How to learn guitar online

Thank god for the internet. It's not only made communication and commerce easier by a factor of 1000, it's given us access to the information we need for anything from fixing your car to planting your garden just a few keystrokes away. No more need for expensive professionals; we're a DIY world now. Instead of having to fork over hundreds or thousands of dollars, all it takes is an internet connection, a clear head and some perseverance to find whatever it is that youre looking for.

One of the most fun DIY adventures can be learning an instrument, or specifically taking the time to learn guitar online. The guitar is, of course, the defining instrument of blues and rock and roll, so it's only natural that most of us, at some point, have picked one up and tried to figure it out. Unless you're a rare genius, that self-taught lesson or two - maybe after half a dozen beers back in college - probably didn't go so well.

That's why it's so great that you can learn guitar online now. There are myriad sites dedicated to teaching prospective students the instrument, with detailed graphs showing fingerings, pickings, etc etc. Some sites have video and audio instructions, and some even have programs that can help you learn how to tune your guitar.

These are called "online multimedia lessons," and they've been around for nearly a decade now but only recently have they come into their own in terms of the depth and breadth of the lessons. You can learn guitar online now if you're a beginner, or an intermediate looking to learn specific songs, or an advanced player looking for music theory and songcrafting information.

One of the best resources to learn guitar online is Youtube. Just search "learn guitar" on Youtube and you'll get thousands of hits from helpful guitarists who've made videos of themselves teaching the basics of the instrument. You'll learn the scales, the frets, your chords, proper picking technique, and even how to change strings and tune your instrument. All without the cost of taking lessons or bugging your musically talented friends to teach you.

Just remember to look out for websites advertising "free" online lessons. The word "free" is a dead giveaway that it's not actually free, so avoid these sites like the plague. If you want to learn guitar online, there are plenty of outlets that will do so without asking for your credit card number or the like, so stick with those. You'll be happy you did.