Review of Guitar Courses
 
At the Musician's Training Academy, we are frequently asked about good training courses for learning various instruments, and probably none more frequently than guitar.  As teachers, we naturally feel that the very best way to learn is from a private instructor, but we also recognize that this is simply not possible for everyone.  For that reason, we felt it would be helpful to test several of the most popular home training courses and share our results with those of you who are trying to learn on your own. 

In addition to our own staff instructors, we also added several total beginners to our review panel in order to get both teacher and student perspectives on the quality of these courses.

Here is a quick summary of our findings, as well as links to the full reviews.  We've also condensed everything into a course comparison chart to help simplify things even further.  Best wishes with your studies, and we hope this helps! 

Learn & Master Guitar is the high end of guitar training courses.  Honestly, if you are serious about learning to play guitar and you don't have access to a private instructor, this would be the next best thing.  The material is presented on ten DVDs, five play-along CDs, and a rather detailed lesson book.  It's easy to follow and guides students from the very basics all the way through advanced techniques for playing guitar in a variety of genres.

Rating:  Five Stars 
Read our Complete Review      
 

There are a lot of new "e-courses" coming out that attempt to allow you to take guitar lessons from your computer.  The majority of "e-courses" we tested were pretty much worthless, but Jamorama was a notable exception.  The instruction was at least decent, and the price is low.  It still requires that you practice your guitar in front of a computer every day, however, which our testers found to be awkward and cumbersome.  However, if Learn & Master Guitar is out of your price range, and you don't mind practicing along with a computer, Jamorama may be worth looking at.

Rating:  Three & Half Stars 
Complete Review 

Guitar Tutor Pro is another downloadable "e-course."  We did not like it as much as Jamorama, particularly because it didn't include any video clips, which we considered a major downside.  It's very inexpensive, however, so it may be worth looking at if you're on an extremely limited budget.

Rating:  Two & Half Stars 
Full Review 

As teachers, we did not like this product at all, but several of our student testers did, so it only seemed fair to mention it.  It's not really a guitar training course, per se, as it does not teach the fundamentals of playing guitar at all.  Instead it simply shows you precisely how to play fifty songs from their list in a straight forward, paint-by-numbers kind of approach.

Rating:  Two Stars 
Full Review 

How to Play Guitar by Roger Evans is a traditional-style guitar instruction book.  Obviously, it does not have the advantage of using audio and video examples, but if you prefer to learn from a book, this is one of our favorites (although there are many good ones available).  The educational quality is first class and there are plenty of good pictures and diagrams to help explain things.  You can find the book just about anywhere, but we recommend Amazon.com.

Rating:  Three Stars   

Course

Features

Rating

Price

Learn & Master Guitar

 15 Disk Set: 10 DVDs, 5 CDs, 1 book
 Most comprehensive we've seen
 Free on-line support

$$$$
Our Full Review

Jamorama

 Best of the software based courses
 Some video, plenty of content

$$$
Our Full Review

Guitar Tutor Pro

 A decent e-course, only without
 much needed video examples

$$
Our Full Review

Guitar Songs AU

 Step-by-step guide to learning 50 songs
 No theory or technique training

$$
Our Full Review

How to Play Guitar

 Traditional guitar instruction book
 No audio or video examples

 

 

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Modern Guitars Magazine - News Archive
Updated :

Saiichi Sugiyama Talks about the Gibson SG in "The SG Sound"
Four instruments sit at the head table in the pantheon of solidbody electric guitars that defined and continue to define the sound of rock 'n' roll and related genres: the Fender Stratocaster; the Fender Telecaster; the Gibson Les Paul; and the Gibson SG. Saiichi Sugiyama, in his Modern Guitars column, Vintage, chronicles his relationship with the Gibson SG: "The SG Sound." Says Sugiyama: "Someone told me that Carlos Santana played "Samba Pa Ti" on his early '60s SG Special. The harmonics on my SG sounded, to my ears, not dissimilar despite the obvious P-90 colouring of that tone. Eric Clapton said, when we were doing the research for the Christie's 2004 catalogue, that the March 1968 "Crossroads" on Wheels of Fire was played on his cherry-red 335 - but, to be honest, I am not convinced. To my ears, it sounds like a mahogany guitar – his Firebird or more likely the painted SG known as The Fool."

