The Novice Courses in the Shorts Series are designed to bridge the gap between beginner students and intermediate students. By the end of the novice courses, students will be able to play most songs in the pop and rock genres, solo over a wide range of chord progressions, and comfortably write their own music. In many ways, this is the most important level for students, as it will develop them into a competent guitar player and provide the basis to add sophistication to their playing in the Intermediate and Advanced courses. Because the novice course requires big leaps in ability, it is split into three levels.
The second level of the Novice course will unlock even more songs and key centres by teaching students how to move barre chord shapes across the whole neck. When it comes to scales, students will advance their study of fretted scales, moving some shapes they already know to other common positions, as well as learning their first fretted positions for the blues scale. The second level also contains a Soloing Skillset lesson, which will teach students some essential tools to make scales sound musical and boost their soloing.