Very Useful Guitar Links

The internet is a wonderful resource for any budding guitarist, but it is easy to stumble across incorrect information or end up confused and frustrated from information overload. In this article I would like to clear up some confusion and help steer you in the right direction by providing you with some very useful links. Like many beginning guitar players I began my journey searching the internet for guitar Tabs to all of my favorite songs, This served me well at first by allowing me to play simple songs without diving deep into the theory behind the music. It did not take long for me to realize that this approach could only take me so far, and unless I learned the theory behind the music I would never truly understand what I was playing or create music of my own. (all links will be provided at the end of the article)

In light of this discovery I began to search out websites that offered more. One of my very first discoveries (and probably the most significant) was a site created by Justin Sandercoe justinguitar.com. Justin is a London based musician / teacher that offers a well thought out lesson plan that will take you from absolute beginner to a solid intermediate player in a very short time. Through the site justin will introduce you proper guitar technique, intermediate music theory, transcribing and some simple to advanced songs. The lesson plan is well thought out utilizing a large database of high quality Youtube videos as well as written material. Justin's E-Books and DVDs are also very useful. I visit this site on a daily basis and highly recommend that you check it out (please donate to Justin's site if you find the information useful).

As my technical skills progressed I began to search for more advanced music theory to help me put all of the technical skills I worked on to good use. One of the best online resources that I have found to date is "Dansm's Guitar Theory Lessons". This site is packed with tons of information on scales, chords, and other theory related topics. at first the amount of information provided can be a little overwhelming, but the lessons are easy to navigate through and if you take good notes you should be able to refer back to each subject quickly.

Once you have a good grasp of the basics and you are truly motivated to not only learn the guitar but to become a Virtuoso I recommend checking out Tom Hess's site. The site itself is very useful with and number of articles that will help guide and motivate you. But you will get the most benefit by signing up for one of Tom's personalized lessons (I am currently on week six of the correspondence lessons). Tom is a successful musician that can not only help you become a great guitar player but also show you how to succeed in the music industry. In the six weeks that I have been taking correspondence lessons my skills have doubled and I am playing with more accuracy than ever before. (Please mention that Scott Bannick referred you)

Another thing that will help you stay motivated to play the guitar is all of the cool accessories that are available to help shape your tone. There are some things that you just can't be done on the guitar without the proper effects. Here is a list of what I currently use:

Line 6 Pocket Pod - Very useful if you are traveling or need to practice without an amp

Line 6 Pod X3 Live - This is truly an all in one effects processing system that can be customized to produce any sound imaginable. This also doubles as a recording interface!!

Digitech Jam Man Loop pedal - Great for recording quick backing tracks to improvise over.

Apple Garage Band - Very simple DAW that will have you recording in record time.

Apple Computer - I can't say enough about my MacPro, this is the single best system I have ever used...No kidding!

I will post a complete review of all of these items and much more very soon so keep checking back.

Now without further adu here are the links. Please keep in mind that this list will continually evolve as so this is by no means a complete directory. If you would like to suggest links please feel free to e-mail them to me with a short description.

YouTube Teachers:

Bobby Crispy - http://www.youtube.com/user/BobbyCrispy

Format: YouTube video lessons

Content: Songs and technique

Style: Rock / Metal

Skill Level: Beginner to intermediate

Rock On Good People - http://www.youtube.com/user/rockongoodpeople

Format: YouTube video lessons

Content: Guitar and Vocal Technique

Style: Blues / Rock

Skill Level: Beginner to intermediate

Marty Schwartz - http://www.youtube.com/user/guitarjamzdotcom

Format: YouTube video lessons

Content: Songs and technique

Style: Jazz, blues, and rock

Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate

Three Chord Guitar - http://www.youtube.com/user/ThreeChordGuitar

Format: YouTube video lessons

Content: Songs

Style: Country / Blues

Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate

Websites

Justin Guitar - http://justinguitar.com

Format: Written and Video Lessons

Content: Theory, Songs/Tab, and transcribing

Style: Blues, Rock, and Pop

Skill Level: Beginner to Advanced Intermediate

Dansm's Guitar Lessons - http://www.scenicnewengland.net/guitar/

Format: Written lessons

Content: Theory

Style: N/A

Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Tom Hess Music Corporation - http://www.tomhess.net/

(Please Mention that Scott Bannick referred you when you sign up!!)

Format: Personalized Lessons via paid subscription

Content: Technique, theory, etc

Style: Rock, Shred, Metal, and Virtuoso

Skill Level: Beginner to Virtuoso and so much more

Guitar and Effect manufacture Links:

Line 6 - http://line6.com/

Gibson Guitars - http://gibson.com

I hope this list gets you started in the right direction, if you have any questions or would like to contribute your own links please feel free to contact me. And please donate to the sites that offer free lessons, that is how they are able to keep providing quality content.

Scott

Well the weekend is upon us and not a moment too soon! From now on I will post a recap of the weeks events Friday evening, this will be your chance to look back at your practice notes and track your progress. Since this is only the second post and we have not discussed a practice schedule yet I will just give you the run down of what to expect from Fridays column.

First off we are going to chart our progress for the week by looking back at our practice notes. I am going to recommend that you keep a practice log with you during the week so that you can hand write the topics that you cover, the key, the tempo that you practiced in, and your weekly goals. We will enter all of this info into an excel spreadsheet every Friday. I will have some blank templates available in a couple of days so keep checking back.

The next item on the list is to prepare next weeks lesson plan. Having a pre-made schedule will help keep us focused and on track, it will also make it easier to track our progress. I recommend preparing your notes on Friday and starting your weekly practice routine on Saturday. For most people Saturday and Sunday are the best days to find time to really focus on your practicing because you don't have work, if you have a different schedule feel free to change your weekly plan to suit.

Lastly you will want to gather any tabs, theory, or technique lessons that you plan to use (I will provide some samples) for the week and sort them in your practice binder. I recommend preparing a three ring binder with dividers to help sort your lessons and keep them handy.

I will try to post a tutorial on preparing practice material tomorrow night, as a bonus I plan to do a tutorial on how to set alerts in an iPhone calender that will remind you to practice!

Now rest up, we have a big week of practice ahead of us!

Scott

Welcome to the Struggling Guitarist's blog!

The goal of this blog is to give a play by play account of what it is like to go from a complete beginner (where I am now) at guitar to a Virtuoso like Joe Satriani (Where I hope to get)! It is going to be a long process I know, but with a little luck, a lot of hard work, and support from the online community I think we can make it!

So without further ado lets get started with a little background information to get you up to speed. I have been attempting to teach myself guitar for a little over six years with varying degrees of success. I am not a guitar expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I have a great desire to become one. On this blog you will be able to follow along with me as I progress through my journey. I will provide links to information that I find useful as well as a weekly update on my practice schedule.

So how does this work? To start I will be providing a library of links to extremely useful information from some of the best teachers in the business. I will give you a play by play account of how I use my practice time so that hopefully you can follow along and progress in your playing right along with me. Finally I will open up the blog to teachers and experts that are willing to help guide us through the learning experience.

Guitar skills are not something we are born with, It takes time and a lot of hard work to achieve a high level of success on this instrument. But with the proper dedication and enthusiasm anything is possible.

Just remember the following points to keep on track:

Stay focused!

Stay motivated!

Practice does not make perfect. PERFECT Practice makes Perfect!!!

I look forward to the journey.

Scott