Five complete guitar courses · One simple membership

Learn guitar by playing along, in real time

Build practical guitar skills with clear, step-by-step lessons and play-along videos from guitar teacher and author John Chamley. Get immediate access to five complete courses and learn at your own pace.

Full access for $8.99/month or $59/year. Cancel anytime.

Have one of my books? Get your free backing tracks ↓

  • 5Complete coursesA focused curriculum, not a confusing library
  • 13Hours of videoEnough material for sustained practice
  • 304VideosShort, usable lessons across all five courses

Why this method works

You don’t just watch. You play along with every lesson, so you hear exactly how each exercise should sound.

Play along in real time

Every lesson has play-along practice at a steady pace, so you build timing and confidence by actually playing.

Step by step

Short, clear lessons build one skill at a time, from your first chord to reading music and classical solos.

At your own pace

Watch in any order, as often as you like, on a phone, tablet or computer.

Five complete courses, one membership

Every course below is included, ad-free, plus every new course we add at no extra cost.

Own one of the books? The Read Music for Guitar course is built on the reading exercises in Guitar in Real Time: Level One, and teaches reading one string at a time.

Guitar Chords & Strumming

Start from zero: your first chords, smooth changes and strumming patterns, with play-along practice.

3.0 hours · 78 videos

Guitar Fretboard Secrets

Learn the notes on the fretboard and how they connect, so you can find any note fast.

3.1 hours · 59 videos

Guitar Bar Chords

Build clean bar chords step by step, then use them all over the neck.

1.7 hours · 44 videos

Read Music for Guitar

Learn to read standard notation for guitar one string at a time.

2.4 hours · 73 videos

Classical Guitar Solos

Learn ten easy classical guitar solos, each with a playthrough, a tutorial and slow versions.

2.9 hours · 50 videos

Choose your learning path

Start where it fits you. You can always come back for the others.

Best place to start

I want every course

All-Access Membership

Get all five complete courses, ad-free, plus every new course we add at no extra cost. $8.99/month or $59/year.

I prefer learning from a book

Guitar in Real Time Books

Prefer a book? Learn at your own pace and use the free play-along tracks.

Just want to try it?

Free Beginner Course

Start with the basics and see how the real-time play-along method works: 26 short video lessons and a free printable chord chart.

Learn with every course for one simple price

Choose monthly flexibility or save with annual access.

Monthly

$8.99 / month

All 5 courses. Cancel anytime.

Recommended · Best value

Annual

$59 / year

About $4.92/month · save $48.88 vs monthly

All 5 courses. Cancel anytime.

The same courses on Udemy are rated 4.4 to 4.8 stars across 147 reviews, with 3,300+ students enrolled. See reviews on Udemy

What each plan includes

  • Immediate access to all five courses
  • 13 hours across 304 videos
  • Ad-free viewing on the membership site
  • Every new course we add, at no extra cost
  • Watch on phone, tablet or computer
  • Full refund within 30 days of your first payment

Guitar in Real Time books

Prefer a book? Learn at your own pace and use the free play-along tracks.

Read Music for Guitar book cover

Learn to read music

Read Music for Guitar

Read standard notation string by string in first position, with free online tracks for every exercise and melody.

Paperback · Kindle · Spiral-bound

Guitar in Real Time Level One, Level Two and Level Three books

The step-by-step method series

Guitar in Real Time, Levels 1–3

  1. Level One: read music while building finger technique, ease into chords with arpeggios, write your own melodies.
  2. Level Two: major and minor keys, movable major, pentatonic and blues scales, and melodies over a blues.
  3. Level Three: bar chords and barring, the whole fretboard, fingerstyle and flatpicking.

Paperback · Kindle (Level Two also spiral-bound)

Fingerstyle Guitar Christmas book cover

Solo fingerstyle

Fingerstyle Guitar Christmas

12 Christmas classics arranged for solo acoustic or classical guitar, in TAB and standard notation with fingerings.

Paperback · Kindle

Got one of the books? Here’s what to read next

  • Finished Level OneLevel Two, then Level Three. The Guitar in Real Time series is written to be read in order.
  • Finished Level ThreePut your fingerstyle to work with Fingerstyle Guitar Christmas, or keep going with the Bar Chords and Classical Guitar Solos courses in the membership.
  • Have Read Music for GuitarTry your reading on real pieces with Fingerstyle Guitar Christmas (TAB and standard notation), or watch the Read Music for Guitar course in the membership.
  • New to guitarStart with Guitar in Real Time: Level One or Read Music for Guitar. Both come with free play-along tracks on this site.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Have a book? Get your backing tracks

Every track is free to stream. Tip: on mobile, tap the 3 dots on a track to change the playback speed. On a computer, right-click the player.

Read Music for Guitar book cover

Read Music for Guitar

Guitar sheet music made easy for all skill levels.

Get the book on Amazon →

Guitar in Real Time Level One, Level Two and Level Three books

Guitar in Real Time, Levels 1–3

The step-by-step method series, from first notes to confident playing.

On Amazon: Level One · Level Two · Level Three

Fingerstyle Guitar Christmas book cover

Fingerstyle Guitar Christmas

Captivating solos for acoustic or classical guitar.

Get the book on Amazon →

John Chamley (JC), guitar teacher and author

About

Hi, I’m JC

I’m John Chamley, the guitar teacher and author behind the Guitar in Real Time books, Read Music for Guitar and the GuitarBasement YouTube channel.

Everything here is meant to help you spend less time guessing and more time playing: clear lessons, real play-along tracks, and practical tips from my home studio.

“Patient and very instructive teacher…”
Allan S., Classical Guitar Solos, Udemy review
“…the way things are explained it has been an eye opener.”
Thomas P., Guitar Fretboard Secrets, Udemy review

Questions

What do I get with membership?

All five courses: Guitar Chords & Strumming, Guitar Fretboard Secrets, Guitar Bar Chords, Read Music for Guitar and Classical Guitar Solos. Ad-free, plus every new course added later at no extra charge.

How is membership billed?

Monthly for $8.99 or yearly for $59. Cancel anytime.

Can I get a refund? Can I cancel?

Yes. New members can ask for a full refund within 30 days of their first payment. You can cancel anytime. After the first 30 days you keep access until the end of the period you already paid for. Renewals are not refunded except where the law requires.

Can I try it first?

Yes. The free beginner course lets you try the play-along method before you join.

Get new lessons by email

Join the mailing list and I’ll let you know when new lessons, backing tracks and free charts are out. No spam, unsubscribe any time.

Ready to learn every course?

All five courses, 13 hours of video, for $8.99/month or $59/year. Cancel anytime.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Affiliate disclosure.