There are, however, several drawbacks with this method. One problem is that it is easy to develop bad habits that you are not even aware of. For example, you might speed up or slow down in the hard parts, and not even know it. When you have the opportunity to play with others, it becomes readily apparent.
One of my better songs is a flatpicking version of Wildwood Flower. This is a pretty song, with a familiar melody. For years I played it wrong, and never even knew it! Then, when I finally got the courage and opportunity to play in a jam, I was kindly told about my error. No wonder nobody was playing along! Funny, a week or so afterward, a couple played this song, with the same mistake!
When I pointed out the error, they just insisted they were right, oh well!
There are many excellent online courses, as well as courses you can buy and use at home. Some of the features you might want to look for in a course are:
- Comprehensive. That is, is begins at the beginning and takes you through each step, one at a time. Some courses tend to assume you know this or that, but maybe you don't!
- Covers different styles of playing. You might like blues, or rock, and the course focuses on classical music. Make sure it includes numerous styles, this will enrich your playing.
- Makes good use of video. Most people learn guitar much better by watching that reading music. Plus, music learned from books tends to be rather sterile sounding. It is always a good idea to use tab to figure out difficult parts though.
