“For the first time since I picked up a guitar, I am becoming lost in the joy of the music, rather than dreading the practice.”
Rated 4.4 Based on 953 Happy Students
Confidently Play Guitar in Just 15 Minutes a Day
You're just a click away from the coaching, advice, and community that will turn guitar practice into a daily joy.
"These lessons are well-structured, thoughtfully guiding through challenges. The heart put into them really shows."
Jack Lockhart
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You hold your guitar and dream of:
…. but your progress feels slow, and that makes it hard to keep going.
It’s hard to stay motivated when you’re not sure what you should focus on learning next or your guitar playing is getting better.
Real Guitar Success delivers the perfect blend of progression, encouragement, and enjoyment, so you develop the habit of playing.
Hi, I’m Tomas Michaud.
After teaching guitar for more than 40 years, I’ve worked with thousands of adult learners.
When they first come to me, they’ve often struggled to make progress with their playing because:
So I developed the Real Guitar Success membership, an online community for adult guitar learners.
Together, we'll get you playing guitar faster than you ever thought possible.
Start your 14-day free trial today to get instant access to everything inside Real Guitar Success.
Recommended by 953 Happy Students
The Four Pillars of Real Guitar Success
1. Daily Guitar Sessions
When you have time to practice, you want to be able to pick up your guitar and start playing. You don’t want to waste time searching through lessons and deciding what to focus on.
How it works
Each week we focus on a new Adventure - either a song or a deep dive into a particular skill.
Each Adventure is broken down into 5 lessons—one per day.
Each lesson includes a short ‘Learn’ video, a ‘Play-a-long’ video, and a PDF with the TAB you need.
You log in and complete that day’s lesson—it'll take 15 minutes or less.
These Daily Guitar Sessions take the thinking and planning out of your guitar learning—you just turn up and play, and know that you’re making progress.
2. RGS Course Library
The Real Guitar Success includes 13 courses to help you develop your skills in key aspects of playing guitar.
All the courses include printable tabs, music notation, jam tracks, and play-along sessions.
Inside the RGS Course Library:
Develop foundational skills that prepare you for a lifetime of guitar-playing enjoyment. Through five immersive Adventures, you'll learn basic chords, arpeggios, strumming patterns, and an introduction to soloing. The clear explanations, demonstrations, and exercises will guide you at your own pace. Perfect if you’re brand new to guitar or you’re self-taught and want to be sure you’ve got the foundational skills needed to progress.
Whether you enjoy flamenco, are a complete beginner, or are an experienced guitar player who wants to incorporate Spanish rhythms and melodies into your playing, this is perfect for you.
Learn the seven most-used guitar chords and how to change quickly and smoothly between chords.
Barre chords are the next step after open chords but require a completely different technique and mindset to master. And if you get it wrong, you’ll be frustrated and even in pain. Through step-by-step instructions, you'll learn from the foundation level how to play barre chords smoothly and pain-free. Plus, you'll also pick up valuable aspects of music theory, chord progressions, and even how to play power chords.
Develop your tab reading skills string by string, fret by fret, then learn new songs as you test your newfound tab reading skills that match perfectly with the frets you are exploring.
One of the first hurdles for beginner guitar players is being able to switch chords smoothly. Use this technique to progressively change chords faster and smoother. Come back to this anytime you have a chord change that isn’t as smooth as you’d like it to be.
Learn why a capo is used, how to use the capo as a tool to play the guitar better, and to easily change to any key you require through its use.
Unlock the secrets of rhythm and elevate your guitar playing with this essential course on strumming patterns and techniques. Learn when and how to use various strums effectively, read sheet music with ease, and apply your skills to create a captivating groove. By the end, you'll be rocking to the beat with confidence, armed with a solid foundation that will serve you well in any musical situation.
Cool techniques that will improve your guitar playing stylistically, and, just in general, make your skills sharper and more advanced sounding. We're going to learn some pentatonic scales to jam with, some fun guitar licks, then we'll throw in the mix some hammer-ons and pull-offs, finesse our playing with some more polished skills, such as vibrato, and then finish off with what direction you should go next in your guitar practicing.
And more…
3. The Quick Wins
Dozens of short video lessons to help you develop a specific skill or overcome a particular problem. Searchable by subject or experience level.
Too many to list here, but here’s a sample:
4. Support System
One of the biggest problems with learning guitar from YouTube and other free resources is that when you get stuck, your progress stalls, or you might even give up.
When you become a member of Real Guitar Success, that problem's history.
