Hey, Rob here. I made my living as a full-time professional guitar player and programmer. When I was asked to find a good “how to play guitar” program for my nephew I wasn’t expecting the difference in quality of materials available online. The truth is that the majority of “learn how to play guitar” programs online are JUNK!
To see which program I believe is far superior to the rest click here

“Lookin’ For An Online Guitar Course?
Wonderin’ Which Programs Are Good,
And Which Are Absolute Crap?”

I made my living playing guitar in clubs, concert halls and recording studios for over 20 years. It was my occupation, my full time job. I wasn’t just some weekend warrior, guitar player wannna be! I was a professional, well-paid guitar player

My sister asked me to recommend a program to help my nephew start learning how to play the guitar (unfortunately, I don’t live close to them). They don’t have a decent guitar teacher in their little town, so she asked me to find a good online program.

I bought ELEVEN online courses. I didn’t know there was so much CRAP out there. I asked for a refund on 7 of them. Only 4 were worth the money. (And ONE stood out head and shoulders above the rest!)

Seven out of the eleven I purchased were AWFUL!!

There’s an old saying.. “those who can’t do, teach!”
I’m sure that a few of these jokers who put together these “learn to play guitar” programs wouldn’t make a penny if they had to use their “axe” to make a buck.  One guy really couldn’t play at all!

So, I ended up sending 4 programs to my nephew. After speaking to him, he took my advice and concentrated on just one.

A few months later I was impressed by how much he’d learned. The kid could actually play! (It was great sitting down and jammin’ with my nephew). He’d been devouring the Learn And Master Guitar program and watching his favorite musicians on YouTube.
Here’s a little more detail about the 4 programs that are worth a lick (sorry about the pun). Unless you just can’t pony up the cash for the first one (Yep, its the best and it’s also the most expensive.), I highly recommend the first program. Seriously, if you get Learn And Master Guitar, put in the time to go through the whole course, and you can’t really play, I suggest you take up another hobby!.

Learn And Master Guitar was by far the most professional, thorough and complete program I reviewed. Honestly, after sifting through the rest of these programs this one is SOOOOOO much better I really shouldn’t have included the other 3 reviews. If there’s a down side to this program (the reason I gave it only 9.9 out of 10) it’s that you have to wait for the program to be shipped to you. I really wish I had access to this type of training when I was starting to learn. .

There is an online student support site and you get your questions answered very quickly.

Here’s what you get

You’ll receive 20 very professionally produced DVDs, you get 5 Jam-Along CDs and a 100+ page lesson book. And, as I said earlier, a free online student support site.

Okay, this is the most expensive of the program I reviewed, so let me throw in this disclaimer. If you are looking to just “noodle” around and learn one or two songs on the guitar, then maybe you want to choose Jamorama. BUT, if you are serious about becoming a “GUITAR PLAYER”, someone who can really make a guitar sing, and you are willing to put in the time and focus to go through this complete program, this is the only program you’ll need.

They give you EVERYTHING you need to become a good player, the rest is up to your level of desire and the time you put in.

Click Here To Visit Their Official Site

Jamorama would be the second best option for my nephew. It is web based (no DVD or Cd’s to be delivered by snail mail). This is a great package for the beginner to intermediate player. I found the lessons very easy to follow. My only criticism was that occasionally the instructor got a little “sloppy” in his playing. I’m sure most beginner’s would be delighted to play as well as him, but, as you progress you’ll notice that you can probably player cleaner than this guy.

You do get a lot content  for a very reasonable price. I have friends who charge more than this for a single, one hour lesson! At 39.95 you are getting a lot of stuff. Good tabs, good videos and the lessons are laid as pretty well.

What’s included?
Two downloadable e-books
- Jamorama Beginners
- Jamorama Advanced

Approx. 150 Online video lessons
26 “active” jam tracks for you to play along with (you can toggle guitar on and off)
Thousands of lines of guitar tabs (tablature)
lots of helpful audio files

Extras:
Jamorama Metronome (to help you develop your sense of time)
GuitearIt! – A software program that helps you develop chord identification and ear training.
Jayde Musica Pro – A game to teach you how to read traditional notation (not tabs)
Guitar Tuner Pro – Software app for tuning your guitar
Bonus ebook: How to Tune your Guitar e-book
Bonus ebook: Advanced Learning Techniques for Guitar
A dedicated support email line.
Lifetime access to updated lessons and tabs

(Update:) Apparently they now offer a complete DVD and book course as well. It’s over $100. I’d stick with the online lessons for now.

