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

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Classical guitar is a beautiful instrument that helps in transforming your feelings into music. You can express grief, melancholy, cheerfulness, distress, faith and love among other feelings as you strum through the various chords of the classical guitar. It is also known to some as the Spanish guitar.

The basic body and style of the classical guitar is similar to that of a normal acoustic guitar but does have its difference. The classical guitar generally has a wider fret board and utilizes nylon strings than other guitars. A notable playing style difference between the classical guitar and its relatives is that it is played by picking the strings rather than strumming.

A classical guitar lesson will not only teach you how to play the instrument but also let you deeply involved in it. If you want to learn how to play the classical guitar well, weekly classical guitar instruction under the guidance of a good instructor is the way to go. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced player, good classical guitar teachers and daily practice are great assets. Quality classical guitar lessons will save you time and frustration. And it will keep you from acquiring bad playing habits that will eventually hold you back.

The initial (first) phase of classical guitar lessons will focus mainly on the fundamental sitting position, how to hold your guitar, left-to-right and right-to-left hand motions, and the motion of thumb. These are essential to learning how to play the guitar flawlessly. Once you start learning how to hold the guitar and use it, then I will be convenient for you to go ahead with the second stage which brings more excitement.

The second phase will be focusing more on beats, notes, and sound of the guitar. Beats basically refers to of the sound that comes out when two different notes are played together. Depending on how you play it, beats can vary in speed. The notes are of primary importance as you will learn to get used to playing each and every note individually, simultaneously and finally together. After acquiring understanding of the basic notes, the phase three will start. It includes free stroke and the rest stroke and will throw light on understanding artificial harmonics.

Phase four of classical guitar learning is quite important as you will start to understand the difference and similarity between the pitch, dynamics, rhythm, and timbre. Each of these has to be understood in detail and practiced in order to achieve perfection in playing the classical guitar. Last but not the least, you will learn to understand and play the various scales including common scales and their application.

Regular classical guitar lessons will help you stay focused and motivated. Advanced classical guitar players, including concert performers, can learn an incredible amount by studying with other musicians too. Accomplished musicians, other than guitarists, are a gold mine of musical knowledge and inspiration.

Harry Rackers
http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/classical-guitar-lessons-735791.html

Guitar is one of the versatile musical instruments. One of the great assets of guitar is that you can play it without even knowing how to read the music. With this single point, it is bound to stand out. And to play, now there are many alternative systems designed in order to represent the one that is portrayed traditionally on a music sheet. Guitar tabs files (guitar tablatures) are a big popular among guitar players all over the world, and the system itself is truly universal, as there are no discrepancies between the systems that are used in different parts of the world to read tablatures.

Bearing all this in mind, the ever-increasing number of guitar online resources comes as no surprise. If you are a guitar player or are aspiring to learn guitar then you should consider giving guitarists.net website a look. It features guitar chops and lick to set you going, along with a schedule for studying guitar. Guitar warm-ups lessons are also provided, as well as improvisation tips. Lastly, there is thorough information on guitar techniques and guitar scales.

These detailed in-depth lessons of guitar courses are great for beginners, as learning just a few of the basic guitar chords will allow you to play thousands of songs. But these lessons also offer advanced harmony, extended guitar chords, and chord building principles which make this series a valuable resource for guitarists at all levels of development.

They teach by “lesson set” instead of just flopping out a ton of small video clips. They start with the very basics like tuning your guitar, finger placement, and basic chords, and move on to finger-picking, palm muting, hammer ons, pull offs, and many more advanced topics as you progress through the lessons. We found this surprisingly good for the overall experience, because you can follow through these lesson sets just how you would with a normal guitar teacher. Biggest thing is, it’s cheap as well because they get so many members.

The guitar lessons available in this site are created with all stages of guitarists in mind. There are many guitar lessons available for the beginning guitarists with audios and videos. For the beginners it is suggested that they spend at least a week learning the exercises and the songs before they move on. Learning to relax while playing guitar will help immeasurably, so be sure to have fun!

Claude Johnson
http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/increasing-number-of-online-guitar-resources-712252.html

One fact that has emerged from field tests conducted by buskers, night club performers and covers bands is that you should look for your repertoire in the songs of years gone by. Oldies are goodies. Another thing you should think about is whether or not you are an audience participation kind of performer. If you are still wondering about it one second after the thought enters your head, then you probably aren\’t. So stay away from songs that require you to yell, “Everybody now!!” or “Just the girls this time!”. Likewise if you play solo acoustic guitar and have a voice like Johnny Cash you might want to stay away from Led Zeppelin\’s “Whole Lotta Love”. But do not walk away from songs you enjoy just because they might not seem immediately doable.Remember Jose Feliciano\’s “Light My Fire” and Eric Clapton\’s unplugged “Layla”.

