Learning how to play guitar is something you definitely don't want to do on your own if you have a choice. This might sound like a ridiculous statement, especially considering how many guitarists did the exact opposite, and managed to reach great skill levels. The truth is that learning to play guitar on your own can lead to a whole array of issues you will have to deal later on. Not only will this slow down your progress, but it can fundamentally change your technique.
Because of this, and many more reasons, it's recommended that new aspiring guitar players take some kind of guitar lessons. This leads us to the question from the title of this article. The traditional approach to learning how to play guitar includes a tutor and one on one lessons.
Doing things this way used to be the only solution until modern technologies took the whole world and flipped it upside down. These days there's a great alternative, and that is taking guitar lessons online. But, is this approach effective? Are online guitar lessons worth the money?
The core of every successful guitar lesson will be a competent tutor. You simply have to have a person there to instruct you how to properly do things on a guitar, which you can easily get wrong without guidance. The consensus is that if you want to start right, you must take at last several lessons. The main difference between online guitar lessons and those with a tutor sitting next to you is the level of interaction between you and your teacher.
With traditional guitar lessons, the person who is showing you how to play will be sitting close to you. Being so close, a tutor can easily spot mistakes and correct any issues you might encounter as you progress through the lesson. An online guitar lesson limits that interaction in varying degrees depending on what kind of lesson it is.
If you're working with a tutor one on one over Skype or similar, they will still be able to see you and hear what's going on. However, if you purchase a pre-made lesson packet from one of the reputable companies, you are basically receiving video instructions with zero interaction with an actual person.
Is this a viable way to learn to play guitar? Absolutely. Some will argue that purchasing guitar lessons online is no different than getting a book on the same topic. This couldn't be more removed from the actual truth. Sure, there won't be a person there to watch your every move, but the videos that come with these lessons are very detailed and easy to follow.
The main benefit of online lessons is their cost. You can get a full package for a fraction of the cost you would have to spend on hiring a tutor. The only issue that needs to be addressed is the fact that you are left to your own devices when you take the online lesson road. There won't be anyone there to push you and keep you going when things get rough. You will have to rely on your will to learn alone.
If that is not an issue for you, the amount of knowledge and skill you can develop simply by following a good online guitar lesson is immense. It will take time and effort, but ultimately you are able to work on your skill whenever you want, which gives you some additional flexibility. In terms of absolute beginners, things are pretty simple to understand.
If you have the money and time to hire a tutor, you should definitely go for it. On the other hand, if your budget is tight, taking online guitar lessons will be the best solution you can get.
With that said, online guitar lessons are not only for beginners. As a matter of fact, those who have some pre-existing knowledge will actually benefit a lot more than those who are starting from the ground up. If you have a solid foundation of skill already developed, you can focus on learning new techniques without having to worry whether or not you're doing something wrong. Intermediate guitar players can easily reach the advanced levels of skill using nothing but online guitar lessons and perseverance.
All of this has been known for years now, but still, there are many people who are skeptical of the whole online approach. That is actually quite sad considering how much a guitar player can benefit from that knowledge. Keep in mind that most popular online guitar lessons come with extensive video material and the following documentation.
People who are hired to create these tutorials are usually veterans of the industry and have spent numerous years teaching guitar to others. As long as you chose a reputable company, you don't need to worry about whether or not you will understand what the lessons are about.
The main reason why someone should look into online guitar lessons is the extensive knowledge which you will get access to, and affordable prices. Not everyone has the kind of money which is necessary to work with a tutor couple of times a week. With online guitar lessons, you are able to develop a strong foundation which you can later build on, or improve the already existing skill potential to a whole new level.
If you are on the fence about taking this approach to learning guitar, you shouldn't be. A huge number of people use these affordable tools every day with great success. So much so that taking guitar lessons online has become a recommended way of expanding your skill and knowledge.
All you have to do in order to protect yourself from being scammed is to do good research on the company you find attractive. The rest will take care of itself, and you will be on your way to become a great guitarist a lot faster then you would have thought.
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