offline vs online

Free lessons online are:
-free
-available when it's convenient for you
-infinitely varied in both quality and material covered.

In-person lessons:
-cost money
-need to be scheduled
-can give you instant feedback
-can adjust to your needs

A blend of both work well for some people.

what works best for me?
Dunno, I haven't settled on anything yet.
I do know that I need to practice more to get any benefit out of any lessons that I might take.

There is a lot of free lessons online and i don't know where to start. Can be a bit overwhelming at times.

Any advice would be great

Ross, I can recommend one site that I´ve used a lot myselft, it´s called SpyTunes ( http://www.spytunes.com or http://www.spytunes.co.uk ). The learning material on this site is structured in different "levels", ranging from Beginner to Advanced, and focuses on a lot of different "areas" of guitar playing, so I think you could find something that suits your needs and level of playing!

(I myself am not connected to this site in any way. I feel I have to mention that, since I´ve referred to the site in several threads on this forum. I just think it´s a really good - free - guitar learning site and want to share that with other people... just as I think GN is a great site, and I´m trying to pass that on as well!)

Hope you find something of interest!

Oh, and when it comes to the question about private or online "tutoring", I can only agree with the previous post; a blend would probably be the best... if you can afford private tutoring AND if you can find a good teacher. I went to a teacher for about 10 times, but felt that it didn´t quite give me enough "value" for my cash so I stopped going there. But I´m thinking of trying to find a new teacher, who suits my needs better. Until then, I use material that I find online.

Good luck!

/Staffan

I would recommend a teacher if you can afford it. Good lessons will make your playing sound a lot better,t han getting none and getting a new guitar! Anyway, I personally find a (good) teacher infinitely better than online lessons. I take private lessons and in the time I have "left" I might pick some things up on my own through private lessons/library books. The thing is that a teacher can tell you what you can, and can't do.

I had issues at first with power chords, which was advertised as "the easiest thing ever for complete beginners". After having my teacher tell me how to properly do it it was very easy. Some things might be too hard, you might not know what's "next" to learn, if you're doing it properly, and so on. Having someone tell you through online lessons sometimes still feels as if you're somewhat trying to figure it out by yourself. The quality isn't always great either, in terms of both video and teaching. I've had to have some things corrected since it wasn't exactly wrong, but unworkable when trying to go for faster songs.

It's a motivation knowing there'll be someone checking up on you within a week, so you'd better have learned it. Not because he'll be angry, but because you'll have wasted money. You also know you're going forward. For me it goes a lot faster, which is again extra motivation and makes it more fun. I'm sure you can do it both ways, as many have and even with only books and no online lessons. It's just a lot easier to do it with a teacher, and you decide what that's worth to you.

do the online lessons now, since they're available to you, and if you feel you need private lessons after a few weeks or whatever time frame, get them.

The problem with online lessons, even in an interactive community like GN is that there is a lot of minutiae that really matters and that usually can't be addressed or spotted as easily in online lessons as it can in person. Even if the online tutor checks your work and gives you feedback, it still isn't going to be as detailed and nuanced as it would be in person. That's why I've made lessons with my tutor in person the bedrock of my development for the next few years. I supplement that with my own studies and getting info and tips online. Lessons might seem expensive, but they are really worth it, imo. And if everything in guitar was both simple and free to acquire, I'd probably be a lot less interested in mastering it. You have to learn to welcome the challenge and enjoy the journey.

That said, if you get a personal tutor, make sure they're good at teaching. I'm lucky to have found a tutor who is excellent at teaching and at playing. It makes for a delightful learning environment, and that is reflected in my progress.

Thanks everyone for the advice it is much appreciated :)

I think i am going to look for lessons online to start with as this will be a cheaper option for me and maybe in the near future i will look into getting private lessons.

I checked out http://www.spytunes.com seems like a pretty cool website. I noticed they were teaching how to play roxanne by the police, great song!

Cheers

Ross

I noticed they were teaching how to play roxanne by the police, great song!

- Glad you found something you liked - good luck with both your online & offline learning :note1: :note2: :note1: !

Online lessons can be very useful, but they don't really replace a live teacher (IMO)