Bit the Bullet, Taking Online Music Lessons

So I've wanted to improve my playing for a while, I've wanted to learn piano for a while, and I've wanted to learn new styles of guitar for a while. So, since I know my ADHOOOH LOOK SHINY!!! prevents me from learning anything without structure and a lesson plan (seriously, I sat down to do my piano practice with YouTube videos and I ended up on stuff about Generation Ship Space Travel. Yeah), and I'm a huge fan of Sarah Longfield, I decided to try the lessons she's hawking these days.

I don't know if they'll be worth a hot damn at all. What I'm hoping is that with an hour of practice a day or so (more, now that it's 'rona time), I'll break past this plateau on guitar, and maybe learn some basic piano enough to slowly get better at that, maybe learn some of the easier Styx songs.

Why am I posting this here? Because I think that during this crazy time, having something to do that betters yourself (i.e. learning a new skill, improving on skills you already have) is the best possible way to spend your free time. It also helps with the depression, anxiety, and general worry.

So, I'll be doing this course, much like I did Andrew Huang's Learn Monthly Music Production Course (absolutely amazeballs, by the way--10/10, would fly again. Best Hotel Ever. 5 Stars, highly recommended. Such amaze. Very wow), and if anyone is interested, I'd be happy to let 'em know if it's worth a damn, and if they should give 'er.

I'll be interested in hearing how you like those lessons.

I didn't know Andrew Huang did monthlys... but of course he does. Did you come away with 3 tracks you love, as the course promises?

I came away with two tracks I love, and one that I knew before I even took the class I wouldn't care enough about to really matter. Synthesis based music production has never really been my forte.

That said, if you want my COMPLETE review on it, well, part of it was to make a video review that Monthly can (potentially) use in marketing:

https://youtu.be/hGs7AZJsi3c

Feel free to check it out, or not. I am uh, very honest. And will spoil the video--the course isn't for everyone.

So far, I'm finding the music lessons to be very nice. There are a LOT of them. I mean, loads. The issue is the "Too Many Options" type thing, because of my ADHD. But, I've got a plan, and I have a practice schedule planned out.

Many thanks for the link. I'm glad to hear you got a lot out of the section on recording & mixing live instruments and vocals.

Godspeed on your journey through these new courses. :D

No worries! I like helping people, if I'm able.

I really am enjoying these lessons. They give me something to do for starters--and having a focus helps during all this. But I can also already see an improvement in my playing--my speed is improving, my accuracy is improving, and I'm exploring chord voicings I never thought to before, all because of the instructor will present an idea, and I'll basically to "That's cool, now what happens when I do this?" cause, ya know, 20 years of music lol

I'm really excited about getting to the two hand tapping part of the course, Sarah Longfield is the instructor on it, I've already watched all the material and it's way above my ability at current, but if I can get to even 10% of her ability, I'll be doing things I never dreamed of on guitar and bass.

Quick First Impressions Review of the Two Sites Compared to Each Other:

If you can only pick one: Pickup Music. Has more to offer at a cheaper pricepoint, is far more user friendly. The lessons are bite sized, you can pick up the basics of a new technique pretty quickly with application and practice, it offers more than just guitar ("piano for the guitarist," is one course they have, for example, as well as "vocals for the singer/songwriter"), so you really get a lot of value for the money.

If you want a deep dive into theory: Guitar Super System. Tyler has basically put Berklee's entire music course online for a tenner a month. I mean, that sums up the entire thing right there. that's the GSS. Berklee Music School's Online Guitar Course, but with Tyler from Music Is Win as a teacher, and more approachable.

Community: Both have fairly active forums, but GSS's is more in line with a traditional online forum. Pickup Music is kind of haphazard, and the notification system isn't all that great. The people in both communities are great, though. Replies are usually pretty swift.

Format: Both use video/tab to teach. Both have standard notation. Pickup Music has a course on learning to sight-read, so you could end up using something like lead sheets down the road.

Overall Impressions: Both are excellent systems, both can be used by beginners or advanced guitarists. I would recommend Pickup Music for improving your overall skill, and GSS for your technical ability/music theory.

Will I Resub to Either/Or/Neither/Nor: I will maintain my sub to both. They are amazeballs.