learn-guitar.org

Let’s get back to Jamorama reviews… like I wrote a couple of days ago, I just purchased Acoustic Guitar Workshop - and I will be doing a full review of that soon. But right now I want to focus on my long time favorite Jamorama.

In terms of Jamorama reviews and key points, well… one of the things I really like about Jamorama is that it breaks everything down into digestible pieces… and it lets you download all the guitar music samples onto your computer. This means that you can work with it when you aren’t connected to the Internet. And when your connection is really slow, like mine often is, you aren’t sitting around waiting for a page or an audio file to download.

Another piece I wanted to cover in my Jamorama reviews is the Guitar Ear It software. This is some really cool “ear training” software. In my opinion, ear training is really crucial… the ability to recognize chords and notes gives you a huge advantage in your playing. A few people are gifted with this ability naturally, but the rest of us have to learn (or “train") our ears. The Guitar Ear It software that is included in Jamorama turns this training into a game.

More later in my Jamorama reviews (and really, all my “learn guitar” reviews)… but at this point I can say this: Jamorama is highly recommended.

File under: guitar lessons,
guitar, Jamorama reviews

So I put “Learn Guitar” into 43things.com and this is what I got:

learn guitar,

1. Learn to play the guitar 515 people
2. learn guitar 106 people
3. actually learn to play my guitar 40 people
4. learn to play bass guitar 22 people
5. learn to play acoustic guitar 8 people
6. Learn to play the guitar better 6 people
7. learn bass guitar 6 people
8. Learn to play guitar again 5 people
9. learn classical guitar 3 people
10. learn guitar again 3 people
11. learn to play eletric guitar 3 people
12. learn to play base guitar 2 people
13. learn Bossa Nova guitar 2 people
14. Learn to play the guitar I own 2 people
15. Learn acoustic guitar 2 people
16. learn to play guitare 2 people
17. learn guitar scales 2 people
18. learn to play flamenco guitar 2 people
19. Learn electric guitar 1 person
20. learn to play my guitars 1 person
21. learn scales on the guitar 1 person
22. learn the guitar and piano 1 person
23. Learn to improvise on the guitar 1 person
24. learn a guitar style 1 person
25. learn to play acoustic guitar, also get a guitar 1 person
26. re-learn to play guitar 2 people
27. Learn More Songs For Guitar 1 person
28. learn the piano, guitar, and congas 1 person
29. re-learn the bass guitar 1 person
30. learn 3-finger style guitar 1 person
31. learn to play electric guitar 1 person
32. learn playing flute and guitar 1 person
33. learn to play jazz guitar 1 person
34. Learn to play guitar/keyboards 1 person
35. learn a Zeppelin guitar solo. 1 person
36. learn to play a elec. guitar 1 person
37. learn to play the guitar for real 1 person
38. learn to play the guitar or keyboard 1 person
39. Learn To Play More On My Guitar 1 person
40. learn to play piano and guitar 1 person
41. Learn to read guitar tablature 1 person
42. learn a song on a the guitar or piano 1 person
43. learn to play classical guitar 1 person
44. Learn to play guitar WELL 1 person
45. Learn to play guitar and sing 1 person
46. learn more songs on the guitar 1 person
47. Learn to play a song on the guitar 1 person
48. learn to play piano or guitar 1 person
49. learn the hard chords on guitar 1 person
50. i want to learn to play the guitar 1 person

Learn to play guitar quickly… that is the whole key for everyone that gets a guitar. When I got my guitar, the first thing I wanted was to learn guitar well enough so it sounded like I was playing music. I just wanted to learn to play guitar well enough to have fun.

Well, the really cool thing about the guitar, is that you can learn guitar very quickly. It isn’t that hard to get to a somewhat competent level, even if you have no musical talent at all. And take it from me - I have no musical talent or aptitude for any instruments… and I was able to learn guitar in a matter of weeks.

Now I am not claiming to be a virtuoso… but I was able to play very simple songs and melodies within just a few weeks. In fact, in just a few days I had learned to play my guitar well enough to just noodle along and string enough chords together so that I was actually having fun playing my guitar. In other words, I wasn’t just PRACTICING my guitar… I was actually playing my guitar (at least as far as I was concerned).

