Best online guitar learning material for the money

  • I've never had a guitar lesson and mostly play by ear. Because of this, I know a few scales, but I know next to nothing concerning music theory. What online resources do you all like for learning why to play what, and not just what to play (if that makes any sense). I'm looking for something that I can do at my own pace, and not 1-on-1 lessons, since my work schedule can be random, creating scheduling difficulties.


    Anyone have any online resources they like?

  • Learning how to learn is best.


    For example, listen to a song, try to pick out the chords. Use online TAB to see if you are correct. Learn, move on. Hearing chords by ear is a biggie.


    Another goodie is learning the 5 shapes for pentatonics and learning one around the fretboard up and down. To solidify it, find a solo and learn a solo that puts them together (a fav of mine is The Allman Brother's version of "One Way Out" on Live at Fillmore East. Dicky Betts has a great pentatonic solo that puts a lot of the different patterns together.


    THEN, lets say you have the Am pattern down (whatever, Em, G major) then YouTube a jam in that blues chord sequence and just freestyle to be creative and learn your own chops. It's a blast, and when you can do it with your eyes closed, it's total meditation.


    Don't buy into the $100 tutorials and shit. You start them for an hour, never to return. Book? Look at them once or twice. A good teacher is great. Being your own teacher is ever greater. Learn HOW to learn by developing your ear and making the pattens second nature. Branch out from pentatonic to other patterns. Repeat.

  • Ear training is fine, but learning music theory and sight reading will take you to places you won't reach just learning by ear IMO. I'm in that boat of having taught myself most of what I know, and I truly wish I had taken the time earlier to sight read. At age 66 I'm about to dive back into it. Just my two cents ...


    edit: I would search for a truly capable teacher and find a way to make schedules fit.

    Go for it now. The future is promised to no one. - Wayne Dyer

  • A teacher is the most effient way.
    The learning path is structured and the lessons are arranged logically.
    A teacher try to makes sure that you don't move on until you understand what you have learned and be able to play.


    There are many guitar schools on the internet.
    These can only be successful if you consistently follow what is proposed. The risk is that it just makes you jump around and just try on.


    Theory doesn't make you a better guitarist, but when you understand what you are playing it makes learning and playing new songs easier. Especially when interacting with other musicians you can communicate better.


    Download play alongs. Search for "how to play" and try to play with other.


    Consistent practising always helps. ;)

  • Teachers speed up the AHA moments. Cost about $1 a minute.


    They say "Practice doesn't make Perfect. Perfect Practice makes Perfect."


    That can mean a combo of things: ear, teacher, internet resources, etc, IF they help progress.


    The thing to do is set goals and keep a notebook of your progress.
    Setup a structure: Warmup, Working on Goals, Goals Progress Evaluation (ie metronome speeding up while still playing correctly), then "Fun Time" for the ending to keep things enjoyable.
    Even if it's only 15m of 5-5-5 on a busy day. But the more time you can devote, obviously the quicker progress comes.


    Easy to say, hard to do.


    That said, most musicians I've met just play by ear, play to music on tape, vinyl, now digital. They've developed their timing with others (band) and practice a lot. Some had teachers for a long time, some only had teachers for a few brief periods.


    It's surprising how many working guitarists are theory blind, but it shows theory can be great for songwriting and solos but not always necessary if you get them through osmosis by covering half a thousand songs. How much theory did the Beatles know? They knew chords, they knew many chord sequences from covering 500 songs in their early sets, and they knew their fretboards note-for-note so they could communicate to each other about their instruments as in "No, John, not A, Ab, it's the minor chord" whether it was guitar or vocal harmonies. (that's what I hear on the bootlegs studio chatter)

  • https://jamtrackcentral.com/


    On Youtube I dig:


    Rick Graham
    Claus Levin
    Feodor Dosumov
    Tom Quayle
    Alex Hutchings
    Sam Birchall
    Sergey Golovin
    Martin Miller
    Mateu Asato



    Cheers

    Gear: Strats & KPA. Plug Ins: Cubase, NI, iZotope, Slate, XLN, Spectrasonics.
    Music: Song from my former band: vimeo.com/10419626[/media][/media][/media] Something new on the way...

    Edited once, last by Fireloogie ().

  • I use guitar pro 6 and a few lessons from Guido Bungenstock ( he is a pro and a commercial profile seller). I really recommend guitar pro because you can learn on different speed and you can mark every phrasing and repeat it endlessly. This was a big step forward for my playing.


    Otherwise scales are your friend ( i prefer 3 notes per string scales) and learn triads in its different form. Triads are a big help for chord playing.


    Cheers
    Frank

  • Search Youtube for David Wallimann and Paul Davids :)

    I don't know Paul Davids but I have some lessons from David Walliman and I strongly recommend his stuff. Check out his free stuff on YT!
    Playing for over 30 years live in different bands, cover, original stuff as well, recording artist on over 200 songs in the pop and rock genre I was in a kinda rut finding myself repeating myself over and over again, Davids lessons helped me a lot to get over this!
    Check out his Guitar Infusion lesson where he teaches you modes and other stuff!

    stay tuned... :thumbup:

  • I have been using Artistworks taking the Paul Gilbert Lessons. I really needed it for the advanced skills but listed to what he suggested and started from the novice and working my way up. It is nice you can submit videos of your playing through the lessons and he will get back to you with another video showing areas for possible improvement.


    Nothing beats having a person in front of you teaching you. However finding a truly good teacher seems to be few and far between.

  • In the meantime I checked out Paul David and Steve Stine and have to confess I also have seen videos of both of them (without recognizing their names really :S ) and both are also great teachers and players as well!


    I think, one will pick the teacher who serves their needs best and since there are alot of them out there one will find his/her teacher!
    But, by the end of the day, getting better as a player is not the teacher, it´s the amount of practicing you do, me thinks :)

    stay tuned... :thumbup: