Learning Tools

stimpsonslostson

Is there a list of recommended websites/apps/youtube channels etc for guitar tuition? (Could we maybe have a sticky with FB endorsed resources?)

As a bass player I used Scotts Bass lessons to expand my horizons, what do you suggest as a good guitar equivalent?

To get the ball rolling-

I've had a wee look at Justin Guitar.

I also downloaded Yousician which is an iPad guitar tuition app. 

(I've not explored enough to give a real comment on the quality/usefulness of either).

I KNOW I should arrange lessons with a real live human, but it's currently not possible due to other commitments- (family, work, etc etc etc)

littlethoughts

I really like the proguitarshop riff of the day lessons. They are quite fast and digestible. Admittedly they usually just give you the bones of the song but for many songs that's 99% of it.

jellyroll

Truefire is good. Download the app then you can buy individual modules. Works well on the ipad. Each module has free sampler lessons.

thomasross20

Guitar Techniques.

Seriously covers so much ground, so many styles etc. Has been a bit samey of late though

thomasross20

http://www.jazzguitar.be/jazz_guitar_lessons.html

Second one has SO many lessons!

thomasross20

When I see a jazz progression it scares the living daylights out of me. 

But the rest of this year I'm going to forget about technique so much and try to apply jazz theory (I read the Jazz Theory book which was good but never applied too much of what I learned). That site looks REALLY good....

Saying that, I bet I get bored after a couple weeks! There's a lot to be said for using what you know to max effect rather than learning too much weakly!

thomasross20

Jamplay (just watching the free Steve Stevens videos!), Truefire & LickLibrary.

What really interest me is lessons from actual artists out there doing it:

http://www.jamplay.com/guitar-lessons/artists

Is jamplay the BEST site for what I just described? If so I might actually consider paying for a bit...

thomasross20

Artistworks appears to do similar:

http://artistworks.com/guitar-lessons

thomasross20

Yep, DEFO going to sign up to one. 

Jamplay looks the best in terms of artists and different styles - what do you guys think? 

If all 3 have a trial period I might try them all! Truefire certainly has a lot of videos... loads from Larry Carlton and Robben Ford. 

Jamplay have Steve Stevens, Dave Weiner etc... 

Artist works has Paul Gilbert, Martin Taylor etc... 

Seems to be another more song-focused site called GuitarTricks, too.

thomasross20

I've ruled out GuitarTricks. Looks good especially for the beginner (dedicated core lessons unlike jamplay where there are MANY beginner's courses) but no artist series and less features than Jamplay. 

Jamplay is going to be a definite with players like Bumblefoot and Steve Stevens on the bill. 

Artistworks looks good but number of artists is limited. Maybe good if you want a CLEAR focus as other sites have an overwhelming amount of info. Good to get taught by the likes of Martin Taylor and Paul Gilbert (though I think I've covered a lot of what Paul teachers over the years). Basically good but not ENOUGH content in the styles I'd look for. 

Licklibrary looks good - the premium plan at ~£16 a month you get a free DVD each month. Good core lessons and it's being going some time. I've a lot of respect for these guys as they've all done a great job in Guitar Techniques and the like... BUT if it's between them and Steve Stevens/Bumblefoot etc then for the excitement factor I'm going with Jamplay for those artists. Have to be ruthless here and narrow down my choices!

Truefire seems to have the most content and similar great instructors to jamplay - Tommy Emmanuel, Robben Ford etc. You can download the Truefire courses unlike on Jamplay and rather than a year's subscription you can buy individual courses. Or just pay the same sort of ~$19-20 a month which I'd probably do if I were to sign up. 

Looks like Jamplay and possibly Truefire for me! Specifically the artists at Jamplay appeal to me and I can skip straight to that stuff as don't want to cover the "basics" I've learnt over the years again. I'm specifically looking for advanced new ideas and reckon Jamplay can help a lot on that.

I'll start with Jamplay so as not to overwhelm myself.....!

mike_l

Licklibrary DVD's are brilliant for learning songs. Maybe a little simplified for anyone other than beginners, IE place finger on fret x on string y then move to fret a on string z.

Good for seeing a song dissected though. Could do with a bit more of the theoretical side rather than specific notes. Handy for learning songs quickly and accurately.

I haven't tried the website though.

thomasross20

@mike_l - thanks for that DVD! Yes, pretty good!

I have to say, though... I wish I'd signed up to Jamplay YEARS ago. Already I've viewed all the Steve Stevens videos, now Dave Weiner, I had an online chat with a flamenco teacher last night as to how he views the fretboard - I'm working on a theory course, I had a video sesh with a regular member regarding playing over changes, and I'm using the little games like "note finder" which are fun and helping jog my memory about the notes on the fretboard. 

ABSOLUTELY worth under a tenner a month - seriously, seriously good. 

thomasross20

@clarky might have a good take on this...

"Viewing" the fretboard in the mind's eye. I think of everything in terms of major scale modes (for now!). The pentatonics just pick out certain notes. Arpeggios and chords are certain notes. It all ties in. 

On the fly with changing chords how do you remember what to play and where? Do you take a chord-based approach (CAGED)? This is what I do: If it's Am - E7 and I'm at the 12th fret.... for E7 I might play E mixolydian with root E on the E string. For Am I might play A dorian or Aeolian . (Never mind m7b5 chords over which I'd play Locrian else would have to put serious thought into it as that's more of a jazz thing and I never go there). So I HAVE to know (and have memorised) that A dorian with root A (fret 12) on the A string I play over the E Aeolian shape. For A Aeolian I play over the E phrygian shape. 

This way I can jump around the fretboard a bit. I'm not constrained to shape 1 of any mode starting on the E string. Problem is I've not totally internalised it (so sometimes I do have to think) and it doesn't completely cover the fretboard. So it's largely shape-based and I have this massive map in my head of the major scale modes over the fretboard over which I lay chords, pentatonics etc. 

--> Is this the way you do it? I spoke to a flamenco teacher last night who said that it was good though he uses the CAGED system a bit more (the 5 shapes - which really is the same as what I'm doing if you count lydian/phrygian as one shape and locrian/major as another). 

As another aside! When you play a chord starting from E, A or D string and you add a note.... Do you remember the interval names (so if you play Am on E string fret 5 and play fret 6 (note F) on the B string... that's Am13 (er, is that right?) - I would remember the note based on intervals. But is a better way to know the chord tones (immediately!) and look at that note and then say "hey, F is the b6 in Am and we're playing it higher up so that's Am13"? Second way is more powerful but takes a LOT longer. 

There's a series on Jamplay I'm watching now and the guy plays all the diatonic chord up the fretboard while playing the scale notes in order firstly in the treble then the bass. Very impressive and something I'd have to put a little thought into!