Mark Claiborne

The Story Behind MTWL Media

I picked up a guitar for the first time at 12. Put it down almost immediately — no one around me took it seriously, and I had no framework for making progress. I didn't pick it back up until I was 28, when the guitarist in my worship band stepped back and I realized I could hear what was missing. So I stopped at a music store one Friday evening after work, bought a Yamaha FG800, and decided to figure it out.

Thirty days later I was playing with the band. Not perfectly — but playing. That experience shaped everything I do as a teacher. I know exactly what it feels like to start at zero as an adult. I know the frustration of your musical mind outpacing your hands. I know the moment it clicks. And I built MTWL Media to make sure every adult beginner has a cleaner path to that moment than I did.

What I Play and Where

I've been a vocalist in church since I was five years old. Today I lead worship and front bands across a range of genres:

I also build guitars. I've worked with a boutique shop in Maryland to build custom instruments across several different models, using locally sourced wood — choosing the pickup configuration, dialing in the tone, and creating something genuinely one of a kind. That experience shapes how I talk about gear with my students. I'm not recommending gear I've read about. I'm recommending gear I've built, bought, and gigged.

The My Anchor Point Method

Everything I teach comes from a framework I developed through my own learning and years of teaching adult beginners: the My Anchor Point Method. It's not a collection of chord shapes. It's a system for knowing what to learn, when to learn it, and how to be creative with what you already know while building toward what you want to learn.

The system is built around 15 focused minutes a day and targeted practice — working only on the specific thing that challenged you in your last session, then putting the guitar down and coming back tomorrow. That discipline, more than any technique, is what separates students who play in 30 days from those who quit in week two.

Free Tools and Resources

Beyond the guide, MTWL Media hosts a suite of free interactive guitar tools: the Circle of Fifths, Triad Explorer, and Scale Explorer. Each one is built to make music theory visual and practical — no music degree required. Free resources including chord charts, a 4-week practice plan, and song packs are available at the resources page.

When You're Ready to Graduate From Here

MTWL Media exists for one job: getting adult beginners playing real songs in their first month. That's the gap I set out to close, and it's where I'll always put my energy first. I haven't built out material on more advanced techniques and theory yet — and honestly, I'd rather hand you off to people doing that work well than have you stall out waiting on me. A few channels I point my own students to once they've outgrown the beginner stage:

• Stich Method Guitar — sharp, practical breakdowns of lead playing and fretboard navigation once you're past the basics.
• JustinGuitar — the most complete free guitar curriculum on the internet, from your first chord through advanced theory.
• Paul Davids — thoughtful, well-produced lessons on theory, technique, and gear from a working musician.
• Marty Music — riff-by-riff song lessons that get you playing recognizable rock and blues fast.

Graduating from "MTWL beginner" to "channel-hopping intermediate player" is a good problem to have — it means the first 30 days worked. Go learn from these guys. And when I roll out my own advanced material, you'll hear about it here first.

Get in Touch

Questions about the method, the tools, or guitar in general — I read everything. The best way to reach me is through the contact page. You can also follow MTWL Media on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook for weekly content.