Been getting some interesting feedback from the “what’s your 1 question?” form on the sign up page for the accelerated onine beginners course
Mainly over a concern over whether ‘it actually works’ and can learning quickly without an instructor actually be done.
Well that’s what the course is all about - finding the most effective ways to go it alone. You see getting quality online learning materials is one thing but without direction and motivation it can be very very hard.
That’s why this course has been uniquely designed to mix actual learning materials with best of the best learning, goal setting and achievement tools so you stand the best chance possible of taking it all the way - all from your computer.
There are plenty of courses out there that offer direction and motivation but a strong amount of discipline is still required to stick at it when your fingers are hurting and you don’t feel like practicing those scales and chord progressions again
Well thanks to the feedback I’ve gained some considerable insight into what you actually look for in an online course and armed with that knowledge some exciting changes and developments are in the pipeline.
I can only do what you ask for, and you’re asking… so I’m doing
If you don’t know what I’m talking about sign up now to stay in the loop - what’s coming in the pipeline will be too good to miss.
Not the most difficult beginner song to learn how to play, although it does involve a bit of bar chording. However – my challenge (which I have decided to accept) is to play the 12 string intro - without the capo – which is tough and will require a bit of improvisation for some of the chords which I just don’t have enough fingers and big enough hands to do without a capo.
Then there’s the solo and other versions with nice intros, and of course I want to add my own style. Yes this is an ‘easy’ song on the surface but there is so much potential for exploration it can also be very hard.
What is with all these people thinking they can learn to play the guitar without having to at least pay something?
Learning any musical instrument is a time consuming and laborious process at the beginning and without the proper guidance the chances are you’ll give up in frustration out of doing it wrong and not getting anywhere.
It takes a very very dedicated and motivated person to go the self taught route and - I don’t want to put any noses out of joint here but..- if you’re looking around for shortcuts and freebies then just how much effort and dedication are you prepared to put into becoming a serious musician?
Learning an instrument is a huge investment, after all the equipment isn’t cheap but the biggest expense is your time and effort. Hunting around for freebies and shortcuts online can very quickly become a false economy when you wind up realising it isn’t as easy as you were expecting it to be and you’d be better off learning from an instructor.
Do yourself a favour - ask yourself how much time and effort you’re prepared to put into becoming a great guitarist before committing yourself to something like the Quick Start Guitar Acceleration Course - it may be free but it only works if you’re seriously committed. If not - I recommend getting an instructor
These free guitar lesson sites are popping up all over the web - so how do we know which ones are any good or not? Anything that’s free has to have a catch right? Well no actually - or yes and no, or was it no?
I’ll stop that before I completely confuse myself (easily done) and lose my train of thought
Anyway - where was I? Oh yes - free guitar lessons on the Internet, hmmmmm. The old adage ‘you get what you pay for’ does apply here but only if you’re a beginner. If like me you’ve been playing for 20 years it’s easy enough to find tabs and music of anything you wan to learn then head on over to Youtube and find a video lesson of someone showing you how to play it - hooray!
Good for Me - Not so Good for a Beginner
So how does this work for a beginner? Sure you can google around for beginner stuff, but how do you know what to google and in what order? The main reason I’m taking such an interest in beginner online lessons now is because I’ve reached the ripe old age where I want to go into jazz - and my bluesy bendy style does not make it easy for me to just transition into it (I’ve tried).
So I’m doing basics 101 right from the very beginning and I’m doing it all from online/downloadable material. I’m kicking myslef for not doing it this way 20 years ago but the option wasn’t available so I’m not kicking myself that hard- or at all actually but you you know what I mean.
So for a beginner it’s essential to go into learning the guitar online with some expectations and a bit of foundational mindset to ensure you don’t waste time, money or give up in frustration. That’s why I’ve put together a quick guide on How To Download Guitar Lessons and Fast Track Your Learning in 5 Easy Steps
If I’ve learnt anything from learning the ‘rock & roll’ way and having to go back over basic theory and technique is that I wish I’d done it the other way round. Get your basics right and you can soon follow along with Youtube lessons like this one here:
Today I’m going to look at the quickest and most effective way to learn the guitar there is bar none – it’s no secret but it’s also something people don’t do enough – it’s all very well saying “I know that” but if you know it but don’t do it then you need to start – now!
Imagine being that person at a party who just casually picks up the guitar that’s leaning against the wall and starts strumming away only to be surrounded by cooing admirers asking you to play their favourite song next please!!
Nothing will help you learn the guitar quicker and more effectively than playing songs – along with the songs. This has worked for me for 20 years now and I still go back to it when there’s a song I want to add to my party repertoire, it’s a 3 step process that goes like this:
Find the chords and if necessary tabs
Listen to and preferably watch the song being played
Play along as many times as is necessary until it’s ready for cooing partygoers
That’s it! Even for a complete beginner you can find something simple but nice to play – as long as you apply your knowledge of basic chords and melody in a fun and enjoyable way – this is so much better than just practicing ‘dry’ chords and scales. To learn to play the guitar quickly and effectively you need to have good accompaniment – this is key to being able to play in time and really get a feel for the songs.
Obviously if you are so completely new that you don’t know or can’t fluently play basic chords then you need to get started right away – this 6 part free e-course from Jamorama is your first stop for that.
It can be hard fitting in guitar practice every day, especially with a hectic 9-5, going to the gym, trying to reset and recouperate. But without it it’s nearly impossible to advance.
You see it’s every day practice that develops ‘guitar fingers’ that don’t hurt when holding down difficult chords for extended periods of time. One or two long weekly sessions won’t cut it either - it has to be as close to every day as it can, even if it’s just for 15 minutes.
That being said you shouldn’t need an excuse to play every day and it certainly shouldn’t be a chore - so with that I’d better step away from the computer and pick up the old axe to practice my scales..
It sounds obvious but when you’re learning shortcut style and not from qualified teachers but just other people and going the self taught route it’s very easy to form bad guitar habits. Of course there is some grey area between bad habits/technique and play style but some things just shouldn’t be done – for example playing open strings that shouldn’t be played.
I’ve always been guilty of this one, particularly when playing A and D major chords in the first position (the first 4 frets). It’s really hard to strum hard and enthusiastically without playing all the strings – especially when you haven’t learnt how to dampen individual strings. But the ability and eventual habit of doing this is what separates the ‘noisy’ players from the truly skilled who can produce a clean, polished and professional sound.
The same goes for strings not sounding that are supposed to because your fingers are muting them by not having the correct positions on the notes – to be a great guitarist you have to be able to play only the notes than need to be played and make sure they all ring clearly and exactly as you want them – even when strumming fast and furiously.
Yeah you can play as loud and distorted as you want – but please… without the bum notes!
That last sentence was a note to self by the way – and to you if you’re lazy when it comes to polishing your technique.
It’s tempting to skip all the basic stuff having played semi professionally and still being able to pick up a guitar at a party or gathering and become the cenre of atention. But that’s not why I’ve invested in some video guitar lessons. I want to go back and learn again this time from a ‘perfect technique’ angle and try and unlearn any bad habits I may have picked up and develop some good ones at the same time. Not to mention expand my repertoire of chords and scales so I can venture into the jazz arena fully prepared.
So I’m going through Jamorama right from the very beginning and doing all the exercises, watching all the videos, playing along to all the jam tracks and already my fingers hurt like they did when I first started.
I remember now how it was when I first started not physically being able to play because my fingertips hadn’t hardened up yet and not being able to hold certain chord positions for a given length of time. So there I was thinking I’d just zoom through the early beginner guitar lessons of Jamorama but no - those basic exercises are putting me through my paces and really toughening me up.
