The blog
Honest answers to the questions every beginner types into a search bar at midnight — from a teacher who reads the forum every day.
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Choosing an Electric Guitar: Tone, Playability, and the Guitars Worth Knowing
How to choose an electric guitar as a beginner: what makes tone, how the pickups and switch work, action and strings, intonation, and the classic brands worth knowing.
Sore Fingers and Awkward Elbows: An Honest Guide to Your First Two Weeks
What the first two weeks on guitar actually feel like: fingertip pain that passes, how to hold the pick, how to hold the guitar, and how to set your strap. No hype.
We Open This September — Here's How to Get Ready
xpex opens September through October: video lesson paths, practice tools, and limited founding memberships. Join now to claim the retiring First Ascent plek — and a secret plek waits for your first forum post.
Top Things to Consider When Buying a New Acoustic Guitar
What to look for when buying an acoustic guitar: sound, playability, solid wood vs laminate, tonewoods, bracing, and what each price tier really buys.
How to Tune a Guitar (Even If You're Brand New)
Standard tuning, string by string — with a free online tuner, the 5th-fret ear method, and why new guitars drift out of tune so fast.
The First 3 Guitar Chords to Learn: Em, G, and C
Start with Em, G, and C — the three beginner guitar chords that unlock hundreds of songs. Diagrams, buzz fixes, and the one drill that makes changes smooth.
How to Read Guitar Tab in 10 Minutes
Guitar tab explained from zero: which line is which string, what the numbers mean, chords in tab, and the h, p, b, and x symbols you'll see everywhere.
Buying Your First Guitar: A No-Overthink Guide
Acoustic or electric, what to spend, whether used is safe, and the 5-point check that matters more than the brand. A first guitar guide without the gear-forum noise.
Guitar for Kids: The Right Age, the Right Size, and What Actually Works
When kids are ready for guitar, how to pick 1/2 vs 3/4 vs full size, nylon or steel strings, and the practice expectations that keep it fun instead of a fight.
The 25-Minute Guitar Practice Routine That Actually Works
A daily guitar practice routine you'll keep: 5-minute warmup, 15 minutes of real work, 5 minutes of play. Plus the metronome habit and a 10-minute fallback for busy days.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Guitar? An Honest Timeline
Real milestones with real timelines: first song in weeks, campfire-ready in months, confidently good in a couple of years — and the practice math that gets you there.
Why Barre Chords Feel Impossible (and What Actually Fixes Them)
Barre chords are hard for physical reasons you can fix: thumb position, elbow weight, and the finger-edge trick — plus the stepping-stone F shapes that keep you playing meanwhile.
Topics: News · Basics · Chords · Practice · Gear · Parents — more every month. The lessons behind the articles live in the library, and the first ones are free.