The Spark

Fretwise is designed specifically for intermediate to advanced guitarists who find themselves at a crossroads in their musical journey.

• Do you often feel lost or uncertain about how to progress, and perhaps are stuck in the ‘intermediate plateau’?
• Are you unsure how to practice effectively?
• Do you want structure and accountability?
• Have you been playing for years but you want to fill in the gaps in your understanding of the guitar?
• Are you inspired to play in the style of Darryl Syms?
• Do you want a clear and concise learning pathway without all of the fluff and boring instruction from some YouTube teachers?

If you’ve answered yes to any of these then you’re in the right place!

So many things!

• I’m a firm believer of quality over quantity. Many lesson sites have many hundreds, even thousands of lessons and sometimes it feels like a game of numbers. There’s already an overwhelming amount of lessons on YouTube, so I’m here to “cut the b.s” and deliver the juicy goodness in the quickest and most effective way possible. You’ll spend less time getting lost, and more time on effective practice and learning!
• I recognise that teaching is a skill in itself beyond just being a great guitar player. Teaching is a skill I’ve been developing since my mid-teens, and not only in the area of music. I’ve taught thousands of one-on-one lessons, worked in schools, taught group classes in multiple venues, and helped millions of people via my YouTube channel. What you see on this website brings all of those skills together.
• I actually break down and discuss topics thoroughly, with demonstrations! Unlike others, I provide both video and written lesson notes in intricate detail, plus the most accurate tabs you will find on the internet.
• I settle for nothing less than best. Everything about this platform has been carefully put together and is constantly being improved.
• My lessons accommodate beginners, intermediate, and advanced players. No matter what your genre or style interests are, there’s something that every guitar player can take from this platform.
• Fretwise isn’t just a place that you come to learn, but also a place where you can get social in a community of like-minded guitar enthusiasts from around the world. Connect, get feedback, discuss, and grow together!

The most common thing my students tell me, is that they’ve made more progress with Fretwise in a few months than in years of trying to teach themselves.

At Fretwise, each masterclass is designed to provide you with a comprehensive and enriching learning experience. Here’s what you can expect to find in every masterclass:

• Video Instruction: Concise video lessons with on-screen tabs and diagrams to visually guide you through each topic.
• Written Transcripts: Full written transcripts of every lesson, complete with diagrams and tabs available for download in both PDF and Guitar Pro formats.
• Backing Tracks: Where applicable, backing tracks are provided to enhance your practice and enable you to apply what you’ve learned in a musical context.
• Structured Learning: Fretwise classes are meticulously structured to help you build your skills progressively. You’ll find a clear path from fundamental concepts to more advanced techniques.
• Practice Ideas: I offer practice ideas and exercises to reinforce your understanding of the material and ensure you’re making consistent progress.
• Progress Tracking: The Fretwise learning platform includes tools to track your progress, making it easy for you to monitor your development and set achievable goals.
• Support: Take advantage of the community forums to ask any of your questions or discuss challenges that you encounter on your journey.

With these resources and features, each masterclass on Fretwise is designed to empower you with the knowledge, skills, and the support you need to excel on your guitar playing journey.

Fretwise has been developed with the understanding that every guitarist progresses at their own pace. Here’s a general guideline to help you plan your learning journey with my masterclasses:

Time Commitment: On average, it takes about 3 months of frequent study to really grasp the material covered in my masterclasses. While the instructional time for each course typically lasts between 2-3 hours, I recommend that you watch and read through the provided resources multiple times to fully absorb the information.

Lesson Duration: Each individual lesson is designed to be no longer than 15 minutes in length. This provides you with bite-sized chunks of information that you can study and practice over the course of many days, without feeling confused and overwhelmed of your task at hand.

Practice Along: To maximize your learning experience, I encourage you to practice along with your instructor Darryl. Repetition and hands-on practice are key to solidifying your skills and understanding of the content.

Remember, there’s no rush when it comes to mastering the guitar. Take your time, focus on the details, and practice regularly to see steady improvement. Fretwise is designed to support your journey, whether you progress quickly or prefer a more gradual approach.

Masterclasses are a big undertaking. I aim to bring you updates to Fretwise resources about once a month. However, creating entirely new masterclasses is a more extensive process and can take between 4-6 months to complete.

It’s important to note that my main focus isn’t just to flood you with “thousands of lessons” like many other guitar lesson websites. Fretwise is not designed to be an endless sea of resources, which typically leaves guitar players feeling as lost as they were on YouTube. I believe in quality over quantity.

Some courses are marked as a difficulty: Beginners, or All Levels. These are suitable for guitar players of all levels and backgrounds. A great place to start for every guitar player if in doubt is the CAGED Fretboard Visualisation Masterclass. This course is designed to take you from a beginner player to an intermediate one, which will open the pathway for more intermediate level courses on Fretwise.

If this is your first time ever learning to play guitar and you are starting from zero, then Fretwise is not suitable for you just yet. I recommend you familiarise yourself with guitar basics through a few lessons with a guitar teacher or some YouTube videos for beginners. Once you feel like you can play some basic tunes and know how to move your fingers across the fretboard, come back and start on CAGED.