WELCOME, COMRADES IN GUITARMS
I’m Cade Hagen, a self-taught professional guitarist with 1,000+ hours of stage experience in Las Vegas. From biker bars to bougie casino clubs, churches to festivals, and weddings to funerals, I’ve performed ~500 different songs in nearly every setting imaginable.
BUT
For the first 10 years, I didn’t know an ounce of theory, specifically calling myself a “guitarist” as opposed to a “musician.” I claimed I didn’t need it–I had charts and tabs to get me by. Plus, this is music, man. Who needs all those RULES?
TRUTH?
I was scared. To me, like so many self-taught guitarists out there, theory seemed like astrophysics and molecular biology had a baby and named it TOO COMPLICATED FOR CADE (I know–“Complicated For” is a terrible middle name, but don’t blame me).
But eventually, I got tired of feeling lost. Sure, if I followed the charts exactly, the song would sound great. But I had no CONTROL and, more importantly, no FREEDOM.
SO
I learned. And in so doing, I made two HUGE discoveries.
That realization completely changed the way I approach both playing and teaching.
Instead of giving you another hundred things to memorize, I focus on helping you understand the guitar you already know: how rhythm actually works, how chords connect, how to navigate the fretboard, and how to turn simple ideas into music that sounds intentional.
That approach has now reached millions of viewers and built a community of more than 30,000 guitarists across YouTube and social media.
If you feel like you know enough guitar that you should sound better than you do, you’re exactly who I teach. Cade has taught theater to 5-year-olds, business-writing to 60-year-olds, and guitar to everyone in between. He’s performed at weddings and funerals, biker bars and bougie Vegas clubs, and countless churches in between.
In his lessons, you’ll focus on the WHYs behind music so that you can learn songs easier and—more importantly—COMPOSE and IMPROVISE with confidence and intention. Visit YouTube, where you’ll find a sample of practical lessons.
Beyond guitar, Cade is a writer and English professor by day. On the Publications page, you can find links to select short stories and essays.
For all writing inquiries, please contact:
Shari Maurer
The Stringer Literary Agency
shari@stringerlit.com