Finally Sound Like the Music That Made You Want to Play in the First Place.
Guitar Woodshed teaches atmospheric guitar — the sounds that feel like a place, a memory, a mood. Shoegaze. Dream Pop. Midwest Emo. Indie. Cinematic. Whatever your sound — you’ll find your home here.
The chord shapes, techniques, and tone behind the sounds that move you — taught in a system that finally makes sense.
Shoegaze. Dream Pop. Midwest Emo. Indie. Dark Cinematic. Atmospheric guitar in all its forms — decoded for the player who knows what they want to sound like and is ready to finally get there.
Get the Free Midwest Emo Chord Starter Guide
Six chord shapes. Full TAB. A progression you can play tonight.
✔ The six-chord system that defines the genre
✔ Full TAB and chord diagrams
✔ Pick it up in your first session
Most guitarists spend years chasing this sound. These six shapes get you there tonight.
Meet Your Instructor
Hi, I’m Derek.
You don’t need more theory. You need someone who’s already decoded the sound you’re chasing.
I show guitar players how to develop their Sonic Identity — the specific combination of tone, technique, and musical taste that makes them sound like themselves rather than an imitation of someone else. Not through endless scales or theory. Through the chord voicings, atmospheric techniques, and systems behind the music you actually love.
After studying music in college and spending 20 years teaching guitar, I have done the heavy lifting. Complex chord movement, emotional voicings, and atmospheric technique — broken down into lessons that are practical, inspiring, and immediately usable in your own playing.
The name Guitar Woodshed comes from the old-school idea of sharpening your craft through focused, intentional practice. That is exactly what this is built around. Turning scattered playing into real musical progress — fast.
From Student to Artist
Winston spent years studying guitar with me — and eventually helped form the band Thrown Over, blending Midwest emo, shoegaze and post-rock into a fully realized sound. Their album A Window into Limbo filled with atmospheric guitars, emotional textures, and the raw feeling that defines modern Midwest emo and shoegaze.
Winston’s guitar playing and songwriting grew out of the exact concepts taught throughout these lessons: fretboard movement, emotional chord voicings, texture layering, and writing with mood instead of just theory.
Hear Winston’s Band ↓
The Gap Between What You Hear and What You Play — Here’s How to Close It.
You pick up the guitar, play the same shapes you have always played, and nothing comes out that sounds like what you hear in your head. You have watched the tutorials. Tried the exercises. And yet — the gap stays exactly where it was.
That is not a talent problem. That is a system problem.
That is exactly the gap Guitar Woodshed was built to close.
You Might Be Dealing With:
– Chords that sound basic no matter how long you practice
– Still not sounding like the bands you love despite hours of tutorials
– No clear system — just fragments that never connect
Here Is What Changes:
✔ Open-string voicings that create instant atmospheric depth
✔ Standard tuning chord shapes — no capo, no retuning
✔ A complete system so you always know what to work on next
What You’ll Learn at Guitar Woodshed
Midwest Emo Guitar
The open-string chord shapes, picking technique, and melodic interplay that define the genre. In standard tuning. Without alternate tunings, complicated gear, or music theory you don’t need. The sound that stopped you in your tracks — finally in your hands.
Shoegaze Guitar
Texture, atmosphere, layered sound. The chord voicings and playing approach behind the wall-of-sound aesthetic — from Ride’s clarity to Slowdive’s depth to Cocteau Twins’ shimmering three-guitar architecture. The most comprehensive shoegaze instruction available anywhere online.
Indie Guitar
The harmonic vocabulary that connects Midwest Emo, Shoegaze, and modern indie guitar. Extended voicings, emotional progressions, and the chord thinking that makes indie guitar sound like more than just open chords with a capo.
Atmospheric Guitar — The Full Picture
Guitar Woodshed exists for one reason: to help serious guitarists develop their Sonic Identity. The sound that lives in your head — whether it’s dark and cinematic, shimmering and dreamy, or raw and emotional — has a name. And there’s a system to get you there.
A Community That Gets It
Guitar Woodshed is not a platform. It is a community of players who care about the same sounds, the same emotional depth, and the same desire to finally make music that feels personal and real. You are not learning in isolation — you are joining something.
My Courses
Midwest Emo Guitar Course
Shoegaze & Dream Pop: The Serious Guitar Player's Course