So if a forty something guy with no musical talent (and who never played an instrument) could learn guitar in a few weeks… what is holding you back?

Get yourself a guitar, get yourself a good “how to play guitar system like Jamorama“, and then start having fun!

So I am about to buy the Acoustic Guitar Workshop - this looks like a really cool program. I am still working to learn to play my guitar and I am having a blast doing it.

And I still love my Jamorama program… I am continuing to work at it, and making some great progress. But I decided to add some spice to the mix and shake things up… so I am going to buy the Acoustic Guitar Workshop program.

The thing I like about this is that it isn’t a static program - it keeps expanding and adding more material. Right now, the Acoustic Guitar Workshop has all these components:

Fingerstyle Blues, Pentatonic To The Blues, Acoustic Blues Slide & Bottleneck Guitar, Beginning Fingerstyle, Beginners Guitar, and Jazz Blues Chord. It also includes a whole bunch of MP3’s, a whole slew of guitar tabs, software for guitarists. They also have lessons from some top guitarists.

This really looks like a cool program - as soon as I get home (I am traveling now) I am going to buy Acoustic Guitar Workshop… so look for a review soon.

Acoustic Guitar Workshop,
guitar,Jamorama

Guitar lessons are something that I have avoided so far - but I am beginning to wonder if it is time to take some lessons. I got my guitar from Santa Claus last December… so I have been learning to play my guitar for the last four and a half months.

Mostly, I have been using the Jamorama guitar learning system - you can see my Jamorama review here - and it has been a total BLAST. I am really enjoying playing my guitar… and last weekend I got a chance to play with other people for the first time.

(What was really cool is that the people I played with are the same folks who inspired me to get my guitar in the first place - we were all on a long river trip together in Grand Canyon, and they played pretty every night around the camp fire… I decided that I needed to learn to play guitar right then and there.)

In any case, even though I am making great progress… I am just starting to think about guitar lessons at some point. More out of a sense of looking for someone to push me and give me direction. I have to admit I feel some loyalty to Jamorama, but I am not going to be dogmatic about how I learn guitar or about guitar lessons.

guitar lessons,
guitar, learn guitar
Jamorama

Learning how to play acoustic guitar - some people say it is harder to play an acoustic than it is to play an electric guitar. They also say it is more fun to play an electric guitar. I suppose it is all about why you want to learn to play guitar.

I really want to learn how to play guitar so I can sit out on my back patio and play, and so I can take my guitar on camping trips and play while I am sitting around the campire. It is tough to do either of those with an electric guitar.

So one of the first things I did when I got my guitar (and one of the best things as well) was to get the online Jamorama course. It is packed with great guitar instuction that really walks you through all the steps to learning to play guitar.

Now don’t get me wrong… I fully plan on getting an electric guitar some day. And it will probably be this year (might make a nice Christmas present). However, right now I am going to stick with my acoustic guitar.

And for learning how to play, I am going to stick with Jamorama.

acoustic guitar,
guitar, learn guitar

Learning how to play acoustic guitar - some people say it is harder to play an acoustic than it is to play an electric guitar. They also say it is more fun to play an electric guitar. I suppose it is all about why you want to learn to play guitar.

I really want to learn how to play guitar so I can sit out on my back patio and play, and so I can take my guitar on camping trips and play while I am sitting around the campire. It is tough to do either of those with an electric guitar.

So one of the first things I did when I got my guitar (and one of the best things as well) was to get the online Jamorama course. It is packed with great guitar instuction that really walks you through all the steps to learning to play guitar.

Now don’t get me wrong… I fully plan on getting an electric guitar some day. And it will probably be this year (might make a nice Christmas present). However, right now I am going to stick with my acoustic guitar.

And for learning how to play, I am going to stick with Jamorama.

acoustic guitar,
guitar, learn guitar

Everyone is looking for guitar tabs (which is short for guitar tablature). I have found some of the best guitar tab resources on the internet. And by the way, I don’t know what guitarists did before the internet. All of a sudden a budding guitar player can find tabs for all kinds of songs… and you can find them almost instantly.

