ArtistWorks Martin Taylor Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar Lesson Review
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Regardless of whether you are just starting out or a seasoned guitar player that has years of professional experience under your belt, fingerstyle jazz guitar lessons online with Martin Taylor are definitely worth checking out. If you have also been looking for a fingerstyle jazz guitar lessons online with a twist, Martin’s online lessons can step in to fulfill your needs.
Unlike most other formats, students can submit practice videos of themselves playing or asking questions and Martin will respond to each one through personalized video Exchange feedback. These lessons are the next best thing to sitting face to face with a world-class tutor of Martin’s professional experience and expertise.
When you sign up, you will be pleasantly surprised by the wealth of resources available on hand for you to explore. His lessons start off simple and become more advanced as they progress, which is ideal for beginners, as well as intermediate and advanced fingerstyle jazz guitarists.
ArtistWorks Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar Lesson Online with Martin Taylor Review
Martin Taylor is one of the biggest names in fingerstyle jazz guitar. Martin’s career started off a backup player for the late Stephane Grappelli. Since then, he has performed alongside and collaborated with some of the biggest names in the music and entertainment business.
Most notably, he is recognized for his work with Britain’s jazz icon Tommy Emmanuel on The Colonel and the Governor, which recreated classics by legends such as Django Reinhardt and Eddie Lang.
As a Grammy-nominated guitarist in fingerstyle, this jazz guitar virtuoso has received numerous other awards and has also been awarded 2 honorary doctorates, a lifetime achievement award by the BBC and a range of other top-notch honors. Today, he lives in Scotland but teaches students all over the continent.
The curriculum
If you study Martin’s curriculum and pay attention to his critiques and his method, there is no way that you will fail to see progress. Martin primarily teaches approaches in fingerstyle jazz. As such, if you need assistance with chord melody, you might be better off taking different lessons; but this should not stop you from taking these online lessons.
The curriculum starts off by demonstrating how intervals work so that students can work towards building a framework for fingerstyle arrangements. Martin also does a great job of teaching improvisation, especially for solo guitarists. Though they are given by a seasoned and respected expert, these lessons are easy to grasp and the techniques are easy to follow.
Martin has done a great job of compiling videos that cover fingerstyle acoustics. The curriculum consists of over 150 high definition videos that cover a broad range of topics for beginner and advanced players.
Each video is recorded from multiple angles allowing students to get a full picture of Martin’s technique and style. For anyone that is struggling with the material, there are also pitch-corrected versions and those that can be slowed down for a better understanding.
The topics covered in the curriculum include how to use 10ths and 7ths to intensify scales, improv for common progressions and of course, finger styling technique. Martin uses songs from standard jazz collections so that you can get a full understanding of how most of the musical concepts are applied.
Student experience
Martin’s guitar school stands out from all the rest owing to its Video Exchange Learning feature. This feature is what allows students to record and submit videos of themselves playing or asking questions so that Martin can respond and offer critique and feedback. What’s so great about this feature is that it enables students to receive personalized guidance that can elevate their playing to the next level.
Though there are a number of students enrolled in Martin’s school of guitar, you will be happy by the rate of his response when it comes to the video exchange platform. There are typically no large time lapses between submissions and Martin’s responses, which is always good for any student that is eager to learn and advance.
Because he also has a grueling touring schedule to maintain, Martin is always sure to notify his students of his schedule through the travel diary that he keeps on Facebook. This lets students know where he will be located at any one moment and he is also very fond of encouraging his students to show up to his gigs to catch up and even jam after the performance.
Although the lessons cover technique in great detail, Martin does not expound on theory. Rather, he prefers that students learn from the videos themselves so dedication and passion are required for anyone that wants to succeed.
Video
Key Features
- A full HD library of jazz and fingerstyle guitar lessons
- A vibrant online community for sharing ideas and exchanges
- A compilation of guitar tabs and lesson notation
Pros
- The website is easy to navigate
- Lessons are easy to follow and grasp
- Martin is approachable and easy to ask questions
- One of the best formats you will come across online
The verdict
This is an outstanding program for players of all skill levels whether beginners or advanced players. If you are looking to learn directly from one of the most knowledgeable fingerstyle jazz guitarists of all time, then these lessons are for you.
The platform is filled with great features that will make your learning experience that much better such as the Video Exchange platform that enables students to send in video submissions for Martin to respond personally to. The website is also very easy to navigate and use, which is great for anyone that is new to online learning.