This frustration led me to order cassette-tape lessons by mail. Since this was well before online lessons, I often waited weeks for delivery. Little did I know that online lessons were coming our way.
Today, many types of guitar lessons are available online. These include beginner's lessons in mp3 format, instruction videos, and tab transcriptions of your favorite licks. Tablature, or "tab", is a transcription method that tells you exactly when and where to fret and pick. You don't have to read music to read tablature.
Online guitar lessons are very convenient, and learning this way can also be cheaper and more effective. If you travel like I do, you can learn new songs on the road rather than watching TV!
Here is a roundup of some sites that I have used to find online guitar lessons:
Video Lessons: Guitar Tricks
Guitar Tricks features a library of lessons that you can access anytime and anywhere to improve your ability. They currently charge $5/month subscription fee, but offer free lessons (150) to start. Their roster includes 48 instructors from all over the world.
Mp3 Lessons: Fender Players Club
This excellent site is devoted to helping you get started on the guitar. Yes, barre chords are easier on an electric guitar! Sample beginner's lessons include:
Chords in the open position - Learn the most basic chords and practice switching between them; practice tips, how to read the diagrams, and more.
Chords - Once you're used to playing the basic chords, it's time to start learning some other ones. Included is a chart with a whole bunch of chords.
Barre chords - When you have some strength in your fretting hand, tackle the barre chords. They're tough, but don't give up.
Tablature
If you like doing things the "old-fashioned" way, two news groups are sources for guitar tablature:
rec.music.makers.guitar.tablature
alt.guitar.tab
Tablature Web Sites: Guitar Notes
This site claims to be the largest collection of guitar music on the net. You can browse through their artist index or use their search engine to look through over 150,000 songs.
Unfortunately, the mother of all tablature sites, OLGA (On-line Guitar Archive)is currently offline while attempting to resolve legal issues with the archive. I hope they get this worked out shortly as this site is a valuable resource.
In closing, whether you're just getting started or are looking to advance your ability, online guitar lessons can be a fun and effective way to take learn guitar.
Online Classical Guitar Lessons
So, you want to be a Rock Star, huh?…what about a classic guitarist, or country guitarist, or maybe even a blues or jazz guitarist? Or, maybe you simply want to improve your skills of your favorite pastime…playing the guitar. Well, as you know or are probably discovering, one-on-one, in-person guitar lessons can be expensive, ranging anywhere from $25/hour to over $40/hour, and there is no guarantee that you will learn how to play the guitar or improve your current skills. Over time, learning the guitar using this traditional method of instruction can cost you thousands of dollars per year (Even at the low end of the price range, $25/hour for 2-hours/week for 50-weeks in a year – 2 weeks left out for vacation – your total cost for one year of lessons would be $2,500; even if you did only 1-hour/week, the cost would still be expensive at $1,250 for the year…and, again, that’s using the low-end of the price range).
But, you ask, what’s the alternative? How can I learn to play the guitar if I don’t get professional instruction? My answer is simple: “digital" or “online" guitar lessons provided by a professional guitarist with extensive teaching experience.
So, what are “digital" or “online" guitar lessons? Simply put, they are the equivalent of one-on-one guitar lessons that are presented by an experienced guitar instructor and come in the pre-packaged form of a CD, DVD, video file, audio file, and/or web-access. With online guitar lessons, or lessons provided through some other form of digital media, you can learn from an experienced guitarist how to select, buy, string, tune and, of course, play the guitar in the privacy of your own home at your own pace. Why would someone choose their guitar instruction to come in the form of a disk or web-site instead of in-person? Simple:
- INEXPENSIVE
Most quality “digital" guitar-training programs are offered at about $25-$50 while some may cost upwards of $200, depending on the type of instruction being provided. However, compared to traditional in-person instruction as calculated previously, these programs, provided by experienced guitarists, would save you thousands per year.
- MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE
Have you ever heard of a guitar instructor offering a money-back guarantee? Most, if not all, of these programs do!
- EXPERIENCED INSTRUCTION WHENEVER, WHEREVER AND FOR HOWEVER LONG YOU WISH
No more wasting time and money commuting or trying to schedule your life around your instructor’s schedule. Now you can practice with a professional whenever, wherever and for however long you wish. You could get professional guitar instruction at 2am if you wanted.
- FREE REPEAT INSTRUCTION
No more wasting money because you can’t seem to grasp a skill and you have to continue to ask your instructor during multiple lessons to spend time showing you how it is to be performed. With these "digital" or "online" guitar programs, you can get experienced instruction on whatever skill you need as many times as you need it...and it doesn't cost you any more money!
- FREE ONGOING SUPPORT
Most, if not all of these courses, offer continued online support for FREE after you purchase their program. What guitar instructor who offers in-person lessons would give you their phone number or even their email address so that you could ask them questions anytime you needed some support?
The disadvantages of using digital or “online guitar lessons" are:
- NONE
With a cost typically less than 1% of a year’s worth of in-person guitar instruction, a money-back guarantee, experienced, professional instruction anytime, anywhere and for however long, no commuting, and ongoing support for FREE, there really are no disadvantages.
So, before you go looking for a “place of instruction" for learning how to play the guitar or improve your current abilities, you might want to review some of the “online instruction" being offered in the comfort of your own home at your own pace. These programs could very well get you playing like an experienced guitarist in no time while saving you a small fortune, literally thousands of dollars, each year. If you are interested in reviewing some of these educational programs, simply click on the appropriate link supplied in the resource box provided below.
I wish you an exciting and fulfilling experience in learning how to play the guitar or play the guitar better with online guitar lessons,
Regards,
Greg Smith
Founder
The Database of Knowledge: The Source for Enhancing People’s Lives
Both Andrew Morris & Gregory Smith are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Andrew Morris has sinced written about articles on various topics from Careers and Job Hunting, Adware and Writing. Andrew Morris is a guitar player and author living in Austin, Texas. He is often amazed and perplexed at the sounds an acoustic guitar makes in the right hands. Find out more about the world of online guitar lessons at. Andrew Morris's top article generates over 74000 views. to your Favourites.
Gregory Smith has sinced written about articles on various topics from Medical Related, Family and Guide Guitar. Greg Smith is the founder of The Database of Knowledge, a web-based platform dedicated to gathering and sharing information and ideas on a vast array of topics. To learn more about Greg, simply visit. Gregory Smith's top article generates over 1600 views. to your Favourites.