Comprehensive, but not a course you can finish in a few days. This one takes time to work through & digest. So far so good, I believe I am improving!!
Colin, I’ve been trying to find this course for 30 years, thanks for making it happen. Guitar playing is all about the basics. I finally feel like I know how to strum a guitar.
Thanks again… Tom
I have always struggled with the scales & have always wanted to play lead & solos. I have some of your lessons now & can definitely see a difference. I am definitely having more fun doing it now. I was pretty discouraged before for quite awhile. I am doing much better now thanks to your great lessons.
Colin, that was one of the best lessons I have watched and I have watched thousands on all the guitar sites on youtube. I am so glad I joined the Academy. The repetition and explanation of what to do and why really worked for me. Thank you so much.
Hi Colin,
I haven’t yet started with the Blues Chords course… first I gotta finish the Early Rock’n’Roll course.
I’m loving it… but it takes me ages to get those riffs up to your speed… especially with “Let Me Love You Baby’… I’m practicing hours every day; slowly getting there… and improving immensely.
I have been playing only about a year and a half and it’s a late start for me; 65 years old. I love your teaching.
I’m really looking forward to beginning the Blues course…
I have played guitar since college (I was 20). I bought an old harmony acoustic guitar and started learning chords. I never really knew much about music theory or anything, just what sounded good and was easiest to play. The guitar has both frustrated me and brought much satisfaction. Four years ago I made a commitment to learn how to play a guitar correctly and finally understand music the way I feel is what I was born to do.
I was 1 year into the learning process and again I felt frustrated then I got sick had to stop working. It took me a three years to heal. Three months ago I bought an Epiphone SG combo pack. I now had the time to develop my guitar skills. One month into to it I ordered Jonathan’s 1 4 5 course. It happened to be the class that turned the bulb on. I practiced for a month and ordered your course. I am no longer frustrated and I have finished the course today.
I must say that Jonathan turned the bulb on and your course flipped the switch – after 34 years I understand. I have morning and evening practice. I bought an Epiphone g-400 for my three month anniversary and tuned it down a tone super flat. I now understand what that means. Thanks guys you’re great. The color of the guitar is worn cherry just like yours soo cool.
Mike
Colin’s courses give you the mechanics to relate scale theory to chord progressions, if you want to know how music works and how to improve your writing and playing. And to better understand other theory put out there, well give Colin a go, he has helped me.
Uncle Bob wants to hear more… The Rhythms and Riffs of Early Rock and Roll is the best lesson I have ever had.
It hits me just were I am in my guitar journey and is exactly why I took up guitar in the first place.
I have no desire to start a band or play to anyone but friends and family. The lesson was at just the right pace and detail and made it easy and fun.
REALLY HOPE MORE LESSONS LIKE THIS ARE COMING IN THE FUTURE!!!!!
I loved the rhythm ‘n riffs course and would love to get the tabs or a quick video lesson on the riff u use at the home screen of DVD 2. It’s really catchy. I am also waiting to get stage 3 of your blues course. Thanks
Hi Colin, I purchased your Scales course first. I worked my way through it twice. It is fabulous. I’ve had so many sudden moments of sudden realization about scales and how they work. Still working at the scales program and maybe I’ve approached things out of order, but I was so excited about how much I learned that I now have the Chords lesson as well. I’m working slowly and patiently on it.
My knowledge and understanding is beginning to take lead over my ability. At times I feel overwhelmed but your video lessons are reassuring that patience and practice will bring positive results. I really believe that any chord or scale I want to learn will become as familiar to me as any open major chord I’m entirely comfortable with.
Colin you are a fantastic teacher. Your knowledge is superior, your methods and materials are clear and comprehensive. Throughout the rest of my guitar journey I will be ordering all of your lessons.
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Testimonials
Really enjoyed Colin’s bag of tricks course, really useful. Thanks!
Hello Colin: I have been very busy moving to Las Vegas (UNLV). Currently I am practicing Rhythm & Riffs along side of Ultimate Blues courses. The reason I am doing this at this time is that the first lessons in each course is that they both cover TIMING. I am working hard on your timing lessons, as they are all important. I play along with you and apply your all of your techniques.
Your lessons are easy to follow and are clearly explained. And thanks to your teaching, I have seen marked improvement.
Continue doing what you are doing and I will follow. As I go along, I will keep you updated on my progress.
Thanks. Harold
I am 74 yrs old and have 2 masters degrees in music and have played professionally most of my life on drums. I have been working on guitar off and on for the last 3 or 4 yrs. I haven’t had the blues scales course long enough to evaluate my progress. However, after working on the pentatonic scales and chromatics, I notice I am more adept at adding in 2 or 3 note fills at the end of phrases. I attend an East Coast gathering of 89 guitar players every April and have a strong desire to play more than just chords. The Blues scales course is guiding me towards that goal.
Hello, I used to play some back in my 20’s. I am now 62 and starting up again. I bought the acoustic guitar course. Your course helped me out and kept my interest level up. Each day I look forward to practicing and getting better.
I will sign up for the online membership after I finish this course and feel more comfortable playing. Thank you.
You know when I first opened the Blues R&R course, after the first lesson I thought yep okay, but tell me something new. However, having progressed through the rest I quickly realized how much I did not know!
In short, a great course for anyone who thinks they know it or even those who do know it and want to refresh their memory adding more spice to their playing. There are a lot of useful tips and different angles to approach and improve anyone’s guitar playing.
