Online Guitar Lessons: Marty Schwartz

If you've seen my other hub, the review on "Rocksmith," you know that I LOVE that game. I can play it for seven hours straight and the only reason I stop is because I need to eat to stay alive. I knew it wouldn't teach me everything. Don't get me wrong, the game does help with "lift off" and it's a blast. It still leaves me feeling like I can't play. With any instrument, it is absolutely true that you sound bad for a while, which leads me to my next point.

I'm currently taking a creativity class in college. It's part of a requirement but I've found some of it useful. Last week, we had a music workshop where my professor brought in a guitar teacher and he taught us a sliver of music theory. He asked if any of us play an instrument. Most said that they used to play in high school or before that and haven't since. I used to play the trumpet so I mentioned that and how I still remembered quarter notes, half notes, and all of that. Then, a few minutes later, he asked if anyone played guitar. No one raised their hand, not even me. I had mentioned in class before that I did and I'm really glad no one remembered or, if they did, didn't mention it. For the rest of the class I was battling myself trying to decide if I should mention it. I never did.

For the past few days it has been TORTURING me. I've had an acoustic guitar for four years and an electric for three. I've been neglecting my plans for learning so much that, 3-4 years later I still don't tell people. I really do want to tell people but the truth is, Rocksmith has only been a tool. I can't really pick up any guitar and start jamming, like I REALLY want to. I can play a few chords and maybe do rhythm, but Rocksmith hasn't really taught me rhythm. I can't keep a beat on my own. After four years I'm a bit ashamed of how little I know and what little I can do.

The real story begins now...

Last summer I opened my wallet a bit more than I probably should have. I spent half of my summer job salary on Marty Schwartz's Guitar Coaching Club. Every once in a while, Marty opens up this club and I was very vulnerable to the countdown timer on his website. I'm now a lifetime member on his website and I have every DVD he has ever released and in the future I will receive every DVD he releases. If you choose to jump on it right now and leave this hub to go buy something of his, please note that the DVDs are the same exactly videos he has on the website. If I wasn't already a part of the club I'd recommend paying for the yearly membership of around $130 simply because his site has everything you would ever need and you're not tied to just music theory, or just the blues lessons.

If you're not convinced this early, just wait. I haven't even really started.

Learning guitar online is incredibly difficult. Of course anything is possible but Youtube videos are almost impossible. There is no direction and there are huge gaps in learning. They give you pieces of what you need to know but it almost never comes together. Another problem for me was staying motivated. A lot of the videos are poor quality and sometimes difficult to understand, no offence to those people. They did teach me a few things.

One day I was looking up a lesson and in the "related videos" I saw this guy with a hat. Out of pure interest I clicked on it and I learned so much in a five minute video, so I clicked on the link at the bottom, and signed up for the three-day full trial of his website. There was so much there and I really looked at everything I could until the third day was up. I was short on money at the time and $130 was a lot, especially since I didn't have a job.

So I kept looking onto his Youtube channel and his free content was still so good and he made all his free lessons easy for beginners to learn. He picks songs of many genres and he made it look so natural and easy.

Eventually, it came to be last summer, the summer of 2012 and I bit my tongue and paid for the Guitar Coaching Club. Even at that point, I wasn't motivated. I don't know what it was. I had waited for Rocksmith for so long that I neglected my other attempts and methods for learning.

I guess it took my creativity class for it to really hit me and I'll tell you, it hit like a BRICK. I got emotional over the fact that I had wanted, for 10 years to play and now I had every opportunity and I still wasn't taking it.

Back to Marty though. This guy is amazing. His lessons really hit with me. I began, of course, with the beginner lessons and then, because of my creativity class, I started the "Music Theory Survival Guide." All of my performing arts friends dread their music theory classes so I really wasn't looking forward to them. I've watched and played along with the first two modules and I've learned so much in those twenty or so minutes than I would ever imagine. It's connected so much that I wonder how people neglect music theory and how Jimi Hendrix, who didn't learn theory, got to be so talented.

Learning how notes come to together and how they stack has been so much more beneficial and motivating than how learning was when I was memorizing scales and chords. Marty really makes his lessons practical. He doesn't flash diagrams and doesn't have a book. He does have a free ebook, but it's very short. I love that about him though. As soon as I see a white diagram on a video, it's an instant shot of boredom.

Marty is perfect for all skill levels. It doesn't matter how old you are or how long you've been on "the journey." As you can see in the video to the right, this kid ROCKS. At the time of the video he was 11 years old. In just a year and a half he sounds great!

I'm not at his level yet but with the lessons it seems very obtainable.

His Youtube videos are great examples of his teaching style and if he's the right teacher for you and you could probably learn a lot for free. You might be left with questions though and that's where the yearly subscription comes in. Everything you'll ever need to know to become a great player is all on his site.

He gives you a full three-day trial if you register. There's really nothing to lose and you have access to everything. Marty is constantly making new videos so the website is always fresh. If you think it's too expensive, his lessons are invaluable.