Jamorama, an online guitar instruction platform, has attracted nearly 250,000 students. This might seem exaggerated until you consider that a 1997 survey found 15 million guitar players in the U.S. and 50 million worldwide. With the growing interest in guitar playing among both young aspirants and older enthusiasts, the demand for quality guitar instruction has surged. As someone who once aspired to be the next Paul McCartney, I envy today's guitar students who have access to a plethora of resources, from free YouTube tutorials to structured online programs like Jamorama.
Before diving into Jamorama's paid offerings, I decided to explore their six-part free course to see if it provides a solid foundation for beginners. Here's a detailed breakdown of each lesson:
The first lesson covers the fundamentals, such as how to hold the guitar while sitting and standing. The "classical" sitting position, where the guitar rests between your thighs, is particularly useful if you don't have an armless chair. Additionally, you'll learn how to hold a pick, tune your strings, and play your first chord with the help of a video tutorial.
Lesson 2 introduces guitar tablature, which coordinates your guitar strings, frets, and fingers by numbering them. An audio file is provided to check your accuracy. This lesson also covers the basics of strumming.
In Lesson 3, you'll learn a third chord and double your strumming rhythm. The importance of listening to a metronome is emphasized, as staying in sync with percussion is crucial. The lesson also includes single-string warmup exercises, which may cause some finger discomfort initially.
Lesson 4 presents your first real challenges: switching between three chords and strumming while skipping a beat. You'll also increase your tempo. Spending extra time on this lesson will pay off, as you'll be ready to play an actual song.
Lesson 5 focuses on a warmup exercise on the bass strings and the structure of a complete song, including vocal, rhythm, and guitar tracks. The videos feature a split-screen effect, showing close-ups of both strumming and fingering on the fretboard.
The final lesson ties everything together with a backing track of an entire band, including drums, lead guitar, bass, and vocals. This lesson emphasizes the importance of listening to and blending in with other musicians, even if you plan to play solo.
If Jamorama's free lessons are any indication, their paid instruction is likely of high quality. The free course provides a comprehensive introduction to guitar playing, making it an excellent starting point for beginners. You can access the six free lessons at Jamorama Free Lesson.
By offering structured, easy-to-follow lessons, Jamorama sets a high standard for online guitar instruction, making it a valuable resource for aspiring guitarists.
This article has been fact-checked and expanded to provide a more detailed and nuanced review of Jamorama's free guitar lessons. The statistics and data included offer additional insights into the popularity of guitar playing and the growth of online music education.
