Start Here
If you're new to guitar — or new to Woodshed — this page will tell you everything you need to know to get started. No jargon, no assumptions, just a clear path forward.
What is Woodshed?
Woodshed is a guitar fretboard training platform. It helps you memorize notes, learn chord shapes, understand scales, and master music theory through interactive drills, timed challenges, and structured programs.
The name comes from an old musician's expression: "going to the woodshed" means locking yourself away to practice until you've really got it down. No shortcuts. Just focused practice that works.
Do I need to know anything first?
Nope. If you can hold a guitar and know which end the sound comes out of, you're ready. But let's quickly cover the basics so we're speaking the same language:
Notes
Music uses 12 notes: C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B. Then it repeats. Every sound your guitar makes is one of these 12 notes. The first thing you'll learn here is where each note lives on the fretboard — because once you know that, everything else clicks faster.
Chords
A chord is multiple notes played at the same time. When you strum a G chord, you're playing the notes G, B, and D together. Chords are what make songs sound like songs. You'll start with open chords (played near the top of the neck using open strings) and eventually learn barre chords (moveable shapes you can play anywhere).
Scales
A scale is a set of notes that sound good together. When someone plays a guitar solo, they're usually playing notes from a scale. The minor pentatonic scale is the single most useful scale in rock and blues — it's 5 notes that work over almost everything. That's where you'll start.
Keys
A key tells you which notes and chords belong together in a song. If someone says "this song is in the key of G," it means the song uses chords and notes that all come from the G major scale. Understanding keys is what lets you jam with other musicians and figure out songs by ear.
What's inside Woodshed?
How does training work?
Every module follows the same pattern:
Learn
See the notes, shapes, or patterns displayed on an interactive fretboard. Study them, explore them, understand the shape before you drill it.
Practice
The trainer gives you a challenge — "find every A note" or "build a G chord." You tap the fretboard to answer, then check your work. No timer, no pressure.
Timed
Same challenges, but now the clock is running. Wrong answers buzz and shake. Right answers pop green. Your time and accuracy are scored from S (perfect) to C (keep practicing). This is where the real learning happens — under a little pressure, your brain commits things to memory faster.
Which program should I start with?
Start here if you're new to guitar or can only play a few open chords
You'll learn the note names on the fretboard, all 5 open major chords, open minor chords, your first scale (A minor pentatonic), and basic music theory. 4 weeks, step by step.
Start here if you play open chords but feel stuck in first position
You'll learn every note including sharps and flats, barre chords, all 5 pentatonic boxes, the CAGED system, and how keys work. This is where the fretboard stops being a mystery.
Start here if you play barre chords and know some scales but want full fretboard mastery
Triads in all inversions, CAGED in every key, modes (Dorian, Mixolydian, Phrygian), and the theory that connects everything. This is graduate-level fretboard knowledge.
Tips for getting the most out of Woodshed
10 minutes a day beats 2 hours once a week. Fretboard knowledge is built through daily repetition. Short, focused sessions stick better than marathon cramming.
Chase the S grade. When you can consistently score S (perfect, fast, zero mistakes) on a drill, you truly own that knowledge. B means you're learning. A means you know it. S means it's automatic.
Use the Theory Cards "Why?" button. Every card has an explanation that teaches you the theory behind the answer. Don't just memorize — understand. That's what makes the knowledge stick and transfer to real playing.
Follow a Program. The trainers are great for free practice, but the Programs give you structure. They tell you what to learn, in what order, and don't let you skip ahead until you've actually mastered each step.
Practice with your guitar in hand. After you nail a drill in the app, pick up your guitar and play it. Woodshed trains your brain; your guitar trains your fingers. Both matter.