Choosing the Right Guitar Course That Best Suits You
There are a few different ways that you can learn to play the guitar today, in the form of personal tuition, video, printed book and digital eBook download.
They all have their own way, however slight or diverse in their teaching methods, but all should have the same goal in mind and that is, that you become accomplished in learning the fundamentals of playing the guitar.
In this article, I will provide an overview of choices and recommendations to help you choose the right course of guitar tuition in order for you to reach your goal of learning to play the guitar in a timely fashion, without becoming discouraged and giving up before you have achieved it.
Personal Tuition If you can afford personal guitar tuition, then I would place this as my top recommendation for anyone wanting to learn to play the guitar.
The benefit of having your own personal tutor is that it will reduce the time it takes for you to start making progress, without the need to first read a manual or watch a video and then work out how to do it properly as you will have someone there alongside you showing you how.
You will need to decide which guitar tuition you would prefer, either a one on one or group tuition before you start your research.
Research If you do not know any guitar tutors then it is advisable to do a little research first by looking online, checking the guitar forums, asking your friends and family, inquiring at music shops to see if they have any recommendations, checking your local yellow pages and local campuses for a reputable guitar tutor.
Be sure to look for a tutor with legitimate qualifications, testimonials and references.
Some Questions to Ask 1) Is their tuition a one on one or group class (if not known from your research) 2) What time and on what days do they run their classes 3) Where is their location (if not known from your research) 3) Do they provide any teaching materials 4) What materials do you have to provide 5) Do they have any contactable referee's 6) What is the cost per lesson 7) Would they allow you to sit in on a class (if applicable) 8) Do they provide lessons at your home (if so what is the cost) The above questions will help provide you with a good basis to make your final decision with whom you will start your guitar tuition.
Contact Once you have a shortlist from your research then you are ready to start making contact by phone or email to ask them the above questions or make an appointment to see them to discuss your questions.
If you are able to make a brief visit to the tutor's premises before you start your first lesson then do so as this will give you a good indication as to whether you would like to start or not.
If you are not confident in either making phone contact or making a visit then ask a friend to do the phone calling for you and accompany you if or when you make your preliminary visit.
Group Tuition If the guitar tuition is in a group environment then be aware they the tutor's time could be divided if someone is struggling in some way and you may end up not getting value for your money.
The positive side to group tuition is that you get to meet people that have a common interest and that you are able to help and learn from one another.
Group tuition pricing should be cheaper as opposed to one on one tuition.
Other Personal Tuition You may be tempted to get one of your friends who can play guitar to teach you so as to save some money.
This is a choice I would not personally recommend even though it might be okay for a few pointers here and there but if they have no experience in teaching the guitar they may actually play a part in you becoming frustrated with your progress and possibly cause you to give up all together.
If you learn any wrong techniques when you begin to learn the guitar it will be a lot harder to unlearn them later on down the track.
If you learn from a professional guitar tutor, you will lay a good foundation for yourself to build upon when you are ready to start teaching yourself.
Video Tuition If you cannot afford personal guitar tuition then the next best thing is guitar tuition by video.
The beauty of video is that it is like having your own personal guitar tutor on call.
If you miss something then all you have to do is hit the replay button.
The downside to video tuition is you cannot ask any questions and you also have to be disciplined by doing regular practice.
There are many guitar video courses or lessons available online to choose from.
Finding and choosing a guitar course that is of a good quality is very important so once again start by checking the online guitar forums, ask around your friends, family and music shops for any recommendations.
When you have found a few courses, view the online demo videos or images provided.
If they do not have any, I would not consider purchasing it.
Check out the reviews and testimonials and note their star ratings (if any) and remember take your time to decide.
Make notes as you go to help with your final decision.
If two courses are similar and one has a bonus then the decision is simple.
When viewing and listening to the demo video make sure the sound and picture are of a good quality, that you can understand what is being spoken and that the pictures of the guitar and that the hands and the fingers forming the guitar chords are easily distinguishable so as you can replicate what is being shown.
An important note is to make sure they are contactable via email or a support desk for any issues you may have with the course material.
Printed Book Tuition If video guitar tuition is not for you then there are plenty of excellent quality printed guitar course books available for purchase online for you to choose from.
Before you choose a printed guitar book, repeat the first steps of checking the online guitar forums, friends, family and music shops for any recommendations.
The seller of any printed guitar book should have links available for viewing some of the books content.
You need to make sure that the page print is easy to read, that the instructions are not difficult to understand and that the diagrams and photos used are clear and easy to view, preferably in color.
E-Book Tuition The last method I would choose though not highly recommended would be purchasing an eBook guitar course online.
You would use the same selection process as I have listed for the selection of a printed book guitar course.
When purchasing an eBook guitar course you need to be aware that unless you print it out, you will need to be in front of your laptop or PC when practicing.
If this is not a preferred option for you then you will have the added expense of printing out the whole eBook.
An important note when purchasing online products is to always check the refund policy.
If it doesn't have one then be sure of your decision before you purchase it.