OK, let’s get back to guitar tabs. I really like going out and tabs for the songs I want to play. Some of the best web sites actually have multiple tabs for many songs. And if a song is performed by different artists, the tabs might be slightly different. And if you are looking for bass tabs, guitar tabs, or guitar chords… well you can often find them as well. So let’s get on with it… where do you find tabs?

Well, one of my favorites for guitar tabs is ultimate-guitar. This site has a nice search function, and the search results can be done by song title or artist. One nice feature is that the tabs are “rated” by the users… so when you get a whole bunch of search results (say you are looking for the tab for “Heart Of Gold") you can see which ones people really liked.

Another good place for guitar tabs is OLGA - the Online Guitar Archive. This site is amazing… you have to check it out for yourself.

guitar, guitar tabs, guitar chords

OK, I am getting obsessed with my guitar and guitars in general. A couple of days ago I got a chance to play guitar with some friends - and I got a chance to play a nice old Martin guitar. These just happened to be the same friends that inspired me to starting playing guitar about six months ago. I had so much fun watching them play guitar (and mandolin) around the campfire, I decided that I just had to get a guitar and learn how to play it.

In any case, that was last October… and for Christmas I bought myself a guitar. And I have been playing it almost every day ever since (except when I am traveling… it is hard to bring my guitar along on business trips).

In any case, I got a chance to get together with some of these folks this last weekend, and I brought along my guitar. This was really the first time I ventured out and tried to play my guitar with anyone. And these folks brought along their guitars and mandolins. One of them was a 12 string guitar, and one was a really nice old Martin guitar.

The 12 string was fun… really heavy, but that was a fun guitar and those 12 strings sure put out a lot of sound. And that Martin guitar sure was nice… but I like playing my Walden guitar better. Maybe (probably) it is just a matter of being familar… but I couldn’t wait to get my guitar back. I played the Martin for just long enough to not be rude.

guitar, Martin guitar, learn guitar

Learn guitar - this is all about learning how to play the guitar… I have been on this quest since I got my guitar for Christmas just four months ago. I went from struggling to play the most basic guitar chords to actually making early struggling attempts at barre chords.

Mind you, this learn guitar odyssey has been slow going for me - I am not a musical genius. In fact, I cannot play any other musical instrument. I am struggling to learn guitar - it does not come easy. However, I have learned how to play the basic chords - the ones that they call campfire chords, or open chords.

But this is the deal - while I learn guitar, I am having an awful lot of fun. I usually take 15 to 30 minutes out the day and just bang away at the chords… mostly just C, D, G (those are the basics that every needs to master when they are learning how to play guitar - if you know those three, there are an awful lot of songs you can play.) I also love the other easy guitar chords such as Em, Am, A, E, and F.

That F chord is one of the first real hurdles when you are learing guitar. I am now about 70% of the way there on the F chord.

learn guitar

I am pretty excited about learning guitar chords. I mean the whole finger picking thing and flat picking thing seem cool, but if I learn guitar chords… well I am pretty sure I can be playing songs in a matter of days or weeks.

This is the deal, if I learn the basic guitar chords - often called the open chords - then I can play a lot of songs. I am talking about the D chord and G chord and C chord. If I have those down then I can play the basic 1-4-5 chord progression… and look out, there are all kinds of 1-4-5 chord songs.

Now it might sound like I know a lot about guitar chords, and guitar playing in general… but I really don’t have a clue. I just started a few months ago, and I have exactly zero musical talent. And believe me, I am not just being modest. I really am slow at this stuff. But when you just have to learn to play three chords to be able to start playing songs… well that is achievable by just about anyone.

There are some other useful guitar chords to learn off the bat. I like the Em chord (that is the E minor chord). I like it because I like the sound of it, and because this might be the easiest chord there is to play. The Am is another chord that is easy and sounds cool. Then there is the F chord… every beginner’s nemisis (including me). But if you just keep banging away on it, you will get it.

learn guitar chords