The Ultimate Guitar Kickstarter – Nick Jennison

Starting or restarting your guitar journey can sometimes feel overwhelming. With so many techniques, practice routines, and musical concepts to absorb, it’s easy to lose direction or motivation. The Ultimate Guitar Kickstarter, taught by acclaimed guitarist and educator Nick Jennison, is designed to solve exactly that problem. This course provides a structured, inspiring roadmap to help guitarists build momentum, refine their technique, and reconnect with the joy of playing.

Rather than focusing purely on mechanical exercises, Nick approaches the guitar from a musical and motivational perspective, helping players develop skills that are both technically effective and creatively inspiring. The lessons guide you through goal-setting, practice efficiency, musical expression, and practical playing techniques that translate directly into real music.

Whether you're picking up the guitar after a break or looking to reignite your passion for practice, this course offers the structure and inspiration needed to move forward with confidence.

About Nick Jennison

Nick Jennison is widely respected for his fluid playing style, deep theoretical understanding, and practical teaching approach. Influenced by modern virtuosos such as Guthrie Govan and the fusion traditions of jazz and rock guitar, Nick blends technical precision with expressive musicality.

As a Lick Library instructor, Nick is known for presenting complex concepts in a clear and encouraging way. His teaching philosophy focuses on building strong foundations while keeping the learning process creative and enjoyable. In The Ultimate Guitar Kickstarter, Nick brings that philosophy to life, helping players develop both their technical ability and their mindset as musicians.

Course Overview

Hierarchy of Goals

One of the biggest obstacles for guitarists is knowing what to practice and in what order. In this lesson, Nick introduces the concept of a hierarchy of goals, helping players organise their practice routine around long-term musical development.

Rather than jumping randomly between exercises, the course shows how to prioritise key skills such as rhythm, phrasing, and technique. By structuring practice in this way, players can see measurable progress and stay motivated over time.

This lesson also introduces foundational technical elements such as controlled picking and expressive phrasing, incorporating techniques like alternate picking, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides. Learning these techniques within a structured practice framework ensures that players develop precision, timing, and fretboard confidence while working toward clearly defined musical goals.

Keeping Things Musical

Practising guitar should never feel like mechanical repetition. In this section, Nick demonstrates how to keep exercises musically engaging, ensuring that technique development always serves a creative purpose.

Through melodic phrasing and expressive playing, students explore techniques such as string bending, vibrato, and legato phrasing. These techniques allow guitarists to shape notes with greater emotional impact and develop a more personal playing voice.

By incorporating musical phrasing into practice, players learn how to transform technical exercises into real musical statements. This approach not only strengthens technique but also encourages creativity and improvisational thinking.

Rejuvenate Your Practising

Many guitarists experience periods where practice becomes repetitive or uninspiring. In Rejuvenate Your Practising, Nick introduces strategies to refresh your routine and break out of creative ruts.

This lesson focuses on exploring different musical textures through techniques such as arpeggios, double-stops, and octave melodies. These approaches expand your melodic vocabulary and encourage you to explore the fretboard in new ways.

By experimenting with new sounds and phrasing ideas, players can rediscover excitement in their playing. These techniques also strengthen finger independence, fretboard awareness, and melodic control, all of which are essential for confident guitar performance.

Motivational Hacks & Challenges

Maintaining motivation is one of the most important aspects of long-term guitar progress. In this lesson, Nick introduces practical strategies to keep your enthusiasm high and your progress consistent.

Through structured challenges and focused exercises, students develop core techniques such as palm-muting, power-chord rhythm playing, and syncopated rhythms. These elements are fundamental to modern guitar styles and help players build strong timing and rhythmic accuracy.

By setting achievable goals and introducing creative practice challenges, this section helps players develop discipline, consistency, and confidence in their playing.

Returning to the Guitar

Many players step away from the instrument for months or even years before returning with renewed interest. This final section focuses on rebuilding confidence and technique after time away from the guitar.

Nick introduces approachable musical exercises that gradually rebuild strength and coordination. Techniques such as legato phrasing, slides, and melodic sustain help players reconnect with the expressive side of the instrument while rebuilding fundamental control.

The goal is to remove the pressure often associated with restarting the guitar and instead create an encouraging pathway back into regular playing.

Build Momentum and Rediscover Your Passion

The Ultimate Guitar Kickstarter is more than just a collection of exercises. It’s a complete mindset shift for guitarists, helping players develop effective practice routines, stronger technical skills, and a renewed connection with music.

By combining structured goal-setting with musical creativity, Nick Jennison provides the tools needed to break through plateaus, reignite motivation, and make meaningful progress on the guitar.

Whether you're a returning player or someone looking to bring new energy to your practice routine, this course provides the guidance and inspiration needed to take the next step in your guitar journey.

Techniques Used In This Course

• Alternate Picking
• Hammer Ons
• Pull Offs
• Slides
• Vibrato
• Legato
• String Bending
• Double Stops
• Octave Melodies
• Arpeggios
• Palm Muting
• Power Chords
• Syncopated Rhythms
• Sustain