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Audio Engineer & Video Producer

As an audio engineer, Neil holds a Bachelor of Music with Honours in Recording Arts and

Sciences from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YSTCM), National University of Singapore (NUS). Neil was awarded the full Yong Siew Toh Scholarship in 2011 to pursue his degree and continues to work closely with the conservatory in recording concerts, recording and facilitating orientation programmes, creating videos, and with upcoming plans of collaboration with the professors and students.

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ARRANGE ANY SONG FOR SOLO GUITAR

Fingerstyle for the world

Introduction to FFTW (All Levels)

Begin Your Journey

in 3 levels

1

Open position

Beginner-friendly lush fingerstyle arrangements using ringing open chords and melodies.

2

closed position

Intermediate articulate and expressive arrangements using barre chords and movable scales.

3

improvisation

Advanced creative arrangements to refine your unique musical voice through improvisation approaches.

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Your Instructor

Hi, my name is Neil Chan and I've been playing and teaching fingerstyle guitar for over a decade.

From performing with world-class artists like Sungha Jung to teaching at the National University of Singapore, sharing the art of fingerstyle guitar has been my life's passion.

This course started with a desire to play any song on solo fingerstyle guitar immediately after listening to it.

After 5 years refining this technique with in-person students, I finally created the Fingerstyle for the World method.

Now, all the concepts are packaged in a structured course to learn at your own pace and comfort level.

Course curriculum

Navigate the tabs to explore each level!

Fingerstyle for the World is built on a

firm foundation (fundamentals and boosters),

6 core pillars (musical concepts), and practical application (song tutorials).

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Fundamentals & Boosters

Technique Fundamentals

Sitting Posture and Holding the Guitar
Right-Hand Position
Left-Hand Position

Theory Fundamentals

12 Notes of Western Music
How to Read Western Notation
Meter, Tempo and Rhythm
Keys and Key Signatures
How to Read Tablature
How to Read Fretboard Diagrams

Guitar Fundamentals

String Names and Numbers
Tuning Your Guitar
Right-Hand Fingers
Left-Hand Fingers

Practice Booster

Open Triads
Movable Triads
Open Scales
Movable Scales
Major Solfege Singing
Minor Solfege Singing

Technique

Basic Strumming
Arpeggio Position
i-m Plucking
Open and Rest Strokes
Hammer-ons and Pull-offs
Slides

Theory

Melody and Harmony
Intervals
Simple Meter
Roman Numeral Analysis
Functional Tonality

Melody

The Major Scale
The Natural Minor Scale
Open Scale Positions

Harmony

Open Chord Shapes
Triads
Movable Chord Shapes

Musicianship

Solfege - Diatonic Scales

Tutorials

10 Song tutorials in Open Position

Technique

Vibrato
Pitch Bend
Finger Pick
Palm Muting
Arpeggio Roll
String Percussion
Ghost Notes

Theory

Compound Meter
Swing Rhythm

Melody

Movable Scales
7 Major Scale Positions
7 Minor Scale Positions
Connecting the 7
Movable Scale Positions

Harmony

Building 7th Chords
Open 7th Chord Shapes
Movable 7th Chord Shapes

Musicianship

Dynamics
Rubato
Solfege Arpeggios

Tutorials

10 Song tutorials in Closed Position

Technique

Muted Accent Roll
Rasgueado
Golpe

Theory

Secondary Dominant Transposition

Melody

Understanding Modes
Playing Modes in
7 Positions
Lydian Mode
Mixolydian Mode
Dorian Mode
Phrygian Mode
Locrian Mode

Musicianship

Solfege Modes

Improvisation

Introduction to Improvisation
Universal Scale Approach
Arpeggio Approach
Guide Tones
Chromatic Passing Notes
Mode-Over-Chord Approach
Avoid Notes
Combining Multiple Approaches

Tutorials

10 Song tutorials with Improvisation

WHY CHOOSE FINGERSTYLE FTW?

Why Choose FFTW?

SEAMLESS LEARNING

Fingerstyle for the World is designed as a learning eco-system with 4 components working harmoniously help you learn, practice, apply and guide you in arranging your favourite songs in a way that is uniquely yours.

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HEAR FROM EXISTING STUDENTS

Lisa Flynn, USA

Neil is an exceptional teacher for finger style guitar. I am at the point in my guitar journey that I really need to choose a path forward and finger style is the genre I am most interested in. I wasn't sure how I was going to actually go about learning it, but then came across Fingerstyle for the World and it was exactly what I was looking for.