Having a refund policy provides peace of mind when purchasing, because if the product turns out to be lacking in any way then you can get your money back.
They all have their own way, however slight or diverse in their teaching methods, but all should have the same goal in mind and that is, that you become accomplished in learning the fundamentals of playing the guitar.
In this article, I will provide an overview of choices and recommendations to help you choose the right course of guitar tuition in order for you to reach your goal of learning to play the guitar in a timely fashion, without becoming discouraged and giving up before you have achieved it.
Personal Tuition If you can afford personal guitar tuition, then I would place this as my top recommendation for anyone wanting to learn to play the guitar.
The benefit of having your own personal tutor is that it will reduce the time it takes for you to start making progress, without the need to first read a manual or watch a video and then work out how to do it properly as you will have someone there alongside you showing you how.
You will need to decide which guitar tuition you would prefer, either a one on one or group tuition before you start your research.
Research If you do not know any guitar tutors then it is advisable to do a little research first by looking online, checking the guitar forums, asking your friends and family, inquiring at music shops to see if they have any recommendations, checking your local yellow pages and local campuses for a reputable guitar tutor.
Be sure to look for a tutor with legitimate qualifications, testimonials and references.
Some Questions to Ask 1) Is their tuition a one on one or group class (if not known from your research) 2) What time and on what days do they run their classes 3) Where is their location (if not known from your research) 3) Do they provide any teaching materials 4) What materials do you have to provide 5) Do they have any contactable referee's 6) What is the cost per lesson 7) Would they allow you to sit in on a class (if applicable) 8) Do they provide lessons at your home (if so what is the cost) The above questions will help provide you with a good basis to make your final decision with whom you will start your guitar tuition.
Contact Once you have a shortlist from your research then you are ready to start making contact by phone or email to ask them the above questions or make an appointment to see them to discuss your questions.
If you are able to make a brief visit to the tutor's premises before you start your first lesson then do so as this will give you a good indication as to whether you would like to start or not.
If you are not confident in either making phone contact or making a visit then ask a friend to do the phone calling for you and accompany you if or when you make your preliminary visit.
Group Tuition If the guitar tuition is in a group environment then be aware they the tutor's time could be divided if someone is struggling in some way and you may end up not getting value for your money.
The positive side to group tuition is that you get to meet people that have a common interest and that you are able to help and learn from one another.
Group tuition pricing should be cheaper as opposed to one on one tuition.
Other Personal Tuition You may be tempted to get one of your friends who can play guitar to teach you so as to save some money.
This is a choice I would not personally recommend even though it might be okay for a few pointers here and there but if they have no experience in teaching the guitar they may actually play a part in you becoming frustrated with your progress and possibly cause you to give up all together.
If you learn any wrong techniques when you begin to learn the guitar it will be a lot harder to unlearn them later on down the track.
If you learn from a professional guitar tutor, you will lay a good foundation for yourself to build upon when you are ready to start teaching yourself.
Video Tuition If you cannot afford personal guitar tuition then the next best thing is guitar tuition by video.
The beauty of video is that it is like having your own personal guitar tutor on call.
If you miss something then all you have to do is hit the replay button.
The downside to video tuition is you cannot ask any questions and you also have to be disciplined by doing regular practice.
There are many guitar video courses or lessons available online to choose from.
Finding and choosing a guitar course that is of a good quality is very important so once again start by checking the online guitar forums, ask around your friends, family and music shops for any recommendations.
When you have found a few courses, view the online demo videos or images provided.
If they do not have any, I would not consider purchasing it.
Check out the reviews and testimonials and note their star ratings (if any) and remember take your time to decide.
Make notes as you go to help with your final decision.
If two courses are similar and one has a bonus then the decision is simple.
When viewing and listening to the demo video make sure the sound and picture are of a good quality, that you can understand what is being spoken and that the pictures of the guitar and that the hands and the fingers forming the guitar chords are easily distinguishable so as you can replicate what is being shown.
An important note is to make sure they are contactable via email or a support desk for any issues you may have with the course material.
Printed Book Tuition If video guitar tuition is not for you then there are plenty of excellent quality printed guitar course books available for purchase online for you to choose from.
Before you choose a printed guitar book, repeat the first steps of checking the online guitar forums, friends, family and music shops for any recommendations.
The seller of any printed guitar book should have links available for viewing some of the books content.
You need to make sure that the page print is easy to read, that the instructions are not difficult to understand and that the diagrams and photos used are clear and easy to view, preferably in color.
E-Book Tuition The last method I would choose though not highly recommended would be purchasing an eBook guitar course online.
You would use the same selection process as I have listed for the selection of a printed book guitar course.
When purchasing an eBook guitar course you need to be aware that unless you print it out, you will need to be in front of your laptop or PC when practicing.
If this is not a preferred option for you then you will have the added expense of printing out the whole eBook.
An important note when purchasing online products is to always check the refund policy.
If it doesn't have one then be sure of your decision before you purchase it.
Having a refund policy provides peace of mind when purchasing, because if the product turns out to be lacking in any way then you can get your money back.