Click Here To Visit Their Official Site

Confession: When I first read the salespage for this program I was VERY skeptical. Ask any guitar player how long it takes to learn guitar and you WON’T get the answer “one weekend”. That being said, I didn’t throw up when I got inside this course.

I guess there are many people who wanted to learn to play guitar, spend some time, don’t see immediate results and quit. This course is probably the best at getting people starting to make some musical sounds on the guitar QUICKLY.
Will you be burning it up in a weekend? NO.
However, seeing some initial fast results might be just what a beginner needs to stick around and commit to the process. I’m sure that for many people this course will be the difference between enjoy the guitar or having it collect dust under the bed in a week. Just don’t expect it to do much more than get you started.

IF you are a complete beginner, this will get you to an intermediate player fast (but that’s about as far as this goes).

This program costs less than $50. Not bad for learning how to play QUICKLY!

What’s Included?
- Beginner’s Guide to Unlocking the Guitar downloadable e-book
- 150 popular songs with four chords or less e-book
- Beginner chord sound files
- “Press and Listen” sound files
- The Perfect Chord Chart for Beginners
- Beginning Singing Techniques e-book

Click Here To Visit Their Official Site

This is my fourth choice. If you are a beginner and you’re easily distracted, stay away from this site! They have a tons of videos, tabs, tips and tricks for every level of guitarist. They also cover every genre and style of playing imaginable. You can access this mountain of information within their membership site. You get more “stuff” for $29.95 than on any of the programs I purchased.

The Downside: There is so much information inside their site that many people could get lost, or become unfocused. In Jamorama there is a slick, well designed series of steps and lessons laid out for you. This is important to many beginners. Inside Guitar Hot Shots is a mountain of information. Some of it not exactly “ready for prime time”. There is information for beginner, intermediate and pro level players. I worry that a beginner might get disillusioned or distracted by the pro level stuff. That being said, I knew my nephew was a fairly self-disciplined kid so I suggested he join this program. (Hey, I even learned a new trick or two inside this)

Conclusion: Not extremely well organized, but there is a ton of resources here.

What’s Included?
Tabs, Rhythm guitar riffs, sound files, tons of videos, ear training, tricks, equipment reviews, buying tips and resources, solo scales, arpeggios (and on and on)
A TON of stuff! (quality aside)

Click Here To Visit Their Official Site

There isn’t a program, or a teacher out there that will have you playing better than Eddie Van Halen, Jimmy Page or Keith Urban. You’ll never play just like Eric Clapton because you’re NOT Eric Clapton.

These programs are a great place to start. But to become a truly great guitar player you need to practice, practice, practice AND you need to listen to great guitar players. At a certain point, you’ll be able to develop your own sound, your own style and your own “voice”. That is when you change from “playing guitar” to becoming “a guitar player”. Don’t try to be better than Jeff Beck, or Carlos Santana, just be the best YOU that you can become. And if you’re playing makes you happy, that’s what counts.

And, when you become “a guitar player”, you won’t believe how people treat you differently!

Old Strat or Martin Guitar — a few thousand dollars
Time Spent Practicing — a few thousand hours

The look on their faces when you start to play —— PRICELESS!

Starting developing your chops by trying one of the programs above (or all four) and then keep workin’, playin’ and listenin’ to develop YOUR own style.

Good Luck

Rob

Technorati Tags: dvd guitar lesson, guitar course, guitar hot shots, guitar lessons, guitar manual, how to play guitar, jamorama, learn and master guitar, learn electric guitar, learnin to play guitar, online guitar course, playing the guitar, ultimate guitar videos, unlocking the guitar

I believe this is what you are looking for:

http://easyguitarlessonsworld.com/go/guitarrajam

Hope you’ll like it

John Petrucci’s "Rock Discipline"

I got home, read through part of the books and then a little while ago, I decided to watch the dvd. But The damn DVD case is locked. It has a tiny photo of a red lock with a painted on keyhole in the middle on the side of the case. So now I can’t get the dvd out to watch it and the library is closed for the day.

How do I safely unlock the case without damaging it, so I can watch the lesson tonight?

Keep in mind, I can’t break or damage the case, it does have to be returned in it’s rightful condition. I just don’t want to wait until tomorrow, I’m hoping to watch it tonight.

