Advance Praise for FretDojo Courses Worldwide

FretDojo has helped thousands of jazz guitarists worldwide through it’s innovative online courses. Scroll down to see testimonials from guitar students from all around the world…

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“I struggled away without any clear direction, until I discovered Greg and Fret Dojo. The difference has been amazing!”

“I’ve spent 50 years playing basic chords to sing along rock, country, middle of the road stuff. Then about 2 and half years ago I got interested in jazz guitar, a totally new experience. For those 2 years I downloaded a mountain of stuff from the internet (free and purchased)… and I struggled away without any clear direction, until I discovered Greg and Fret Dojo. The difference has been amazing!

Greg has the ability to keep everyone motivated, he’s caring, clear thinking, very talented and most importantly – he’s completely dedicated to getting the best out of all the members – whether newbies like myself or guys that have been in jazz bands for years.

I can highly recommend Greg and the Fret Dojo. It’s outstanding – go for it!”

~ Alan Voss, Queensland, Australia

 

“I just literally finished Greg’s 30 Day Challenge and I gotta tell you – it was a wonderful experience and I heartily recommend it.”

“I did a little bit of jazz when I was in college, played with a jazz band. Just didn’t get what Greg is giving us so freely and I’m so appreciative of what he’s done.

If you’re looking to increase your vocabulary, feel and what it means to play as a jazz guitarist – I heartily recommend Greg, give it a start!”

~ Mike Banta, USA

 

“I’m coming away with the skills that i’ll be able to apply to any song!”

“It’s been fantastic working through the material. Now I actually understand the necessary skills for Chord Melody”

~ Eugene McElwain, Dublin

 

“This course has exceeded my expectations.
It’s inspired me – and it’s
TRANSFORMED my playing.”

 

“I have to say that at first I was a little skeptical of Greg’s claims about the effectiveness of the course, but after having completed the course I would say that it is a remarkable undertaking he has accomplished. I would say that this course is a GAME CHANGER for an introduction to jazz guitar.

Greg is a master teacher, and it has been a pleasure to watch his videos and be encouraged by his gentle, encouraging style. Thumbs up Greg, thanks so much for such a fabulous course – it is such an achievement on your part.”

~ Josh Gordis, USA

“It’s kind of like when you first learn to play the guitar – and your progress is exponential.
It’s like that again.
I haven’t experienced that feeling for ages…”

 “This course is just absolutely brilliant in getting you to play and be musical. I can’t speak highly enough of this course. It’s changed my musical journey. I’m so excited with what I have now to build on over the next few years.

Greg himself is a fantastic teacher, by far the best music teacher I’ve ever had. And I have gone to music college for 2 years as well by the way – so I’m a good person to judge that!

What you learn more than anything is – ‘if it sounds good – Play it!’. Theory does have its place, but sounding good is the most important thing, and Greg gets you sounding good from day one.”

~ Paul Flynn, UK

“At the end of this course, I feel like I can say that I AM a jazz guitarist now…”

 “Prior to this course, I’ve been playing jazz guitar 2.5 years.

Before the course, I could noodle around the fretboard, used scales, but never learned jazz vocabulary and never even thought about it as a way to improve my improvisation skills on guitar.

I’ve learned so much vocabulary and so many skills to approaching soloing over a jazz standard. It was a really great community and a really great vibe, and I learned so much from this course.”

~ Angie O’Neill, Australian (living in Germany)

No matter what your insecurities are you can find support here as a player and you can grow!

 

“I’ve been playing guitar since I was twelve, i’m 60 now so i’ve been playing for a while. 

Jazz guitar is a journey and I found that this method of instruction is really cool in that you are going on this journey with a lot of different people. You will be able to meet people who love jazz guitar from all over the world which is really cool.

Working through the course material is always a pleasant surprise. I always learn something that I haven’t learnt before or would have never approached before!”

~ Graesson Berbano, USA

“This course is a model in how to effectively deliver visual, auditory and tactile e-learning content. I wish my Uni courses were like this!”

“I really liked Greg’s curriculum and how each lesson built on the previous one. Continuity and re-use were the strong points of Greg’s teaching style. Greg is a proper music teacher and not just some guy doing an info dump at a pace too advanced for the students. The use of the e-learning platform was excellent.

