01-10-2016, 11:53 PM
(01-10-2016, 07:43 PM)fredtoast Wrote: The generation before you said the same thing. They complained because all they had to learn from was audio recordings and they could never see any video of what a great player like Django was actually doing to produce the sound.
Not really, or they shouldn't have to the same extent. The jump in resources was nowhere near what we've seen recently. It's absolutely incredible what is available today.
For the most part guitar players in the 80/90's were learning the same way guys did in the 50-60's. Perhaps different material, but the process was very similar. The only major difference may have been the use of tablature vs sheet music. But all in all, the bulk of learning was either done by ear or by reading off a page. Well, or one or one instruction. And even when I was a kid, you were probably still using an old mechanical metronome, which was usually Witner.
The instructional video market didn't reach wide distribution to the mid to late 90's. That was found in big box retail and online. Those tapes weren't readily available in most Mom and Pop stores. And even if you could get them at all, you were handed a Mel Bay or Warner Brothers catalog to place your special order. And the cost was outrageous. I didn't own my first VHS instruction tape until I had been playing for about 10 years. And that was when Guitar Center finally came to Cincinnati.
Nowadays, every tape ever is available on youtube for free. The amount of instructional stuff is incredible. The ability to pinpoint and replay specific parts immediately is a Godsend. Being able to slow things down without altering the pitch is amazing. The drum machines, backing tracks, visual aids. It is all such a huge benefit to those starting out.
So, no you can't really compare the jump from the generation prior to mine to the jump seen recently. Any musician will tell you that the technology and resources now have evolved more in the last 10 years than in any other decade prior. It is a fantastic time to be a guitar player.