Luckily, you’ve come to the right place! I work at a library! Isn’t that awesome?! Lol..Anyway, the best thing to do is bring it back to the library for them to unlock it. It’s impossible to open it without damaging it. We have those exact same cases at the library I work at! They have to swipe it on this thing so that the red lock turns green.

I know it sucks! They’ll probably give you a couple extra days to watch it. You’ll probably have to wait until Saturday because I’m sure they’re closed tomorrow and New Years as we are.

Sorry about that on behalf of the libraries of the world!

Does the phrase, Learn To Play Guitar Software, lead you to assume that it must be an advanced and therefore highly effective way to learn music? You certainly are not alone if that is what you think. Let’s explore exactly what current popular guitar lesson software can and cannot do for a budding guitarist. Then let’s compare it to the all-video DVD lesson format.

First of all, Guitar Software does not automatically insure that the music lessons will be of higher quality than other types of media like video DVDs. Using software for lessons is primarily a way to accomplish two things:

1. To conveniently emulate a guitarist’s tools like a metronome, tab data, a chord chart and tuner.

2. To organize different kinds of media like audio, video, the written word, photos, illustrations and the specialty tools mentioned above.

There are many guitar course software programs on the market today that are well thought out, with lots of features that seem fantastic. Unfortunately from my experience reviewing many of these instructional programs, I have often discovered that slick software is just a way to improve or even cover up a mediocre guitar lesson eBook.

What About The Full Video DVD Guitar Lessons format?

Full Video DVD Guitar lessons programs differ from software style programs in that they more closely emulate what takes place if you have a live lesson with an excellent instructor. The downside is that if you wish to use a tool like a metronome you must acquire one separately.

The Advantages Of The Full Video DVD Format

1. Full Video DVDs Often Contain More Information And Are Easier To Understand: Simply stated, we tend to learn by observing another person explain and demonstrate a task followed by our repeated attempts to emulate them. Long video lesson segments from the top DVD Video courses with world-class instructors can provide the most direct way to understand the subtleties of each lesson in ways that just aren’t possible with the short video snippets found in some software formats.

2. Full Video DVDs Can Be Watched On Large TV Screens: With Guitar Software you are often left to read the written word, look at static diagrams and if you are very lucky, watch short video clips on a relatively small computer screen. Critical fingering details can be difficult to see.

3. Guided Practice Sessions: Another huge benefit of a good all-video DVD lesson program is that some offer guided practice sessions. This means that the instructor not only teaches new concepts but also practices with you. I cannot over-emphasize the importance of this feature. One of the most under taught guitar skills is learning how to practice like the pros.

So Is All Guitar Software A Waste Of Time?

No, not at all. I am aware of one surprisingly inexpensive beginner guitar lesson software program that does an excellent job for the price. If you cannot afford $100 to $200 for a comprehensive all video DVD program by a top instructor then this software can be a reasonable alternative for about $40.

The Bottom Line

For most beginner through intermediate guitar students I would recommend finding an all video DVD set from a top player/instructor that comes with a written reference book or printable files. Often the good programs offer payment programs or in some cases permit you to buy one DVD from the set at a time.

The bottom line is that it’s all about the quality of the lessons and not the cleverness of the lesson format. Unless your budget is very tight, do not be dazzled by the current Learn to Play Guitar Software.

John Mackinnon
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/guitar-lessons-software-or-video-dvds-which-is-better-686648.html

Does the phrase, Learn To Play Guitar Software, lead you to assume that it must be an advanced and therefore highly effective way to learn music? You certainly are not alone if that is what you think. Let’s explore exactly what current popular guitar lesson software can and cannot do for a budding guitarist. Then let’s compare it to the all-video DVD lesson format.

First of all, Guitar Software does not automatically insure that the music lessons will be of higher quality than other types of media like video DVDs. Using software for lessons is primarily a way to accomplish two things:

1. To conveniently emulate a guitarist’s tools like a metronome, tab data, a chord chart and tuner.

2. To organize different kinds of media like audio, video, the written word, photos, illustrations and the specialty tools mentioned above.

There are many guitar course software programs on the market today that are well thought out, with lots of features that seem fantastic. Unfortunately from my experience reviewing many of these instructional programs, I have often discovered that slick software is just a way to improve or even cover up a mediocre guitar lesson eBook.

What About The Full Video DVD Guitar Lessons format?

Full Video DVD Guitar lessons programs differ from software style programs in that they more closely emulate what takes place if you have a live lesson with an excellent instructor. The downside is that if you wish to use a tool like a metronome you must acquire one separately.

