Is there a BEST way to learn Guitar?

12th March

Chances are, if you have decided to learn the guitar, you are wondering about what the best way is to learn the guitar. Is there a BEST way? So how will i find the best way?

 

When I was a kid, I wanted to play the guitar.  I thought it looked easy, and I wanted to try.  Why can’t I do that?  In The WORST way, I wanted to LEARN how to play!  You won’t believe this, but I got what I asked for!  Yup, you guessed it, I learned to play in the WORST way!  Oh Yeah, there is a WORST WAY!  and I found it!  Ever try to Teach YOURSELF?  BIG mistake!  I had a friend who was able to teach himself.  I thought he was pretty good, too.  So, I thought to myself, if he could do it, why couldn’t I?  So I began to try to teach myself, and it was a disaster!  I had no idea what I was doing, I was holding the guitar all wrong, couldn’t figure out how to get my left hand to bend right to be able to reach the strings for chords, and to be honest – it was just plain PAINFUL!  My friend was doing pretty well.  Welle enough that he could play for people as they walked by on the boardwalk.  They would throw money in his case!    NO WAY!  Well that made me even more determined to learn to play the guitar, now!  If he was able to figure it out, I should be able to, Right?  Wrong!

 

Wait! Couldn’t your friend teach you? People were giving him money, he must have been able to play.  Well, some people just can’t teach even if they know what they are doing.   He couldn’t help me.  He was not qualified to teach. But he did show me some chords.  What I ultimatly discovered as a result of this was that without disciplined, well thought-out lessons, it is simply IMPOSSIBLE to teach yourself how to play the guitar.    We’ve found the WORST WAY – Let’s see the BEST way!  Well, from my experience, the best way is through one-on-one, step-by-step lessons that are easy to follow and understand.  My friend did not have the patience to teach me in that way.  The truth is, not many instructors can.

 

So, then what should I do?  What is the best way to learn guitar then, since the only way to get that kind of attention is private personal instruction.  The best option, then is to find some very high quality video lessons that will give you the kind of attention you need, at a price that is affordable.  You can pause it, stop it, start it over, rreplay from the beginning, whatever you need to do.  Need to take a break, come back tomorrow – pick up wherre you left off – That’s the power of video lessons.  Not even a high-priced private teacher can handle that action!    With video, you don’t have to worry that your teacher isn’t up to it, or that you aren’t getting it.  Make sure you fully understand what you have learned before you press play on the next lesson.  Take your time, practice as much as you need.  Then procede at your own pace.

 

Jamorama is the best guitar lessons on the market.  No questions asked!  I highly recommend the way they teach.

 

To get started, you will need a guitar if you don’t have one already.    Does it matter what type you learn on?  What types are there? What type do you prefer to play? Glad you asked!  Classical Acoustic is the most common for beginners.  Then there is the Regular Acoustic – a little different from the Classical Acoustic.  You can learn on any type of guitar you want.  The kind of music you want to play will dictate your instrument.

 

If you love to ROCK – you’ll be looking at an electric, no doubt!  You heard that right!  Jamorama will allow you to learn on an electric guitar even though you have never played before. And Why Not?  Be yourself – Learn to play guitar the way you want to.Jamorama is the online video guitar lessons that I recommend to anyone who wants to play guitar.  On my website, i have done a full review of jamorama.  click here to go check it out.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Technorati Tags: , , , ,

3 Reasons to Buy Guitar eBook

1st December

In this clandestine world of the Internet, people have come to realize the wonders of the new know-how. It has brought them many advantages and has changed their lives quite remarkably.

One of the best things that the Internet was able to reveal to humanity was the remarkable uses of the ebooks or the electronic form of books. These virtual replicas of books have gained considerable recognition because they are able to provide the convenience, information, and the feasibility that every consumer is looking for.

For instance, when people started to demand information about learning to play the guitar, many experts found the idea appealing, and thus, created guitar lesson ebooks. This particular type of ebooks were specially made for people who wish to learn how to play the guitar but do not have time to go to the shops or bookstores to search for regular books.

Best of all, instruction for guitar ebooks provide additional features that ordinary guitar lessons cannot supply. These ebooks provide interactive features that serve as added benefits for the beginner.

Many ebooks around guitar lessons contain songs that a beginner can use to study how to play the guitar as easily and as quickly as possible. Experts contend that learning to play the guitar with songs playing in the background is a much easier process than reading guitar song tabs.

For people who wish to know why guitar lesson ebooks are consistently gaining recognition, here is a list of some of their benefits:

1. Convenience

One of the most excellent things about this kind of ebook is that you can instantly download them to your computer after they are paid for. This shows that you can instantly start learning the mechanics of playing the guitar.

2. Affordable

Guitar lesson ebooks are available on the Net at very affordable prices and even if some guitar books are cheaper, the additional money that you will spend when you go to the mall or store for books could cost you more.

