FREE LESSON
PHIL KEAGGY - Grammy nominated and seven-time Dove Award winner, is one of the world’s great guitar players and a pioneer in contemporary Christian music.
- January 18, 2017
- Guitar Lessons
Anything that’s free is good, right? Maybe, maybe not. Like they say, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Free guitar lessons may not cost you money, but they’re not magic. You’ll still have to put in the necessary time to grasp and learn the lesson.
It’s noble that some companies or individuals will offer free guitar lessons, but beware! Most are just wanting to hook you in. They want to get you coming to the site and learning things for a short time in hopes you’ll sign up and pay the subscription. While there’s nothing wrong with that, you may want to make sure the website is worth your time before you commit.
Loving the Pros
We all like getting something for free. A free sample of sweet and sour chicken at the mall food court is just enough to whet your appetite and make you crave a whole plate full. Question is, how many times do you actually take the time to sit down and enjoy a whole plate of chicken? We know that analogy is a bit of a stretch, but free guitar lessons aren’t too different.
A free guitar website may whet your appetite too, but actually taking the time to play the music you learned and master it correctly is another discipline altogether. Digesting a bit of music is similar to digesting a bite of chicken in that it just takes time.
Guitar lessons with a private teacher are expensive. You won’t see any of those guys advertising free lessons too much. Many of the websites offering free guitar lessons are a bit of a win-win in that you get to see what the lessons are like before you have to pay and the company gets you interested in their business.
Bite Size Pieces?
Free guitar lessons might only offer, say, the intro to a popular song like “Stairway To Heaven.” That’s cool, but then there’s the rest of the song (and it’s quite intense). One day you may be in a cover band and suddenly realize, “Hey I know the intro but not the rest of it.” What a disclaimer!
We’ve all learned that signature riff to a song and were content to pass on the rest of the tune. We won’t say whether that’s a pro or con of free guitar lessons, but you’ll need to remember to find the rest of the song. The last thing you want is to be at a party and forget a song halfway through. If you get a free guitar lesson and learn a cool riff or intro etc. take the time to learn the whole song and commit it to memory.
Loathing the Cons
When it comes to the negative aspects of free guitar lessons, you may not see any big dangers. You might give out your email address or put down a credit card to actually get the access for the free lesson, but a free guitar lesson is otherwise harmless. However, let’s say you gave a site your email address. Do we need to say more? One con may be the ads that now pop up in your email account or the constant requests for your time to do surveys etc. All you wanted was a free lesson, now you’re cleaning out your inbox three or four times a day.
Another con is the use of a credit card to access a site. Any time you have to put down a source of payment, it’s probably not as free as you’d like it to be. If it’s really free, you should get a one-time code or some other access to view the material that’s free. To avoid paying for something you thought would be free, you might have to opt out of a program before they charge you.
Be mindful of sale tactics! FREE is the biggest buzzword of our time. “It’s Free!” Yeah right! “You’ve won a free car IF this key fits it.” ‘IF” is the expensive part. You’ll regret chasing some free things. Joining a trusted site or finding a local teacher might be a safer way to do things.
Free Guitar Lessons in Perspective
One free guitar lesson that might pay off is a free guitar clinic at a local music shop or even a church. Sometimes stores will pay a great guitarist to demo their guitars and promote their products. This is a perfectly safe and smart free guitar lesson. You’re likely to learn a lot from a pro. Even though it may not be as personal as a private lesson or sitting in front of your computer screen where you can pause and work on the licks, a free guitar clinic is well worth the time. You’ll be inspired and may even be able to use your phone to record or video bits and pieces. Imagine being on the front row of a clinic with legendary and amazing guitarists like Phil Keaggy or Doyle Dykes. Those guys sometimes get hired to do exactly what we’re describing. Sitting up close to one of those guys for a 90-minute guitar clinic may change your life forever.
Free isn’t always bad, you just want to be smart and get the most for your time. Look for free guitar clinics in your local Guitar Center or music shop. Also, check with contemporary churches that do workshops on guitar for worship people. You’ll be surprised what you’ll learn about tone and even chords and riffs at church. Learn everything you can from wherever you can.
People like free stuff. Just read the fine print is all. Don’t be surprised if at some point you’re asked to commit. Depending on how good the lessons are, you may even be in favor of that. Free guitar lessons from a sit-down with a local in a music store is worth it, right? You gotta be there though. A free online lesson is what it is. Don’t get sucked into something you can’t pay for. Even if you’ve found a paid service or personal teacher already, you may want to use free guitar lessons to supplement your education.
If you’re looking for affordable guitar lessons online, the instructors at Pro Lessons could be just the thing you need. To check out our rates and learn more, click on the link below.