The Advantages Of The Full Video DVD Format

1. Full Video DVDs Often Contain More Information And Are Easier To Understand: Simply stated, we tend to learn by observing another person explain and demonstrate a task followed by our repeated attempts to emulate them. Long video lesson segments from the top DVD Video courses with world-class instructors can provide the most direct way to understand the subtleties of each lesson in ways that just aren’t possible with the short video snippets found in some software formats.

2. Full Video DVDs Can Be Watched On Large TV Screens: With Guitar Software you are often left to read the written word, look at static diagrams and if you are very lucky, watch short video clips on a relatively small computer screen. Critical fingering details can be difficult to see.

3. Guided Practice Sessions: Another huge benefit of a good all-video DVD lesson program is that some offer guided practice sessions. This means that the instructor not only teaches new concepts but also practices with you. I cannot over-emphasize the importance of this feature. One of the most under taught guitar skills is learning how to practice like the pros.

So Is All Guitar Software A Waste Of Time?

No, not at all. I am aware of one surprisingly inexpensive beginner guitar lesson software program that does an excellent job for the price. If you cannot afford $100 to $200 for a comprehensive all video DVD program by a top instructor then this software can be a reasonable alternative for about $40.

The Bottom Line

For most beginner through intermediate guitar students I would recommend finding an all video DVD set from a top player/instructor that comes with a written reference book or printable files. Often the good programs offer payment programs or in some cases permit you to buy one DVD from the set at a time.

The bottom line is that it’s all about the quality of the lessons and not the cleverness of the lesson format. Unless your budget is very tight, do not be dazzled by the current Learn to Play Guitar Software.

John Mackinnon
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/guitar-lessons-software-or-video-dvds-which-is-better-686648.html

Does the phrase, Learn To Play Guitar Software, lead you to assume that it must be an advanced and therefore highly effective way to learn music? You certainly are not alone if that is what you think. Let’s explore exactly what current popular guitar lesson software can and cannot do for a budding guitarist. Then let’s compare it to the all-video DVD lesson format.

First of all, Guitar Software does not automatically insure that the music lessons will be of higher quality than other types of media like video DVDs. Using software for lessons is primarily a way to accomplish two things:

1. To conveniently emulate a guitarist’s tools like a metronome, tab data, a chord chart and tuner.

2. To organize different kinds of media like audio, video, the written word, photos, illustrations and the specialty tools mentioned above.

There are many guitar course software programs on the market today that are well thought out, with lots of features that seem fantastic. Unfortunately from my experience reviewing many of these instructional programs, I have often discovered that slick software is just a way to improve or even cover up a mediocre guitar lesson eBook.

What About The Full Video DVD Guitar Lessons format?

Full Video DVD Guitar lessons programs differ from software style programs in that they more closely emulate what takes place if you have a live lesson with an excellent instructor. The downside is that if you wish to use a tool like a metronome you must acquire one separately.

The Advantages Of The Full Video DVD Format

1. Full Video DVDs Often Contain More Information And Are Easier To Understand: Simply stated, we tend to learn by observing another person explain and demonstrate a task followed by our repeated attempts to emulate them. Long video lesson segments from the top DVD Video courses with world-class instructors can provide the most direct way to understand the subtleties of each lesson in ways that just aren’t possible with the short video snippets found in some software formats.

2. Full Video DVDs Can Be Watched On Large TV Screens: With Guitar Software you are often left to read the written word, look at static diagrams and if you are very lucky, watch short video clips on a relatively small computer screen. Critical fingering details can be difficult to see.

3. Guided Practice Sessions: Another huge benefit of a good all-video DVD lesson program is that some offer guided practice sessions. This means that the instructor not only teaches new concepts but also practices with you. I cannot over-emphasize the importance of this feature. One of the most under taught guitar skills is learning how to practice like the pros.

So Is All Guitar Software A Waste Of Time?

No, not at all. I am aware of one surprisingly inexpensive beginner guitar lesson software program that does an excellent job for the price. If you cannot afford $100 to $200 for a comprehensive all video DVD program by a top instructor then this software can be a reasonable alternative for about $40.

The Bottom Line

For most beginner through intermediate guitar students I would recommend finding an all video DVD set from a top player/instructor that comes with a written reference book or printable files. Often the good programs offer payment programs or in some cases permit you to buy one DVD from the set at a time.

The bottom line is that it’s all about the quality of the lessons and not the cleverness of the lesson format. Unless your budget is very tight, do not be dazzled by the current Learn to Play Guitar Software.