The program is laid out exactly as it should be to allow the instruction to unfold properly. I am extremely thankful to have found this course and thankful for the expertise and guidance from Neil, as I continue my path toward becoming a finger style guitarist.

FINGERSTYLE FTW vs youtube

FFTW vs YouTube

four reference guides

PACKED with all the tools taught for easy reference as you seamlessly create your own fingerstyle arrangements.

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FINGERSTYLE FTW vs private lessons

FFTW vs Private Lessons

Choose your guitar path

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Begin your journey risk-free!

Fingerstyle for the World is backed with a 14 day money-back guarantee.

I'm confident that you will get so much value in this course that you won't be disappointed, so I'm letting you begin risk-free!

If you are not completely satisfied with the course, I will issue you a full refund upon your request, no questions asked.

frequently asked questions

How did Fingerstyle for the World come about?

It started with a frustration that I could sing a melody immediately upon hearing it, but could not play it on guitar. I then devoted five years creating a method to immediately play a song on solo fingerstyle guitar after hearing it, complete with melody, harmony, rhythm and improvisation.

Is Fingerstyle for the World for beginners?

Yes! Fingerstyle for the World is designed to be accessible to beginners. Level 1 begins with three foundational chapters to lay the groundwork in technique, terminology and theory, while subsequent chapters introduce concepts progressively to ensure you can follow easily.

I already play the guitar, is Fingerstyle for the World still for me?

Definitely! Whether you previously learned guitar from a school, teacher or are self-taught, you will find immense value in studying all these concepts in a structured and organised manner. Even if some of the material is familiar to you, it is helpful to revise them in the context of applying them directly to fingerstyle arrangement.

What is the difference between the 3 levels of the course?

The levels are designed to be progressive, equipping you with the necessary tools to arrange songs in a variety of styles. Level 1: Arranging in open position using open chord shapes and scale positions. Level 2: Arranging in closed position using movable chord shapes and scale positions. Level 3: Arranging with improvisation using a variety of approaches to make each arrangement uniquely yours.

What is the practice booster?

Fingerstyle for the World is designed as an eco-system with 4 components to ensure a comprehensive learning experience: 1. Lessons (Knowledge) 2. Boosters (Practice) 3. Tutorials (Application) 4. Guides (Reference) The booster shows you HOW to practice the knowledge learnt in the lessons, followed by tutorials that guide you in applying it to song arrangement with the aid of guides as easy reference to all the musical tools studied.

How much time do I need to spend to see results from this course?

Consistent daily practice (even short durations) is superior than infrequent long stretches. I recommend a minimum of 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week: 10 minutes to study course material and 20 minutes to practice it on guitar. Of course, the more time you spend each day, the better!

Why choose Fingerstyle for the World over in-person lessons?

Unlimited lifetime access: You may not have access to a specialised fingerstyle guitar teacher in your area, while Fingerstyle for the World is accessible globally and for a lifetime after enrolling. You save money: The material in a single level is what I teach in-person students in a year. That's over 50 weekly lessons! The cost of each level is roughly equivalent to only 3 in-person lessons. You can even enrol in all 3 levels for a further 50% discount. Comfort and pace: You can learn at the comfort of your own home at a pace that best suits you, reviewing each lesson as many times as required.

Is Fingerstyle for the World as effective as in-person lessons?

It's different. While the content is the same, any online course will lack direct coaching. I won't check on your progress or give you direct in-person feedback. You need to be self-motivated to put in the hard work to reap the rewards of the course.

What if I'm not self-motivated?

Here's the good news! You can submit one video per course level for me to give you direct feedback on your progress. This will provide you with the direct coaching element otherwise missing from other online courses.

Do I need a specific guitar to follow this course?

While I recommend using a steel-string acoustic guitar, any 6-string guitar will do.

I noticed you use solfege singing for ear training. What if I'm not a singer?

The solfege exercises are intended to train your ear and pitch memory, not your vocal technique. The focus is on using your voice to match notes with no regard to how beautiful it sounds (in other words, you don't need to be a singer). Your voice is the best tool for ear-training, as singing a note forces you to first conceptualise it in your mind (the guitar can produce any note without you ever needing to hear it).

Begin Your Journey

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