Scenario 1: You want to buy guitar lessons but don’t even own a guitar. You have read many articles on the web about buying a guitar online. You are thinking about taking the time to go look at guitars at a local music store in your town. What you are worried about is whether you would know a good guitar if it hit you over the head.

Scenario 2: You want to buy a guitar and/or guitar lessons as a gift –  but you don’t have a clue about selecting a guitar and have no idea which lessons would be best. You fear that you might buy a used guitar that is just no good. Or you can’t decide which of the new guitars are good for a beginner.

If you fit either of these scenarios – read on, there is help for you!

This combination of guitar lessons AND a guitar will save you from searching all over your town (waste of gasoline!) or all over the web (waste of time). This also ensures that you won’t end up with a guitar so bad that you can’t learn to play it or  that will never help you learn to play well.

Now, you can get your guitar with some great guitar lessons at the same time. This is a sweet deal, and you can be sure you are getting a good instrument recommended by professional guitarists to learn to play guitar with. The lessons from Learn and Master Guitar are the top rated DVD guitar lessons, too. I would not hesitate to recommend this to anyone who is considering taking guitar lessons.

Let’s talk about the guitar’s features:

• Great quality with a very affordable price tag.
• Buy the Greg Bennett Guitar separately, or save money when you order Learn & Master Guitar and the guitar together
• A precision instrument, priced like a “starter guitar”
• With a solid spruce top and new Thunderflex™ bracing, this is more guitar than you bargained for.
• It’s the “loudest guitar you’ve ever heard” in its price range, it is super-easy to play and it ideally complements your Learn & Master Guitar course.

Now, about the guitar lessons:

These guitar lessons are going to rock your world. They will start by teaching you the most basic things you need to know to begin playing the guitar. The lessons are in videos and also there is a book to help you keep track of your progress. Plus you can go online and communicate with the other guitar students in this same course, as well as get input from the teacher.

If you have knowledge of some of the basics already, then you can get help moving forward to become more of an intermediate guitar player. This is yet another reason I wholeheartedly recommend Learn and Master Guitar.

To see the guitar or the entire package, go to the order page. There you will see that you can buy the guitar separately or with the DVD course.  What a great combination – an acoustic guitar plus DVD lessons. This could really be the gift of a lifetime for someone. Or for you, it could be the start of your becoming the rockin’ guitar player you’ve always dreamed of becoming.

Technorati Tags: acoustic, DVDs, Greg Bennet, Guitars, Learn and Master Guitar, lessons

Same Old Lang Syne
by Dan Fogelberg

Intro chords: C, AM – C, AM – C, AM – D7/F#, FM7, G

She said she married her an architect
Who kept her warm and safe and dry
She would’ve liked to say she loved the man
But she didn’t like to lie.

I said the years had been a friend to her
And that her eyes were still as blue
But in those eyes I wasn’t sure if I
Saw doubt or gratitude.

She said she saw me in the record stores
And that I must be doing well
I said the audience was heavenly
But the traveling was hell.

We drank a toast to innocence
We drank a toast to now
And tried to reach beyond the emptiness
But neither one knew how.

We drank a toast to innocence
We drank a toast to time
Reliving in our eloquence
Another ‘auld lang syne’…

The beer was empty and our tongues were tired
And running out of things to say
She gave a kiss to me as I got out
And I watched her drive away.

Just for a moment I was back at school
And felt that old familiar pain
And as I turned to make my way back home
The snow turned into rain…

Technorati Tags: chords, Dan Fogelberg, Easy Guitar Songs, intermediate, lyrics, Same Old Lang Syne

California Dreamin’ – Words and Music by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips

A little bit of history about this song:

John and Michelle Phillips were in New York City in 1963, just after they were married (at ages 28 and 19). John woke up Michelle and asked her to help him with this song he had just written one verse for. They were, at that time, still in a group called the New Journeymen. It wasn’t until 1965 after they had moved to Los Angeles and were in their new group, the Mamas and the Papas that this song became a hit. Also see a video: California Dreaming.