3. Variety of features

The best thing about a guitar lesson book is that it does not just contain the lessons that the learner has to know but also has some added features making the learning process easier and more fun.

For instance, there are ebooks that provide lyrics, chords, transitions, strumming patterns, and songs.

Indeed, guitar lesson ebooks are not just merely new technology but they are especially made to meet the growing demands of the consumers.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Technorati Tags: , , ,

Do You Want to Play Guitar Songs? – Then Read On!

28th September

Prior to making any attempt to play guitar songs, you need to make sure your guitar is tuned correctly. If your guitar is not tuned as it should be you will soon discover that the song you are trying to play will sound absolutely nothing like it should. On top of this, you need to know how to read guitar tabs before you can play guitar songs too.

Once you have tuned in your guitar and know how to read guitar tabs, you will need to train your ear when listening to a song in order to be able to play guitar songs. Listen to simple songs to begin with, preferably those songs consisting of three simple chords.

While listening to the song, you want to try to pay attention to the rhythm and the timing of the chords and strums being played on the guitar. After you just listen to the song a few times, then you should try to follow along with the song by reading the guitar tab, while it is playing. You should do this a few times as well, making mental note of the rhythm and timing.

When you have heard the song a few times and followed along on the guitar tab, it is time to take up your own guitar and strum along with the song as it is playing. Remember to play your guitar softly so you can still hear the music you are trying to copy in the background.

Finally, once you get the timing and the strumming style, start playing the songs on your own, this time without the music. In case you have forgotten, you can listen to the song again then try playing it on your own. Practice playing a song on your guitar one at a time. You must master one song before you go to another. Play the song over and over again until you are able to sing the song while you play your guitar.

It’s a great idea to record yourself playing if you can. This affords you the luxury of being able to watch the playback of your performance and correct any mistakes you are making in your technique.

Learning to play guitar songs isn’t as hard as you think it is. You just need to have the passion to learn. You must also have a great deal of patience. If you mess up a lot, don’t worry about it. That’s natural. If you keep making a mistake then put the guitar down for a while and go do something else then come back. When you’re frustrated, you’re only going to keep making mistakes.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Technorati Tags: , , , ,

Using Guitar Effects to Create A Unique Sound

29th July

What makes Jimi Hendrix’s sound easily recognizable from Carlos Santana? How can you easily tell metal from funk, even if let’s say the metal player and the funk player are playing the same song (very unlikely, but bear with me here)? The answer: guitarists use effects to color their sound and give it a kind of modification suited to the type of music involved.

 

Normally these effects can be housed separately in small effects pedals, or in multi-effects hardware, or built into amplifiers, or simulated in computer software. They can be used by themselves, or you can turn on combinations of effects to get a particular sound. Let’s try to identify the types of guitar effects available so you know which one is perfect for achieving the sound you want.

 

Distortion effects are popular in genres like rock, metal, etc. This is what produces the heavy, rough, raw sound you hear in these genres. Distortion effects can be divided into categories like overdrive/distortion (this is the well-known rough sound), fuzz (which is used to copy the sound of a vibrating torn speaker – thus being “fuzzy”), and high-gain (the thick, loud, “chugging” sound used in heavy metal). Almost all rock bands have these as a given, and is a good, basic investment.

 

Filtering effects are effects which shape the sound by enhancing or minimizing certain frequencies. Here you can find equalizers (similar to how normal equalizers work), and wahs (a foot-operated pedal that lets through increasingly higher or lower frequencies by rocking the pedal). The wah pedal got its name because it emulates a person saying a long “wah” when played (the low frequencies are the “w-“ and the high frequencies are the “-ah” part). You can hear this mostly in funky grooves.

 

Volume effects are just that, they modify the volume in different ways. Examples of these are volume pedals (these are just volume knobs in the shape of a pedal which you can rock back and forth), tremolos (which is used to copy the sound of a volume knob being turned up and down quickly, making the tone “fluctuate”), and compressors (used to preserve a certain volume level as the signal gets louder).

 

Time-based effects take a sound signal and copy it, making a kind of echoing sound. Delay pedals can change the delay time between the original sound and the copied sound, up to very long delay times, making a rolling echo-like sound (a notable user of delay effects is U2’s The Edge). Reverb pedals, however, duplicate the sound produced in a large space, where small echoes pile up and decay rapidly. Aside from distortion effects, these are also popular, and may be an essential part of your setup.

 

Modulation effects are effects which actually change how the sound sounds. Examples of these are phase shifters (which makes a sort of whooshing sound by copying the original signal and then putting it out of phase regularly), flangers (which create a kind of speeding-up or slowing-down sound), chorus pedals (copying the sound of several guitarists playing at the same time), and rotary speakers (copying the sound of a signal going through spinning speakers, making a kind of wavy pitch-changing effect). These types of effects are used to create those experimental, space-age-sounds.

 

Pitch shifters change the pitch of a signal, then combines it with the original sound so that it sounds like two guitars blending together in harmony. It can even be used as a bass guitar if you set it one octave lower than normal, or produce a video-gamey sound if set one octave higher.

