Technical Analysis
Reading the chart - the discipline of forecasting likely price behavior from past price and volume. This track covers the full TA toolkit: Dow theory foundations, the 7 building blocks of price action, candlestick anatomy and named patterns, support and resistance, trend structure, gap behavior, breakouts, named chart patterns (head and shoulders, triangles, flags, cup and handle), volume analysis, and the technical indicators that actually carry signal (moving averages, RSI, MACD, Bollinger Bands, ATR, VWAP). Honest about lag, redundancy, and what doesn't work.
What you'll learn
- The 7 building blocks of price action - candles, S/R, trends, gaps, breakouts, patterns, volume
- Candlestick anatomy and the 10 named patterns every trader recognizes
- Support and resistance, polarity flip, and the three behaviors price takes at a level
- Trend structure - higher highs / higher lows, multi-timeframe nesting, reversal signals
- Chart patterns - H&S, double tops, triangles, flags, wedges, cup and handle
- Indicators that work (RSI, MACD, MAs, ATR, VWAP) and the ones that mostly don't
Traders who've covered the basics and want to read charts at glance-level for entries, exits, and confirmation.
All 10 lessons
Technical Analysis Foundations
Why studying the chart works (and when it doesn't), the three Dow principles every trader still uses, the split between price action and indicators, and the honest limits of reading past price to forecast future price.
Price Action Fundamentals
The seven building blocks of pure price reading - candles, support and resistance, trends, gaps, breakouts, chart patterns, and volume. How each one carries signal, the common misreads, and the working order you should learn them in.
Reading Candlesticks
Body, wick, open, close - and every named pattern built from them. Doji, pin bar, engulfing, hammer, morning star, three white soldiers, and the reading framework that stops you from trading isolated patterns without context.
Support and Resistance Levels
Where buyers and sellers have historically shown up. How to find the levels that matter, why broken resistance becomes support (and vice versa), and the difference between tradeable confirmation and impulsive level-chasing.
Reading Trends
The higher-highs / higher-lows framework, trendlines, the three-timeframe nest (primary, secondary, minor), and the specific structural events that signal a real reversal versus a routine pullback.
Trading Gaps
Common, breakaway, continuation, and exhaustion gaps - what creates each, which ones fill and which don't, and the specific setups that turn gap behavior into actionable intraday edges.
Breakouts and Breakdowns
The mechanics of a real breakout - volume expansion, decisive close, retest that holds, continuation - versus the fakeouts that trap traders. Three breakout types, the specific confirmation rules, and the common mistake that makes new traders chase every push.
Chart Patterns
The named shapes traders actually use - head and shoulders, double tops and bottoms, triangles, flags, wedges, cup and handle. How each forms, the psychology underneath, the confirmation rules, and how to avoid pattern-matching yourself into a bad trade.
Volume Analysis
Volume is the conviction meter behind every price move. What it measures, the four volume-price relationships, relative volume (RVOL), and how to read volume without fooling yourself into treating noise as signal.
Technical Indicators
Moving averages, RSI, MACD, Bollinger Bands, ATR, VWAP - what each measures, how they're calculated, where they add value, and the honest truth about lag, redundancy, and the 'indicators alone can't predict' rule every serious trader eventually learns.
Frequently asked
Does technical analysis actually work?
Yes, with limits. TA is probabilistic, not predictive. Edges live in widely-watched levels, multi-timeframe alignment, and disciplined risk management - not in obscure patterns or stacked indicators. The honest framing is in 'Technical Analysis Foundations'.
How many indicators should I use?
Two or three from different categories (trend + volatility + maybe momentum). Stacking five oscillators of the same type doesn't add signal - it multiplies noise. Most pros run a 50 SMA, ATR for stop sizing, and VWAP intraday. That's the whole kit.
Should I use price action or indicators?
Both. Price action for context and entries; indicators for filters and stop sizing. The 'price action purist' (zero indicators) is a valid end-state but rare in working setups.
What's the best timeframe for technical analysis?
Daily charts for learning and swing trading - lots of structure, low noise, manageable screen time. Drop to hourly and 5-minute for execution timing once daily fluency is solid. Avoid 1-minute charts until last.
How long until I can read a chart fluently?
Honest answer: a year of focused practice for most people. Glance-level pattern recognition comes from screen time, not from reading guides. Plan the hours.