7 Reasons Why Guitar Instruction Videos on DVD Are So Effective

There are many different formats for guitar instruction and guitar lessons. The most common are text (books and charts), online video, live instruction by a guitar teacher, guitar learning software, and our favorite, DVD video. Many people have seen impressive results from learning with DVD video. I am going to explain why I think DVD based guitar lessons are so effective.

1. You learn faster visually. It is much easier to learn to play guitar by watching someone go through the motions, especially when the videos are well made and show clear shots and closeups. There are so many dynamics and changes involved when playing guitar - chord formations, scales, patterns, etc... Reading charts in a book isn't nearly as effective.

2. You are in control. With DVD based instruction you have complete control over the learning process. Was a certain concept confusing? Did you miss something? No problem, hit rewind. Is the current lesson too basic? Do you already know these chords? No problem, skip forward.

3. Slow motion / pause. Did he play that scale too fast? Is is hard to see what notes he's hitting in that arpeggio? If so, just hit slow motion and go through it step-by-step. Does that chord look strange or sound wrong when you play it? Hit pause, and look at each string and fret carefully.

4. Simple navigation. Fortunately most DVDs have title menus. If you want to jump to a specific lesson or topic just open the DVD menu, select the chapter or lesson and hit play. It might also be helpful to jump between lessons especially if a particular lesson is based upon material that was covered in a previous lesson or chapter.

5. Keep interest level high. Learning guitar can become frustrating at times. If you lose interest or get bored, you may just decide to give up. Watching a captivating, lively, or funny teacher can help keep your interest which usually makes the difference between success and failure.

6. Portability. Do you have a laptop or a portable DVD player? If you do, you have the freedom to roam which can also be another way to keep your interest level high. Learn to play guitar on a car trip, at a friends house, in your back yard, at the beach, or anywhere else you can go.

7. Recognizing different guitar styles. There are many different guitar styles and in turn different techniques for each. For example, bending or muting a string on an electric guitar a certain way may not sound right on an acoustic guitar. Another example is blues guitar patterns look different than jazz guitar patterns. If you can make a visual connection to these different styles and nuances within each style, you will learn faster and play better.

As you can see, there are clear benefits to DVD based guitar instruction as opposed to other guitar learning methods. The best DVD based guitar lessons that we've found is Learn and Master Guitar. If you are interested in learning more about guitar lesson courses, be sure to check out our guitar lesson course reviews.