As long-time readers of this blog will know, I play guitar and I love software that helps you learn different aspects of playing. I wrote several posts on guitar programs that I use all the time, that help me play. (Part 1: Powertab, Part 2: Guitar Pro, Part 3: Guitar Speed Trainer) Well I have found a new service online that helps you learn songs directly from the artists that wrote them, NowPlayIt.

NowPlayIt seems particularly great for the beginner player, but even intermediate to advanced players can learn something from it. The service offers downloadable videos with instructions on how to play particular songs by some very popular artists. Artists available include The Dandy Warhols, OneRepublic, The Bravery, Amy Winehouse, Bloc Party, Blur, etc. It includes more than just guitar instruction too. You can learn how to play drums, piano, bass, and other instruments directly from those who play them.

For anyone who is taking or has taken guitar lessons, you learn to play songs from the teacher, which may or may not be right. Also you are paying for these lessons, at least $10 per lesson. The guitar teacher that taught everyone where I am from also ran his music store while giving the lesson so you’d be lucky to get ten minutes of actual instruction in a one hour lesson. Well with this service you can download 30 minute instructional videos of the actual artist showing you how to play the song, which you can play over and over again. They also have NowPlayIt Lite instructional videos which show the chords over the video. The full versions with instructions from the actual player are approximately $10 and the Lite versions are approximately $5. It is an incredible value for the price.

I sincerely wish that services like this were around 15 years ago when I started playing guitar.

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