Video Electric Guitar Lessons
Posted on November 2, 2009
Filed Under Guitar For Beginners Online, Online Guitar For Beginners, Video Electric Guitar Lessons | Leave a Comment
I have an electric guitar that has been collecting dust in the corner for years. Until recently that was true for my acoustic guitar as well. Recently, I decided to go back and really delve into the guitar again. I have been working through an acoustic guitar tutorial and have noticed that my skills are rapidly improving. However, when it comes to the electric guitar, I realize that some very different skills and techniques are required. So I began searching for a good source of video electric guitar lessons.
Why am I looking for video lessons? I’ve found that when it comes to learning a musical instrument, I need to see as well as hear the lessons. It doesn’t work as well just to read about the material. I want someone to talk to me, to show me things, and to teach me how things are supposed to sound. I want the guitar teacher to demonstrate different skills and to share tips and tricks for that they have learned for playing the guitar better. Finally, there are lots of things you can do with an electric guitar that you can’t do with an acoustic. I want someone with many years of experience to demonstrate and explain these advanced techniques.
Therefore, I think an online training program that is heavy on video electric guitar lessons is the next step for me. There are many advantages to choosing a course with lots of video content. For one thing, it is the next best thing to having a private tutor. However, with video and the internet, you can have access to your virtual tutor at any time of the day or night. Unlike with private tutors, you can also pause and rewind a video tutorial over and over again until you’ve mastered the skill.
How to String A Guitar Without Breaking The New Strings
Posted on November 1, 2009
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It is common for many new guitarists to feel somewhat intimidated the first time they have to string a guitar. However it is a relatively easy and important skill to learn. Just like every driver needs to know how to switch out a flat tire, every guitarist needs to know how to string a guitar.
Some guitarists like to change all of the strings at once. This gives them a chance to really get in there and clean off the dirt, grease, and skin flakes that can build up on the fretboard and eventually affect the tone of the guitar. Others find it easier (and cheaper) just to replace one string at a time as they break.
Removing the existing string(s) is relatively straight forward, especially if the string is already broken. The only tricky part is at the bottom where you may have to work to pull the bridge pin.
With the old string(s) removed, now it is time to install the new string. Make sure you use the correct type of string, either nylon or steel. It should match your other strings. Also make sure you install the appropriate string at the appropriate location.
Attach the string at the bridge pin first, then pull it up to the tuning pegs. Insert the end of the string through the tuning peg. Then slowly start to tension the string by turning the peg to the right. Go slowly here. It is very easy to break the string if you try to tighten it too fast.
I like to tune the string to an octave below my desired note and let it rest. This gives the metal in the string time to adjust to the tension. Then I will slowly tune it the rest of the way.
Repeat this process for each string and you will have a perfect sounding guitar and no accidently broken strings.
Easy Guitar Songs To Learn – 5 Songs That You Must Learn
Posted on October 31, 2009
Filed Under Easy Guitar Songs To Learn, Online Guitar For Beginners, Popular Easy Guitar Songs | Leave a Comment
If you are going to learn the guitar, why not start with a couple guaranteed classics that also happen to be fairly easy guitar songs to learn. Scales, drills, and musical theory can wait until later. Try to learn to play a few songs from the very beginning. Once you master the songs and their basic chords, you’ll have a much better appreciation for scales and theory. Besides, if you want to show off your new guitar skills, playing a popular classic will be far more impressive than yet another rendition of “Row Your Boat”.
Here are my picks for five easy guitar songs to learn. They are all easy to play classics that most guitarists master early on in their career. They are all fun to play and allow a lot of expression and individual interpretation.
House of The Rising Sun, The Animals
This is a beautiful song made all the more memorable when the Blind Boys Of Alabama covered it and replaced the lyrics with those from Amazing Grace. It was a perfect fit and sounds awesome. Beginning guitarists will enjoy this song because it is played so slowly and only requires a few easy chords.
