The media of the streaming video has allowed people to learn from the comfort of their own front room, at any time of the day or night, whenever they like. Not only that, but it has blossomed into a huge industry – there are a massive amount of sites that you can visit that promise to teach you a very high standard of guitar tutorials. In this article, we will explore some of the advantages of the online tutorial, and some of the things that they can offer you if you are considering learning to play the guitar.

1)    The convenience
We are lucky to live in a time when convenience and easy availability of goods and services is part of our social make-up, and when it comes to learning to play the guitar, this is no different. As we stated earlier, by learning to play the guitar online you can learn wherever and whenever you want. More and more everyday activities are becoming more and more convenient (like shopping, for example).

Traditionally, guitar students would commute to an instructor’s studio – taking into account the journey time and travel inconvenience it usually meant putting an evening or an afternoon aside for a lesson. Now, however, you can learn for a few minutes at a time if you so wish, and even fit learning to play the guitar around other activities.

2) Choose your own instructor
The majority of online tutorial sites give you the advantage of being able to choose from a wide variety of instructors. This means that instead of just finding someone who is close to your home, you can browse through a number of biographies and see sample lessons before you decide. The biggest advantage of this, of course, is that you can find someone who is specific to your needs.

Take a look at a few different instructors so that you can find one that best suits your particular style – do you prefer a hands-on or more visual approach, for example? You do not have to stick to just one instructor – in fact, by taking lessons from two or three instructors you get a great sense of balance, and a lot of people can lean a lot faster this way.

3) Flexibility
You have the flexibility to choose what you learn, rather than in a one-to-one situation where you often find that you can only learn what the instructor wants to teach you. With an online program, you get to learn what you want to learn.

4)    Affordability
The math is relatively simple: if 100 members of a particular site pay $10 each, then the site generates $1000. This revenue can then be used to film and produce even more lessons. The whole business premise of the online tutorial is that they can provide more lessons for less money. In order to learn to play the guitar, a lot of people don’t want to spend a whole lot of money.

The value of the online training is clear. A lot of the websites offer membership for around $40, which represents great value for money when you consider how many lessons are open to you when you join up. With a one-on-one instructor you will be looking to pay something between $30 and $60 per half hour lesson.

The only significant downfall when it comes to online learning, is that there is no-one there to ask a question to when you get stuck. It can seem a little frustrating at times when you come across something that you don’t understand. This, however, is a pretty small disadvantage when you consider all the benefits of learning to play the guitar online.

Copyright 2009 Liam Gibson of ReviewsMetro.com

·    Post-practice
A common problem amongst guitarists is the deterioration of the strings. If they start to rust they become much rougher, and also will be more likely to cut into your fingers. If your fingers are cut, then you are not going to be able to play as well, so it’s vital to make sure you don’t get to this stage. All you need to do is as soon as you have finished practicing, take a soft cloth and gently clean the strings.

This is a very simple action, but it will get rid of all the oil, dirt and sweat that can accumulate on the strings. You might want to think about applying a thin layer of string conditioner before you re-case your guitar. These solutions are relatively inexpensive (a good one will cost less than ten US dollars) and they do a great job of preventing the oxidization of the strings that causes them to rust.

·    The fretboard
When you next change your strings, simply clean the fretboards with a damp cloth. There can often be an accumulation of dirt and grease around the fretboards, just as there is on the strings. If this is left unclean, it can lead to serious damage for your guitar, compromising the integrity of the instrument.

·    Care for your body!
A lot of people neglect the body of the guitar as they focus too much on the strings and the fretboard. Whilst these do need a lot of attention, paying a bit of attention to the body of your guitar will prolong its life by a large factor. All you need to do is polish it regularly with a lint-free cloth. Make sure you use only guitar-specific polishes – some of the more widely available household polishes are more likely to be abrasive and cause some serious damage.

·    Storage
Whilst most guitars are tolerant to a range of temperatures, excessive moisture will cause swelling which in turn causes the wood to warp and affects the overall sound. For ideal conditions, you should be looking at storing your guitar at around 50% humidity and a temperature of around 25 degrees C. Your guitar is a very sensitive instrument, and is extremely sensitive to the environment in which it is stored. Wood is a porous substance, which means it can absorb moisture.

·    Scratches

It may sound obvious, but you’d be amazed at how many people have made this mistake! Before you even start to play, make sure you have removed all your jewellery and other accoutrements that may damage your guitar. The obvious things are things like bracelets and rings, but I have also seen expensive guitars scratched badly by something as simple as a belt buckle!

Guitar maintenance is not rocket science, and by treating your guitar with the respect that it deserves, you will prolong the lifespan of your guitar. For the majority of the time, simply by applying common sense you will get better rewards out of playing it.

Copyright 2009 Liam Gibson