Ooo! You have to love when you find a course that both a dad and a daughter can enjoy. That's what's happened here when we were offered a chance to review the Semester 1 Bundle from Guitar 360 Method - an excellent resource for online, immersive lessons which include music theory.
Deal Alert!
What is Guitar 360 Method?
Guitar 360 Method is a series of online video guitar lessons designed for students who want to gain confidence in their guitar skills, enjoy freedom in when they learn, and exercise creativity in their playing.
The program aims to help you do more than JUST learn songs. It teaches how music works, so you can succeed with your aims, whether they be strumming for fun, playing in a band, or writing your own music.
Guitar 360 Method is best suited for tweens, teens, or adults, and can be excellent for you if you are an absolute beginner that wants to understand the guitar while learning practical music theory. It can also be ideal for you if you've been playing for a while, but wish to learn more in order to unleash your creativity. The author and instructor of the program also states that children as young as nine can do well with Guitar 360 Method if they have a strong personal desire and drive to succeed.
The Semester 1 Bundle comes with:
- the Free 5-week Absolute Beginner Course that takes you through Parts of the Guitar, Left Hand and Right Hand Basics, How to Tune, 4-Finger Warm Up Exercises, Your First Chord, Next chord(s), Basic Strumming, Pickups and Multiplying Chords, Parts of a Song, Practice, etc.
- Bonus Content Songs carefully instruct you with an Introduction and Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Bridge, and Practice
- 13 Weeks of Semester One material takes you from being a beginner to confidently playing in any key anywhere on the neck with dynamics, musical interest, and variety. Among other things, you'll learn about Chords, Strumming, Music Theory, Scales, and Adding Texture and Variety. By the time you finish the material, you'll have learned enough to a play rhythm or lead guitar.
When learning with Guitar 360 Method, you'll find a Cyclical Pedagogy where every bit of knowledge acquired connects to everything else you are learning, allowing you to build confidence, freedom, and creativity instead of being stuck in the mire of a tedious linear-approach.
In fact, the instructor and author of the program, Krisz Simonfalvi, has succeeded due to his mix of skill and down-to-earth music theory! He started playing classical guitar at age six, quickly became good at it, but did not enjoy it, because his teacher never taught him how to understand the guitar. So, Krisz quit playing after six years.
Then, in Krisz's teens, he picked up an electric guitar and found his music theory teacher's voice ringing in his ears. He realized how easy it is to understand the guitar with practical, down-to-earth music theory and went on to tour with bands, record in studios, produce music, and teach lessons to pros and newbie alike.
In his career, Krisz has:
- taught over 200 private students - from beginners to professionals
- instructed in guitar, bass, music theory, songwriting, stage performance, music production, arranging, and engineering
- recorded 20+ projects for a wide range of international artists on four continents
- and, of course, launched Guitar 360 Method.
That means Guitar 360 Method, though fairly new (launched in 2017), comes with a long history of success.
It also comes with ease of use.
We found log-in super simple, and, pulling up content easy. There was no wasted time as we navigated the course through targeted, bite-sized lesson videos.
Lessons vary, but, typically, each one contains one or more of these types of videos:
It also comes with ease of use.
Lessons vary, but, typically, each one contains one or more of these types of videos:
- Goal, where you find out what you'll be learning
- Instruction, where the actual teaching takes place
- Ear, where you practice listening to differences between chords to help you play by ear
- Practice, where you follow instructions and see fingering and chords
- Quiz, where you check up on what you've been learning by taking a multiple choice test with instant feedback
A Happy Girl
My 11 year old was the person in our home who most wanted to try Guitar 360 Method, since she her daddy bought her a guitar a while back that she has been wanting to learn to play.
She was excited to start Guitar 360 Method, and, thanks to Krisz's kind and clear demeanor, was not chagrined by the fact that her fingers are still a bit small and tender and her fingers lack practiced dexterity. In fact, she is content going slowly with Guitar 360 Method and has this to say:
A Pleased Dad
My husband, who has played guitar on and off for years and even played in a paid band for while, has also been viewing the course. He says:
My husband is also a huge Youtube fan and has viewed countless Youtube videos to pick up different guitar skills through the years. When I asked him what he thinks about Guitar 360 Method in comparison to most free Youtube videos, he said this program definitely gives a bigger picture and is more methodical. On Youtube, you have some guy that just quick says, "Here, I am going to show you how to do this," and does just that. With Guitar 360 Method, you can definitely see the whole method. The program can take a beginner from where they are to where they want to be and can be a resource for more experienced players, too.
No Need to Rush to Finish
My 11 year old was the person in our home who most wanted to try Guitar 360 Method, since she her daddy bought her a guitar a while back that she has been wanting to learn to play.
