Online Guitar Resources
The internet offers an abundance of guitar resources for all guitarists, whether they are beginners or more advanced. Here are some of the things you might be interested in:
Guitars & accessories
Perhaps most obviously, the internet makes it very easy to purchase guitars, guitar parts, accessories and other related gear, and you have access to merchandise from all over the world. No longer are you restricted to buying from your local stores, or faced with the prospect of travelling long distances to get the guitar you want. While most people will want to try out a new model of guitar in person before buying, you now have the option of finding a better price online after doing so. Plus with auction sites like eBay, you can grab some truly great bargains, not to mention rare guitars and other gear that can be hard to find in stores.
Forums and other communities
Don’t know anyone else who shares your passion for the guitar? Never mind, you’ll find plenty of like-minded people in cyberspace, and there are hundreds of guitar forums and other communities to choose from. Some of these are large, busy and rather general, and others are highly specialised. So no matter how obscure your interest, you can connect with others who share it.
Books, DVDs, guitar music
Local stores are necessarily limited in terms of the stock that they carry, and if you order a title in, you might be waiting for weeks for it to arrive. But thanks to Amazon
Online tuition
Many people want to learn to play the guitar, but don’t want (or don’t have access to) a traditional guitar teacher. If that sounds like you, you now have another option – online lessons. There are many sites offering guitar tuition in the form of videos, written material, audio and/or software – all of which is easily delivered over the internet. Some of these sites offer free online guitar lessons, whereas others charge a fee. The quality varies a lot too, so if you decide to take this option, make sure you check to see what other people are saying about the course in question first. But when you find a good one, this can be a very effective and economical way to learn the guitar. For a comprehensive list, see the online guitar lessons and training directory.
General guitar info sites
Perhaps there’s something you want to know – why your guitar makes that buzzing sound, or how to avoid wrist pains, or whether the guitar you’re thinking of buying is a good one. A quick Google search will throw up millions of guitar-related sites packed with information on every guitar-related topic you can think of, and much of the time you’ll find an answer to your question quickly and easily – and for free.
Musician videos & sites
Feeling uninspired? If you’re anything like me, listening to the guitarists you admire the most will help you get your enthusiasm back pretty sharpish. And there’s no shortage of great watching and listening material online, thanks to YouTube, musicians’ own sites, and other sources.
Directories of teachers, technicians and other useful people
If you’re looking for a guitar teacher, or perhaps need someone to repair or service your guitar, chances are you’ll find suitable candidates advertising or otherwise listed online for your local area.
Places to share your music
If you’re into recording your own music, or covers of your favourite tracks, the web provides plenty of venues at which you can share your performances with others. Whether you set up a MySpace page, or join one of the musician communities like SoundClick, the web is the easiest way to put your music out there, and maybe even find others to jam or collaborate with too.
These are just some of the main ways in which the internet benefits guitarists. Are you taking full advantage of it?
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