Also, Greg has a kind heart and it really shows in his commitment to his students. I feel privileged to have been part of the Jazz improvisation course at the Fret Dojo!“

~ Paul Platt, Australia

“I’ve participated in TWO 12 week courses with an internationally famous music university…I can safely say the investment in lessons with Greg has been worth more than 95% of all the other formal and informal education I’ve managed to derive for myself.”

 

“With a little bit of the right approach, one can achieve so much. 

I can wholly recommend that anybody who is really wanting to play jazz guitar and is struggling to get beyond “running scales” where I was, and instead start to really sound “jazzy” – this is the course for you.”

~ Gordon Hooper

Johannesburg, South Africa

Greg O’Rourke plays the guitar with a beautiful touch and tone. He effortlessly brings out and enhances harmonic movement and counter-lines in his playing, while keeping clear melodic lines in the forefront. Using his considerable fingerstyle technique he creates personal renditions of classic jazz standards. Definitely someone to watch and listen to closely!

Howard Alden

Internationally Acclaimed Jazz Guitarist, howardalden.com

“Let me tell you – this is an AMAZING course and I highly recommend it…”

 “Greg O’Rourke is an excellent teacher – a clear thinker, a really nice guy, encouraging and helpful. The course is designed in a way that brings REAL results for REAL people – using technology. I’d advise you that if you’re eligible and you’re up for the right requirements of this course – GO FOR IT!”

~ Alan Voss, Australia

 

“Greg is a dynamite player and I enjoyed his teaching style…”

 “Fundamentals of Jazz Guitar Improvisation was a worthwhile investment of my time and money. Greg puts together a very good foundation of essential elements in manageable chunks. My ultimate goal was to play a few tunes with these new skill sets. These goals were met. With this foundation, I have more to improve and build upon after the course.”

~ Danny Yee, USA

 

“This material has definitely advanced my level of playing…”

 “Before doing the course, I had a lot of questions and issues with my jazz guitar improvisation. I was losing my place where I shouldn’t have been, and I was looking for something to close that gap. This course was really the right course to help with this. Greg does a wonderful job of teaching, he is very patient and very clear minded and clear with his lessons, they are very easy to follow.

I learned a tremendous amount and I got to see the others in the class also progressing at every level – whether beginner or advanced, we were all growing and getting something out of the course. It was a fantastic experience – it was well worth the effort and I’m glad I did it. I hope you have the opportunity to participate in it – I think you’ll enjoy it!”

~ Mark Bauer, USA

 

“Greg is one of the best teachers I’ve ever come across…”

 

“If you all have loads of books that make no sense that you never use, Greg breaks it down and makes it useable. This is unlike any course you’ve ever been involved with, mainly because Greg is so good at explaining things that I now understand that I didn’t understand before. It’s a fabulous course and I highly recommend it.”

~ Mike Bryant, UK

“Greg has put together a really clear, well-designed curriculum, that makes a whole lot of sense…”

 

“I wanted to say a couple of things about how great the course was. It is well laid out, the video examples are great, the handouts that are provided are really useful. His concepts of the four pillars of jazz guitar improvisation (technique, fretboard knowledge, vocabulary, and play) are well woven throughout the course so that it really gives you a good grounding in what you’re doing.

There’s definitely a whole lot more to be learned and a whole lot more to do, but this was a wonderful way to start and I think everyone should give it a try. Thanks!”

~ Chip Carvell, USA

 

“The Fundamentals of Jazz Guitar Improvisation was just the course I was looking for…”

 

“I was looking for something to help fill in the gaps when it came time to perform a jazz guitar solo.

The course provided plenty of exercises to help me hone my skills, and gave me the opportunity to apply what I had learned on complete songs. I would highly recommend this course.”

~ Rodney Harris Jr., USA

“I’m really happy with any cent, and any minute I’ve spent on this course…”

 “Hi Greg, I must tell you I’m very happy with the course. The philosophy of it (that improvisation means to play with vocabulary) was really eye-widening for me. I now see that there are just a handful of ingredients to create a well sounding solo. The lessons dealing with guide tone lines are a real breakthrough for me…Thanks a lot Greg!”