As a member, you'll get full support access directly from me, my team, and your fellow RGS member, so you can get personal instruction, attention, and guidance whenever you need it.
Just one comment, one suggestion, or one idea could save you months or even years of wasted effort and frustration.
- If you have a question related to a specific lesson, leave a comment on that lesson. I’ll be able to better understand the question and get back to you quickly.
- If your question needs a more detailed answer, you can submit a question to the Real Guitar Live Show. I’ll record an answer as part of the show; you can either watch live or watch the recording later.
- If you have a question that other students would benefit from seeing the answers to or could give you the answer to, post it in the forum.
Real Guitar Success includes everything you need to make consistent progress as you build your guitar-playing confidence.
All you need to do is show up with your guitar for 15 minutes each day.
Here’s what people are saying...
"I am having a lot of fun learning through your videos. You explain it so well that it’s easy to understand.”
Ria Botha
"You truly are a wonderful teacher. You make the lessons enjoyable, clear, and easy to follow even for a beginner like me.”
Alfredo Menocal
The Real Guitar Success membership is for you if...
Whether you dream of playing for yourself, with your friends, or to an audience, Real Guitar Success, together we’ll get you confidently playing guitar in just 15 minutes a day.
Explore the Membership – Take a Quick Tour!
Read From More Happy Students
“I have to thank you from the bottom of my heart for resurrecting my guitar talent after 4 decades. As a result, I played my first official guitar accompaniment with my niece on piano at a family gathering. My family was amazed with my guitar playing.”
Michael Hari
“I started the Spanish guitar course today and I'm hooked! Even though I'm just at the beginning of the course, the music that I’ve produced is beautiful. I find that any free moment I have, I pick up the guitar and practice. I love it so much that I simply can't resist.”
Shulamit Dembs
“You take beginners patiently, systematically, with encouragement and humor through each ascending lesson, building a strong foundation of manual skill that's fun... plus theory when it's needed.
It's like visiting a friend for wisdom, advice, and encouragement 24/7."
Roxanne Naismith
“Each of the lessons is well explained, and the demonstrations are clear. Most importantly, they are at a pace that I can see and copy. The lessons are progressive and build on each success. Fast feedback is available from Tomas and he appear to genuinely care about his students and what they want."
Tony Matlock
“I can see clearly now the fog has gone! It's so much easier when you are taught how to study the guitar and music in a methodical and achievable way."
Shelagh Geller
"I have taken private lessons, college guitar classes, and many online short courses. Many of the teachers were great guitarists, but I have found that you have been the best teacher.”
Herbert Burquez
“You are such a blessing to us struggling guitar guys. Your teaching method and enthusiasm are contagious!”
Dr. Jimmy Graham
Here's How The Free Trial Works
Rated 4.4 Based on 953 Happy Students
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“I've learned more in the past month than I did in several years of trying to teach myself."
Monique Hairston
FAQs
This is for you if any of the following sound familiar:
If any of that sounds like you, then this program is perfect for you!
On the other hand, if you’re already an accomplished guitarist who can shred across the fretboard in any key, this might not be the best fit for you.
This is the only program in the world designed around proven, research-based teaching methods, so you can skip the confusing, dry theory and start playing real music in minutes.
But it’s not just about giving you information. I provide clear, actionable steps at every stage, ensuring you see real progress, stay motivated, and actually feel yourself improving with each lesson.
I teach with respect and compassion—there's no room for feeling belittled or inadequate here. Step by step, we'll unlock your potential and make guitar playing a joyful, integral part of your life.
I totally get it—fitting something new into a busy schedule can be tough. But one of the perks of online lessons is that they’re always there, ready when you are. This makes it easier to squeeze in 10-15 minute sessions instead of having to carve out big chunks of time.
I’ve also built in a lot of rewarding elements to keep you motivated, especially in the early stages. The lessons are broken down into bite-sized steps, and there are Play-Along videos
where you can jam with a virtual band—students tell me that part’s a blast! When you start seeing progress, you’ll find it easier to "make time."
Plus, I’ve included lessons on how to practice so you can make the most of your time without spinning your wheels on stuff that doesn’t matter.
Questions are a natural part of learning, and I’m here to make sure you never feel “alone” in my training programs.
You can ask questions on any lesson, and you’ll get a response directly from me (not some outsourced team that doesn’t know the material) within 24 hours, Monday through Saturday!
On top of that, you can connect with other guitar players in the Community Forum for feedback and encouragement.