 

You can experiment with combinations of pedals and connect them in chains to figure out what type of sound you want to create. After some time you can hear which effects were used in your favorite songs, and hopefully this article can assist you on the road to creating your own sound, and adding new layers to your musical adventure.

 

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , ,

Review of Jamorama

18th July

Since its launch in 2004 Jamorama has claimed to be the ultimate Guitar Learning Kit, so given that it has been around for so long you may well have already come across it.Jamorama has been developed by Ben Edwards and a dedicated team of guitar enthusiasts and promises to have you up and playing guitar within 5 minutes.But is all this just marketing hype, or does it actually deliver?

There are more detailed Reviews of Jamorama here

Surely something so reasonably priced couldn’t be that good? Well, I was keen to find out.

Dusting off the old wallet I quickly discovered that there is only one place to buy Jamorama and that is from their official website. Don’t be put off by the many ads asking the question ‘Is Jamorama a Scam?’ because I quickly discovered that it is not.My payment was handled by Clickbank’s secure payment process. Clickbank is widely respected online as one of the best agencys for distributing digital products and is used by literally millions of merchants. On top of this Jamorama itself provides a 60 money back guarantee, in case its not for you.

So, once my purchase was complete I was given immediate access to the course materials which come in ebook format (one for beginners and one for more advanced guitarists). The material is well structured and consists of 252 pages.  The course takes you though 44 chapters containing 148 video examples and exercises. I found the lessons very easy to follow and the beginner should have no trouble grasping the basics such as identifying the key components of a guitar and how to sit whilst playing then move quickly onto more advanced guitar techniques and tablature reading skills.

There are more detailed Jamorama Review here

Bonuses
As if all that wasn’t enough the team at Jamorama just seem to want to keep on giving. Bundled with your purchase of Jamorama itself you also get access to some very good bonuses:

* The pro version of Jayde Musica (interactive software to teach you how to read music)
* GuitEarIt! (more doftware designed to improve your ability to recognise chords from their sound alone).
* Jamorama Metronome – designed to aid your timing, speed and control
* Guitar Tuner Pro Software and an Ebook called ‘How to tune your guitar
* 30 Days Free Access to songpond

Conclusion
I have to say I am very impressed with the wealth of information included within the Jamorama Guitar Learning Course, especially when I consider the price (only $39.95, which is less than you would pay for a couple of lessons with a qualified teacher). It is outstanding value for money. With two ebooks some excellent bonuses as well as access to the Jamorama Forum where you can pose questions to other guitarists, Jamorama is all you will need to start playing guitar.

However if you are already familiar with basics then this course may well be a little bit too simple for you, dont forget this is for beginner / intermediate quitarists.
While it is unlikely that you will complete the course and instantly be able to play guitar like Eric Clapton, you should find that you have a firm enough grasp of the basics to improve your skills in time.

For a more details read this Review of Jamorama

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Technorati Tags: , ,

Play guitar like a guitar hero

10th July

I was very young when I first heard the music that made me want to learn guitar.The guitarists I looked up to were Clapton, Segovia and the Beatles.

The guitar cast a  fascinating spell over me and I was forever consumed by my desire to play.My days and nights were filled with learning guitar.

My friends and records were my first teachers.At that time online learning did not exist at all. The amount of information accessible to you today is unbelievable . Sometimes, however when you have so much knowledge it is easy to stray off course from your initial objective.It can be difficult but you need a course of action, a plan, a system of learning to play guitar.

Nothing against teachers, but there is no need at first to pay big money to have someone show you something simple like how to string a guitar or how to strum with a pick. With your online courses, you can study when you want to and it does not cost you any extra if you want to play the same jam track over and over again. State of the art videos are included and you can really see the teachers hands and picking motion.

 

It was not so hard for me at first because my motivation was extremely high. You may not be able to learn all by yourself so easily. Happily there is another alternative these days and you are lucky to be able to take advantage of it. It is inevitable that you will look for books on your own I know. When you do I recommend folk guitar books as they have all of the basic strums with very familiar songs.

A teacher can be  a critical component of your learning in any genre, be it singing or learning to play piano or guitar. Teachers come in all shapes and sizes,  so to speak, so it can be hard to find the right one for you.  If your teacher is a jazz player, he might not be the right one to show you delta blues,  although he certainly would be the one to teach you to improvise. It can be very expensive to keep changing teachers, so it may be wise to go with an online program at first.

To learn guitar is bewildering at first, to be sure. The keyboard of the piano is straightforward, easy to see and comprehend but the guitar is not so. On the guitar, the same chord can be played in different positions with no relation to each other. While just starting, all of this in combination with left and right hand techniques as well as tab and different tunings and it can very quickly become overwhelming.

You have many avenues to explore so go out and do it today; learn guitar for life.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Technorati Tags: , , , , ,