Are any of the software packages truly good, or do I need to find a human teacher?
My guitar hero for the last 43 years has been Keith Richards, but I wouldn't want to completely close the door on learning classical guitar as well.
?
Favorite Answer
Hi,
I think it all really depends on your experience level. Have you heard of Jamorama? It's pretty good to learn fast and okay for beginners to intermediate, You can check them out here http://jamorama-guitar.info
It is not like having a private tutor that can give you feedback though, but it's a lot cheaper lol. Hope that helps!
Kerry
Get a keyboard. I'm guessing for now you could get a casio or something which tend to be cheaper. Here are the reasons 1)It is MUCH easier to play songs by ear because you can go from one note to another fast so you can easily find out if you're playing a song the wrong way or not. The easy access of playing on note to the next or one chord to another is a big plus. 2)It is easier on your fingers. There are no thin strings to hold down, all you have to do is press a key. 3)It's much easier to understand how notes and scales work when you have the keys layed down in front of you. If you can learn where the 12 notes are on an octave then that's good enough, from there everything else is just higher or lower octaves but overall the notes are the same. 4)There are many youtube videos with tutorials for learning songs. Even if you're barely learning just the left hand part of a song, that alone can help you. But regardless of which instrument you play, I would highly suggest learning about what the scales and chords are.
Anonymous
1
Anonymous
There are some great software packages out there. Ones with video lessons and jam tracks really help with visual learners. I own Jamorama and Learn and Master Guitar. They are both excellent courses, but are in different price ranges. Jamorama is $40 and is a downloadable course. L&M guitar is 10 or 20 DVDs for about $150ish (more expensive since they ship a physical product). Both have an extensive number of lessons that should keep you going for many months. I don't think any local teacher would be able to compare to the quality (for the price) that you can get in a software package now. While the DVD's can't give you feedback, the cost is minimal in comparison to real lessons. I own both of the software packages listed and I don't regret buying them. And if you did regret buying them (within 60 days) you can get a full refund for any reason. Risk free is what sold me.
Justinguitar.com has some beginner material for free, but his later stuff is on DVD's. I did not check on the price though. You can also find useful 'how to play' tutorials on YouTube by searching for your favorite song with 'how to play' tacked onto the search. This isn't a beginner song, but something you can aim for. Jumpin' Jack Flash - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jc5DfBR1pw0
The main thing is learning how to practice. If you don't learn how to practice, it doesn't matter if you have 12 teachers. Find some good articles on practicing like http://www.stampproject.com/guitar%20files/Articles/guitar_article5.htm
Best of luck
Anonymous
These days you can learn how to play guitar over the internet. Check out Mark McKenzie's guitar video lessons here: http://www.jamoramaguitar.com The videos are very easy to follow and to my surprise extremely helpful even for advanced guitar players. For beginners I would have to say this is a gold mine.
I was able to improve my skills in just under 4 weeks and I am an intermediate-to-advanced guitar player; I've been playing guitar for the past 6 years and I was on stage with my band a lot of times.
I live in New York City, I wanted to go to a pro guitar teacher but that would have cost me over $1400 per month. Good thing with this internet, $1400 it's a lot of money for me. Good luck!