Eugene Edwards
PRESENTS

Beginner Country Soloing

Learn to twang like a pro – 10 country techniques, 10 days to shine.

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WHo it's for

Late Beginner

For late-beginners who are brand new to country. You'll need some basic lead guitar skills to thrive in this class.

Time

10 days

Eugene will guide you through 10 days of step-by-step instruction with interactive TAB and daily exercises.

Outcome

Unlock your inner twang

You'll leave this class with an authentic set of country skills that'll have you ripping hot licks with Nasvhille flair.

Keep going

Take the next step

Once you complete this class, master the art of country guitar in the Country Learning Pathway with Daniel Donato.

What you'll learn

By making quick tweaks to your existing soloing skills and learning new country-fried techniques, Eugene will show you how to build a solid foundation for twangy lead playing.

  • Adapt your soloing skills to the country tradition.
  • Target chord tones to solo with greater intention.
  • Explore country progressions and harmonization.
  • Twang like a pro with hybrid and chicken picking.
How it works

Your guided learning experience

This course is designed to give you a rock-solid foundation for country soloing so you can start playing right away and chart a path to advanced country soloing. Each day, you’ll learn a new skill, practice it in-depth with guided exercises, and tie it all together with an interactive jam.

Bends

This class is designed to get you soloing ASAP.

We’ll kick things off by exploring how to adapt your bending skills to access the signature twang and expressive feel of country music.

Slides and vibrato

Slides and vibrato are bread-and-butter techniques that guitarists of all genres use. Both help you imitate the sound of a human voice.

In this lesson, you'll dial in these core techniques so you can make your guitar sing like a heartbroken cowboy.

Hammer-ons and pull-offs

In Day 3, we’ll focus on tweaking one last core technique to get you in the country mindset.

Eugene will run you through a series of exercises to increase the amount of notes at your disposal and give your guitar a runaway train sound.

Days 4-10. Build your country foundation

The twang train is leaving the station. Throughout the next seven lessons, you'll explore the cornerstones of the country guitar sound. Eugene will break down how each technique or concept applies to your playing and then guide you through exactly what it takes to get it under your fingers.

  • Day 4. Open strings: Make the guitar sound like a banjo with open string licks.
  • Day 5. Country scale tones: Discover specific country note choices.
  • Day 6. Double stops: Double up on a melody by harmonizing it.
  • Day 7. Hybrid picking: Expand the picking hand and take your chords to the next level.
  • Day 8. Chicken pickin’: Activate the unmistakable country guitar twang sound.
  • Day 9. 6ths: Supercharge your double stops with 6th intervals.
  • Day 10. Pedal steel: Unlock the pedal steel sound by combining bends and picking.
Performance pieces

To cap off the course, you'll take what you learned and apply it in a purely musical context by learning solos crafted by Eugene that incorporate the techniques you worked on throughout the class.

Curriculum

Stay focused with this step-by-step learning program designed by our expert team of music educators.

10-Day Plan

Days 1-3. Adapt your foundation

Start playing ASAP by making simple tweaks to your existing soloing skillset.

What you need to know to get started:

Wondering if you're ready for this class? You don't need to be a master of soloing, but a few core skills will go a long way. Before starting, you should be comfortable with:
- The fundamentals of bending, hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, and vibrato.
- The basics of pentatonic scale soloing.
- The soloing material in the Late Beginner Learning Pathway.

The first three lessons:

Eugene kicks off the class with three lessons that take those existing soloing skills and show you how to adapt them to the country tradition. You’ll work on bending, hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, and vibrato – all with the iconic twang of country guitar.

Days 4-6. The sound of country

Start building up authentic country vocabulary.

Next, you’ll focus on charting new territory by exploring iconic country techniques and concepts. In Day 4, you’ll channel the spirit of the banjo by using open strings create a cascading, over-ringing effect in your solos.

In Day 5, you’ll get theoretical by learning how to target scale tones and blend scale language to find the right balance of moodiness versus optimism. In Day 6, you’ll tackle double stops – an essential ingredient in any respectable country solo.

Days 7 & 8. The art of twang

Shift focus to your picking hand.

With some essential vocabulary and fretting techniques under your fingers, we’ll turn toward your picking hand and tackle two must-know techniques: Hybrid picking and chicken pickin’.