~ Bernhard Laabs, Germany

 

“I truly recommend this for someone who really wants to break through in their improvisation skills and also improve their confidence level.”

 “This course has helped me to be more confident in my playing, and there is now something ‘under my belt’ that I can now confidently use.”

~ Eugene Tse, Canada

 

“I have acquired a greater jazz vocabulary and enhanced level of confidence and enjoyment in my playing.”

“Intensely studying, receiving individual feedback, and practicing the material presented in audio and visual form in Greg O’Rourke’s “Fundamentals of Jazz Guitar Improvisation” course I have come to look at jazz in terms of this quote from Greg himself: “If you’re an artist, it’s good to have a paint set with quite a few colors in it!”

The primary colors are the sound licks Greg describes as ‘vocabulary’ over the 10 week course of study. From that revelation I now picture and practice playing jazz as laying out a palette of colors, which I mix in variable quantities to create additional colors and hues.

All the material PDF’s and videos of the course can be downloaded to your computer.”

~ Larry Peyser, USA

larrypeyser@mindspring.com

 

“Greg has a wonderful way of presenting the material. It’s high energy, it’s infectious – he really enjoys what he does.”

 “Hi Greg, I wanted to thank you for your fantastic course, the Fundamentals of Jazz Guitar Improvisation. I enjoyed it very much and heartily I recommend it to anyone who is thinking about how to improvise in a jazz style over standard songs.”

~ Angelo J., USA

 

“It worked extremely well…you learn to improvise on a higher level.”

 

~ Jürgen Schwibs, Germany

“I would highly recommend Greg’s course and teaching to any guitar player who is looking to improve their soloing skills and is seriously interested in getting quality value for their time and money.”

“I really do believe that Greg’s course on the ‘Fundamentals of Jazz Guitar Improvisation’ helped me to further not only my playing skills in soloing but also to become a better performing musician on guitar in Jazz and other styles as well. Greg’s positive and informative approach to teaching is inspiring. His explanations are simple but are loaded with enough information to keep even the seasoned players building and adding to their skill set. His course is laid out in an easy to understand way that builds one concept on the other and gives his students a well-rounded understanding of navigating the fretboard and in speaking the language of Jazz through their playing.

I would highly recommend his course and teaching to any guitar player who is looking to improve their soloing skills and is seriously interested in getting quality value for their time and money. I look forward to studying with Greg again in the future in more of his amazing courses. I Hope to see you there!”

~ Bryon Thompson,

(BMus from the University of Victoria, British Columbia.)

Working Musician, and Music Teacher.

 

“I’m playing faster, but more importantly I’m playing with better articulation, clarity, and coordination…”

“I thoroughly enjoyed this course and loved the lessons – each has clear purpose and moves your technique forward. I’m playing faster, but more importantly I’m playing with better articulation, clarity, and coordination… Even at slower tempos the lines I’m executing are tighter, and telling a better story. I would recommend this course for anyone. In fact, I wish I’d got this sort of training when I was more of a beginner player – I would have developed better technique right from the jump.”

~ Mark Bauer, USA

“We got the “Fast Track” to our new levels of playing facility, using your combined decades of experience…”

“Greg and Stu, I really enjoyed your Fast Lane: The Total Technique Roadmap for Jazz Guitar course. We were presented with a treasure trove of living examples of the common problems jazz guitarists face, and the ways to overcome them. We got the “Fast Track” to our new levels of playing facility, using your combined decades of experience. Thanks for a top course and please keep up the good work!”

~ Lou Farina, Australia 

“I really benefited from this course, and I think it is really worth the money I spent.”

“Before doing the course, I was aware that my technique wasn’t good enough – I lacked speed, unable to play higher than 90 BPM, which is not fast enough for jazz. The Fast Lane course is very comprehensive, systematic, and offers a a lot of opportunities to improve. I really benefited from this course, and I think it is really worth the money I spent.”

~ Thomas Maurer, Switzerland

“I took a chance with Fret Dojo and it turned out to be exactly what I needed.”

“Trying to establish a strong jazz foundation has been difficult for me. I was tired of cobbling together disjointed lessons from all over creation. There are so many different lessons and hacks out there, some good but mostly not. I was spinning my wheels trying to curate my own curriculum while trying to learn jazz at the same time. What I really needed was a long term structured course.

