Welcome to
Habits of a Successful Beginner Guitarist
Welcome to the companion website for Habits of a Successful Beginner Guitarist!
On top of the nearly 400 exercises in the book, we’re happy to provide additional resources to help develop successful habits in a beginning guitarist!
Below, you’ll find links to background audio accompaniment tracks to practice with, detailed documents, lesson plans for teachers, video exercises, and more!
Full Video Exercises
Learn by watching and playing along with every exercise in the book with guitar coaches and authors Matt Hudson and Joe Sweet.
Audio Accompaniments
Practice with the full band! Stream background audio accompaniments for each exercise in the book.
Additional Resources
Detailed charts for chord progressions and diagrams, downloadable assessments, and 180 days of lesson planning for teachers.
Habits of a Successful Beginner Guitarist is a field-tested, vital, and—most important—musical collection of nearly 400 sequenced exercises for the beginning guitar student. Available on both MusicFirst and MakeMusic Cloud, this method features:
- Introductory warm-up exercises
- Sequenced rhythm vocabulary (strumming patterns on chords)
- Appropriately paced melodic studies for each string
- Opportunities for students to compose their own melodies
- An introduction to chords, including nine common pop song chord progressions, and barre chords
- Eleven song arrangements for concert performance
- A basic introduction to 12-bar blues
Matt Hudson
Matt Hudson is a versatile guitarist and dedicated music educator with deep roots in jazz, rock, R&B, and funk. Originally from Erie, Pennsylvania, he honed his craft at the University of Pittsburgh, studying under jazz luminaries Dr. Nathan Davis and Joe Negri, as well as contemporary composer Mathew Rosenblum. As a recipient of the prestigious Mellon Jazz Scholarship, he immersed himself in Pittsburgh’s vibrant jazz scene, performing alongside some of the city’s finest musicians.
In 2003, Hudson relocated to Chicago, where he quickly became a sought-after guitarist, collaborating with artists like Will Kurk, Anthony Nicholson, and Cole DeGenova. His ability to blend technical mastery with expressive improvisation has made him a standout in Chicago’s diverse music community.
Alongside his performance career, Hudson has been committed to music education since 2000, sharing his expertise with students of all levels. He earned a Master of Music Education degree from VanderCook College of Music and currently teaches at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences. His approach emphasizes both foundational technique and creative expression, helping students develop not only their skills but also their musical voice.
Joe Sweet
Joe Sweet is a dedicated music educator and founder of the guitar program at Lane Tech College Preparatory High School in Chicago. For over twenty years, he has helped build a program that now serves more than four hundred students annually, offering eleven honors-level classes in beginning, intermediate, and advanced guitar.
A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Mr. Sweet holds a master’s degree in education from Northern Arizona University and has taught graduate courses on guitar methods at VanderCook College of Music.
With more than thirty years of experience as a public school music educator, he has taught a wide range of courses, including AP Music Theory, Jazz Band, Music Appreciation, Orchestra, and all levels of Guitar. His work continues to support students in developing both technical skills and a deeper appreciation for music.
Scott Rush
Scott Rush is the team lead for the Habits series by GIA Publications and is the former Director of Bands at Wando High School in Mount Pleasant, SC. He is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts and the University of South Carolina. He currently serves as co-conductor of the Charleston Wind Symphony, a semi-professional ensemble in Charleston, South Carolina.
Under his direction, the Wando Symphonic Band performed at the 2007 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic and were recipients of the 2007 Sudler Flag of Honor administered by the John Philip Sousa Foundation. His marching bands were two-time BOA Grand National finalist.
Mr. Rush is active as a conductor, clinician and adjudicator throughout the United States and Canada. He is the author and co-author of fourteen highly touted books, some of which include: Habits of A Successful Band Director, Habits of a Successful Beginner Band Musician, Habits of a Successful Musician, Habits of a Successful Beginner Band Musician, Habits of a Successful Middle School Musician, The Evolution of a Successful Band Director, Habits of a Successful Middle School Band Director, Habits of a Significant Band Director and Pathway to Success for GIA Publications. Mr. Rush has served as President of the South Carolina Band Directors Association and is a former member of the Board of Directors for the National Band Association. In 2010, Mr. Rush was elected into the prestigious American Bandmasters Association and in 2011 was awarded the Bandworld “Legion of Honor.” In 2016, he was awarded the Edwin Franko Goldman Award by the ASBDA for contributions to music education.
All Great Musicians Grow Using
Successful Habits!
