IanHenry Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 As a very average guitar player, who has been playing for years, but find that I have not improved for a long time and feel that I’m stuck in a rut (as I think a lot of people become), I have been thinking about investing in one of the DVD courses that you see advertised on the internet. I think some of them look a little “dodgy” or certainly of questionable quality, but I noticed the Gibson Learn & Master one advertised: http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Learn-And-Master-Guitar.aspx Has anyone had any experience of this, and did they find it useful? Any help and suggestions will be gratefully received. Regards, Ian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Yeah it happens to us all I think.. Answers to that problem... 1. Buy a new guitar (lol alot of people seem to use that as a booster but obviously its expensive) 2. Try listening to new music, sometimes you can find insparation from that 3. Play with other people (this is one of the best things you can do I think) 4. Youtube has all of the instruction you can ever ask for, I wouldnt buy a DVD just for that reason. Just scour youtube till you see what your looking for 5. Maybe take a break.. take two weeks off and see what happens when you come back fresh 6. Learn a new song that challenges you.. one you always wanted to learn. And theres probably many more things to do.. but thats a start :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHenry Posted September 23, 2012 Author Share Posted September 23, 2012 Thanks for your suggestions Rabs, I bought a new guitar (a rather nice red 335) but it's the complete lack of progress that bothers me, I feel I need a booster to aim me in the right direction. One alternative is to take a few lesson, but I wondered if the DVD course would do. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Thanks for your suggestions Rabs, I bought a new guitar (a rather nice red 335) but it's the complete lack of progress that bothers me, I feel I need a booster to aim me in the right direction. One alternative is to take a few lesson, but I wondered if the DVD course would do. Ian Yeah lessons could help BUT be aware. I tried that a few years ago and hated it.. The guy who was trying to teach me basically was deconstructing my playing so he could build it back up again. But after about 5 or 6 lessons I stopped as I was actually getting worse and even though im sure if id have kept it up I would have got better again.. Thats not what I wanted.. Just to sound like someone else which is probably what would happen in the end.. I like the fact I have taught myself and even if it makes me a non technical player I dont care.. I can pick up almost any tune in seconds (rhythm wise) and am happy with the way I play (mostly). But I guess the idea is you have to keep learning to keep it fresh.. Or you do get stuck doing the same old things. However maybe if you find the right kind of teacher whos not all about shredding and about organic growth then it will be worth it.. Who knows.. thats the mystery of life :) So follow your gut instinct in the end.. You can always try and if you dont like it stop like I did. I will say though that being in a band taught me more than anything I could have learned myself (am looking to do that again at the moment)..... If you can find a few people to play with and a rehersal room.. then just make sure you all know a few of the same songs so you can play.. or just have a good old 12 bar blues jam :)(which I always enjoy) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis G Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 I bought the L&MG course 5-6 years ago. I've been playing for decades, but knew little to any theory, etc. This course will take you from "this is a guitar" to being exposed to theory, chord building, scales, touches on various different styles (country, blues, rock, fingerstyle, jazz, etc.). To go from start to finish is a couple of years, but if you've been playing for some time, you'll breeze through some of the stuff. There is also a student forum with a ton of helpful folks, and there are weekly "mini lessons" etc. IMHO it was well worth every penny I spent. YMMV. There are also a ton of things on YouTube, etc. for little tips/hints/ideas Edit: At $25-$50 for a 30-60 minute lesson, this course will pay for itself quickly, and you've always got it there to refer back to at any time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyMoon Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Ian I totally understand how you feel...I get like that as well.... I would love to get into a band situation but I am my own worst enemy when it comes to criticizing myself . I know there is so much more I can learn to be better but sometimes I feel stagnant...I see these guys on the net, you know, thses shredders...I think holy sh!t, do I have to play like these guys just to be able to attempt to try and get with a band?.... I am about 95% self taught but have considered taking a few lessons to maybe help me get a kick in the pants to progress...I feel like I am an ok rhythm / slide player but I cant do leads worth ****...I have no desire to be a shredder but would like to at least do a reasonable fill when needed.....someone mentioned take a break, I find that it does help as well....I don't know if a week is needed but I find sometimes even just 2 days will give you a fresh start...new guitar will help some but I find only if it's different...like if you have all single coil guitars go out and get a guitar with humbuckers..etc etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHenry Posted September 24, 2012 Author Share Posted September 24, 2012 Many thanks for all you suggestions. I'm still undecided what to do, as I’ve mentioned, I’ve already bought a new guitar, and I’ve taken an enforced break from playing whilst I was travelling around Europe during the summer. I’m still very tempted by the Gibson DVD/book set, but I’m a bit worried that it might be all theory (that was why I switched from classical), because I don’t want to take guitar playing to seriously, as I do it for fun and my own entertainment. I found all classical players & tutors are constantly striving for the next level exams etc, and that’s not the reason that I play guitar. Regards, Ian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabba2203 Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Whenever I find myself stuck, not advancing or just bored with what I'm doing I find going back over rudiments help and DVD lessons are fun too! I don't buy any expensive ones, just the $10 dvds from Guitar World. Andy Aledort is a great player and his approach to teaching you just clicks for me. You may or may not have the same experience with it as I do but for $10-$15 I recommend trying him out. His videos help me out of my ruts regularly. http://store.guitarworld.com/collections/dvds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bongoscot Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 There really is a ton of info on the internet. I dont know the rules here about linking to guitar stuff but a site that I refer to allot is justinguitar (put the w's and the dot com thing). This site here has a lot of stuff and even some from the course you are considering at Gibson.com. