Options for learning without private lessons?

[sjm1580]

I am entering into a period of time where it will be very difficult to take private one on one lessons. I am in the beginner/intermediate range and am looking for structured online lessons that blend both theory and practicum that hopefully prevents bouncing from topic to topic (which I have been doing a lot of lately). There are so many good online resources, but for me, that provides the opportunity of going off on many different tangents. Private lessons via skype, or the like would be great. Looking for organized, regimented and effective lesson options.

Recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Steve

[JonPR]

Choose your style and genre first. Or players or songs you really like.

Not because you have to narrow down your options, but because it will help you find targeted lessons, showing you stuff you can understand and appreciate the reasons for.

Once you get beyond intermediate, that's when lessons start to specialise more. So decide on a specialism!

[sjm1580]

Originally Posted by JonPR

Choose your style and genre first. Or players or songs you really like.

Not because you have to narrow down your options, but because it will help you find targeted lessons, showing you stuff you can understand and appreciate the reasons for.

Once you get beyond intermediate, that's when lessons start to specialise more. So decide on a specialism!

If I had to narrow down to one player whom I would like to gear my goals towards, I would have to say it would be Tony Rice. But like many things, you don't know, what you don't know. Flatpicking would be my focus for now, but would like a teacher that could help me explore when the time is right.

Hope that helps.

Steve

[davidbeinct]

Good luck. I feel your pain. I am in a similar place, except I do have time for one on one lessons, but it's hard to find teachers who are really good at teaching. Lots of good players out there, but teaching is a different story.

[sjm1580]

Originally Posted by davidbeinct

Good luck. I feel your pain. I am in a similar place, except I do have time for one on one lessons, but it's hard to find teachers who are really good at teaching. Lots of good players out there, but teaching is a different story.

Amen, there must be a good online alternative via Skype with a really good teacher. Hope this thread helps me find one!

Steve

[SprintBob]

For online alternatives check out Truefire and Homespun especially if you have narrowed down the style and type of playing you are interested in.

There are lots of good Skype teachers out there too.

[TBman]

You might be better off finding a tune that you really want to play and learn it note for note. If there are techniques used in the tune that are beyond your skill set just practice them until your fingers fall off.

You can study theory until your eyeballs bleed, but it won't increase dexterity or muscle memory.

[Chipotle]

Originally Posted by TBman

You might be better off finding a tune that you really want to play and learn it note for note. If there are techniques used in the tune that are beyond your skill set just practice them until your fingers fall off.

You can study theory until your eyeballs bleed, but it won't increase dexterity or muscle memory.

It really depends on what you're looking for. For example, I can play lots of tunes--even difficult ones--but then I just know the song. I also know plenty of theory intellectually (scales, modes, intervals chord theory etc.) but it's that gap in between... taking that knowledge and applying it to make music, not just play particular songs. Sometimes I find on line lessons a bit lacking bridging that gap.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by Chipotle

It really depends on what you're looking for. For example, I can play lots of tunes--even difficult ones--but then I just know the song. I also know plenty of theory intellectually (scales, modes, intervals chord theory etc.) but it's that gap in between... taking that knowledge and applying it to make music, not just play particular songs. Sometimes I find on line lessons a bit lacking bridging that gap.

Look at chord progressions and the pentatonic scales.

I play and compose finger style. I usually just go with the tone/feel of the moment, but once in a while I'll take a standard progression and use that as an outline.

[BlueStarfish]

I'm the kind of person that needs a structured program too. Here are resources I've found most helpful so far. All from personal experience learning -- no paid endorsements here.

1. Jamie Andreas. Series of books / DVD's / online videos focused on "root level" guitar playing technique. Literally how to move your fingers effectively to play the notes. Start with this and keep up a core of it even as you progress. I got the printed books + download mp4's.

2. Cyberfret (Shawn Bradshaw) rhythm guitar mastery course. Basics of rhythm guitar. It's not acoustic guitar specific nor is it style specific but it's all usable on acoustic guitar and it's all useful. I think it's wise to learn and master rhythm guitar before going into flat picking. Why? rhythm guitar is the foundation. If you can play great rhythm guitar, but no lead, you are a good guitarist. You can play a song, sing along, and sound good. If you can play great lead, but no rhythm, then you are not a good guitarist. The cyber fret material is very logical and well explained and builds sequentially. There have been a couple of techniques that are really subtle where i've had to supplement this course with youtube videos to really understand what to do (for example palm muting and slap strumming) but in general it's very good. I got the printed books + download mp4 videos. There are DVD's too.