She was excited to start Guitar 360 Method, and, thanks to Krisz's kind and clear demeanor, was not chagrined by the fact that her fingers are still a bit small and tender and her fingers lack practiced dexterity. In fact, she is content going slowly with Guitar 360 Method and has this to say:
I have wanted to play guitar for a couple of years.
On my ninth birthday, my dad got me a guitar and said he'd teach me. That did not go very well. So, I was excited when I saw we could do the Guitar 360 Method.I have only used the beginner lessons, because I am very slow, and the teacher says, "Take it at your own pace." So, I took him seriously.
So far, it is going better than lessons with my dad.
I like how the teacher is up front. For example, when he teaches how to use the pick, he showed me how to use it a certain way and, then was like, "and right off the bat, my problem with this series... There are people who use the pick this way (the wrong way), and they are legends, but we're going to try it like this." I like how he says that there is not one way to do things. Other people are like, "This is the only way to do it, and you have to do it this way!" (Not my dad or Krisz, but many teachers.)
I also like that the videos are short. That makes it easier to find videos with a certain skill. You don't have to go through a long video, but can see it in a short video that is labeled.
I also like that the teacher seems fairly happy. He is easy to listen to.
My mom told me Guitar 360 Method is not a subscription that runs out. That's good, so I can actually finish it. I am slow and there is no pressure. I like this and would recommend it to kids like me, who are kind of beginners, and people who have started playing but want a refresher and to learn new things.
A Pleased Dad
As an experienced guitar player, I wasn’t sure if I would get anything out of the Guitar 360 Method program. Much to my surprise, I actually learned some new things.
For example, I had never heard of Solfege prior to starting the program. Another example is the shortcuts to finding notes. Although I have been playing for many years, I still struggle to find all of the notes on the guitar without having to think about it. This is a common issue with many guitar players. However, Krisz Simonfalvi gives several easy-to-remember tips on how to quickly find notes on the guitar. I found this section to be extremely helpful.
Not only did the program teach me new things, but it also helped re-establish ideas and techniques that I am already familiar with. He spends time going into music theory, teaching the student how to connect minor and major scales, analyzing chord shapes and even string bending. And he also has a check on learning by giving quizzes periodically throughout the program.
Overall, I think that it’s a good program because it helps the beginner go from the basics of the guitar to music theory which will help students take their playing to the next level. Further, it helps the experienced player learn a few new things and reinforce prior knowledge in a unique and interesting way. I would definitely recommend it for a self-taught, non-classically trained experienced player like myself to learn more.
My husband is also a huge Youtube fan and has viewed countless Youtube videos to pick up different guitar skills through the years. When I asked him what he thinks about Guitar 360 Method in comparison to most free Youtube videos, he said this program definitely gives a bigger picture and is more methodical. On Youtube, you have some guy that just quick says, "Here, I am going to show you how to do this," and does just that. With Guitar 360 Method, you can definitely see the whole method. The program can take a beginner from where they are to where they want to be and can be a resource for more experienced players, too.
No Need to Rush to Finish
One thing I dislike about many online programs is the rush to finish them before a subscription runs out, or, worse, the fact that life sometimes gets in the way of studies and, then, when you return to pick up where you left off, your subscription has ended and you cannot continue without paying again. With Guitar 360 Method this will not happen!
Once you get Guitar 360 Method its yours to keep, and I love that! For, like many homeschoolers, my family struggles with actually getting the "home" in homeschool. Between work trips for my husband, homeschool community commitments, outside classes and service opportunities, my own work needs, and more, our family often finds that we're short on time at home to enjoy things like learning and playing music. Add to that that one of our computers recently died, and, once we have attended to priorities of eating, sleeping, chores, and basic lessons, there just are not enough screens to go around for everyone to dive in concurrently with what they wish. For us, that means that subscription-based programs, even when liked, don't always get completed and often become more stress than enjoyment lately.
Because Guitar 360 Method is not a subscription, though, this has not happened. My daughter has been able to begin to self-pace through the program in small pockets of time while my husband has referenced it around work and family. My boys - who both want to give it a go - know they can when time allows in another season, and I can, too! You see, I have always wanted to play an instrument, and after seeing parts of Guitar 360 Method in play for my daughter and husband, am confident that when I some of my current commitments and life concerns wind down, I can finally begin learning.
Yes, I just LOVE that Guitar 360 Method does not come as a subscription, but is our family's to keep!
Learn More
Remember, if you want a FREE taste of Krisz's teaching style and the high-quality of his lesson videos, you can use his Free Course for Beginners. Then, if you like what you see (like we do!), move on to the Semester 1 Bundle using the coupon code HOMESCHOOL20 at checkout, which, for a limited time, will offer you 20% off.
If guitar isn't your thing, keep an eye out at Guitar 360 Method for the release of upcoming Keys 350 (piano) Method and Drums 360 Method in the near future.
Find Guitar 360 Method on social media:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guitar360method/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/onelessrock
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krisz_guitar360method/
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