Of course what songs you choose is not going to matter much if you do not pay attention to how you sing and play the guitar. People pay to see performers who are better at something than they are. Which is where playing material that you like comes in. If you are playing a song that you consider to be a crowd pleaser but you personally think is a load of stomach chunks you give attention to the part the audience likes. You already know what that is. That is why you do not bellow, “Hello darkness my old friend” or shirk on the enthusiasm when you sing the line, “Welcome to the Hotel California”.

Okay so what we get out of all this is first, there are songs that crowds of people like and second, you can sing and play these songs in a way that highlights your particular talents. Now for a basic list of songs that have been known to please a crowd or two over a period of years:

Wild World by Cat Stevens

Imagine – by John Lennon

Stairway To Heaven by Led Zeppelin

Catch the Wind by Donovan

Can\’t Help Falling In Love by Elvis Presley

Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks

Angie by the Rolling Stones

Everybody Hurts by REM

50 ways to leave your lover by Paul Simon

The 59th Street Bridge Song by Simon And Garfunkel

American Pie by Don Maclean

Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell

California Dreamin\’ by The Mamas and Papas

Knockin\’ on Heaven\’s Door by Bob Dylan

Mrs Robinson by Simon And Garfunkel

You\’re so vain by Carly Simon

Blowin\’ In The Wind by Bob Dylan

Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison

I Walk The Line by Johnny Cash

Tears In Heaven by Eric Clapton

Gloria by Van Morrison (or Them)

Hotel California by The Eagles

Behind Blue Eyes by The Who

White Room by Cream

Sex And Candy by Marcy Playground

Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers

What Its Like by Everlast

Alison by Elvis Costello

Life By The Drop by Stevie Ray Vaughn

Melissa by Allman Brothers

Dead Flowers by The Rolling Stones

Seagull by Bad Company

Mediterranean Sundance by Al DiMeola and Paco De Lucia

Classical Gas by Mason Williams

This list could be much, much longer, but you probably already see songs here that you would never play in a million years so all I can say now is I hope this guide to essential guitar tab has been helpful.

Solution Finders

Conventional music notation has much more to communicate than tabs, but if you already know more or less how the song sounds, and are prepared to work at your own interpretation, then there is nothing wrong with using tablature.

Guitarists composing music using tabs and sharing the results of their work on the internet have brought a wide range of music within reach of amateur musicians who never learnt to read music. To some guitarists learning to read music is a waste of time that would be put to better use expressing their feelings through music. This attitude is at odds with the idea that the more theoretical knowledge you have, the greater the pool of resources at your disposal for expressing your ideas.

Tablature, on the other hand, allows the guitarist to get to know the basic piece of music in his own way, and use his musical intuition and flair for improvisation to produce a musical work which will be as much his own work as the original composer\’s. For that reason electric guitar tabs are a boon to the electric guitar player who does not want to just produce a copy of someone else\’s work.

You can find electric guitar tabs in music stores along with conventional written music, but the quickest and best place to look for electric guitar tabs is on the internet. Even though there\’s a legal dogfight going on about tab publishers infringing the rights of the original composer, many tabs are still available for free. However you need to exercise your discernment when making use of tablature produced by amateur guitarists. You might need to change things around a little if they don\’t sound right.

As for the electric guitar player who wants to broaden his musical knowledge, tablature also allows the guitarist to learn new chords, scales or modes very quickly.

Finally a reminder that using electric guitar tabs to learn new material is not a walk in the park – you need to supply some of the information which is otherwise written into sheet music. You need to have some idea of the note values and a basic understanding of time signatures and tempo. What that boils down to is that you can hear the music in your head, and you just want to know where to put your fingers on the fret board. That is what guitar tabs were originally made for.

Solution Finders

These mini guitar lessons have been put together for the beginner acoustic guitar student who feels a  need to play music but is a bit short on direction.

Lesson One – What kind of guitar are you going to buy?
If you have a rough idea of what kind of music you want to play, the next step is to find yourself a guitar.

Let’s start with the basics – nylon string or steel string. A nylon string guitar was made to play classical and folk music. Acoustic guitars make their music by sending the vibration of the strings to the soundboard. The vibrations are then amplified in the body of the guitar. Nylon string guitars make a mellow tone; steel string guitars make a brighter, more metallic sound. One of the main things that will influence you in deciding what kind of sound you want is the guitar your favorite performer plays.

