn from all the interactions that Sean has shared with his other students
  • The most supportive way to master fingerstyle jazz guitar online
Sean’s Online Guitar Course: A Comprehensive Guide for Jazz Players of All Levels
  • 10 sections covering introductory methods to advanced fingerstyle techniques, jazz études, & more
  • 100+ multi-angle video lessons for optimal learning and fretboard understanding
  • Dozens of professionally recorded play-along backing tracks accompany the lessons
  • Tablature, notation, and supplemental materials included
About Sean McGowan
  • Associate Professor of Music at the University of Colorado, Denver
  • Released 6 critically acclaimed solo records
  • Contributing editor and educational advisor for Acoustic Guitar magazine
  • Author of Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar Solos (Hal Leonard) and the String Letter book/video instructional methods: The Acoustic Jazz Guitarist, Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar Essentials, and Holiday Songs for Fingerstyle Guitar.
  • Has taught at ArtistWorks since 2024 & offers 8 additional guitar courses through TrueFire.com
Try Free Sample Lessons

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Here's What Our Students Are Saying
Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar Lessons

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Technique: Fretting Hand Independence

Fretting Hand Independence - Introduction
Building Technique
Posture
Getting Ready to Play - Warm-Up Stretches
Basic Terminology & Nomenclature
Segovia Octave Warm-Up Exercise
Finger-Switching Coordination Exercise
Finger-Switching Articulation Exercise
Sustained Notes Exercise
Strength & Coordination Exercises: Hammer-Ons
Strength & Coordination Exercises: Pull-Offs
Strength & Coordination Exercises: Hammer-Ons & Pull-Offs Combined
Strength & Coordination Exercises: Hammer-Ons & Pull-Offs Variation
Chord Shape Exercises
Slurred Scale Exercises

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Technique: Picking Hand Independence

Picking Hand Independence - Introduction
Accenting Exercises
Dynamics Exercises
Subdivide & Conquer
Control & Rhythmic Acuity Exercises
Arpeggios & String Crossing
Arpeggio Types - Crossing 6 Strings - Exercise 1
Arpeggio Types - Crossing 6 Strings - Exercise 2
Playing Chords: Piano Exercise
Playing Chords: Rolled Chords Exercise
Playing Chords: Separation Variations Exercise

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Technique: Hand Synchronization

Hand Synchronization - Introduction
IM Exercise 1: Pentatonic Scale Inversions
IM Exercise 2: A Major Scale
IM Exercise 3: A Major Scale with Grace Note
Thumb Work: Muting & Shadowing
Thumb Work: Thumb Drops - Exercise 1
Thumb Work: Thumb Drops - Exercise 2
Thumb Work: Brushing Octaves
Thumb Work: Brushing Chords
Thumb Work: Articulating Basslines
Thumb Work: Alternate Picking - Exercise 1
Thumb Work: Alternate Picking - Exercise 2

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Technique: Extended Techniques

Introduction to Harmonics
Natural Harmonics
Artificial Harmonics: Basic Techniques
Artificial Harmonics: Double Stops
Artificial Harmonics: Adding Natural Notes
Percussive Techniques
Pedal Points
Hybrid Picking Basics

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Fingerstyle Jazz Essentials

Playing on 2 and 4
Walking Bass Lines: Scale Tone Approach
Walking Bass Lines: Chromatic Approach
Walking Bass Lines: Dominant Approach
Walking Bass Lines: Additional Advice
Walking Bass Lines: Applying to a Blues Progression
Walking Bass Lines: Applying to a Standard Progression
Articulations: Introduction
Articulations: Pull-Off to Nowhere
Articulations: The Pinch
Etude: 12 Bar Jazz Blues in C
Guide Tones: Introduction
Guide Tones: Voicings for Style
Guide Tone Extensions: GT+1 Voicings
Guide Tone Extensions: GT+2 Voicings
Etude: ii-V-I-vi in the Key of C
Articulation & Independence Exercises: Introduction
Articulation & Independence Exercises: Planting & Releasing
Articulation & Independence Exercises: Note Duration Variations
Articulation & Independence Exercises: Thumb - Pinch Rhythms
Articulation & Independence Exercises: Thumb - Claw Rhythms
Articulation & Independence Exercises: The Charleston Rhythm
Articulation & Independence Exercises: Beat Placement
Etude: "Napa Valley Blues" in G - 1st Chorus
Etude: F Blues 1 "The Colfax Blues"
Etude: "Walking Through Autumn" in A minor

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Chord Voicings

Introduction to Chord Voicings
Guide Tone Foundations
Chord Types: 3 Note Voicings
Chord Types: 4 Note Voicings
Chord Types: 5 Note Voicings
Voice Leading GT Chords: Approach 1
Voice Leading GT Chords: Approach 2
Etude: "Red and Gold" - Version 1 with GT Voicings
Etude: "Red and Gold" - Version 2 with GT+1 Voicings
9th Chords: Root Placements
9th Chords: Exploring Sounds
9th Chords: Altering the 9th
9th Chords: Moving the 9th Around
9th Chords: Upper Structures
Etude: "A Chill in Air" - Using 9th Chord Voicings

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Harmony

Introduction to Harmony
Diatonic Harmony: Diatonic Triads
Diatonic Harmony: Diatonic 7th Chords
Perfect & Deceptive Cadences
Secondary Dominants
Passing Diminished 7th Chords
Tritone Substitutions
Chromatic Passing Chords

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Melody & Improv: Solo Guitar Improvisation

Introduction to Improvisation & Arranging
Question & Answer Improv Approach
Etude: "Bb Solo Blues Q&A"
Creating Melodic Lines: Chord Forms
Creating Melodic Lines: Chord Shape Inversions
Etude: "All Good Things"

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Melody & Improv: Single Note Lines

Introduction to Melodic Improvisation
Neighborhoods of the Fretboard: Introduction
Neighborhoods of the Fretboard: The CAGED System
Neighborhoods of the Fretboard: Major Triad Arpeggios
Neighborhoods of the Fretboard: Modified Triad Arpeggios
Neighborhoods of the Fretboard: Major 7th Chords
Neighborhoods of the Fretboard: Modified 7th Chords
Neighborhoods of the Fretboard: Scales
Introduction to Phrasing a Melody
Melody & Phrasing: Anticipation & Delayed Attack
Melody & Phrasing: Embellished Phrasing
Rhythmic Phrasing: Playing on the 2 and 4
Developing Improv & Phrasing
Phrasing with Offbeats & Bebop Triplets
Etude: "Love is the Greatest" - Key of Bb

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Melody & Improv: Modal Soloing Concepts

Introduction to Modal Soloing
Minor Pentatonic Substitution
Minor 6, Kumoi & Dominant Pentatonic
Intervals
Patterns
Etude: "Expressions" - Key of D Modal
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