Greg designs this course so that you have clear guidance every step of the way. I also appreciate that he makes himself very accessible for questions and feedback. Everything I’ve learned from Fret Dojo is incredibly indispensable and it also consolidated my previously cobbled together nuggets of theory.”

~ Louis B., USA

“Since the beginning of the course you have had the personal touch to give individual feedback and that really makes a difference.”

“Thanks a lot Greg!! This course has been a revelation for me because I have been playing guitar for 34 years. A few years ago I became interested in jazz guitar. Tried many books and courses but could not really integrate that knowledge into a performance. The system of the course, being stepwise and adding knowledge and complexity with each step, helped me consolidate the knowledge. But for me the most important aspect was the assignments, because they pushed me to practice and present a complete piece, that I’ve never done before. Now I feel confident in my playing thanks to you. I look forward to further courses. Thanks again!”

~ Eduardo Viruet, Puerto Rico

“I would say to anybody that’s considering the course: jump in with both feet!”

“Greg is a funny and interesting guy that does a good job with the course. The course was fun and the materials were easy to understand. There were weeks that were tougher than others but all in all – I feel like I learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I would say to anybody that’s considering the course: jump in with both feet! It’s an inexpensive way to enter into the realm of jazz and get a good basis for continuing education in jazz and developing jazz chops. Go for it!”

~ Jim Bean, USA

 

“I messed around with guitar now for long long time but never really understood how to improvise on the spot. If you’re wondering whether this course is for you, I suggest you go for it. I’m sure you’ll be glad that you did.”

“I’ve messed around with guitar now for long long time but never really understood how to improvise on the spot.
When Greg offered this course, I’ve grabbed it with both hands and I’ve been delighted. Greg is the rare combination of gifted musician and an excellent teacher.
I should know, I’ve been with the FretDojo Academy now for 2.5 years, and under his guidance I’ve produced a lot of music that I’m really proud of. If you’re wondering whether this course is for you, I suggest you go for it. I’m sure you’ll be glad that you did.

~ Alan Voss, Queensland, Australia

 

“The main thing I have gotten out of the Fret Dojo, is that it has given me the confidence to go out and find a piano player, and a bass player who plays jazz. And now, we’ve worked up a set list of 11 songs, including bebop and standards, and are about to start gigging… which I don’t think I would have done that without the help of this.”

– Mike Bryant, UK

“In the 30 Day Jazz Guitar Challenge Greg tooks us back to basics, and introduced us to simple and effective ways to play over jazz harmony. You realize you are making progress!”

 “I’d like to say a few words about Greg O’Rourke and FretDojo after participating in the 30 Day Jazz Guitar Challenge course. I suspect lots of guitar players are a bit like me, who have played in a few bands and can get by with different styles (rock, blues, country). We enjoy jazz and would like to play it, but we don’t really know how to. In the 30 Day Jazz Guitar Challenge Greg tooks us back to basics, he explained what makes jazz-blues different and introduced us to simple and effective ways to play over jazz harmony. You realize you are making progress and can hear more. 

Greg gives excellent advice on how to practice. Guitarists, if they’re like me, tend to noodle. Greg presents an organized system to learning jazz. With Greg’s direction, you won’t waste time and you will improve.

– P.J Clarke, Otago, New Zealand

“After 4 weeks of going through this course, I feel now that I truly understood what are the main principles I can use to improvise.”

“I’ve been struggling quite a bit how to improvise in jazz. I was going through a lot of materials like books and trying to understand how to improve my improvisation skills. I was really stuck.

Then I can across 30 Day Jazz Guitar Challenge course. After 4 weeks of going through this course, I feel now that I truly understood what are the main principles I can use to improvise. I can not stress enough how much I recommend this course to anyone that wants to improvise, regardless if you’re just starting out or got experience.

Just have a go and have a look, because you’re really going to improve your playing. Thank you Greg for putting all this together. It’s been a pleasure to learn with your friendly approach and you’re a fantastic teacher. Thank you for your help!”

– John Toulson, WA, Australia

“I recommend anyone who wants to improve their jazz playing they do this course – there are quite a few courses on the internet and this is by far the best one.

