Online Video Lessons By JamPlay
A lot of people email me or ask during lessons how I began playing and what kind of training I had initially when I started. Well, my beginnings were pretty humble (insert theme from “The Waltons” here). I grew up in the mountains in Southwest Virginia where there were no guitar teachers for miles (the nearest teacher was about 45 minutes away), so most of my learning was self-paced. There was no such thing as “online” lessons at this time, so I, like many others in my situation, used mail-order lessons.
I was fortunate to find some good materials and plodded my way through them during my teen years, and I supplemented this study with occasional lessons from my “local” teacher (again, about an hour away). A few years after I started playing, my hometown did have a guitar teacher...me! But it took me a long time to progress.
These days, the beginning/intermediate student is faced with the opposite problem. There are so many lessons both online and written that it becomes challenging to decide what to choose. There’s also tons of free material available online, including free YouTube lessons. However, most of the lessons on YouTube remind me of the old adage, “You get what you pay for.”
I have recently become affiliated with a company called JamPlay that offers professional quality online video lessons. For $19.95 a month, you have access to unlimited online video lessons on a variety of topics.
Now, many people have already asked me if I was crazy offering this service. “Won’t it put you out of business?” people ask me. Hardly. I personally think the best way to learn is through a mixture of written material, video lessons, and one-on-one instruction. Just the other day I had a new student who had been teaching herself how to play but wanted the feedback of a personal instructor. When she played for me, I immediately noticed a potential problem with her fretting hand. I physically relocated her hand for her to help her be more efficient in her playing. No book or video lesson can do that!
For only $19.95 per month, I recommend this service to all of my students. Since I’m familiar with the material on JamPlay, I can actually help you if you have any questions about the lessons. You can cancel your service at any time.
The best way to progress is having personal instruction (like RSR Guitar Studio) coupled with a library of instructional material like JamPlay. It’s the best of both worlds! Click on the banners on this page for details.
-Scott
p.s. In a few weeks, I will be offering my own interactive video lessons using video chat technology to people across the country. Again, this service is one that can be used alongside JamPlay. With realtime video interaction, I can provide immediate feedback to students and answer questions about all guitar-related concerns. This service will be available starting in July for students 13 and up. Check back soon!