Step into the world of music with award-winning songwriter Jimmy Yeary as your guide. In this series of beginner-friendly guitar lessons, Jimmy shares the same simple techniques he learned from his father—helping you go from holding a guitar for the first time to strumming real chords and songs. Each lesson builds on the last, giving you practical tips, clear demonstrations, and plenty of encouragement. Whether you dream of playing around the campfire or writing songs of your own, this series will get you started on a journey that’s both fun and rewarding.
Continuing in Drop D, Jimmy walks through the verse progression of I Called Mama, keeping the picking pattern steady while moving through the altered G, the adjusted E minor, and a thumb-muted A. The focus is on timing, clean transitions, and staying relaxed as you connect the shapes in real tempo—turning a challenging pattern into a smooth, musical groove.
Building on the drop D tuning from Part 1, Jimmy Yeary teaches a challenging strumming and picking pattern from his song I Called Mama, recorded by Tim McGraw. This technique combines alternating down–up movements with subtle finger adjustments that change the feel of the D chord. Though tricky at first, practicing this progression will sharpen your rhythm, strengthen your dexterity, and give you a deeper understanding of how creative chord shapes and strumming can transform a song.
Jimmy Yeary introduces you to drop D tuning using his hit song I Called Mama, recorded by Tim McGraw. You’ll learn how to retune the low E string to D, adjust your G and A chord shapes, and practice muting techniques to keep everything sounding clean. Jimmy also demonstrates a picking pattern that makes the most of the deeper, richer sound this tuning provides. It’s a step up in difficulty, but mastering drop D will open the door to new textures and inspiration in your playing.
In this lesson, Jimmy Yeary shifts from guitar technique to the art of songwriting. He explains how personal stories and real-life experiences can become powerful lyrics, using his own #1 hit I Drive Your Truck as an example. Jimmy encourages you to draw from your own memories and emotions, showing how authenticity and honesty are the keys to creating songs that truly connect with listeners.
Jimmy Yeary takes you through the essential chord shapes all across the neck, showing how each major chord (A–G) can be played in multiple positions. From open chords to bar chords and higher up the fretboard, you’ll see how learning these shapes expands your ability to play songs, licks, and scales anywhere on the guitar. While challenging at first, this lesson is foundational for truly understanding the neck and becoming a versatile player.
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.
Jimmy Yeary teaches you how to play his hit song Everything’s Gonna Be Alright, recorded by Kenny Chesney and David Lee Murphy. Along with a new strumming pattern, he walks through the chords you’ll need (G, C, D, A minor, and F as the flat seven) and even shares a few shortcuts and passing notes to make the transitions smoother. This lesson blends rhythm and chord work while showing how real songs can fast-track your growth as a guitarist.
Jimmy Yeary introduces strumming patterns by teaching you how to play his number-one bluegrass song Bone Dry. You’ll learn a down–up pattern that turns your right hand into the “drummer” of the song, keeping rhythm steady from start to finish. Along with practicing the chords in the key of A (A, D, E, and G as the flat seven), Jimmy shows how repetition and playing full songs accelerate your growth more than anything else. This lesson blends rhythm, chords, and practice into one fun challenge.
In this lesson, Jimmy Yeary reveals a powerful secret behind nearly every song: the three-chord foundation. Walking through each of the seven major chords (A–G), he shows you the two supporting chords that complete the trio in any key. Using “Happy Birthday” as a simple example, Jimmy makes it clear how songs are built and why chords fit together the way they do. This is an eye-opening step that helps guitarists move from strumming shapes to truly understanding music.