Hybrid picking is yet another technique that we’ve pinched from our banjo brothers and sisters. Rather than strumming all of the strings, hybrid picking uses a mixture of the pick and fingers to grab notes in a chord. You’ll work on that in Day 7 to build speed and precision, gain greater dynamic control over your solos, and get more tonal options at your fingertips.

Next comes chicken pickin’ in Day 8. It’s a variation of hybrid picking that adds an extra snap to your notes via muting. This technique will do some serious heavy lifting for the twang in your tone.

Days 9 & 10. Final techniques

Cap off your intro to country soloing with two more core sounds.

To cap off the class, you’ll get a dash of theory and one more instrument-mimicking technique to tie a bow on your new country skills.

In Day 9, you’ll explore the wide and warm 6th interval to beef up your lead lines. In Day 10, you’ll revisit bending to capture the longing yowls of a pedal steel.

Before we send you down to the Nashville circuit, Eugene has prepared three performance pieces for you. These are solos that were specifically composed to include techniques you worked on throughout the class. These are a great way to make sure you’re comfortable with everything you learned.

Student stories

Learn how Beginner Country Soloing has helped real guitarists break through their playing plateau and realize their potential.

“My favorite part about pickup music is probably nerding out in the forum with everyone. Just knowing you have a creative community to reach out to if you have any questions or you're stuck in a rut.”

Vicki Huang

United States

"I would highly recommend Pickup Music to pretty much anyone who has been playing for a few years and doesn't feel like they are getting better any more."

James Harrod

United Kingdom

“One of the things that's been the most fun for me has been the SongSquad challenges... connecting with other people in the Pickup Music community on Instagram and just encouraging each other as we're learning songs and practicing.”

Vin Thomas

United States

"Pickup Music really helped me push my musical boundaries."

Wytse Hokwerda

Germany

REAL students

Don’t take our word for it, take theirs

What guitarists love about this course

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Included in your membership:

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Included in your membership:

All-access pass

Learning pathways that get results

Video feedback on your playing

Practice with a live band

Weekly live lessons

New releases every month

60-day money back guarantee

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Frequently Asked Questions

If your questions aren’t answered below, please chat with us.

Is Pickup Music right for me?

Are you a guitar player who feels like you haven’t made progress in a few months… years… or even decades? 

You’re probably stuck in what’s called the ‘intermediate plateau’. This is very common and can be very frustrating.

What’s the cause? Well, it’s pretty easy to learn the basics on guitar. Learn a few open chords and you can play Wonderwall and hundreds of other songs. Learn a couple of scales and a few licks and you can play some lead. 

But what then? Triads? Modes? Arpeggios? The phrygian scale?!

Without a clear plan and learning system you fall back to playing the same old chords and licks over and over again. Or you bounce around free lessons online but nothing seems to stick. It’s a recipe for a lot of practice without much progress. 

That’s where Pickup Music can help. We specialize in taking players stuck in a guitar rut and turning them into advanced guitarists.

We do this through Learning Pathways that take you on a step-by-step journey towards fretboard mastery. We give you a highly structured system that shows you exactly what to work on each week to make serious progress. 

These Learning Pathways take the guesswork out of your practice routine. You are guided through a proven grade-by-grade system with daily lessons, play-along practice exercises and interactive workouts. 

But it’s not all about theory. We apply everything you learn to real music. That’s why every grade of our Learning Pathways build up to performing a song with a live backing band. This simulates what it’s like to play a real gig, with real musicians. It’s the absolute best way to learn. 

You also get 1:1 video feedback on your playing from our expert instructors and can attend weekly live lessons. This personal feedback makes Pickup Music the closest thing to taking in-person lessons, but at a fraction of the cost.

So does this method actually work? Will you see results in your playing?

The most common thing we hear from new members is that they’ve made more progress with Pickup Music in a few months than in years of teaching themselves. As one member recently told us, “I'm finally seeing progress for the first time in many years”.

Want to hear about other members’ experiences with us? Read our independent Trustpilot reviews.

Is Pickup Music worth the money?

Private guitar lessons will cost you about $50 per lesson or $2,600 a year. 

Going to a music academy will cost you about $40,000 a year.

A Pickup Music membership will cost you  just $180 for the whole year. 

That works out to 50 cents a day! 

But it’s not just about the money. It’s about not wasting your precious time. It’s about making actual progress on this beautiful instrument. 

By following our proven Learning Pathway system, you can stop wasting your time and effort trying to guess what you should practice next. Our guided programs eliminate the guesswork so you know exactly what you need to focus on each day and week to make lasting progress with guitar.

