Every Course.
All Yours.
One membership unlocks every course below — plus new ones as they're added. Blues, rock, theory, technique, improvisation and more. Everything you need to become the player you've always wanted to be.
Foundational Skills
3 coursesJames tackles the most common electric guitar technique problems head-on, with clear close-up lessons showing you exactly what to change and how to fix it. Master picking, bending, vibrato, hammer-ons and pull-offs, and eliminate unwanted noise with pro-level muting for both hands.
Finally crack the fretboard! This mini-course uses simple memory hacks and specially designed 'note drills' to help you learn every note on the guitar. Spend just 5 minutes a day on the play-along exercises and see your fretboard knowledge rocket in under a week.
How do you know what chords to learn when there are thousands of them? James cuts through the overwhelm in this 2-part workshop — focusing only on what you really need. After watching, you'll be able to play most chords you'll ever encounter in most real-world playing situations.
Blues Guitar
8 coursesThe perfect starting point for blues guitar. Nail the essential techniques — bends, vibrato, slides, pull-offs — in the right order, with the right detail. James's step-by-step building method means you improve without even realising it. Ideal if you've started and stopped guitar before.
A deep and ever-growing library of blues licks covering phrasing, string bending, vibrato and note choice — the fine details that separate good players from great ones. Rated highly even by players with 20+ years' experience and Berklee training.
Master the rhythm guitar techniques that make blues playing feel alive. Covers shuffle rhythms, turnarounds, chord voicings and the comping tricks that transform basic rhythm playing into something really musical. Practical, useful skills you'll use immediately.
A dedicated workshop breaking down the classic slow blues 'Stormy Monday' style — one of the most important templates in all of blues guitar. Learn the chord progressions, turnarounds and lead/rhythm approaches that make this style sound deeply authentic and musical.
Learn to create head-turning blues solos using simple triads. You'll be amazed at the cool, musical sounds you can get from just a few shapes. Covers triad shapes, technique exercises and how to combine them into genuinely impressive blues lines with real character.
Spice up your blues soloing by learning to weave chords, licks, hybrid-picking and chord fragments into one seamless style. Includes a full solo study with 5 licks broken down step by step, plus TAB worksheet, Guitar Pro file and a backing track to jam with.
Learn step-by-step how to combine chords, fills and lead playing to create your own solo blues jams. Using James's straightforward system you'll soon be creating satisfying, full-sounding performances that combine rhythm and lead — no backing band needed.
Expanded versions of James's most popular blues YouTube lessons — with full TAB workbooks and Guitar Pro files you won't find on YouTube. Covers British blues licks in the style of Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor, acoustic blues and Stevie Ray Vaughan / Albert King style solos.
Rock Guitar
5 courses
Your complete introduction to rock guitar. Part 1 covers power chords, palm muting, single-note riffing and open-string scale patterns for heavy riffs. Part 2 dives into rock lead — pentatonic and blues scales, hammer-ons, pull-offs, string bending and more. All TAB, Guitar Pro files and backing tracks included.
Turbocharge your guitar technique using the same tools the greats use. No empty shredding — just proven strategies for mastering picking, legato, bending, vibrato and the techniques that make solos sing. Every episode includes full TAB workbooks, backing tracks and audio downloads.
A constantly growing library of rock licks — the building blocks for crafting your own unique solos. Practical, concise and packed with more content than you'd expect. Dip in at your own pace, pick the licks that speak to you and make them yours.
Inject some 80's rock DNA into your playing with killer licks in the style of Schenker, Randy Rhoads, Van Halen and other legends. Four licks broken down step by step — each with full TAB, Guitar Pro files and backing tracks to nail them in context.
Expanded versions of James's best rock YouTube lessons. Covers fast alternate picking licks, classic rock in the style of Angus Young, Michael Schenker and Tony Iommi, pentatonic rock licks and Dorian mode soloing — all with full TAB worksheets and Guitar Pro files.
Scales, Soloing & Improvisation
7 coursesThe most popular course in TGL. A complete system for mastering the minor pentatonic scale all over the fretboard — all 5 positions, how to connect them fluently and how to solo with real confidence in any key. Described by members as a 'life-changing' course.
The companion course to Minor Pentatonic Mastery. 50 power moves — 10 per scale shape — to dramatically expand your soloing vocabulary across all five positions. Take these licks, experiment, jam, and watch your playing reach new levels. Full TAB workbook and Guitar Pro files included.
Stop being the player who can only solo in minor keys. Step-by-step you'll master the major pentatonic scale with dedicated licks, sliding shapes and demo solos — so you can play killer solos in major keys in the style of ZZ Top, classic country and southern rock.
Learn the exact strategies used by the world's greatest improvisers — made simple and immediately usable. Discover how to create effortless flow between phrases, use repetition like the pros, make solos groove and break out of the shape-1 box for good. TAB, backing tracks and audio downloads included.
