If you’ve ever dreamed of playing guitar but felt unsure where to start, this course is for you. I’ve designed it to feel like sitting down with a friend—relaxed, encouraging, and focused on getting you playing. No complicated theory, no pressure, just simple steps you can actually enjoy.
By the end of this short course, you’ll be able to:
Tune your guitar making it a daily ritual
Play your first chords and switch smoothly between them
Keep a steady rhythm and begin using fingerstyle patterns
Put it all together in a simple original song we’ll learn together
Build a daily habit of picking up your guitar and seeing real progress
Curriculum
Why This Course Works
Short, simple lessons (all under 5 minutes) fit easily into your day, with a step-by-step structure that makes guitar feel approachable. No jargon, no rush—you can always replay and learn at your own pace.
Who It's For
Made for absolute beginners. Whether you’ve just picked up a guitar or felt lost trying before, this course gives you the guidance and confidence to finally start playing.
Let's Begin Together
Pick up your guitar and join me. I’ll guide you through the first steps, and before long you’ll be making music that feels natural and fun.
Your Instructor
Mary Spender epitomizes the modern independent artist—writing, recording, and releasing her music directly to a global community without labels or middlemen. With over 100 million views and 780,000+ subscribers on YouTube, she has built one of the most engaged audiences in the music space.
As a songwriter and guitarist, Mary blends Blues, Rock, Folk, and Americana into a timeless sound—her sultry, jazz-influenced voice and intricate fingerstyle guitar at the heart of it. In 2021, she went viral after preemptively writing and recording John Mayer’s Last Train Home from a short Instagram teaser, a moment that won Mayer’s personal recognition.
Her 2022 double album Songbook Volumes 1 & 2 was fully fan-funded, leading to sold-out shows in London and Bristol. The following year, she released her debut studio album Super. Sexy. Heartbreak.—a project that deliberately prioritized vinyl and CD over streaming to challenge the economics of modern music. Produced in Barcelona with Pau Romero, the record features Aaron Sterling (John Mayer, Regina Spektor), Sean Hurley (Lana Del Rey, Gwen Stefani), and Ariel Posen.
After a headline UK tour in 2024, Mary is now preparing Songbook Volumes 3 & 4, a double acoustic album due in 2026, alongside further international touring. Beyond her own music, she has become a trusted educator and documentarian. Her accessible breakdowns of classics by Dire Straits, Fleetwood Mac, and Tracy Chapman are some of her most popular videos, while her feature-length documentaries The Rise and Fall of Led Zeppelin and The Dire Straits Story are available exclusively on Nebula.