What makes Pickup Music better than other guitar lesson sites?

Most online guitar lesson sites are very good at teaching one-off songs and licks. Or they get super famous guitarists to record one-hour video lessons talking at length about their particular style and career.

The problem is that these approaches don't stick. They don’t help you to actually get better as a guitarist. You can waste a lot of time bouncing around these types of unconnected, one-off lessons. It’s a recipe for a lot of practice without much progress. 

Pickup Music takes a different approach. We give you a highly structured system that shows you exactly what to work on each week to make serious progress. We take you beyond the basics through a step-by-step journey towards fretboard mastery. 

By following a Pickup Music Learning Pathway, you are getting the most guided way to learn guitar. Over 6 grades, you are taken through daily lessons and practice exercises that carefully explain what’s going on behind the music. 

Each grade then builds up to song performances that apply everything you’ve learned with a live backing band. These challenges - where we simulate what it’s like to play a real gig, with real musicians - is the absolute best way to learn. 

The Learning Pathway method takes the guesswork out of your practice routine. Most guitarists start to see a rapid acceleration in their progress in a matter of weeks.

You can also get 1:1 video feedback on your playing and weekly live lessons. This personal feedback makes Pickup Music the closest thing to taking in-person lessons, but at a fraction of the cost.

Want to hear about other members’ experiences with us? Read our independent Trustpilot reviews.

What exactly do I get from a Pickup Music membership?

When you become a Pickup Music member you get unlimited access to our huge library of lessons:

  • 13 Learning Pathways giving you step-by-step instruction over 3 months
  • 47 Master Classes going deep into different styles over 2 weeks
  • 500+ original songs from some of the world’s best modern guitarists 
  • 100+ essential lick packages to add new flavors to your playing
  • 200+ 5 minute lessons for bite-sized learning. 


You get to enjoy amazing features that create a premium learning experience:

  • day-by-day lessons
  • 1:1 video feedback on your playing
  • weekly live lessons
  • progress tracking
  • interactive TAB
  • multiple HD camera angles 
  • play-along practice exercises
  • downloadable course notes and diagrams
  • quizzes to test your understanding
  • jam tracks with the Pickup Music Live Band
  • exclusive members-only forum, contests and giveaways.

How do the Learning Pathways work?

Learning Pathways are kind of our special sauce here at Pickup Music. They take all the guesswork out of what to practice. 

You get day-by-day lessons, play along practice exercises with your instructor, interactive jams with the Pickup Music live band and you can submit videos of your playing for feedback from the Pickup Music team. 

We designed this system so that you will know exactly what to practice every time you pick up the guitar. This means that even if you only have time to practice with us once a week, you will still make great progress by following a Learning Pathways. 

How often do I need to practice to see results?

Ideally you would practice about three times a week for 30 minutes at a time. But we know that life gets in the way sometimes! So here’s the good news: deliberate practice matters so much more than how often you practice.

After working with thousands of guitarists, we’ve found that the most important thing is to know exactly what you’re going to practice before you pick up the guitar. Even if you can only use Pickup Music a few times a month, you will still make really good progress if you stick to the step-by-step structure of our Learning Pathways.

How long are the lessons? 

Pickup Music's lesson plans are designed to suit the amount of time you have available to practice.

  • Only got a few minutes? Try our 5-Minute Lessons to quickly add a new skill to your toolbox.
  • Got half an hour? Try one of our Essential Lick Packages or original Songs  to expand your vocabulary in different genres.
  • Got a couple of days? Try a Master Class with one of our world-renowned artists. Each class is broken up into short, digestible modules focused on one topic. 
  • Ready to really commit to a multi-week program? Try one of our Learning Pathways. Over 3 months and 6 grades of learning, these detailed courses will take you on a day-by-day journey to master each level in the genre. Learning Pathways include daily practice exercises so you know exactly what to focus on. These courses are the best way to make lasting progress.

Whichever approach you choose, we recommend building the exercises you learn into your daily practice schedule. The best way to improve as a guitarist is through a consistent practice routine rather than sporadic, longer sessions. Learning guitar is a day-by-day, life-long journey.

Can I take the lessons at my own pace?

Everything on Pickup Music is designed to be taken at your own pace. There are no deadlines, so you can work at your own speed. You can stay on a topic until you really understand it before you move on.

