Gibson’s Learn and Master Guitar DVD lesson set promises a full beginner to advanced learn-at-home guitar experience. This set is available in 94 countries and in 2008 won the Acoustic Guitar Magazine Players Choice Award for outstanding guitar instructional material. All lessons are given by Steve Krenz musician, educator, and speaker based out of Nashville, Tennessee. Steve’s bio lists performance credits with Grammy Award winning artists such as Michael W. Smith, Donna Summer, The Fifth Dimension, Israel Houghton, and Tommy Sims (bassist for Bruce Springsteen).
For this review, we ordered the “Expanded Edition” which included the following:
- 10 Session DVDs
- 10 Bonus Workshop DVDs
- 5 Jam-Along accompaniment DVDs
- A 105 page Lesson Book
- Guitar shaped DVD box with 34 Sleeve DVD case for storage
Learn & Master Guitar had plenty of materials, but could it deliver a true beginner-through-advanced guitar learning experience? Read on to find out.
SCREENSHOTS:
Screenshots of Learn and Master Guitar’s guitar lessons. Click the thumbnail to expand
Rating
4.75/5 – Although it does pale in comparison to the giants of online guitar lessons, the DVD-based course still provides a comprehensive introduction to the instrument. If you don’t think you’d ever get through the libraries of lessons on subscription sites, Learn and Master Guitar is a great option.
Pros:
- Linear instruction from professional guitarist Steve Krenz.
- 40 hours of HD video instruction, split between ten lessons and companion workshops.
- Thriving community and online support from instructors.
- Five professionally recorded CDs full of jam tracks.
- Much cheaper than private lessons.
Cons:
- Not as much content as online programs.
- Restricted to one instructor
Lesson Format
The lessons are primarily taught through the DVD video. Steve Krenz is with you every step of the way, and all of the relevant sections of the workbook are referenced in the video lessons. You go through the basics before moving onto intermediate techniques and genres in the linear program, and you can test out your skills on the jam tracks. The video workshops help you practice the techniques you picked up in the main lessons.
Community
With your purchase of the Learn and Master Guitar course, you get unlimited access to the exclusive student support forum. Fellow students can give you help and advice, and Steve Krenz regularly appears online to offer support, advice and feedback. This gives you one of the main benefits of face-to-face instruction – tailored advice from an expert.
Customer Support
Learn and Master Guitar’s website has a FAQ section which answers the majority of questions you might have about receiving the course and gaining access to the members’ section of the website. Plus, customer service agents are available between 8:30am and 16:30pm (CST) to answer any other questions.
Bonus Tools
As a self-contained DVD course, you don’t receive any bonus tools in addition to the workshops and supplementary books. However, most other programs do include stand-alone chord and scale reference.
Guarantee
If you’re not happy with the course, you can receive a full refund within 60 days of purchase. Don’t worry – there’s no questions asked!
Conclusion
The Gibson Learn and Master Guitar program is a great option for complete beginners, but intermediate to advanced players would get more for their money from subscription sites. The step-by-step instruction ensures you don’t get lost, but is also a little limiting if you’re looking to study one genre in particular, for example. Despite all this, it’s an affordable alternative to face to face lessons and hands-down the best DVD course you’ll find.