Technorati Tags: California Dreaming, chords, Dreamin', Guitar songs, lyrics, Mamas and Papas

A great resource is Guitar Center where you will find some fine guitars (I saw an awesome acoustic-electric Martin for sale!) and they have Epiphone, Dean, Fender, Ibanez and a ton of other brands:

Musician’s Friend is just that – a really good friend when you need guitars and gear. There are some deals and rebates to be found – or just do what I do – go drool over the stuff you wish you could buy! Just because they have some great Gibson guitars you are not limited in your selection, you can actually buy other brands there too.

Music123 has the most comprehensive price guarantee in the industry.Their selection is great and it’s a cool website to buy acoustic or electric guitars and accessories, plus books, videos, and other instruments.  If you find a better price than theirs, click on their “Beat this Price” link which is beside every one of their products.

Or… check out their Music123 Outlet for deeply discounted prices (and these are not junk products, some really awesome high-end stuff have their prices marked down). There are also refurbished items, items with a slight blemish (scratch ‘n dent), and products that have been discontinued by the manufacturers.

Another place to look and compare prices is at Amazon. I set up a store there with a friend that you can see some of  the guitars for sale: GuitarEditions Amazon Store.

Technorati Tags: accessories, acoustic, Amazon store, buy guitar, Dean, discount, electric, Fender, Gibson, Guitars, Ibanez, martin, music123, outlet, song books

My mother was a tailor

She sewed my new bluejeans

My father was a gamblin’ man

Down in New Orleans

Now the only thing a gambler needs

Is a suitcase and trunk

And the only time he’s satisfied

Is when he’s on a drunk

—— solo ——

Oh mother tell your children

Not to do what I have done

Spend your lives in sin and misery

In the House of the Rising Sun

Well, I got one foot on the platform

The other foot on the train

I’m goin’ back to New Orleans

To wear that ball and chain

Well, there is a house in New Orleans

They call the Rising Sun

And it’s been the ruin of many a poor boy

And God I know I’m one

Technorati Tags: animals, bob dylan, chords, Easy Guitar Songs, house of the rising sun, lyrics

Sadly, I think I may not believe in myself enough. Or perhaps I feel I don’t deserve to have success in my goals or dreams. There are many things that block us from getting things done – both the mundane and the important things we need to do and want to do in our lives. Sometimes it is just lack of motivation that holds us back. Sometimes it is a lack of focus. And of course there are real obstacles that stand in our way at times – such as just being too tired after doing the things that we have to do to maintain a “normal” life (working, spending needed time with friends and family, doing chores at home, etc.)

How DO people rise above the obstacles and become above average at anything? It must take a very strong desire that sets our “will” to achieve things that are out of the ordinary, such as being really good at a hobby, learning a new skill or playing an instrument.

And even if you desire something very much, it doesn’t always make achieving whatever goal you have possible. For example, let’s say you have the goal of reorganizing a messy room of your house. What if every time you look at the disorganized papers and clutter it just exhausts you to even consider tackling it. That is the kind of internal obstacle I am trying to write about here. What I don’t know is this: how does someone actually overcome those feelings of inadequacy or lack of motivation to actually get something done that is a hard thing for them personally to accomplish. Experts recommend just working on the mess in short 15-minute segments to clear the clutter day-by-day.

There is a saying, “How do you eat an elephant?” Well, the answer to that is: “One bite at a time.” Of course the real problem isn’t about elephants at all. The problem is how to succeed at a task that seems impossible. And the answer would be a little bit at a time.

So, for newbie guitar players, it is essential to understand that to learn to play guitar as a beginner, you won’t learn everything at once. You have to take it a step at a time. Just like climbing a mountain, there are no quick ways to get to the top. Only taking one step and then another and another will get you to your goal. Practice 20 minutes to a  half an hour at a time on a daily basis - or at least every other day. If you stay committed to practicing regularly, you will see improvement. The worst thing you could do is practice manically for a few days and then stop. So, try just doing a little practice often.

And if you find there are distractions to your guitar practicing, such as the radio or the TV – make yourself restrict their use until after you practice. Then, after you practice, you can reward yourself with those things that were pulling at your attention.

If you feel you are taking steps but things are not falling into place the way you think they should…dig deep inside and try to find out if there is a part of you that isn’t fully committed or isn’t able to totally believe in the fact that you WILL become a guitar player. Work on that belief, make it grow – don’t let anyone tell you what you can or can’t do (including that voice inside your head). Tell yourself you DO deserve to achieve what you are willing to work hard for. And keep taking the steps, one by one, to get to your dreams. Not trying will NEVER get you there, so keep trying – and you might, yes, you probably will get there!