Wild Thing, by the Troggs
This is a fun song that only uses three chords (A, D, and E). The lyrics are simple and so is the song. But you can have a lot of fun and be very expressive in how you play these simple chords.
Free Fallin, Tom Petty
This song is really easy to play because the bulk of the song is played with a few minor variations of the D chord. You barely have to move your fingers. Besides, its just plain fun to belt out the chorus. Similar chords can be used to play “Patience” by Guns and Roses.
Country Roads, John Denver
There are certain songs that are universal in their appeal. This is one of them. Case in point, I once traveled half way around the world and went on a safari in Kenya. At a game lodge in the middle of nowhere a villager brought out his guitar and serenaded us with this song. The chords are easy but require a few quick changes. Spend a little time with this song and you’ll be playing a classic enjoyed around the world.
Hallelujah, Leonard Cohen
This song has been around for awhile but recently made a come back after it was featured on the Shrek soundtrack. Now you’ll find countless versions on YouTube. It’s a little bit more challenging than the others on this list mainly due to the use of the F chord. But it shouldn’t be too difficult to master this song with a little practice. You can play this really slow and it still sounds great.
Selecting a few classic easy guitar songs to learn will really help build your skill, increase your repertoire, and most importantly, build up your confidence. There are thousands of easy songs that require three chords or less. Start with some of the easy classics and progress from there.
For more information on easy guitar songs to learn as well my recommendations on how to learn and really master the guitar, be sure to check out my review page.
Finding A Tutorial In Guitar – The Most Important Feature To Look For
Posted on October 31, 2009
Filed Under Acoustic Guitar Lessons, Guitar For Beginners Online, Online Guitar For Beginners, Video Electric Guitar Lessons | Leave a Comment
If you are looking for a good tutorial in guitar, whether you are a beginner or an intermediate, there is one thing that will really do the most to help you learn.
If I am going to spend money on a guitar tutorial, I want to make sure the course offers a lot of video tutorials. A video tutorial is really useful in learning how to play the guitar. It really does make all the difference. You get to see exactly how to do each skill. Not only do you get to see how to do it, you also hear exactly how it should sound. I’ve tried learning from books in the past and it makes things much easier to see demonstrations of each skill.
In any video tutorial in guitar skills, there are two things you need to watch. You need to see what the left hand is doing on the fretboard. You also need to see what the right hand is doing in terms of picking and strumming patterns. A good video tutorial will often have a split view from two different cameras, showing both hands simultaneously. Sometimes there will even be added graphics or animation to show you what you should be doing as you play along.
I also like to find tutorials that feature personal tricks, tips, and advice from the instructor. If I was rich, I would probably pay to see a private guitar tutor several times a week. But that is an expensive option for most people. When I am selecting a video guitar tutorial, I want it to feel like I have my own private tutor working for me.
So as you evaluate different guitar learning programs, my advice is to select a tutorial in guitar that feels the most like having a personal tutor there with you. Find one that has an interactive feel, where you can learn new tips and tricks and then see and hear exactly how they are done.
For specific recommendations on finding a good tutorial in guitar, be sure to check out my review page.
Secrets For How To Learn The Guitar Online
Posted on October 30, 2009
Filed Under Guitar For Beginners Online, Online Guitar For Beginners | Leave a Comment
There are many great options for learning the guitar online. I have several favorites that I keep coming back to time and time again. I am slowly working through a guitar theory class that is teaching me all of the basics as well as essential music theory along the way. It does this through a series of videos, reading, and jamming practice.
However, if you really want to learn the guitar, online tutorials are not going to magically turn you into a guitar super star. It takes time. It takes patience. Most of all, it takes practice. If you plan to learn online, make you sure take time to practice offline. This is true for just about anything, but is vital for learning to play the guitar.
It is often recommended that you should practice the guitar for a minimum of 30 minutes a day, everyday. That doesn’t mean just reading a lesson or watching a guitar video tutorial online. You need to spend 30 minutes actually playing the guitar. In my opinion, 30 minutes is just barely enough. I would recommend more.