Here’s what Heather, one of my students, had to say:
"You have an amazing way of teaching me what cannot be taught hands-on. You are training my brain by instilling positive messages that are more life lessons, such as patience, not being
too rigid, and giving ourselves grace for any shortcomings. Your positive mental attitude and upbeat approach are so refreshing! What makes it especially unique is that you are genuine; it
seems you are truly interested in my personal success."
Heather Sullivan, Finland, Minnesota
I designed this course to give you the skills to play just about any style of popular music—think classic rock, folk, singer/songwriter vibes, a little fingerpicking, some reggae and Latin grooves,
pop-rock, pop, and even a few jazzy tunes.
More importantly, I give you the tools to learn the music you want to play... or even create your own.
While I demonstrate everything on acoustic or nylon string guitar, the lessons apply just as well to electric guitar too.
You’ll get instant access to the Beginner’s Journey and the entire RGS Library—18 courses and counting! No need to wait for new content; you can dive right in and start using the training
immediately. I’m always adding fresh material, so your RGS Library will keep growing.
Plus, each month brings a brand-new series of Daily Guitar Sessions, with one released every weekday. Can’t get to them all? No problem! You’ll have several months to catch up, and you
can even save your favorites to create a custom learning path that fits your goals.
When you sign up for a Real Guitar Success membership, you’ll enter your credit card, but it won’t be charged for 14 days. This gives you two weeks to explore, and if you decide it’s not for
you, just cancel before the trial ends, and you won’t pay a dime.
We’ll also send you a quick reminder before your trial is up, so you don’t miss the deadline.
If you decide to stick around (I hope you do!), your membership will begin when the trial ends. And if you cancel after that, you won’t be charged in the next billing cycle—whether that’s the
next month for monthly members or the next year for annual members. Simple as that!
The bottom line is that 'online' is just a delivery mechanism. If you can find an enthusiastic, organized guitar teacher who lives reasonably close to you (rare in my experience), then you
should take lessons from them and hold onto studying with them as often as possible.
Whether or not you can find such a guitar teacher, online lessons are a good option. Here are some of the advantages:
- If you're a busy person with family, friends, a job, etc., consider the opportunity cost of travel to and from lessons when calculating the cost.
- You can take the lesson whenever you want. If you only have 15 minutes, focus on part of the lesson. And you can do it whenever you’re in the mood, not at a preset time you chose
weeks ago. Imagine paying for lessons and dragging yourself there when you don't feel like it — no wonder learning an instrument can quickly feel like a chore. - The lesson is always available as a reference if you need to revisit something.
- The online lesson never gets sick or has to go out of town on a gig...interfering with YOUR busy schedule
Not at all! Many of our members are in their 60s and 70s and have had incredible success with our programs. I designed Real Guitar Success to be user-friendly for all ages and skill levels,
and our supportive community is full of guitar learners of all ages, encouraging each other every step of the way.
The only requirements are that you own a guitar, are willing to practice, and have a semi-decent Internet connection to download the lesson PDFs and watch the video segments of each
lesson.
All the Real Guitar Success courses and the Daily Guitar Sessions are available inside the membership when you start your free trial. You can access the membership platform from any
device that’s connected to the Internet.
Let me put it this way—I don’t just teach guitar; I guide you through small, bite-sized action steps that anyone can follow.
If you’ve learned to tie your shoes, write your name, or drive a car, you’ll have no problem enjoying everything this program has to offer!
I don’t sell individual lessons or courses, but the good news is that with one membership, you get access to every lesson on Real Guitar Success.
If you’re just interested in one specific lesson or course, you can always sign up for a monthly membership and cancel when you’re done—though I have a feeling you’ll want to stick around!:)
Canceling is simple—just click a button on your account page.
If you cancel during your 14-day free trial, you won’t be charged a thing. We’ll even send you a reminder before your trial ends so you don’t forget.
If you cancel after the trial, you won’t be billed again for the next cycle, and your membership will stay active until your original renewal date.
And don’t worry—if your membership expires, we’ll save your progress on your Dashboard in case you decide to rejoin later!
Have a question that's not answered here?
If you have any questions, need clarification, or just want to reach out, please don't hesitate to contact me at [email protected]. I'll personally get back to you as quickly as possible—usually within 24 hours, Monday through Saturday.
Get Started Today!
Monthly
Get your first 14 days free, then
$25 /mo
Get instant access to
Yearly
Get your first 14 days free, then
$197 /year
Save $103
Get instant access to
Lifetime
Black Friday Special!
(ends 12/2/24). One payment.
$599 $297
Save $300
Get instant access to
“You have given me a priceless gift—something I've wanted to do my whole life. Thank you so very much!"
Brian L. Starr, O.D.