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 There really is a ton of info on the internet. I dont know the rules here about linking to guitar stuff but a site that I refer to allot is justinguitar (put the w's and the dot com thing). This site here has a lot of stuff and even some from the course you are considering at Gibson.com. As far as I know you can post two videos per post as long is its not rude or anything like that its fine.. we sometimes even have the odd Fender video :P :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis G Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 +1 on Justin's site. Very informative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHenry Posted September 25, 2012 Author Share Posted September 25, 2012 Well, I decided to buy the Gibson course, because it was less than half price at Amazon. Yes Justin's site is very good, but I feel that I need some structure to what I do, so I think I'll follow the Gibson course, and not by pass the stuff I already know, to try and iron out any bad habits I have (I'm sure I will have loads). Regards, Ian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryUK Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 I think all the tuition you need in on You Tube. Just pick what you need. I also think playing with others helps. I'd be good if there were local groups where players could go and swap licks etc. Start one. It's cheaper than lessons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabba2203 Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 I'd be good if there were local groups where players could go and swap licks etc. Back when I was a young teen, that was easy to do. All you needed was a guitar, a bag of weed and almost any older seasoned player would jam with you if you burned one with them. That's where I learned a lot in the beginning! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matonanjin Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 I bought the L&MG course 5-6 years ago. I've been playing for decades, but knew little to any theory, etc. This course will take you from "this is a guitar" to being exposed to theory, chord building, scales, touches on various different styles (country, blues, rock, fingerstyle, jazz, etc.). To go from start to finish is a couple of years, but if you've been playing for some time, you'll breeze through some of the stuff. There is also a student forum with a ton of helpful folks, and there are weekly "mini lessons" etc. IMHO it was well worth every penny I spent. YMMV. >+1 I looked at a lot of sites and subscribed to some like Guitar Tricks, and others. I was somewhat hesitant about buying the Gibson L&MG course but did it. Man am I glad I did! To quote Dennis G again, "IMHO it was well worth every penny I spent." There are, as you probably know, 20 DVDs. They are so comprehensive each one can take a month or more to complete. The DVD's are great and there is a student forum that is a really nice community and helpful. There are two different versions of the course out there. The basic one, which is 10 DVD's, and an extended one, which is 20 DVDs. The one with 20 has bonus materials for each lesson. Whatever you do, get the 20 DVD version. I think Amazon and a few other places sell the older 10 DVD version. Some of the best materials for the course are in the bonus sessions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Have you checked out Arlen Roth? Its here. Its free. Its good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CowboyBillyBob1 Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Learn or at least make a real effort to play something totally outside of the genre that you normaly play. I love and play blues and rock so I got a nice acoustic guitar and taught myself some Travis Picking and other fingerstyle stuff. It gives you a new and fresh outlook of what is possible. I am no country player but I have gained a lot from tackling that style. Landslide by Fleetwood Mac is a rudimentary Travis Picking thing and it helped me add that kind of thing into my blues playing. Refuse to listen to anything in your main style for a month. When you come back to it you will have some fresh ideas. Miles Davis Kind of Blue is mostly the blues form in a style that may be unfamiliar to you. After listening for a while you will pick up how much of it is just a I IV V thing. The next time you play a blues based tune you will have new ideas to work with. Heavy Metal Guy?? Listen to some Rock a Billy stuff. Those guys play some way outside solos that you can steal from and put in a heavier style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaysEpiphone Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Some good advise here, I myself play my set's every-other day when I have a show coming up. I don't have anything going on right now so I'm being a slacker. I try and learn new stuff too but I'm just a chord/riff player so I've excepted that fact, if I try a song and it's obvious that I will have lot's of trouble with it or it's clashing with my singing voice or it just don't sound right in my current solo acoustic format I ditch it quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 Learn from this man if you want something different, but also want to increase your heavy metal shredding skills: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3x8h3AqJXo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHenry Posted September 26, 2012 Author Share Posted September 26, 2012 Thanks for all the great advice, there are some really good ideas! Like I said, I bought the Gibson course, but I've discovered that it's only the 10 DVD edition, as I didn't know there were two versions, ah well, you live and learn. It seems that you can buy the extra disks, which I may do, but I thought that I would see what the package was like before spending any more money. Many thanks, Ian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matonanjin Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 Thanks for all the great advice, there are some really good ideas! Like I said, I bought the Gibson course, but I've discovered that it's only the 10 DVD edition, as I didn't know there were two versions, ah well, you live and learn. It seems that you can buy the extra disks, which I may do, but I thought that I would see what the package was like before spending any more money. Many thanks, Ian. But your link in your op was to the 20 DVD edition . Are you sure you didn't order the extended set? Go here and you can download the printed materials to the extended set. This will give you an idea of the extent of the materials in the bonus resources. (This is not a copyright infringement. You can see Legacy provides this download to anyone.) I can't stress enough the extended set more than doubles the learning materials you receive. Look at the printed bonus materials and then decide. It's up to you, obviously, and your money but I sure think it's worth it. Here is a really stupid thread that I started quite a while ago about session 4. Pay particular attention to reply 14 (and 17 & 20). There are other threads on the student forum that talks about the difference between the standard and extended versions. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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