Guitar 101

Challenges

• Learn to play notes and chords

• Learn to read tabs & music notation

• Learn to play a song

• Record yourself playing a song

• Write a song

Tools

• Acoustic Guitar (Thinkering Studio has access to 2 acoustic guitars)

• Electric Guitar (Thinkering Studio has access to 2 electric guitars)

  • Amp (Thinkering Studio has access to 2 amps)

• Rocksmith (Thinkering Studio has access to 1 Rocksmith app)

• Apps to Slow Music for Practice

  • Amazing Slow Downer - Original, but expensive

  • Capo - highly recommended, but expensive - iOS app, MacOS app

  • YouTube - free, does a reasonable job

• Tuner Apps (many good options)

  • Fender Tune

• Metronome Apps

  • Pro Metronome

Resources & How-To's

• Complete Course

  • Gibson's Learn & Master Guitar  - This is the most comprehensive and carefully sequenced resource available - highly recommended (Thinkering Studio has access to a copy)

• Online Lessons

  • Fender Play - fee based lesson and song site

  • TrueFire - fee based lesson and song site. OR, pay a 1 time fee per video course. - highly recommended (Thinkering Studio has access to dozens of courses) 

  • GuitarTricks.com - fee based lesson and song site

• Online Song Lessons

  • Marty Schwartz - free video lessons and song tutorials. He has two sites, also check out GuitarJamz.

  • JustinGuitar - free video lessons and song tutorials

• Immersive Software

  • Yousician - Beginner lessons for guitar, bass, ukulele, piano, and voice. Requires a paid account for full access. Available for Mac, Windows, Android and iOS. Yousician listens while you play and provides feedback on note and rhythm accuracy.

  • Rocksmith - Fun practice tool for advanced beginners to advanced players. Has games to practice skills, but the focus is on learning songs. As you get better the app adds in more notes, increasing the difficulty. Hundreds of songs available at a variety of skill levels.

• Tabs

  • Ultimate Guitar - Thinkering Studio has a full access account

  • Chordie - 

  • Songterr - fee for full features

• Music Theory

  • Cheat Sheet, Intervals, Scales, Circle of Fifths, Etc.

Student Projects

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