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by: Dave Bennett

Not all guitar lessons are the same. In the same way as all school teachers not being the same. So which to choose private guitar lessons or internet downloads. Which is the best way to learn? There are a variety of ways to learn to play guitar - the real challenge is to find out the most effective way for you.

Firstly what learning goals do you have, what you do aim to achieve, and how long do you expect it to take? Do you want to be professional, semi-pro or strictly an amateur guitarist? Also have you thought about what style of playing will best serve you best?

Realistically what do you hope to achieve in the next year?

Jam with other guitarists and musicians?

Play for friends and family?

To learn to play your favourite songs?

Guitar lessons are a strong discipline like any learning experience. Once you decide to learn this instrument, you have to persevere and stay focused. Here is a quick 'learn guitar review'.

Online Internet lessons

Before you choose to take lessons from any internet tutorial, it is best to seek out some reviews of the options available. Otherwise it is dead easy to spendout on a system that doesn't suit you at all.

How strongly do you value your spare time?

It's dead easy to waste 10 hours or so a week, mindlessly surfing the web looking out for guitar tips. Whereas if you know what you are doing and have located a strong training system you can spend that time playing guitar and learning the things you really wanted to play.

Internet lessons are definitely cheaper than private lessons, they are more convenient, at your own time and leisure. They are also in the comfort of your own home with no need to travel anywhere.

One major drawback is that if you make mistakes (without realising it), there is nobody to tell you about them! Also nobody there to ask about something you are not clear about.

Private guitar lessons

This is the most effective ways to learn, but it costs! You'll get one on one tuition, and any bad habits will be nipped in the bud. The instructor is usually well qualified and you can swap and change styles as you see fit.

It is always best to use a teacher who specialises in the style you predominantly wantb to learn. There's no point in taking a classically trained teacher to show you how to play blues guitar!

The world is full of classically trained guitar teachers who have not the slightest clue about modern music. It may also be useful to do some research on the teacher, such as famous students.


Drawbacks include being tied down to a fixed time and place, and of course the excessive cost.

The bottom line

There is no substitute for hard work no matter what you choose. If you haven't got the will to practice over and over, it's probably best to save your cash!


About The Author
Dave Bennett is an experienced guitar teacher, and a big fan of internet online courses. He is part of the team that carry out regular reviews of the best guitar learning sites on the internet.

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by: Nigel Rowles


Intervals are the fundamental building blocks of music allowing us to read and write music, and most importantly, to help us construct chords and harmonies. However words like major, minor, augmented, diminished, enharmonic and compound leave many people a bit confused, hopefully this article will throw some light on the subject.

The ‘distance’ between two notes is known as an interval. This is the difference in pitch between two notes. The size or amount of distance is measured numerically.

If we consider the C scale there are 8 notes; C D E F G A B C numbered from 1 through to 8. As an example the interval from C to G is a 5th as G is 5 notes above C. The interval from C to F is a 4th as F is 4 notes above C.

All intervals are measured from the first note of the scale. These intervals are given a name as well as a numeric value and in order of progression they are: C-D is a major 2nd, C-E is a major 3rd, C-F is a perfect 4th, C-G is a perfect 5th, C-A major 6th, C-B major 7 and finally C-C is a perfect octave.

The intervals that are perfect are so called because they have a certain purity about them that comes from the overtones and upper-partials that are contained within them (these will be explained in another article)

Intervals can be raised or lowered by a half-step/semitone. If a major interval is chromatically reduced by a half-step it becomes a minor interval e.g. C-E is a major 3rd, if it is lowered by a half-step (from C-Eb) the interval becomes a minor 3rd.

If a perfect interval is chromatically reduced by a half-step it becomes a diminished interval i.e. a perfect 4th lowered by a half-step becomes a diminished 4th.

If major or perfect intervals are raised by a half-step then they become an augmented interval i.e. a perfect 5th would become an augmented 5th.

Compound intervals are those that extend into the 2nd octave. C to D (in the next octave) is called either a major 9th or a compound major 2nd. C to F (next octave) is a perfect 11th or a compound perfect 4th.

Enharmonic intervals are those that differ in name but not pitch, for example C-G# is an augmented 5th and C-Ab is a minor 6th.

When intervals are inverted they reverse the relative position of the notes. C-G (perfect 5th) becomes G-C which is a perfect 4th, a 3rd would become a 6th. Perfect intervals when inverted remain perfect e.g. C-G being a perfect 5th would become a perfect 4th when inverted, a major becomes minor, minor becomes major, diminished becomes augmented and augmented becomes diminished.

These rules apply to all scales.


About The Author
Nigel Rowles

1986 Diploma in Music – Classical Guitar Major. I have been performing for 34 years either as solo instrumentalist, in duos, trios and in rock bands playing guitar or bass guitar. 10 years ago I started teaching guitar, bass and music theory which led me to independently writing, producing and publishing The Guitar Instruction, Musicianship & Reference Manual with DVD on Left & Right Hand Techniques.

http://www.nofretguitarlessons.com.au

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