While we divide our Learning Pathways into ‘days’ - this is a suggestion only. Some learners might take a few days in one sitting, while others will spend a few sessions on a single day. You can go at the pace that feels most comfortable to you.

How does the 1:1 video feedback work?

We want our members to get the closest thing possible to in-person lessons but at a fraction of the cost. That's why you can now get individual video feedback on your guitar playing from our team of expert instructors.

Here's how it works:

  • Choose a performance piece to learn at the end of each grade of a Learning Pathway.
  • Upload a video of yourself playing the performance piece.
  • An expert instructor from our team will review your playing and send you back a detailed video on what you're doing well and what you need to work on.
  • Repeat for each grade of the Learning Pathway.

Want to see a sample? Check out this recent video feedback from Pickup Music instructor Jack Handyside.

Is Pickup Music good for beginners?

Absolutely! We make learning the guitar fun and simple – the way it should be.

Too many people get frustrated with guitar because they develop bad habits and poor technique. Avoid these costly and time-consuming mistakes by taking Pickup Music's structured and step-by-step approach to learning guitar.

You'll start with Pickup Music's introductory program Beginner Learning Pathway. Over three weeks, we break down everything from simple chords and melodies to rhythm and lead playing. By the end of the program, you'll be able to play any simple pop or rock song (and even write your own).

Most importantly, we make sure you don't get stuck in the beginner's plateau - a common pitfall for guitarists who are just starting out. You'll keep making progress through Pickup Music's guided Learning Pathways. These programs are designed to quickly take you from a beginner player to an intermediate one who feels comfortable across the whole fretboard.

Is Pickup Music good for intermediate and advanced guitarists?

Pickup Music is the best platform available for intermediate and advanced guitarists. Our courses take you beyond the basics to advanced concepts like the CAGED system, triads, arpeggios, modes and improvisation.

The biggest trap for intermediate players is bouncing around from lesson to lesson without a plan or structure to get to that next level. We are known for taking intermediate and advanced players who have hit a ceiling and busting through until they reach the next level.

Am I too old for guitar lessons?

Many of Pickup Music’s members are in their 60s and 70s and have seen amazing success with our programs. Our platform is designed to be user-friendly for all ages and skill levels. And our supportive community is made up of guitar learners of all ages, cheering each other on.

How does the 14-day free trial work? 

When you first sign up to a Pickup Music membership, you enter your credit card but it will not be charged for 14 days. That means that if you decide to cancel within 14 days of signing up, you won't pay anything. 

And we send you a reminder before your trial is about to end so you don’t forget about it. 

If you decide to cancel after that, you won't be charged at your next billing cycle. That means: if you’re a monthly member, you won’t be charged for the next month. If you’re an annual member, you won’t be charged for the next year.

How does the 60-day money back guarantee work?

In addition to the 14-day free trial, we offer a 60-day money back guarantee. If you’re not satisfied with your progress in the first 60 days of your membership, we will give you your money back - no questions asked.

Is it easy to cancel?

Absolutely! You can cancel at any time (although we'd be sad to see you go). Cancelling is easy, no tricks. Just go to your account page and click a button.

You won't be charged anything if you cancel during your 14-day free trial.

If you cancel after your 14-day trial, you won't be billed again at your next billing cycle. Your membership will remain active until it expires on the day it was originally set to renew.

Note: Once your membership expires, we'll save your progress on your Dashboard if you decide to rejoin at a later date.

What’s the difference between the annual and monthly plan?

The only difference is the price. The monthly membership is $29.99 charged monthly and the annual membership is $179.99 charged once a year. 

That means that if you select the annual plan you will pay 50% less and save $180 over a year compared to the monthly plan. 

We'll also send you reminders before we bill you each year so that you don't accidentally forget about it.

We give such a big discount for annual members because it aligns with our long-term vision to inspire and support lifelong guitar learning.

Can I buy lessons individually?

We don’t sell lessons individually. But the good news is you get access to every single lesson on Pickup Music through the one membership. If you’re only interested in one lesson, you could purchase a monthly membership and cancel when you’ve finished it – we have a hunch you’ll want to stick around though :)

How do I restart my membership?

It’s easy to rejoin Pickup Music and we’d be thrilled to have you back! We even saved all of your lessons for you while you were gone on your Dashboard.

To restart your membership, simply head to this page, select the plan of your choice, and sign up with the email address you used to sign up the first time around.

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