Learn and Master Guitar
Feb 19th, 2008 by guitarnews
learn and master guitar is one of the premier general guitar courses on the market. Designed to suit many different learning styles, the program involves no set up. Students simply slip in the first DVD and the program runs on autopilot. The lessons are simple, fun and jammed with plenty of tips, techniques and songs.
The author is Steve Krenz, who has a degree in music and has played professionally with a broad range of bands from symphony orchestras to the well known “Fifth Dimension”. Steve has taught thousands of lessons to students of all ages and skill levels and has delivered guitar playing and music workshops all over the world.
Program Overview
learn and master guitar comprises 10 DVDs with 20 learning sessions, a 108 page companion book and five Jam Along audio CDs. You can jam along with a full band, playing the guitar part or turning down the guitar and jamming with the band.
Each lesson features a play along video lesson, a video tips section and a workshop section. Information is provided on guitar care and maintenance, auxiliary equipment, as well as how to select a suitable guitar.
The workshop section is an innovative practice session which features a unique approach to learning how to practice guitar effectively. The “workshop” sessions are very similar having a live teacher guiding you, without having to leave your home or pay the teacher.
Steve Krenz’s teach style is quiet, down to earth and matter of fact. He covers each topic in a logical fashion, moving through at a brisk pace. The short, fun performances he offers at the end of sessions are a clever, inspiring way to make the transition between lessons.
Who This Course Suits
Beginners. This guitar course is perfect for beginners. It starts out assuming nothing, teaching students everything they need to know about guitar parts, strings and chords. Simple songs are introduced early to intersperse with the tedious work of learning notes and playing smooth chords. The play along “workshop” sessions are ideal for teaching efficient and effective practice habits.
Intermediate players. Intermediate players usually have a good base of experience and skills, with a few gaps in their knowledge. Guitar players in this category should find new material by the time they reach the 5th or 6th CD. Material in the first few CD’s will be fairly familiar, but can still act as a good reference and refresher for skills already learned.
Advanced guitar players. Guitarists experienced in playing different genres of music over a long period may not find a lot that is new in this course. There may be some value if an advanced player is seeking to learn guitar styles not yet tried.
Children. This course would also suit most children 8 years and over to learn independently. Children younger than 8 years old would probably need initial supervision to establish good habits and a good practice routine.
What We Liked
Support for this course is good. Students can access a members only website which includes a discussion board for posting questions and sharing information with other students and moderators. Additional exercises can also be accessed.
The guided video workshop sections of each lesson are performed in unison with the video teacher. This is a good way to eliminate bad practice habits before they become entrenched, moving students along much faster by “forcing” the practice to become part of the lesson. Better practice time always helps guitar students progress faster.
The Downside
The only “downside” comments are just nitpicking at best. The special styles section covering such genres as funk, blues, jazz and country could be longer - the short sections tend to leave you longing for more, particularly if you are an intermediate or advanced guitar player. The package is also not available for instant download via the internet, which might not suit some impatient students!
learn and master guitar is an excellent and comprehensive general guitar course, cleverly designed to suit many different learning styles. The lessons are laid out logically and learning the guitar is simple, fun and in some instances quite inspiring.
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