Regardless of how long you practice for any one session, the key is to do it every day. Every time you practice, you build muscle memory, train your fingers, and build new neural pathways in your brain. It is important to continuously reinforce and refresh those neural pathways and new muscle skills. It won’t take long before your fingers just suddenly know where to go and what to do.
It you are going to devote time to practice every day, it seems logical to invest in a quality training program to back you up. There are many great guitar programs online. Make sure you choose one with lots of video, audio, and software resources to help make learning fun. It is easy to learn the guitar online, but make sure you schedule regular time to practice offline.
For my recommendations on great online guitar for beginners programs, be sure to check out my review page.
Heavy Metal Guitar Lessons – Learning To Play With Power And Speed
Posted on October 29, 2009
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Are you the type of guitar player or music fan where nothing is ever loud enough or fast enough? Nothing beats the rush of a hearing a truly masterful heavy metal power solo, except perhaps, playing it yourself.
The skills necessary for playing metal guitar can be intimidating, but the truth is that they are easily learned. The trick is to find a well designed set of heavy metal guitar lessons. Every metal guitarist started from where you are today. But they carefully took each skill, slowed it down, and practiced it over and over again. With will come both speed and skill. The following two programs will help you get there.
Burning Metal – Heavy Metal Guitar Lessons
Goal: Absolutely Understand Guitar
Posted on October 29, 2009
Filed Under Guitar For Beginners Online, How To A Guitar, Online Guitar For Beginners | Leave a Comment
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been rather musically and rhythmically challenged my whole life. However, I love to play my guitar. I’m not great, but I am always looking for ways to get better. Lately, I realized that my lack of ability to read sheet music and to understand basic music theory was really holding me back from learning how to play the guitar. It was time to do something about it. My ultimate goal is to absolutely understand guitar and music theory and to know how to fluently read sheet music.
Whether or not I will ever absolutely understand guitar theory is up for grabs, but at least it gives me something to shoot for. I would be very happy to have a general understanding of how music is put together. I know there is an underlying logic to music and how things are arranged. I also know it is not rocket science.
Here is what I think I need to learn:
What are musical keys? If I play in the Key of E, what does that mean?
What are scales and how are they constructed?
What is the difference between the different types of chords?
How are chords constructed?
Every goal needs criteria for achievement. Here is what I would like to be able to do with my guitar. I would like to be able to pick any chord (for example: Asus7) and then be able to work out the required notes. Then I’d like to be able to transpose those notes onto the fretboard and figure out the finger pattern for the chord.
I am presently working through an online guitar for beginners program and it looks like I’ll understand most of this information by the time I am finished. I’ll certainly have a very thorough understanding of the different chords. I’m also excited because this course promises to teach me the underlying logic of the different chord progressions popular in rock, blues, jazz, etc and how to improvise based on those patterns.
Where Can I Download Guitar Learning Software?
Posted on October 28, 2009
Filed Under Guitar For Beginners Online, Online Guitar For Beginners | Leave a Comment
As I was picking up the guitar again after many years of letting it sit in the corner, I began asking myself, are there any good sites where I can download guitar learning software? I needed a comprehensive course not just a few free tutorials.
First I explored YouTube and some of the other free video sites. I found a few that I liked but mostly I was dissatisfied. I think this is mainly due to the nature of YouTube and other sites like that. Anyone can upload anything. You get a lot of stuff to choose from but there isn’t a lot of quality control. Most of the YouTube videos seemed to be filmed in front of a cheap webcam and usually just seemed to be a guitarist showing off for his/her friends.
The second drawback to YouTube is that you will rarely find more than two or three guitar video tutorials in a series. I think this is because these guitar hobbists are not trained teachers. They are doing it for fun and eventually run into problems with the more technical subjects or even knowing what to teach.
For me, the best option was to look into the various commerical guitar training programs available. I searched around on the web and found a few that looked promising. Then I read through all the information on the sites and signed up for any free introductory courses that were offered. This enabled me to get a good sense of the general quality and care that went into the production of the courses. I also tried to get a sense as to whether the instructors teaching methods worked for me.