3. Peghead Nation online courses on various styles. I'm partway thru the roots rhythm guitar course, and have found it very good so far for going much deeper into old time guitar styles. It's style specific (folk / bluegrass / old time country) and more advanced than the Cyberfret course, so do the Cyberfret stuff first (or at least learn those kinds of skills first). They also have flat picking courses but I haven't tried those yet.

4. When I get stuck on a specific technique, and know exactly what it is I'm looking to learn, I find that searching on youtube often turns up one or two videos that explain that particular technique in a way that gets thru to me (as well as lots of terrible videos that mostly confuse the topic, you'll have to sort thru those to get to the 1-2 good ones). For example, I had to look at about twenty videos before I found one that explained palm muting or slap strumming in a way that made any sense to me.

5. Finally, way off the beaten path, but I recommend digging into Harvey Reid's instructional materials. His website is www.woodpecker.com. It's an eclectic set of stuff, but I found his "Song Train" project particularly valuable. It's a set of very good but also very simple to play and learn songs, recorded CD + chord changes. All two or three chord sings with simple forms. He doesn't provide the lyrics for copyright reasons but a quick Google search will lead you to other sources for the lyrics.

[sjm1580]

Originally Posted by BlueStarfish

I'm the kind of person that needs a structured program too. Here are resources I've found most helpful so far. All from personal experience learning -- no paid endorsements here.

1. Jamie Andreas. Series of books / DVD's / online videos focused on "root level" guitar playing technique. Literally how to move your fingers effectively to play the notes. Start with this and keep up a core of it even as you progress. I got the printed books + download mp4's.

2. Cyberfret (Shawn Bradshaw) rhythm guitar mastery course. Basics of rhythm guitar. It's not acoustic guitar specific nor is it style specific but it's all usable on acoustic guitar and it's all useful. I think it's wise to learn and master rhythm guitar before going into flat picking. Why? rhythm guitar is the foundation. If you can play great rhythm guitar, but no lead, you are a good guitarist. You can play a song, sing along, and sound good. If you can play great lead, but no rhythm, then you are not a good guitarist. The cyber fret material is very logical and well explained and builds sequentially. There have been a couple of techniques that are really subtle where i've had to supplement this course with youtube videos to really understand what to do (for example palm muting and slap strumming) but in general it's very good. I got the printed books + download mp4 videos. There are DVD's too.

3. Peghead Nation online courses on various styles. I'm partway thru the roots rhythm guitar course, and have found it very good so far for going much deeper into old time guitar styles. It's style specific (folk / bluegrass / old time country) and more advanced than the Cyberfret course, so do the Cyberfret stuff first (or at least learn those kinds of skills first). They also have flat picking courses but I haven't tried those yet.

4. When I get stuck on a specific technique, and know exactly what it is I'm looking to learn, I find that searching on youtube often turns up one or two videos that explain that particular technique in a way that gets thru to me (as well as lots of terrible videos that mostly confuse the topic, you'll have to sort thru those to get to the 1-2 good ones). For example, I had to look at about twenty videos before I found one that explained palm muting or slap strumming in a way that made any sense to me.

5. Finally, way off the beaten path, but I recommend digging into Harvey Reid's instructional materials. His website is www.woodpecker.com. It's an eclectic set of stuff, but I found his "Song Train" project particularly valuable. It's a set of very good but also very simple to play and learn songs, recorded CD + chord changes. All two or three chord sings with simple forms. He doesn't provide the lyrics for copyright reasons but a quick Google search will lead you to other sources for the lyrics.

Thank you so much, great information!

[Denny B]

Originally Posted by BlueStarfish

If you can play great rhythm guitar, but no lead, you are a good guitarist. You can play a song, sing along, and sound good. If you can play great lead, but no rhythm, then you are not a good guitarist.

A great lead guitar player isn't a good guitarist?

I've never in my life heard a guitar player on any forum or in real life make a statement like that...

But then, we're all free to express our personal opinions...

Mine is that the world is full of a lot of people who play great lead who are good/great and extremely talented guitarists...