I have heard from lots of guitarists over the years that are looking for some help in improving their play. They might be beginners that have never really gotten past the basics before becoming frustrated, or they might have been playing for a long time and have a desire to break out of a rut and learn something new. Either way, they are looking for a way to become a better guitarist. Jamorama is a product that can help. Ben Edwards who put it together, is a former pro guitar man with a degree in education, so he knows what he’s talking about and he knows how to teach it. With this course you have the option of downloading the whole thing or ordering the books and DVD’s. Either way, it’s nice to have a choice.

The Basic Lessons:

I think one of the best features of Jamorama has got to be the video lessons. There are 148 of them that have been professionally shot and edited. They don’t look like someone took them on a cell phone. You not only hear what you should sound like, but you can see close-ups of a pro playing the chords. It helps you understand the hand and finger positions you need to develop smoothness in your playing.

I also like the “Jam Tracks” included with Jamorama. They are designed so that you can play along with real musicians right from the beginning. These are not computer-generated background tracks, but actual professionals recorded in a high-tech studio. You and strum along with the group, and when you are ready you can turn off the guitar part and take it over yourself. There are many styles of music represented here, including country, blues and jazz. It’s a much better way to learn than sitting by yourself and doing drills over and over.

Of course the heart of the series is the actual lessons that come in two books with 148 chapters. They get into just about every aspect of learning to play guitar you can think of. I was impressed by the amount of material covered, and the logical way it is presented. There is plenty of music theory thrown in, but because you put it to use playing actual songs, you don’t get bogged down with a lot of technical jargon. You will learn major, minor, seventh, diminished, suspended and augmented chords. There are lots of basic scales, different strumming patterns, finger picking and muting techniques. You can pick up the chord progressions you need to play in several different styles, and understand what makes each type of music unique. You could learn all these things from a private teacher, but a course like Jamorama is just as comprehensive and a lot less pricey.

Jamorama includes the tablature for lots of songs and explains how to read it. Since there are thousands of songs available on the Internet these days written in Tab form, it’s a very good thing to know.

Extra Features:
 

There are a couple of computer games with this set that I enjoyed and I thought they provided a fun way to learn. One is called JaydeMusica and it is intended to help you learn to read music. It makes all those black circles on white paper understandable and is a lot less intimidating than staring at a book. The other game is GuitEarIt. It is designed to improve your ability to play by ear and recognize chords just by hearing them. That’s an important skill to have if you want to be able to join in with a band or play along with a recording.

Another bonus product in this set teaches you how to tune your guitar and keep it in tune. I’ve heard some pretty painful “music” in my time coming from guitars that were out of tune, and I’m sure you have too. The software and book included here is a big help for understanding how to play in tune.

I also think the Jamorama Metronome is a useful feature. It can be set at any tempo and helps to keep your playing smooth and rhythmic. It also teaches you all those Latin terms that you see at the top of sheet music that tell you how fast a piece is supposed to go.

I like the fact that Jamorama has a money back guarantee. That shows me that the producers of this set are serious about trying to provide a good product that will do what it says. You can try it out for sixty days, and still get a full refund if it doesn’t work out for you.
 

Conclusion:
Overall, I think that Jamorama provides a good way for guitar players of different ability levels to advance and learn. It is pretty comprehensive and well done. My top pick for a guitar course, however, is a series called Learn and Master Guitar. Feel free to go straight to the Jamorama site for further information.

 

To your success,

Crazy Dave

 

...I'm off to the Guitar Licks!