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If you have decided you want to learn and master the guitar, there are many ways to go about learning. They range from trying to figure it yourself to taking expensive private lessons. There are books, ebooks, and "teach yourself" guitar lessons that you can download from the internet or access on a website. You can also buy a guitar instructional DVD series.
Here is why I prefer learning from a web-based or DVD guitar instruction course.
You can get all of the benefits of professional guitar lessons without the big price tag. The guitar instructors teaching these courses are usually professional musicians or accredited music teachers. You can be taught by world class musicians for a fraction of the cost. You can get an entire program for the cost of one private lesson!
A good system will teach everything you need to know to be playing at the level you desire. There are general programs and there are programs designed to teach you specific types of guitar - such as how to play acoustic guitar. There are also courses especially to learn blues guitar, jazz guitar, bass guitar, electric guitar, and more. There are courses for all levels of playing, too, from novice to advance courses that even professionals could benefit from. There are courses that will even teach you how to become a professional, or how to write and publish songs.
With all these many different guitar lesson products out there, how do you choose which is the best for you?
First, decide what your goals are. Are you a total beginner? Are you pretty good but want to get better? Is there a particular style of playing you are most interested in learning now? Do you want to transition from hobby to professional?
Second, what price range are you looking for? Although none of these will be very expensive compared to private lessons, you can pay anywhere from $30 to a few hundred dollars. If you are dabbling with learning guitar, you probably want to spend less money. If you are serious and want a lesson program you can grow with, it will probably be worth it to you to spend more money. You don't want to buy something you will outgrow shortly.
Third, would you prefer to watch your lessons on your computer? Do you have basic computer skills and would feel comfortable downloading audio and video files? Or would you rather buy a guitar instruction DVD set that you could just plop in your player and watch on your TV? I really prefer having the larger view on my TV over my computer screen. Having a "life size" instructor makes me feel more like I'm having one-on-one training.
You want to purchase a program that offers an unconditional money back guarantee. Most of them offer between 30 and 60 days, which should be enough time for you to see if this is the one for you, or not.
What kind of support is offered? You only want to be dealing with a reputable company that is easy to get in touch with and responsive to any technical or billing issues. Some of the best guitar lesson programs offer ongoing instruction support such as forums or even one-on-one coaching emails with one of their guitar instructors.
And finally, for the 10% of you that are left handed? Some online guitar lessons include a left-handed version. You should find this helps you a lot!
And don't forget, whatever type of guitar lessons you decide on, besides being effective, they should be fun and something you look forward to.