A company that is dedicated to helping you achieve your dreams is Legacy Learning. Watch their video about guitar lessons:

Technorati Tags: beginner guitar, dreams, goals, lessons, new guitar players, obstacles, practice

I think the schools don’t understand that many people actually make a living in the arts – especially the visual arts and graphic design. I know some musicians can make it too. Sure, not all of them become household names or famous stars. But there are recording arts jobs that don’t require you to be famous – studio musicians, sound engineers, etc. Seems like the “traditional” education systems in America just don’t understand or support creative people.

That leads me to why I think anyone who wants to learn to play the guitar should have as much support as possible. I was lucky to have support (from parents and a little bit of help from music teachers). For those who don’t get encouragement for learning to play an instrument – now there is the world wide web! The Internet isn’t as good as a one-on-one, face-to-face meeting with a mentor or teacher, but it will have to do for many beginner guitar players.

This blog is here to help, too. I not only am trying to get people to stop putting off learning to play the guitar, but I am also trying to get homeschooling teachers (and possibly other teachers) to get really good guitar lessons for their students. There are courses available for anyone to teach – no guitar skills are necessary. So, a music teacher could be an expert trumpeter and still teach this course (because of the teacher’s guide that gives them a clear picture of what to teach and when to teach it).  So, if you think your teacher needs to add guitar lessons to the course curriculum, tell them to look at this review: Learn and Master Guitar – Homeschool Edition.

And I just found out that anyone who bought the regular course – Learn and Master Guitar – can upgrade to the Homeschool Edition for a very low price – $29.99 (the same goes for the Piano course, except that upgrade only costs $24.99). The upgrades will get you the 68 pg. Teachers Guidebook (with a 2-year scope and sequence). In addition, there are 2 Teacher Resource DVDs in the guitar edition and 1 in the piano.

And here is a cool “secret” to saving money. If you buy the regular edition and the upgrade, you pay less than buying the full student/home school version! (upgrade info)

Here is the product link if you want to teach yourself (the regular DVD program – not the Student/Teacher edition) – also this is less expensive than the Homeschool Edition – but you can upgrade it.  Learn and Master Guitar DVDs.  Upgrade to Homeschool Edition to get 68 pg. Teacher’s/Parent’s Guidebook, and 2 Teacher Resource DVDs: Upgrade Learn and Master Guitar.

Here is where you can find out more about the Guitar Lessons Homeschool Edition.

Technorati Tags: DVD, DVDs, guitar, guitar student, homeschool lessons, homeschooling, learn and master, piano, upgrade

For the complete interactive home study jazz guitar course that guarantees super-fast results: Play Jazz Guitar includes.

• Part One: Melody
• Part Two: Harmony
• Part Three: Playing over changes
• Part Four: Phrase development

Check out the bonus free lesson that introduces this course: Play What You Hear is a revolutionary way to learn. You can buy and download these lessons or order them on CD – a nice choice for any jazz guitar student.Find out more…

Technorati Tags: by ear, CD, chris standring, download, hear, intermeditate, jazz guitar lessons, learn, online, play

This is one of the top guitar lesson courses available today. We are proud to offer this in our guitar lessons store! Not only because of the excellence of the course, but the trustworthy nature of the company that produced it. Keep in mind that if you buy this course and are not completely satisfied, you can request and receive 100% or your money back. But the better guarantee is that you will learn to play the guitar with this step-by-step, clearly designed set of 20 DVDs and the corresponding CDs, as well as printed materials. This course has it all!

Find out More or Order Now – Guitar Lessons

Technorati Tags: buy, complete, DVD, Guitar Lessons, Learn and Master Guitar, money back guarantee, shop, steve krenz

These Interactive CD Guitar Lessons are for beginners or for those who want to brush up their guitar playing, this excellent course with guitarist Chirs Standring will take you far. And this course is a step-by-step interactive course for learning either electric or acoustic guitar.

Technorati Tags: acoustic, beginners, chris standring, course, electric, guitar made simple, intermediate, lessons