Best self teaching guides

I've got the Learn & Master Guitar by Steve Krenz - it's well structured with videos/DVDs and CDs for each lesson - he shows holding the guitar etc - each lesson has a workshop and CDs to jam along with, covers basic theory on up to more advanced playing. Some people have mentioned they didn't think it was worth the money but I personally find it very helpful. Of course I supplement my learning with the Lessons on this site, and you've got the Podcasts which take you through from scratch, on this GN site too.

I don't know the JamPlay at all,
best of luck anyway! :)

Between the articles, lessons and podcasts on this site and the excellent free JustinGuitar.com, you've all the free material you need! The hard part is working out what order to do things, what you want to play, and sticking with it through thick and thin, even when its 'boring' theory. JustinGuitar has a beginner course that is probably a good place to get the order of things from. Then you can pick the best of both worlds from here and there and get multilple examples and exercises to work to.

The best teaching guide, in my humble opinion, is you and your enthusiasm. Make sure you don't bury it with pointless technical exercises so early.

Justin's site is very good. You can learn songs on your own using youtube, tab sites, etc as well. You can also go to a local teacher or do webcam lessons if you find someone you like online.

Sites like JamPlay, WorkshopLive, NextLevelGuitar and OnlineGuitarCoaching (my site) have good value as well and are much cheaper than private lessons. But make sure the site has live regular interaction with the teacher as you can often pick up bad habits or get stuck if you do it completely on your own.

I would definitely check out Justin before paying for anything... just because his site is so darn good.

I have checked out the Learn and Master ones... and like them. The only problem I have with them is that I didn't find the course contained any more material, or offered in any different way than the Hal Leonard Guitar Method books, which are dirt cheap in comparison. The only difference is that you have someone stepping you through it visually.

If you don't need "video" instruction... I would get the Hal Leonard books and follow that. That, and Justin's site should get you started.

I highly recommend an in-person instructor if possible. My skill level has skyrocketed since I have had my instructor compared to when I was self-teaching.

I had a look at the JamPlay site, it looks pretty good, you can sign up for a month for aprox $20 and then discontinue if you don't like it. Live webcam sounds good if you're not ready for face to face lessons. It's good to try different things to keep the learning interesting.
I mainly got the Learn and Master to teach my son with as some of the members were talking about it on the Review section - then after I got it I find I dip into it myself.
I had an idea, I thought it would be great if Alan Green and David Hodge collaborated on a DVD series, just an idea but maybe something to think about for the future, --- other teachers on here could make guest appearances for their specialty :)

Justin rocks. His lesson videos are done very well. I find his lesson organization excellent. And can he get much more content?

Here is my problem with doing stuff online. I can't play anything. The reason is I end up looking at stuff like JustinGuitar.com or youtube videos and I end up just watching videos instead of doing anything with the guitar. I am finding I need structured lessons and I need to get away from the net. Not that I'm not enjoying watching great guitar videos or listening to great guitar through some of David Hodge's stuff here, but I never find myself with the guitar in my hands. It's always leaning up against the desk beside me.

This is the reason I am purchasing "Blues You Can Use." I've heard enough good about it that I am getting ready to purchase it. It's on Amazon right now for $13 and some change. Hopefully that will give me enough motivation to actually learn something rather than ending up just watching guitar videos.

Best book I've used so far is Ernie Ball Phase 1 How To Play Guitar. Got it for Xmas and I'm learning faster than this past year that I've owned my PRS. Co-Written by John Petrucci.

Justin is excellent. And there are plenty of lessons on YouTube. I've joined some other online lesson sites, but haven't really used them a ton.

If you want to learn music theory, I recommend Absolutely Understand Guitar by Scotty West. It's excellent. I've gone thru the course twice and will also still review certain lessons periodically.

Check out the About.com Beginners' Guitar Lessons.

These are well written, easy to understand and quite comprehensive (atleast for a beginner to intermediate). Oh and they are free.

These lessons will actually walk you through the guitar. Rest is the practice. :D

Good Luck !

P.S. - Besides the lessons, there is always youtube.com (check out 'rockongoodpeople').

I'm always very leary about paying for something on the internet when it comes to instruction. There are a ton of dime store instructions out there. The best thing you can do is stick around here, ask questions, and as Lue42 said, maybe pick up the Hal Leonard books.

You'll learn a ton! I know I did.

I am an absolute beginner, and I have been using http://www.justinguitar.com/en/BC-000-BeginnersCourse.php
Guitar Noise's Easy Songs for Beginners
and Hal Leonard's Music Theory book.

Between the three I think I have more than enough to get me started. I might take in person lessons when I feel I've squeezed as much as I can out of free online sources.

As for Justin's beginner's course; you can jump in anywhere. His practice schedule is only 15-30 mins a day. Since my fingers are feeling good, I've been pushing myself further. I do a combination of his 1 min chord changes, scale picking, and finger gym workout, then spend 30+ mins working on a song from this site. I don't like Justin's song videos. Guitar Noise packs so much more into each song lesson.

For music theory, I can't learn something like that on a website. I need to be able to make notes in the margins, underline, and basically draw all over that book if I want my brain to remember any of it. I took music theory in high school, but its amazing my brain as forgotten EVERYTHING in last 10 years.

Anyways good luck!

http://forums.guitarnoise.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=47268#p426671

I've recently found Griff Hamlin, whom sells a DVD set of learning Blues. It's a bit expensive for me, but I signed up for his newsletter (see link below) and am really liking his videos I am getting. He seems to teach in a very clear manor.

http://bluesguitarunleashed.com/ - This is the blues video where you can sign up on for the newsletter. This particular link will give you a video of a 4 note blues solo that he shows. If you sign up, you will receive first a lesson (2 videos, the one in that link of him playing it and a 2nd video of a walkthrough of what he played) on playing this solo and start receiving some really nice video.

From there, I found he has a newsletter for straight beginners as well. I signed up for that also and it looks pretty good. I don't know how many emails overall you will get from these. They are videos sent straight from his $127 DVD course. Here's the link for the beginner's course - http://startplayingbluesguitar.com/

You initially only see a single video at the above 2 links for Griff Hamlin, but the emails link to pages that contain streaming video, downloadable video for both PC and Mac, mp3 version of the videos, and a PDF of the tab from the videos.

I do agree with Minotaur's link there as well (they've all been posted previously in the thread Minotaur's link points to.) Here at GuitarNoise, Justinguitar.com and [email protected] were the first 3 resources that I found when I got my guitar and all are excellent.

Another great resource on youtube is to search out Marty Schwartz. He has some good videos on blues and seems to me to be a good teacher. His site is guitarjamz.com where you can sign up for yet another newsletter. I haven't gotten anything from that newsletter yet other than some links to some backing tracks and an advertisement for his DVD course, but his youtube videos are good. I just signed up, so I'm still waiting on more email from this newsletter.

just wondering guys, i have started learning guitar on justins site (just learning the first few chords) and now a friend has let me borrow his learn and master guitar dvds, in your opinion which should i use? cheers!