Unlock the Dorian mode — the scale behind countless iconic rock and blues-rock solos. Covers scale patterns, theory, lick ideas and how to use this mode to give your playing a new, distinctive flavour. Ideal for players ready to go beyond the pentatonic box.
The natural minor scale (Aeolian mode) is a cornerstone of rock and metal guitar — and now you can learn to use it with confidence. Covers theory, scale shapes, lick ideas and how to solo over minor chord progressions, with downloadable worksheet and backing tracks.
Expanded editions of James's most popular scale and technique YouTube lessons. Covers lead guitar mistakes to avoid, picking and bending errors, how to learn any scale in under 10 minutes, essential practice tools, amp settings and a clear, plain-English introduction to modes.
Music Theory
4 courses
The foundational theory every guitar player needs — without the confusing BS. Covers the musical alphabet, tones and semitones, major and minor scales, triads, chord progressions, pentatonic scales and the natural minor scale. Audio-based with a downloadable workbook.
Takes your theory further with sus chords, key signatures, the Circle of Fifths, triad inversions, 7th chords, Roman numerals and a clear, accessible introduction to modes. Includes a downloadable workbook, wall charts and backing tracks to practise with.
Discover the amazing tool that is the Circle of Fifths. Use it to learn every note on the fretboard, play common chord progressions in any key, and as an unbeatable practice tool. Includes a downloadable wall chart and blank worksheets to work through at your own pace.
Demystifies musical notation so guitarists can actually read and understand rhythm on the page. Learn how note values, time signatures and rhythm patterns work — the kind of musical literacy that unlocks better communication with other musicians and helps you learn songs faster.
Workshops
2 courses
Pro UK touring guitarist Ben Fletcher takes you step-by-step through getting the guitar sounds you've always wanted. Learn how to use overdrive, delay, chorus and other effects pedals, how Ben sets up his rig for professional touring, and how to replicate the tones you hear on your favourite recordings.
An in-depth introduction to this super-fun style. Learn essential funk techniques, rhythms, single-note riffs, chord fragments, hybrid 'chicken-pickin' sounds and bassline riffs. A two-part workshop with TAB worksheet, Guitar Pro file and a backing track to jam with immediately.
Live Session Replays
3 archives
Repeating licks & power moves, blues arpeggio ideas, jazz chord studies (Bebop Blues), blues introductions & chord scales, melodic soloing concepts, plus live Q&A sessions with James. Most sessions include tab worksheets, Guitar Pro files and backing tracks.
Motif soloing & rhythmic concepts, mixing Major & Minor Pentatonics, modal chord progressions, practice & comping techniques, plus extended Q&A sessions covering a wide range of topics. Tabs & backing tracks included with most sessions.
3rds, 6ths & hybrid picking, 'All Along the Watchtower' solo study, improvisation exercises & restriction practice, plus live Q&A sessions covering technique, soloing and more. Tabs & backing tracks included with most sessions.
"I joined Total Guitar Lab about 5 years ago after years of trying to get going on the guitar and I haven't looked back. I'm a mature learner (50+) and have made enormous gains, particularly in lead and blues. I finally played a small gig last summer — something which would have been unthinkable at one time! Unreserved recommendation from me."
"I joined TGL after watching a YouTube video from James because I really liked his teaching style. I was a real beginner at the time and have made great progress over the last several years. The support James has given me is outstanding — I've reached a higher level than I thought I ever would."
"I love TGL because it gives me all the tools I need to master something. In the rare case where I still have questions, I can post them in the TGL community and James himself will help me out. I've honestly made more progress with TGL than with anything else I've tried."
Choose Your Plan
All plans include full access. No locked content, no upsells.
Monthly & Annual include a 30-day free trial. The 6-Month plan is a one-time payment with no trial.
- ✓Full course library access
- ✓Study Plans
- ✓TGL Backstage community
- ✓Direct access to James
- ✓30-day free trial included
- ✓Cancel any time
- ✓Full course library access
- ✓Study Plans
- ✓TGL Backstage community
- ✓Direct access to James
- ✓No auto-renewal
- ✓No free trial — one-time payment
- ✓Full course library access
- ✓Study Plans
- ✓TGL Backstage community
- ✓Direct access to James
- ✓30-day free trial included
🎸 Not sure which to pick? Annual works out under $17/month — less than one private lesson, for unlimited access to everything.
Monthly & Annual: try free for 30 days, no charge until your trial ends, cancel before then and pay nothing. 6-Month: one-time payment, no trial, no auto-renewal.
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A real teacher. A clear path. No excuses.
Monthly & Annual: 30-day free trial, full access from day one — cancel before it ends and pay nothing.
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Prefer to pay once? Get 6 months for $109 — no auto-renewal →