I have been playing my acoustic for about 2 years now. I am self taught other than a community school program I attended to get started. I began on a Yamaha classical guitar (although I wasn't playing classical style) and now have a Vester acoustic. Like many of you, I am pretty busy at work and with kids so I don't have time (or the money) to take lessons to improve my skills. I have used the Beginner and Intermediate lessons on GuitarNoise (thanks Dave), however, I am interested in obtaining a DVD instructional video so that I can improve my guitar playing. I would like to have a video that starts at the beginner level (so that I can ensure I am doing the basics correctly) and progresses into an intermediate level so that I can learn new skills.
I have seen many advertisements for instructional videos but it is hard to ensure that they are of good quality and value. Can anyone (editor's included) recommend any good instructional videos that fall under a beginner-intermediate category?
Can't help you with the video's, all I can say is grab yourself a metronome and do ALOT of reading. I ussually don't recommend videos, even teachers, I feel that when learning the guitar you should have your own style, even when it comes to the basics. Learn fingerings for the songs in the Easy Song database here, keep playin untill u have it memorized, then play it with your metronome or a drum loop that you can download from almost anywhere.
Allot of teachers are willing to work around your shedule and if u have a good memory you may only need two or three lessons to have a firm grip on the 'basics'. Learn scales and chord progresions and build yourself on that foundation! GOod luck!!
'You and I in a little toy shop, bought a bag of balloons with the money we got"
feel free to talk with me on msn at [email protected]..... no icq anymore
I'm in the same boat as you..working 14 hours a day, and two small kids. I learned alot on my own at first, then took four lessons, but being so busy it was hard to keep up with my lessons. Then a friend recommended a program he read about and tried that was featured in Guitar World awhile back called Guitar Magic http://www.springofknowledge.com/ I bouht it, although a little pricey, but so far it's a great program that startss out at the beginner level and works up from there. Just what I needed, as I can stop and pick right back up at the same point later.
Acoustic Guitar Primer by Bert Casey.
There is a beginner and intermediate.
The books come with a CD and you can get a video for each of the books.
There is also a course for electric.
I really found the DVDs to be helpfull.
The website is http://www.cvls.com
Check out your local library. My library had about 100 books and dvd on playing the guitar. They are for both eletric and acoustic. The great part is that no one every checks them out, so you can have them any time you need them. They also dont cost a thing.
"The answer is practice.
Now, what's the question?"
Words by David Mead.
"Acoustic Guitar Primer by Bert Casey. "
FYI, Bert /Peter Yogl have a few free, video enriched lessons on their website.
Latest addition: Cover of "Don't Panic" by Coldplay
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=502670
I know it is not a DVD, but you might check out emedia guitar method software.
It is loaded with short videos demonstrating various techniques. It really helped me get down some of the basics that I was having problems with.
Morpheus wrote
I know it is not a DVD, but you might check out emedia guitar method software.
Don't buy the e-media unless you can try it first. It didn't work on my computer.
"The answer is practice.
Now, what's the question?"
Words by David Mead.
I would also recommend E-Media Guitar Method, which is a CD-Rom.
I like anything to do with guitar, so I buy anything related but most of it is not really worth the money. Especially anything with Curt Mitchell is a waste of money, he just rips through a bunch of riffs. He seems an excellent and advanced player but does not offer much to learn for the beginner. He is more for advanced speed-demons who must drink a lot of coffee to move that fast.
I also have 2 Bert Casey DVD's and didn't like them either. He is also an excellent player but the songs he tries to teach are of a mundane, depressing nature. Something upbeat would be more appropriate. But you will pick up a few skills from him, mostly having to do with strumming with a bass note or 2 mixed in there.
The only thing I have found worth the money that covers the basics is the E-media. I started with this and then with help here, got off to a great start and developed some basic skills. Now I take lessons and we are better off going to a teacher with some skills for a foundation to start with.
If it was easy it wouldn't be worth doing.
If your interested, below is a link to a review of emedia done by Greybeard.
Has anyone tried any of the videos advertised on the GuitarNoise site/newsletters? I have seen a couple advertised such as http://www.guitar5day.com/amazingnoise.html and http://www.riffinteractive.com/
I am assuming that GuitarNoise is not necessarily endorsing the products so it's difficult to tell how beneficial they really are.
