Skip to content
Start today

Free ebook · 6 pages · PDF

The four things every guitarist needs, on six pages.

By Marty Schwartz · Blues, rock and beginner guitar

A guitar in tune, the nine open chords behind most songs, the two barre shapes that give you every major and minor chord, and the pentatonic scale across the whole neck. Marty's free manual puts them on six pages you can keep on your music stand.

Enter your email and the manual opens right away, to read on screen or print.

Free, no card. We will also send you guitar tips, free lessons and offers by email; unsubscribe from any of them with one click. See our privacy notice.

Trusted by 2.28 million guitar students

The cover of The Ultimate Guitarist's Upgrade Manual from GuitarJamz
6 pages · PDFFree, and yours to keep

Take a look inside

Real pages from the ebook.

  • Page 3 of the manual: chord diagrams of E minor, E, A minor, A, D, D minor, G, C and the small F, with the fingers and the note names
    Page 3: the nine open chords behind most songs
  • Page 4 of the manual: G major and G minor barre chords with the root on the 6th string, B major and B minor with the root on the 5th string, and a map of the notes on both strings
    Page 4: two barre shapes, and the notes on the 6th and 5th strings
  • Page 5 of the manual: the five pentatonic patterns in A minor, with the minor roots in orange, the major roots in navy and the blue notes ringed
    Page 5: the pentatonic scale in five patterns

What you will learn in this free ebook

  • How to tune every string to the one below it by ear, and the one string that is differentpage 2
  • The nine open chords behind most songs: E, Em, A, Am, C, D, Dm, G and Fpage 3
  • Two barre shapes for every major and minor chord, and the notes on the 6th and 5th stringspage 4
  • The pentatonic scale in five patterns, with the minor roots, the major roots and the blue notespage 5
  • Marty's extended shape and a map of all five patterns across the neckpage 6

Who wrote it

Marty Schwartz

Blues, rock and beginner guitar

One of the best-known guitar teachers on YouTube. Marty teaches more than 30 of our courses: first chords, strumming, blues licks and soloing, with a lot of fun along the way.

Both the major and the minor pentatonic have the same patterns. The only difference is which root notes you target.
Marty Schwartz · From page 5 of the ebook

Questions

Is it really free?

Yes. It costs nothing and there is no card to enter. It is yours to keep: read it on screen, save it or print it.

I am just starting out. Is it for me?

Yes. It starts with tuning and the open chords, then the two barre shapes and the pentatonic scale, so you can take one page a week.

Do I need to read music?

No. Every chord and scale is a fretboard diagram, with the fingers and the note names marked.

Do I need a tuner?

No. Page 2 shows how to tune each string to the one below it by ear. A tuner helps you get the low E right first.

Free ebook: The Ultimate Guitarist's Upgrade Manual

6 pages · PDF. Free, no card, and yours to keep.

Get my free manual