Beginner Guitar Lessons: Which guitar software is best for the beginner?
If you are a complete beginner guitar lessons will help you to get started - but to reinforce what you have learned,
or if you are simply trying to teach yourself, then there a load of advantages to using guitar software.
Using the multimedia approach, with interactive guitar software you get
to learn through a combination of exciting resources:
- video instruction and example
- animated guitar tab or traditional notation, with effortless
switching between the two
- high quality audio examples
- variable speed MIDI - how often have you tried to play
along with a CD accompaniment only to have fallen behind in the second bar
never to catch up? With MIDI you slow down the tempo to suit
you
- animated guitar fretboards, which mean that as the piece
is playing you can actually see which fingers to put down where.
- links to sites with banks of songs that you can play at each stage
Working through a series of guitar lessons you gradually build up skills,
but right from the outset even as a beginner you get the chance to play along with backing
tracks and really feel that you are progressing. In
particular, kids like quick results, and we have certainly
found that ours were quickly rewarded with the sense of achieving something
straight away.
If I have convinced you of the benefit of guitar software tutors, your next
decision: which one? Each one offers a slightly different approach, so it is worth taking a few
minutes to consider the difference.
Our daughter likes the eMedia guitar method. eMedia offer a suite
of programs: the introductory guitar method, the intermediate guitar method
and the bass method. These tutors take a song-based approach:
you learn a chord, you can play the first song
along with the backing. You learn another chord, and now you can now play several
simple songs. Again, the emphasis is on getting you playing
and achieving as quickly as possible. Easy versions
of the chords are taught first, so even those with small
hands can keep up. Again, there is an animated fretboard and notation
to follow. You can switch between high-quality audio, and variable-speed
MIDI so even the slowest chord changer (erm, me....) can keep
up!
The other neat thing about this system is that as you build up your chord knowledge you can link to a site
which have banks of other songs you can learn - even a total beginner after a couple of software guitar lessons
can find loads of songs they can play - as you progress you are able to play more and more. Great for kids and the adult beginner or intermediate
player looking for something more from their guitar lessons.
eMedia also offer a range of song tutors, perfect for when
you have learnt a few basics and you now want to play some more tunes. Choose
from Blues Legends and Guitar Songs.
Our son's favourite is definitely Play Guitar. Why? Firstly you aren't required
to read very much at all, you get video instruction right from
the start, and the teacher, Ross Bolton, starts off with simple 2-note power
chords and builds from there until you are soon playing along with the rock
band. Pefect for the compulsive air guitarist! Working through the beginner guitar lessons with him, I learnt so much about the structure
of chords and tunes. It is simple
to navigate through the lessons, we never
had to look at the help at all, which is always a bonus. This tutor will appeal
to anyone who wants to get playing rock or blues
guitar straight away. As well as the video instruction, it incorporates an animated
fretboard which plays alongside the animated guitar tab notation.
I perhaps ought to add that my husband really like this software too, and was
soon playing the first song sequence having never picked up a guitar before. Another one to check out is the eMedia Rock Guitar Method - a
fantastic and easy to follow introduction to rock guitar style playing.
Finally, the most expensive but comprehensive
packages are the Charanga Guitar Coach Deluxe tutors available in acoustic and electric guitar versions.
With 6 CD-Roms, these tutors really are incredibly thorough and detailed guitar software packages. There is a well
thought out system of lessons and exercises
aimed at developing good technique, correcting mistakes and eventually developing
quite advanced skills. They have all the usual benefits of animated
fretboard and notation, variable-speed MIDI, and their renowned video instruction.
In summary, I really believe the guitar software tutors all have considerable
benefits over and above the book-based teach yourself approach. Given the price
of private tuition, these all offer a good value
alternative or valuable backup.
Related articles and links:
Stop Press ... Check out our SPECIAL OFFERS on Cakewalk Guitar Tracks Pro, perfect for recording and mixing your results.
Do I really need to buy a keyboard?
What kind of keyboard should I get?
Connecting a keyboard to a PC
What exactly is MIDI?
Music Theory Games For Students - Music Theory Software
|