Well done sir, good job.
Well Colin, at this point I can say I love your teaching style; you are very good at it. I like the attention you give to the small things, thumb placement, basic things like that. I have no doubt that if I work at it and apply myself more I will improve my skill and knowledge with your courses. Thank you for sharing that with the world.
Hi Colin. I just want to say how much I’m enjoying playing and learning through these courses, I can really feel and hear myself progressing. I was kind of put off by the board lessons at first and I didn’t think about the info I would have been missing out on but obviously I feel stupid now! The board lessons have helped a lot with my understanding of the guitar and I just want to say thank you to Colin and everyone at the RiffNinja team who make this possible and I will definitely be buying more lessons from you guys in the near future. ????
I am a 52 year old guitar nut that really just plucked around for years. I recently picked up a Les Paul Epiphone and got serious. Practice hours everyday and struggled a bit until I saw your videos on u tube. Man it just clicked, your methods and attitude I really like. Thanks for the inspiration and tips. God speed my friend.
I just wanted to think you for the excellent Strumming Course.
I have had some problem with understand how to strum, and this a cleared up a lot of my problems.
Hi Colin, I very much enjoy working through your courses. I am presently on your blues rhythm course part 7 – terrific teaching and content! Cheers, Jon
Colin, I’m totally enjoying the things you’re teaching, I’ve played (*self-taught) for 2 years and didn’t get a LOT of things that are starting to make sense.
I’ve been muddling around the guitar for quite a number of years. I spent enough time muddling and self teaching that I developed some good chops, techniques, some loose theory and the ability to ‘mimic’ accurately.
While my playing may have sounded good, I wasn’t going where I wanted to be… a real guitarist/musician (even if not on a professional level). I have found no course of instruction, written or in person that puts the aspects of theory and application together the way that Colin has been able to do.
From the lessons in the Academy to the premium courses, like the kick butt Ultimate Blues Chords course, everything lesson has applicable value. I recommend RiffNinja.com to any person I know interested in picking up a guitar!
Thank You for the lessons, the follow up and advice, it is greatly appreciated. Your teaching style is easy to follow and comprehend, and very informative. I find that learning to strum correctly in some ways is more difficult than learning scales, however, with your lessons I am making progress.
You know, I have been hacking around on a guitar since 2007. I can play lead, solo, and learn a tab quickly but chord progressions FORGET IT. Till now that is – Riff Ninja has helped a lot especially the Bag of Chord Tricks course changed my playing and took it to a new level
I am an old dude who has taken up guitar late. The package has helped me understand strumming. 16th note strumming is still a challenge though. I agree with the Merle of Las Vegas comment about the strums being presented as a jam session. However I am convinced the lessons will help me improve my rhythm and strumming abilities.
Really enjoying the course! As you know, I purchased the Blues Course II as well. Not quite to the II yet, but have made a lot of progress thus far. I’m finally playing upper Chords with different positions on the fret board. This was a leap for me after 50 some years.
1. One of the most important lessons I feel is the I, IV, V theory/Concept. With this concept, one really doesn’t need to memorize all of the notes on the fret board, but I’m doing that anyway. Can’t seem to help myself on this. It will prove valuable in near future I’m thinking, especially as I already read notes.
2. The other is practicing the chromatic scale as you show on your video. This not only gets on familiar with fret board, but also is good exercise, and improves style (If practicing correctly).
3. What can I say, I really had no idea just how difficult the guitar as an instrument can be. Anyone can learn a few chords, or maybe even bang out some riffs sounding half way decent, but in a lot of cases (happening to me) that’s as far as I got. Unless you’re Mark Knopfler of course, who has a style of his own. Experience tells me now, one should have a teacher. A teacher will not only assist you in learning, but will give you some great ideas for practice. Just sitting in the living room watching TV, and banging on the (git fiddle) is not practice. Playing for pleasure and playing for study are two different things, that is until you reach intermediate to advanced stage. Take some time to enjoy the g…
Hi Colin, excellent lesson as always. I’ve learned more in the last week-and-a-half than in years of intermittent lessons.
Your teaching style is fantastic and I hope to be jamming along with you relatively soon in the more advanced stuff. However, first I’ll learn to walk.
I never appreciated just how important scales were before now. Still fighting the lazy left hand, but with your help I’ll win all the battles and eventually win the war.
Cheers mate.
After finding your site I’ve improved more in the past 3 weeks than I have in 20+ years. Colin makes it so easy to get me to wrap my head around these theory concepts. I’ve only known bits and pieces of the puzzle for too many years but thanks to Colin he’s helping me fill in the gaps.
It’s brought back the joy to playing the guitar.
Tonight my son and I just had a fantastic free jam session for hours where I just went nuts applying everything I’ve learned in these lessons. Where are you guys located? I’d love to have some one-on-one instruction with Colin. Great stuff guys!!
Really excellent lesson, so helpful. I wish I’d learned this stuff 50 years ago!
I wanted to say how much I have been enjoying the lessons. Thanks so much. I do have a lot to practice. I am a trial member and will join, as I have learned so much in such a small amount of time, due to the presentation of the information. Colin is fantastic. I am very impressed, and have renewed excitement for my guitar, so much, that I sat down all day, and watched the lessons and played along yesterday. I am not total beginner, but, have learned bits and pieces over about 10 years, and now I feel like I have direction.

