Below you’ll find all of the Learn to Play Guitar with Jimmy Yeary lessons in this category. Each post is part of a step-by-step journey designed to help you build skills, gain confidence, and enjoy the process of making music. Explore the lessons here and revisit them anytime as you continue growing as a guitar player.
In this lesson, Jimmy introduces a lick built around the twelfth fret that he believes any player can learn, at any level. It’s a challenge, but the right kind. Through three simple two-note chord shapes, you’ll start to understand the neck in a way that goes beyond chords and open strings. Get your fingers in position and be patient with yourself. When it clicks, it really clicks.
Jimmy Yeary introduces you to your very first guitar lick—a simple but powerful scale-based phrase designed to build dexterity, coordination, and confidence. He breaks it down slowly, showing multiple picking approaches (all downstrokes, alternate picking, or a mix) and encourages you to repeat it until it becomes second nature. Once mastered, this single lick can unlock dozens of variations and open the door to improvisation. It’s a challenging but rewarding step beyond chords and strumming.
In this lesson, Jimmy Yeary shares what he calls the boomerang effect—the surprising way consistent effort can suddenly transform into exponential progress. Drawing on stories from childhood, his early career in bluegrass, and even the writing of “I Called Mama” for Tim McGraw, Jimmy shows how persistence pays off in unexpected leaps forward. It’s a reminder that your practice on guitar (and in life) is never wasted, even when progress feels slow.
In this lesson, Jimmy Yeary steps away from teaching songs to share encouragement for staying motivated on your guitar journey. He talks about setting goals, learning from other players, handling nerves, and trusting the slow-but-sure process of practice. Jimmy illustrates this with personal stories about learning mandolin and banjo, reminding you that progress often feels invisible until it suddenly clicks. To wrap up, he demonstrates a simple but powerful dexterity exercise that will prepare you for future licks and scales.
In this special lesson, Jimmy Yeary is joined by Austin Andrews for a conversation about persistence, practice, and the joy of making music. They talk openly about the challenges every beginner faces—sore fingers, slow progress, and frustration—and how repetition eventually leads to breakthrough moments. You’ll also see a live example of fingerpicking and how playing with others makes guitar both fun and rewarding.