Guitar First Chord was created with a single mission: to help guitarists — especially those teaching themselves — build real, lasting skills without the fluff.

About Marcus Chen

Marcus Chen is a professional guitarist, educator, and the founder of Guitar First Chord. With over 20 years of playing experience and a decade of teaching behind him, Marcus has worked with hundreds of students ranging from complete beginners to advanced players preparing for live performance.

He began playing guitar at age 12, teaching himself chords from a beat-up songbook before taking formal lessons. This dual experience — both self-taught and classically trained — gives him a unique perspective on the challenges self-learners face.

Marcus earned a Bachelor of Music in Performance from the University of Leeds (UK), where he studied under renowned classical and jazz guitar instructors. During his time at Leeds, he performed in multiple ensembles, developed a deep understanding of music theory and harmony, and graduated with honors.

After university, Marcus spent several years touring across the UK and Europe as a session guitarist, working with independent artists across genres including folk, blues, rock, and acoustic pop. This live performance experience shaped his practical, no-nonsense approach to teaching: if a technique doesn’t help you play better music, it doesn’t belong in a beginner lesson.

From Stage to Studio

In 2020, Marcus shifted his focus from live performance to online education. He saw that most guitar content on the internet fell into two camps: overly theoretical lessons that overwhelmed beginners, or shallow clickbait that taught party tricks instead of real skill. Guitar First Chord was his answer — a middle path that teaches proper technique, music fundamentals, and actual songs, in a way that actually sticks.

Since founding the site, Marcus has published over 400 free guitar lessons covering chords, strumming, fingerpicking, scales, improvisation, and song tutorials. His teaching style emphasizes clarity, patience, and musicality over speed or showmanship.

Teaching Philosophy

Marcus believes that anyone can learn guitar with the right guidance and consistent practice. His core principles:

• Start with the essentials. Too many beginners get buried in theory before they can play a single song. Marcus focuses on what actually matters first.
• Build habits, not hacks. Quick tricks fade. Proper technique lasts a lifetime.
• Play music from day one. Every lesson connects to real songs so students stay motivated.
• Teach the why, not just the how. Understanding why a chord progression works makes you a better musician, not just a better copyist.

Company Information

Guitar First Chord is operated by Shenzhen Outburst Technologies Inc., registered in Shenzhen, China.

Contact: [email protected]

Response Time: We aim to respond to all inquiries within 2 business days.