If you are just starting out you will not need a top of the range guitar but it is best to get the nicest one in your price range. A cheap, poorly made guitar will be an uphill battle to play. A good instrument will make your practice sessions something to look forward to.

Try different guitars. See how the neck feels. Check out if one neck feels more comfortable to play than others. Another consideration is the distance of the strings from the fret board which is called the “action”. Low action is easier to play but if you are planning on strumming enthusiastically or picking loudly the guitar may have a tendency to buzz.

Lesson Two – Go ahead and learn.
The very first step toward learning to play acoustic guitar is to develop confidence and to overcome your natural reluctance to try new things. Lack of money, lack of time, or lack of a good teacher are three big obstacles to your guitar learning progress. The other three big obstacles are all you. You may be your own worst enemy. How do you react to a challenge? Challenges are your friends. If you find yourself getting frustrated, and not wanting to continue your practice, it might be time to downsize your goal, at least for a while. If you have two chords that you have trouble with, work on the first one alone for a while. Once you have improved a little, go to the next one.

Lesson Three – Daily Practice
As far as your daily practice goes look at starting with half an hour a day. If you can do more, great, you’ll become a guitarist faster. The way you carry out your practice is crucial. Putting in the time isn’t the only requirement. If you rush or try to fit too much in, then you’re working against yourself. Err on the side of too little material at first. If you really are accomplishing what you set out to do in less than thirty minutes, then add a little more.

Lesson Four – Tuning Your Guitar
You can find online guitar tuners to help you get your acoustic guitar in tune. Take a day or two of your practice time to get the knack of tuning. When you start to develop an ear for tuning, try tuning the guitar without the tuner.

Lesson Five – Holding Your Acoustic Guitar
Long hours of practice can take their toll. Learning how to sit and play your acoustic guitar is an art in itself. There are places on the internet that have illustrations showing you how to sit when you’re playing, but it would be good to find somebody with a little experience to show you. But don’t just go with the way one person plays. If he’s self-taught, then you don’t want to pick up his bad habits!

Ricky Sharples
http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/five-mini-acoustic-guitar-lessons-529048.html

It takes you step by step through the basic guitar chords one by one. There’s also lessons on guitar scales, techniques and some easy songs to play.

http://www.pluckandplayguitar.com/

Playing the guitar is a great activity. You can jam with your friends or with a band and create awesome pieces of music or you can cover your favorite tunes. But before that happens, you need to find good guitar lessons for beginner players.

When trying to decide what type of lessons are the best, think of what you are trying to accomplish first. Think what is it that makes your heart sing and then go from there.

For example, perhaps you want to be a great rhythm player like Bucky Pizzarelli. Or maybe you want to be a lead player and be the front man of a band like Joe Satriani.

Think of the skill that you want to develop and then find a good lesson, either online or with a teacher. Develop that skill and then improve on something else.

With enough practice, you can play great music with anyone that you chose and in any style that you like. By mastering the fundamentals, you can apply those to any style you like. Be it Jazz or Rock or Folk music. The principles are the same on any style.

When trying to decide what is a good guitar lessons for beginner dont overlook what you can find online. There are free lessons, but those are not very good. Like they say, You get what you pay for.

Online lessons are a great way to start because you can advance at your own pace without having to leave your house. Plus, any online course will be cheaper than going to a school.

Remember, there are many ways to learn how to play the guitar, just be disciplined and practice and enjoy making music with your instrument.

Guitar Lessons For Beginner – Learn How To Play Electric Guitar

Dave Durham

My son came to me the other day to say that he and his mate have started learning guitar at school and he would really like to do more guitar lessons. He loves the electric guitar, and would like one of his own so he can play guitar himself.

The two of us embarked on a shopping spree to find the guitar he wanted (So many to choose from…) and then tried to find a decent instructor. If like me you are quite a young and funky Mum (or at least I like to think I am) and have embarked on this exercise with your children you will learn that finding a young and funky music teacher to provide guitar lessons is actually quite hard.

Knowing my child well, and understanding that concentration is not always easy I did not want to waste money on the wrong guitar instructor or guitar tutor so the two of us searched the net to see what alternative guitar teaching options there were to guitar lessons via old and stuffy ways (sorry Music Teachers!)

We found Guitar Superstar which is an on line product offering guitar lessons, one on one guitar tutoring, guitar playing advice by real people (famous guitar players), funky and hip ways to make learning fun for my child.

Music is so important to growth and I was happy to support my child on the journey of electric guitar playing, this is so great because I get to see the learning and my son embarking on the path of becoming a great musician one day.

The ultimate online guitar training program http://www.guitarsuperstars.info

sandy