Finding Online Guitar Lessons

By: Andrew Morris

Since the early 80's I have been searching for better guitar
lessons. I was not one of those who could listen to a record
once and repeat the licks note-for-note. I took a few lessons
locally, but couldn't find a teacher that clicked. This
frustration led me to order cassette-tape lessons by mail. Since
this was well before online lessons, I often waited weeks for
delivery. Little did I know that online lessons were coming our
way.

Today, many types of guitar lessons are available online. These
include beginner's lessons in mp3 format, instruction videos,
and tab transcriptions of your favorite licks. Tablature, or
"tab", is a transcription method that tells you exactly when and
where to fret and pick. You don't have to read music to read
tablature.

Online guitar lessons are very convenient, and learning this way
can also be cheaper and more effective. If you travel like I do,
you can learn new songs on the road rather than watching TV!

Here is a roundup of some sites that I have used to find online
guitar lessons:

Video Lessons: Guitar Tricks

Guitar Tricks features a library of lessons that you can access
anytime and anywhere to improve your ability. They currently
charge $5/month subscription fee, but offer free lessons (150)
to start. Their roster includes 48 instructors from all over the
world.

Mp3 Lessons: Fender Players Club

This excellent site is devoted to helping you get started on the
guitar. Yes, barre chords are easier on an electric guitar!
Sample beginner's lessons include:

Chords in the open position - Learn the most basic chords and
practice switching between them; practice tips, how to read the
diagrams, and more.

Chords - Once you're used to playing the basic chords, it's time
to start learning some other ones. Included is a chart with a
whole bunch of chords.

Barre chords - When you have some strength in your fretting
hand, tackle the barre chords. They're tough, but don't give up.

Tablature

If you like doing things the "old-fashioned" way, two news
groups are sources for guitar tablature:

rec.music.makers.guitar.tablature alt.guitar.tab

Tablature Web Sites: Guitar Notes

This site claims to be the largest collection of guitar music on
the net. You can browse through their artist index or use their
search engine to look through over 150,000 songs.

Unfortunately, the mother of all tablature sites, OLGA (On-line
Guitar Archive)is currently offline while attempting to resolve
legal issues with the archive. I hope they get this worked out
shortly as this site is a valuable resource.

In closing, whether you're just getting started or are looking
to advance your ability, online guitar lessons can be a fun and
effective way to take learn guitar.

About the author:
Andrew Morris is a guitar player and author living in Austin,
Texas. He is often amazed and perplexed at the sounds an
acoustic guitar makes in the right hands. Find out more about
the world of online guitar lessons at Online Guitar
Lesson.