CD Review: "Heavy Days" by Mambo Sons
Heavy Days, the newest CD from Mambo Sons, is a two-disc collection of songs steeped in the classic blues-rock tradition, but with the Sons’ own flair. They wield a veritable Mambo stew of influences, including early '70s Stones, Mott the Hoople, Free, Cream and countless others. Heavy Days features the kind of music that used to get a lot of airplay and harkens back to the days of the classic double-LP a la Exile on Main Street. The bottom line: This is a collection of great songs that deserves to be heard. Mambo Sons are Tom Guerra on guitars and vocals, Scott Lawson on bass and vocals, and Joe “The Cat” Lemieux on drums and vocals, with very special guest Matt Zeiner providing Hammond, piano, clavinet, and Wurlitzer on several tracks. More »

Gibson Guitar Announces Les Paul Commemorative Events
Gibson Guitar will celebrate the life and contributions of guitar and audio recording innovator Les Paul during the month of September, 2009, with events connected to the anniversary of Paul's 1953 #1 Billboard Pop Single, "Vaya Con Dios," and the release anniversary of his 2005 album, American Made: World Played. Event details have not yet been announced. Gibson also plans to produce limited edition versions of the Les Paul Studio and Les Paul Standard electric guitars in honor of Les Paul, which could be available to consumers as early as November, 2009. "It is simply impossible to conceive what music would be like today if Les Paul had not lived," says Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar. "During the month of September Gibson will celebrate Les Paul through various promotions and events insuring his legacy lives on. The Les Paul Studio and Les Paul Standard guitar remains the best selling guitar of all time and in honor of Les we will give fans the opportunity to purchase very special limited versions while enjoying numerous features and anecdotes about Les on the Gibson website..." More »

Steve Vai to Release Live Concert Film from Sound Theories Tour
Guitarist Steve Vai has announced the release of a live concert film (DVD, Blu-ray) and live CD on September 29, 2009. Titled Where The Wild Things Are, the material was recorded before a sold-out audience at the State Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2007 during Vai's Sound Theories world tour. With 20 million units sold worldwide to-date, Where The Wild Things Are represents his 21st solo project over a 30-year career. The two-hour and forty minute set contains both several new tracks and re-orchestrated pieces from his rich catalog and was filmed at the State Theatre because of the venue's lush acoustics and attractive interior. Vai's Sound Theories Tour supported the release of the Sound Theories Vol. I & II CDs featuring Vai and the Netherlands Metropole Orchestra. Volume I presents Vai performing with the orchestra, while Volume II consists of the orchestra playing tunes written by Vai. The orchestral nature of Sound Theories accounts for the presence of two violinists in the touring band's lineup, Alex De Pue and Ann Marie Calhoun, both of whom double on keyboards. The other band members were Jeremy Colson (drums and percussion), Bryan Beller (bass), Dave Weiner (guitar and sitar), and Zack Wiesinger (lap steel). More »

Taylor Guitars Responds to 'United Breaks Guitars'
United Airlines may have reason to sing the blues, but if they are, it's unlikely they're playing Taylor guitars. Singer, songwriter and guitarist Dave Carroll's viral YouTube video "United Breaks Guitars" (close to two million views as of this writing), tells the story of his guitar's mishandling by United Airline employees and the indifference with which his claim for compensation from United was met. A well-produced and engaging musical rant, the tale's told with humor while giving voice to a scenario often recounted in the guitar community. Though in 2003 the American Federation of Musicians and the Transportation Security Administration produced an agreement whereby guitars would be considered carry-on luggage, there are restrictions on the size of the case and situations in which airline baggage handlers still come into contact with instruments destined for the cargo hold or passenger compartment. Carroll's unfortunate experience occurred in 2008 when he and his band, Sons of Maxwell, flew from Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada) to Omaha, Nebraska, via United Airlines. More »

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