Many of the advantages of an online guitar membership are not in the actual lessons themselves, but in the additional features that such sites can provide. That is not to say that the lessons are only a small part, but to stress what a membership site gives you that a DVD generally does not.
If you want to learn to play guitar then a DVD can be perfectly adequate. However, if you want to go beyond that and try a number of different genres to determine which appeals to you most, then only an online guitar membership site can offer that to you. You can take the beginners and intermediate general guitar courses that teach you how to play guitar to a good level, including such techniques as hammer on, pull off and harmonics. You also learn about scales and how to use them to play solo or lead guitar.
You can then try the online guitar lessons in jazz guitar, rock, bluegrass, heavy metal, fingerpicking and so on until you find a style that appeals to you. You don’t get that with a DVD, and nor can you switch styles along the way if you feel like it. A guitar membership site offers you a choice of lessons from their whole repertoire, and also a choice of teacher. You can switch teacher until you find one with a teaching style that you like.
As you progress with your lessons, and become an increasingly better player, you can start trying out more of the other genres, and ultimately become a master of your instrument, able to play jazz, Hawaiian and heavy metal with equal ease. You could have a look at what the bluegrass boys are getting up to if you feel like it, or have a go at learning a few speed-play techniques.
Although you are free to try any of the courses available on an online site as frequently as you like and for as long as you like, the membership benefits do not end there. You will find pages devoted to chord diagrams, offering you diagrams of all the variations of the major chords, and a library of songs and tunes that you can learn and practice playing along with. You will not only be taught to play guitar, but also how to sing while playing, and how to improve your stage presence and performance. Online guitar membership sites offer a complete service for the budding guitarist including advice on the various accessories that are available.
There is more that just that, however. A good membership site will also allow you to ask questions of the instructors themselves, and have specific aspects of the course that you don’t understand made clearer to you. How about social networking? Do you use Facebook or MySpace? Some of the very best online sites offer you a similar service on their website: you can meet and chat with like-minded guitarists, or others just beginning to learn as you are.
You can discuss your problems, and perhaps give each other a few tips. Messaging services offer you your own messaging box, with all the usual facilities, and also an area where you can keep a list of your friends. Learning guitar can be pretty tough sometimes, particularly if you are completely new to it and your fingers and wrists are hurting. It’s sometimes good to be able contact friends online that are having the same problems as you are. Perhaps you’ve found a way of toughening up your fingertips quicker – pass it on to your friends and even round the network. They will then pass on any tips they have found to you.
All in all an online guitar membership site has a lot going for it apart from the guitar lessons. If you can find a really good one, the social side of it is worth the monthly subscription itself. Many members make lifelong friends, and remain in communication long after they have finished with the site, while yet others maintain their memberships just for the company and the chat with other guitarists.
Actually its not a bad idea to keep your membership up, even after completing your course. A guitar membership site allows you to brush up on your technique, and keep in touch with any new playing techniques that come along. Nobody is so good that they can’t learn something new, and you might want to learn those pinch harmonics you have heard about for example, or give that Hawaiian slack key style a try. There’s nothing wrong with learning new styles. Perhaps your bassist is ill and you have to stand in for a while – pick up a few bass guitar lessons from your membership site and step right in there as though you had played bass guitar all your life.
There are no doubts whatsoever that an online guitar membership site beats the socks of a DVD guitar course any time, so check out the internet and find out what is available for you out there. If you want to become seriously good with your guitar, you won’t find a better way.
One of the best online guitar memberships is http://www.ijamplay.com that offer all of the resources mentioned in this article. If you want to learn the best and easiest way, visit the site and find out for yourself the fabulous benefits that membership brings.