John Mackinnon
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/guitar-lessons-software-or-video-dvds-which-is-better-686648.html

Duration : 2 min 45 sec

Technorati Tags: guitar

I would like to learn to play electric guitar
What is a good beginner guitar I can buy?
What is a good instructional guitar book I can buy?
From my understanding, I would need an amp for a guitar, any pointers on that either?

any and all advice is INCREDIBLY helpful!
plz don’t be mean if i don’t really seem to know what i’m talking about!

p.s. my budget for the whole thing is about 300. and i’ve been searching on amazon, and i found a nice cherry red fender that i like and it comes with an amp, instructional dvd, guitar picks, carrying case, strap, etc. for under 179. fender is a good company right? (again, i am completely clueless to guitar stuff!)

First off, as I tell everyone when starting, forget brand names. There are a lot of really crappy starter guitars that are "brand name". Instead of thinking in terms of "what brand do I need" here is what to look for in a guitar: 1) It needs to have a straight neck and be free of dead spots. Some guitars will have certain spots on the neck where you go to play a note and you get a "thunk" with no note. That’s called a dead spot and brand new guitars sometimes have them and that’s an example of very poor quality control on the manufacturer’s part. There isn’t much you can do to fix it so you want to make sure there are no problems. 2) You want a good set up. The guitar should not only hold tune while playing it but should stay in tune as you play up the neck. This is called intonation. The 12th fret should be in tune one octave higher with the open string. This can easily be tested with a tuner. If not, it can be adjusted easily enough but a brand new guitar shouldn’t have to go straight to the local guitar shop for a set up job. It should be set up right the first time when you buy it and be ready for you to play. 3) You need to make sure you can play it. If the neck is too thick for your hands you will struggle with it. If you have large hands and the neck is too small it will also be a problem. It needs to be comfortable. 4) You need to of course like how it sounds and looks. You don’t want a cool looking guitar that sounds like crap, but at the same time you don’t want an ugly one either.

For your situation, I recommend a starter pack that includes a guitar, amp, cable and tuner which is all you need to get started. Many of these also include a case or gig bag. I would also recommend a stand for your guitar. That’s all you need to get started. As for learning to play with out lessons, I would recommend Guitar for Dummies. I am actually a bassist but I was very impressed with the bass version of this book and the guitar version should explain all the concepts with the same patience. Most importantly, it has a CD so you can hear how examples are supposed to sound and it will cover everything you need to know about the basics and getting started. You might even get this book before the guitar as it has a lot of great advice in picking out your first instrument. Good luck!

Ibanez makes fantastic guitars that are built like rocks, sound great and are often nicer than guitars costing twice as much. They’ve also got really thin necks and low action, so they’re ideal for beginners and people with small hands. Jasmine by Takamines makes very user-friendly guitars, as well. Lots of beginners start with Epiphone because the name is so respected, but those tend to have really chunky necks. If you’ve got long, strong fingers, that might not be an issue. But if you’ve got smallish hands, an Epiphone might be challenging to play. That’s why it’s best if you handle a bunch of different guitars before you buy.

If you want to do some research before going to a store, Musician’s Friend is a great resource. You can search by brand, price or customer rating. Customers also post reviews that will give you a good idea which guitars are great and which ones have issues that make them difficult to play or keep in tune. Here’s a link:

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/acoustic-guitars/6-string

I highly recommend a 3-DVD set that will take you from the very basics through everything you’d learn with years of private lessons. I bought the set after having played for 20 years and can’t believe how much my playing has improved. The whole set costs only $36 — a fraction of the cost of lessons. And the advantages of learning from DVDs are that the instructor never loses patience, you can work at your own pace and you can go back and review things as necessary. Here’s a link to the DVD set:

http://books-videos-music.musiciansfriend.com/product/Rock-House-Learn-Rock-Acoustic-Guitar-Beginner-Intermediate-Hands-of-Steel-DVD-Package?sku=942720

Trust your instincts when you’re guitar shopping, since they’ll serve you better than anyone else’s opinion. There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all guitar, which is why there are so many different models available. And don’t listen to anyone who says you can’t get a good guitar unless you spend hundreds of dollars. Those people are guitar snobs. Once you’ve handled a bunch of different guitars, chances are you’ll find that one feels really comfortable and natural in your hands. And the way you feel about your guitar is more important than the name on the headstock or anyone else’s opinion. Good luck!