“I’ve been playing jazz a number of years but lots of gaps in my playing which this course has really managed to sort out.
 
It’s not overwhelming, you take each little nugget, one bit at a time and build on it. Also you can post and you get feedback from other members. It’s a very nice community spirit.
 
I recommend anyone who wants to improve their jazz playing they do this course – there are quite a few courses on the internet and this is by far the best one.

~ Pete Duncan, London UK

 

“The challenge I was facing is that I don’t know much about soloing. I’m mostly a chord player, comping – for me, this course has been perfect.”

“For me, this course has been perfect. A good start to get into jazz playing, because jazz and playing jazz guitar is a wonderful thing. For me this is a really good course and if you’re a beginner in jazz like me, don’t hesitate to do this course.

The course has helped me a lot, especially with soloing. I’ve been getting a nice foundation that I can start practicing, to build up and learn more in the future.”

~ Mats Brickman, Sweden

 

– Jonathan Kuttner, New Zealand

“Greg is well prepared, knowledgable and conveys his knowledge in a very practical way.”

 

“What appealed to me instantly was the very structure of the course, where all the modules were built around the same platform when it comes to tune or chord progression. I felt like it was a “safe haven” when learning new things because everything you could relate to the same platform.

He (Greg) is very well prepared, knowledgeable and he conveys his knowledge in a very practical way, so it’s easy to follow. He shows us how we can apply practical stuff in a creative way in our playing.

~ Jone Lunde, Norway

“There’s a wonderful clarity of explanation, detail, and theory together with friendly encouragement.”

 

“Although there’s no requirement to submit examples of your playing., nor get involved with the community aspect, you will definitely benefit if you do so!

~ John Russel, Australia

“It’s an absolute winner.”

~ Adam Voss, Australia

“This is a must see course for all you guys and gals out there that wanna elevate their playing to the next level.”

~ Charles Pierro, USA

“I would highly recommend that you look at this course.”

~ Tom Livingston, USA

“Greg O’Rourke has a wonderful teaching style – it’s straightforward, sold, it makes sense.”

 

“I’ve been playing for so long by sound and feel, and I really needed a good, strong solid foundation for how to understand the fretboard and know where to navigate on the fretboard.

FretDojo has been super-helpful to me in getting that done.”

~ Mike Haas, USA

“This is a really good thing to be a part of. It’s a fantastic community of people – and all really supportive of one another.”

 “We’re all really enjoying it….so much enthusiasm is there from all the people from different parts of the world. You can just tell that we’re all delighted to be a part of it. We’re learning so much, every single month. It’s making me a better player, so a big thumbs up from me!

Greg himself is a fantastic teacher, by far the best music teacher I’ve ever had. And I have gone to music college for 2 years as well by the way – so I’m a good person to judge that!

What you learn more than anything is – ‘if it sounds good – Play it!’. Theory does have its place, but sounding good is the most important thing, and Greg gets you sounding good from day one.”

– Paul Flynn, UK

 

“Greg is one of the clearest teachers I’ve ever seen, he’s made really complicated things easy to understand.”

 “The main thing I have gotten out of the Fret Dojo, is that it has given me the confidence to go out and find a piano player, and a bass player who plays jazz. And now, we’ve worked up a set list of 11 songs, including bebop and standards, and are about to start gigging… which I don’t think I would have done that without the help of this.”

– Mike Bryant, UK

“I’m becoming a better jazz guitar player and that’s the bottom “jazz line”. 

“Years ago I studied classical guitar and some jazz but put my studies on the side for my career. I’ve been getting into playing again for the last two years and have used online sources to learn jazz guitar with some success. Learning how to embellish chords and learning some jazz lines and parts of solos was fun and engaging but now I have found, for me, the missing ingredient: “focus” (or just “learning a complete performance”.)

Greg is a true instructor. Yes, you get harmony, theory, a transcription of a solo chorus by Greg, but Greg also keeps things moving and provides incentives to post recordings of what you have learned. I have found this great for focus and actually completing a piece of music instead of just “parts of the puzzle” out of context. This is different than providing the music material and leaving the jazz student alone to figure it out. I’m becoming a better jazz guitar player and thats the bottom “jazz line”.

– Ken Niehoff, USA

– Travis English, USA

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