If you've ever dreamed of learning guitar but you can't afford an instructor, Learn & Master Guitar provides a legitimate, proven method to master the skills necessary to play guitar well.
After trying numerous instruction books, DVDs and online programs for beginners, and being horribly disappointed, I stumbled onto this comprehensive program hosted by accomplished guitar master Steve Krenz. Learn & Master Guitar is not a program for novices who think they can pick up a guitar and play well in a day -- the lie promised by too many guitar programs. Krenz makes it clear from the start that learning how to play guitar well takes many months and years of dedication.
Learn & Master Guitar is for beginners who want to become more than strumming monkeys. What I mean by that is Krenz has created a lesson book, ten DVDs and five jam-along CDs that take you from the very beginning -- learning the parts of the guitar, how to hold it, how to read music, how to play single note melodies and strum simple rhythms -- in a logical step-by-step manner. Krenz pleasantly and calmly walks you through the details of every step and offers critical tips that will help you to advance from lost novice to true musician.
For me, the extra effort required by Learn & Master Guitar -- as opposed to "play guitar today" programs -- was well worth the investment. By the time I was half way through the program -- a year after I started -- I could read music well enough to buy songbooks and play many, not all, of the songs in them.
Once you nail down the fundamentals, Krenz spends the second half of Learn & Master Guitar exposing you to the basic skills required to fingerpick and play a wide variety of genres including Blues and Rock. Krenz makes it clear that his goal isn't to make you completely proficient in those areas. His aim is to give you the basic skills necessary to branch out into specialized practice with an instructor or other educational DVD program. (Krenz has a Learn & Master Blues Guitar course that's worth a look.) Krenz also spends a fair amount of time on music theory, which will come in handy if you plan to compose original music or play with a band.
The Learn & Master Guitar book, DVDs and jam-along CDs work extremely well together. The book is clear and concise and follows the DVDs to the letter. I wish the course included more contemporary music, but Krenz explains that gaining the right to use them was prohibitively expensive. Fortunately, there are thousands of sheet music books that will match your playing ability. There are also a lot of free chord sites on the Web with easy versions of popular songs.
The Learn & Master Guitar DVDs are expertly produced and use close-ups and other production methods to teach a skill from many different angles. The jam-along CDs have a slightly cheesy electronic sound, but once I get playing I don't notice it as much.
My only other criticism is that the amount of time the lesson book says it will take you to master a skill seems pretty short. Or I might just be on the slow side when it comes to guitar. Don't get frustrated if you don't meet the deadlines. It's more important to take your time and master a skill before you move on.
I am indebted to Steve Krenz and Legacy Learning for producing Learn & Master Guitar, the only fully legitimate instructional program I've ever found. It might cost a little bit more than other programs, but if you're serious about playing the guitar, you have to make the investment.
Learn & Master Guitar is NOT for beginners who believe the hype of too many guitar instructional programs that claim "You can play guitar in a day!" You can't. This program is for beginners who understand the importance of learning how to play guitar from the ground up -- including how to read music, play single note melodies and shape and change chords correctly before moving on. Over the course of a year, Learn & Master Guitar took me from zero to being able to pick up and play sheet music in rock, country, folk and other genres.
Learn & Master Guitar comes in a kit with a lesson book, ten DVDs and five jam-along CDs. (There's an enhanced version for hardcore novices.) Host Steve Krenz, an accomplished guitar master, is a superb instructor. He intelligently and pleasantly walks you through each and every skill and provides numerous exercises to help you master them. He also provides tips and tricks to make sure you're getting the most out of every minute spent studying. I owe my ability to play guitar and enthusiam to develop my skills for the rest of my life to Krenz and Legacy Learning.
If you're serious about playing guitar, skip the gimmicky programs and invest in Learn & Master Guitar. Put in the time, you will get results.