I eventually decided on two guitar learning programs that seemed to stand out from the rest, for me anyway. They seemed to have a good mix of video tutorials, audio files, and software designed to help me learn the guitar. I also made sure that these guitar tutorials offered a comprehensive lesson plan. I didn’t want just a simple beginner guitar course. I wanted a training program that would take me far beyond the beginner level and really help me master the guitar.
For my recommendations on where to download guitar learning software, please be sure to check out my review page on this site.
Popular Easy Guitar Songs – Party Tricks With The Guitar
Posted on October 27, 2009
Filed Under Popular Easy Guitar Songs, Reading Tab Guitar, Tabs For Guitar | Leave a Comment
This will sound pretty corny at first, but read on and give it a try. You will see how popular easy guitar songs can be a lot of fun for a beginning guitar player.
I recently went to a friend’s birthday party. During the course of the evening, one of my friends brought out her guitar and announced that she was going to play a song in honor of the guy having the birthday. She started playing and we all recognized the tune instantly. But the funny thing was that she had written her own replacement lyrics including the chorus verse and they were all jokes things going on in the guest of honor’s life.
I think we all rolled our eyes at first, but then the fun started. A couple girls stood up and joined my friend with the guitar. Soon others joined them. They read over her shoulder and sang along. When it came time again to sing the chorus, the whole room joined in. It turned in to a really fun evening, one that the guest of honor won’t soon forget.
You can try this out even if you are an absolute beginning guitar player. All you have to do is learn a few chords. If you write your own silly lyrics it makes learning a lot more fun. It also takes the pressure off. You can stop comparing yourself to the original artist and simply start having fun with the music.
Rewriting older tunes is a time honored tradition in folk and popular music. Even the U.S. national anthem is a rewrite of an old drinking song. Most rock and blues tunes follow similar patterns and chord progressions. Spend some time learning the chords for older popular easy guitar songs and you might find you can also play along with many other songs as well.
Start At The Top | Best Guitar Course – My Two Favorites
Posted on October 27, 2009
Filed Under Acoustic Guitar Lessons, Guitar For Beginners Online, Online Guitar For Beginners, Video Electric Guitar Lessons | Leave a Comment
I’ve written about my top best guitar course recommendations before, but as this is a common request I thought I would revisit them.
I personally use and recommend two great guitar courses. Which one you choose will depend on what kind of guitar you own and which direction you would like to go.
My two recommendations are:
Jamorama Acoustic
and
Guitar Super Stars
Jamorama Acoustic is geared specifically towards learning to play the acoustic guitar, but it will be valuable to electric guitar players as well. The lessons are well organized, clearly explained, and get straight to the skills without a lot of extra fluff.
Each lesson has several videos and audio files that help you both see and hear how each chord or technique is supposed to be played. Each lesson also generally has a jam track, where you practice playing along with a virtual band.
Looking over the course syllabus, the sessions cover just about everything there is to know about playing the acoustic guitar. It starts with the basics and covers just about every type of chord, music theory, strumming patterns, and chord progressions.
By the time I finish, I feel like I will have a very solid foundation in the guitar that I can use to play just about any song. With the help of the included bonus software, this course is also improving my ability to read music as well as the ability to hear and hear and transcribe music from the radio.
Guitar Super Stars is another fun guitar training program. It is a bit different in its approach from Acoustic Jamorama and has lots of raving fans. It teaches many of the same skills, but is more geared towards the electric guitar. It teaches everything from basic guitar skills to jam with friends and perform on stage.
The key difference is in the approach. While the Jamorama course is written and presented by one teacher, Guitar Super Stars offers several different teachers who specialize in several different guitar styles. This means that you can freely switch between different instructors and styles at will.
Some days I am in the mood to practice rock and blues techniques. Other days I may feel more like learning some classical guitar. I get bored easily and this guitar course keeps me active, keeps things fun, and keeps me interested.
For more information on these two courses, please visit my review page.
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