Kristo Käo is the founder of the Kitarrikool.eu and the guitar lecturer at the Estonian Academy of Music

Is it really possible to learn to play the guitar over the Internet?!

Some years ago when I started the project, it was the most frequently asked question. Now things have changed and we have the experience of 4000 people studying the guitar in our online school and the number is growing every day! If they have done it then you can, too.

As I am working on my PhD on educational technology in music I find every day that regardless to the fact that the research in this field is still very young, millions of people study the music online every day.

Why take an Internet course?

There are only a few degree holding guitar teachers here in Estonia and all of them are fully occupied with their work in various music schools. It is like this everywhere in the world! Just a fraction of those who want to learn how to play the guitar can do it under the supervision of a teacher. The internet course of accompaniment is an opportunity for those who cannot find a private instructor, are unable or unwilling to enrol in a music school or who are not among the few people able to complete this course by coming to the classes in person. An internet course is an opportunity also for those who live in areas where guitar teachers and courses are simply not available. 

An internet course has its advantages!

The participant can follow the course at their own pace, while every student is constantly monitored. Learning in a bigger group can often mean that the teacher moves on in a fast pace and if one’s attention wanders for a moment or one has to miss a class for some reason, understanding some things becomes hard. Or, on the other hand, someone’s abilities and previous experience may already be sufficient for them to complete the course very quickly. The Internet school is open just when the student has the time and desire to learn.

What do I have to know before I start?

All you need to know is that you want to learn how to play the guitar and you have time for it. In order to take the course you need a six-stringed guitar, a computer, an internet connection and a microphone to record your performance for assessment. The course starts from the basics and no previous musical education is necessary! There are no age limits for this course but it is mainly aimed at students who are 15 years old and older.

How?

An interactive guitar school on the Internet is like any other school: the instructor is planning and monitoring the development of the student and reacting as the situation demands. Answer questions about theory and upload sound recordings with your homework into our workspace; the teacher will tell you if you are ready to move on or if what you have learned so far still requires revision. So do not expect any miracles – students still have to do all the work themselves. But where do you start? Read more about our courses and then let us start learning together!