Charlie Wallace
Charlie Wallace is a New Zealand-born guitarist, entrepreneur, and founder of the popular instructional website Guitar Mastery Method (GMM). As guitarist and songwriter for the hard rock band Black Smoke Trigger, Wallace balances his dual passions for performing with unrelenting energy and vision, and helping others do the same. Speaking on stages in Florence (Italy), Las Vegas, Austin, Orlando (USA) and New Zealand, Charlie has shared his journey, lessons and insights with thousands of people.
Wallace’s journey to guitar stardom wasn’t always clear. His early years were dominated by a deep love for basketball, which he eventually traded for guitar when he developed a passion for rock and metal music after hearing “Paranoid” by Black Sabbath. This newfound love for guitar led him to dive headfirst into learning the instrument, fueled by a relentless drive he once applied to basketball.
Wallace honed his skills day and night, dropping out of school at 15 to work at a music store and pursue his musical ambitions. He started teaching guitar lessons, learning how to motivate and instruct players of all ages. Charlie was playing in local bands in his hometown of Napier, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, then branched out to touring around the country before he and his 3-piece band were sent to Europe to play a short stint of shows in 2012
Upon returning to New Zealand, he began the process of bootstrapping one of the largest online guitar lesson companies in the world, Guitar Mastery Method. Officially launched in August of 2014, Wallace initially planned on releasing just one course, but momentum quickly gathered as students shared their successes. Wallace then built an international team of instructors and team members.
Guitar Mastery Method has now garnered a dedicated global following, helping over 1.9 million guitar players from around the world and amassing significant social media followings (578k+ YouTube Subscribers, 850k+ Facebook Followers) and tens of thousands of active community members. The platform provides guitarists of all levels with easy-to-follow, high-quality lessons designed to help them improve quickly. Wallace’s teaching style, influenced by neuroscience findings he sought out to learn faster, has been key to GMM's success. He is deeply committed to helping students develop their skills, overcome hurdles, and reach their full potential as musicians. Also releasing a #1 international best-selling book “The Guitar Pattern Recognition System” that has sold over 50,000 copies.
In 2019, Entrepreneur magazine recognized Wallace as one of the top 10 entrepreneurs under 30 for his contributions to online music education.
Simultaneously, Wallace has pushed Black Smoke Trigger to become a formidable force in the rock world. The band has recorded with legendary producers Michael Wagener (Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Skid Row) and Grammy winning Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Alice In Chains, Korn). The band’s debut EP ‘Set It Off’ (released Nov, 2019), recorded in Nashville, TN, featured an appearance by Mick Mars of Mötley Crüe and a daring music video for ‘Caught In The Undertow’ which saw the band train for cold exposure and to hold their breath for minutes at a time to perform the song completely underwater in a 3.6M (12’) deep helicopter crash testing pool, the music video has now clocked up 3.2 million YouTube views.
The combination of passion, talent and an unwavering work ethic caught the ear of Spectacle Entertainment Group’s legendary rock manager Andy Gould (Pantera, Rob Zombie, Linkin Park). Speaking on the band’s debut music video “It was everything I love about rock music,” said Gould. “The visuals and song were great. Digging deeper, I realised this band had crazy talent, and it was something I had to be involved with.” In 2021, BST signed with the Los Angeles based manager.
Working with Nick Raskulinecz on their first full album, Horizons (released Aug, 2024) is a high-energy fusion of rock, alternative, and metal, reflecting Wallace’s love for classic and modern influences. Recorded in both Nashville, TN and flying producer Raskulinecz to Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand to finish the recording, the album includes a songwriting collaboration with David Draiman of Disturbed on the track ‘Never Dies’.
Not to be outdone by their previous music video, the band performed the debut single ‘The Way Down’ on the top of the tallest building in the southern hemisphere, the Auckland Skytower, where Wallace performed a breathtaking guitar solo mid-leap, jumping off the skyscraper with his guitar. The setup for this video took months of work, Wallace mentions that the daring leap was “One of the most surreal experiences of my life”.
Black Smoke Trigger has toured internationally with Bruce Dickinson (of Iron Maiden), Halestorm & Filter, performing to tens of thousands worldwide, while also developing a thriving fanbase in their home country of New Zealand.
Now, with both GMM and Black Smoke Trigger flourishing, Wallace continues to push boundaries, constantly seeking new ways to innovate in music and education. His story is one of grit, passion, and the belief that dreams can become reality with enough perseverance & hard work.