Learn Guitar your way with a TakeLessons expert

Take the plunge into writing jazz songs on guitar with these tips from guitar teacher Samuel B.... Although jazz guitar is a formal discipline, you can mix it into your repertoire of original songs without formal training. Here are five easy ways to do this: Include Triads In Your Songs Triads (three-note chords) are your most accessible ally. There are two basic ones. I refer to the first one as the “L.” It looks like this:   Although it can be strummed, the “L” cho

Starting bluegrass guitar lessons is fun and exciting, and odds are you'll have a lot to learn! Guitar teacher Samuel B. shares a few things you'll want to do before you get started... Bluegrass is as much a piece of American musical culture as jazz, blues, country, gospel and early rock and roll. All of these styles (save for jazz) are based on the same three chords: C, F and G7th. Three of these styles (blues, country and gospel) are based on a slow rhythm that allows the guitarist room to

Indie-folk group Decker is a band on the move. When I called guitarist and singer Brandon Decker for an interview, he was signing the paperwork for a brand new van for the band. "I think it's the nicest vehicle I've ever owned. It's gonna be very nice to not have to worry about being stranded roadside." Decker admitted. And with their busy touring schedule, Decker needs reliable transportation now more than ever. I chatted with Decker about his musical roots, his prolific songwriting

Looking for some beginner-friendly country songs to play on guitar? Here, Katy, TX guitar instructor Zachary A. shares some of his favorite classic country songs that are easy to learn and fun to play... Whether you're a fan of country music or not, there's no denying the appeal of the acoustic guitar when it comes to playing traditional country songs. In this blog post, we'll take a look at the best country songs for guitar.  Country music has changed a lot over the past couple decades,

Interested in online bass guitar lessons? Here, online teacher Justine D. shares what to expect in your bass guitar lessons, how to prepare, and more:   If you’re curious about playing bass but can’t find a teacher in your area, online bass guitar lessons may be right for you! Video-chatting technology like Skype and Google Hangouts make it easy to connect with a teacher and start making music from your own home. You may be wondering what to expect from online lessons, whethe

Getting started on guitar can be mystifying without a great teacher to guide you. Follow these tips from guitar teacher Jerry W. and  you'll be on your way to playing the guitar... So you want to teach yourself how to play guitar? You dream of playing your favorite song or gigging in a band. You've bought a guitar and you're ready to start. But now what? Where should you begin? In this post I will walk you through making a plan to teach yourself guitar. I will cover the steps to developin

It takes a lot of skill to stand out as a guitarist. Here, guitar teacher Bernard M. shows you exactly what it takes to pull off an amazing solo and how you should approach phrasing... If you're a guitar player, you know that crafting the perfect guitar solo takes practice and dedication. But what about when you've got the basics down? What are the final touches needed to really make your solo stand out from the rest?  Read on for our top tips on producing the best guitar solos of al

Even beginners can start playing a little bluegrass guitar. Music teacher Matthew K. shares a selection of his favorite easy bluegrass guitar songs... When I first listened to bluegrass music, I knew I had to learn the guitar parts. They are very intricate and fun! The patterns weave in and out of each other, creating a sound that is unique to the genre. It can be a daunting sound for any beginner - and it may seem impossible at first - but remember, everyone has to start at the beginning

Do you want to start guitar lessons but you're wondering how long it will take you to see the payoff? Or, have you already started and you're wondering if you're really making progress? Guitar teacher Peter M. shares just how long it really takes most students to learn guitar... This age old question has been asked by nearly all of my students for as long as I’ve been teaching: how long will it take to learn how to play guitar? Will it take a week? A month? A year? Longer? And the answer

With so much information online about guitar theory, how do you know which sites to trust? Guitar teacher Zachary A. shares his top 10 favorite sites for learning about the guitar... Online resources for guitar theory are extremely helpful. These 10 websites are all incredible tools for guitar players of all levels - beginner, intermediate, and expert. Each of these websites is also free to the public and extremely detailed. 1. TakeLessons Live It can be difficult to learn guitar theory