Overview

The newest version of the award-winning best-seller!

Best-selling eMedia Guitar Method makes learning fun regardless of the type of guitar you own. Learn conveniently at home with over 160 comprehensive lessons covering everything from the basics through chord strumming, rock styles, playing melodies, and fingerpicking. Learn over 70 songs including hits from artists such as Bob Dylan and Steve Miller. This new version includes larger, easy-to-read screens, enhanced audio and video, and custom animated fretboard skins. Watch more than 50 large-format videos featuring instructor Kevin Garry, Ph.D., including split-screens and close-ups of both hands. Songs and exercises can be heard as either live recorded audio or MIDI tracks you can slow down or speed up. Both guitar tablature and standard music notation are taught in a way that’s easy to understand. This program is equivalent to several thousand dollars of private instruction—ideal for beginners seeking exceptional value in guitar lessons.

Features

70+ Songs!

ROCK
BLUES
CLASSICAL
COUNTRY
FOLK

eMedia Guitar Method Volume 1 features songs in a variety of genres to make learning fun and memorable! Our latest version includes dynamic, enhanced, multi-track audio playback of hit songs popularized by well-known artists, such as:

Bob Dylan ("Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door")
Rolling Stones/The Doors ("Little Red Rooster")
The Steve Miller Band ("Rock N’ Me")
Heart ("Dreamboat Annie")
Rod Stewart/Tom Waits ("Downtown Train")
The Grateful Dead ("Uncle John’s Band").

Also included are popular songs, including "Scarborough Fair," "La Bamba," "Midnight Special," "Ode to Joy," "Minuet," "Greensleeves," "House of the Rising Sun" and many others.

Table of Contents

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Over 160 Step-by-Step Lessons

Arranged in ten chapters, the lessons cover the basics from holding, stringing, and tuning the guitar to playing chords and melodies, culminating in an explanation of fingerpicking styles and reading standard music notation. Lessons include a variety of exercises and songs. In total, there are over 50 full-motion, large-format videos and over three hours of audio and video! On-screen teacher Kevin Garry, Ph.D., provides clear and friendly instruction.

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New! Larger, Easier-to-Use Interface!

We’ve increased the content window size by 25% and made the screens easier to read and use!

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Animated Fretboard (with Six Different Skins!)

Displays fingering positions as the music plays. It allows you to see exactly how to play the song on a guitar fretboard as you hear the music. Music tracking highlights the notes being played on the screen, making it simple to follow along. Includes option for both right- and left-handed views. New fretboard skins: Rickenbacker, Strat, Gretsch, ’59 Les Paul and more!

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Over 50 Large-Format Videos

Professional guitar instructor Kevin Garry, Ph.D., guides you in over 50 videos with demonstrations of techniques – now larger, with enhanced quality!

Standard Music Notation:

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Guitar Tablature:

Music Notation Display Options

Learn via guitar tablature or standard music notation through this easily accessible menu option.

Audio Tracking

Highlighting of the music and lyrics as they’re heard makes it easy to follow along on guitar.

Variable-Speed MIDI

Slows down the audio to any tempo, while the Animated Fretboard shows song fingering as the music plays. Learn at the pace best suited to your skill level!

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Automatic Tuner

Tune your guitar quickly and easily. A precision gauge allows you to play into your computer's microphone and immediately get feedback to see if you're too high or too low. Full audio reference notes also provided.

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Chord Dictionary

Includes fingering charts and recorded sounds for over 250 chords. Easy access helps you learn songs with new chords quickly. An indispensable reference tool!

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Digital Metronome

Allows you to set your own tempo and work on your picking speed, rhythm and timing. Provides both visual cue and/or audio tick. Full range of tempi, from largo to presto.

Digital Recorder

Record and play yourself back! This feature allows you to compare your recordings with the instructor's version, fine tune your skills and store musical ideas.

An Educational Edition of Guitar Method is also available. Please contact our Educational Sales Department for details. Don’t forget to ask about lab packs!

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Reviews

What reviewers are saying...

"This is the ultimate way to learn how to play guitar! You learn at your own pace and it’s easy for anybody."

– Peter Frampton, guitar superstar

"I used to teach guitar, and eMedia’s Guitar Method is the greatest because it centers around playing songs. And if it’s not about playing songs, what’s it about?"

– Nancy Wilson, guitarist/vocalist of supergroup HEART

4 "Picks"

– PC Magazine

" — Check out eMedia’s Guitar Method CD-ROM. More than just music... my favorite feature is the built-in 'tape recorder' which allows you to record your performance and replay it. Ideal instruction for beginners."

– Toronto Sun

"Our biggest praise: Guitar Method, while teaching traditional theory, focuses on making learning simple and on letting students play 'real' songs quickly." "Its price is the cost of one traditional lesson. At that price, you can't go wrong."

– EmergingStrategies.com review

"An instructional title worth pickin’"

– Billboard Magazine

"I’ve been playing guitar for 35 years, and this is the best beginning program that anyone wanting to play guitar could own."

– Greg Heigh, WWBA Radio (Tampa, FL)

"For those who not only want to appreciate an art form but take part in it..."

– Consumer’s Digest

"Before you know it, you’ll be an international star."

– Discovery Channel

"You could spend a lot more on guitar lessons, an electronic tuner, a chord book and a metronome, and still not get as much as you might out of this CD-ROM."

– Boston Globe

"(Either disc) could keep a budding Eric Clapton or Chet Atkins busy for many months, which is more than can be said for most computer games on the market these days."

– Halifax Herald

"One of the best music tutorials I’ve seen... Guitar Method can help you become an accomplished journeyman guitarist."

– C/NET

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Requirements

System Requirements

Windows:
Windows 98/NT/2000/Me/XP/Vista
CD-ROM drive, sound card, 256+ color display
16 MB of free RAM, 40 MB of free disk space

Macintosh:
Power PC (or faster), Intel OK
Mac OS X 10.1+
CD-ROM drive, 256+ color display
16 MB of free RAM, 83MB of free disk space

Questions about system requirements? Contact our technical support department.

Demo

Product Demo

Buy it now! - only $59.95

Our demos are not yet available with the new features of Version 4.0, but you can try our Version 3.0 demo below.

eMedia Guitar Method Volume 1 interactive/walkthrough demo thoroughly explores all the features of this breakthrough new CD-ROM. Along with the narrated slideshow, you can break into the demo and try out separate song lessons. Enjoy!

Regardless of platform, you will need Apple’s Quicktime player to run the Guitar Method Volume 1 demo, if it is not already installed on your system.

Download the Windows version (6.6 MB)

To download the Windows Guitar Method Volume 1 demo, click on the link above and follow the instructions given. After downloading, run "GM1Demo.exe", and follow the instructions of the Setup program.

Macintosh (OS X) version (22 MB)

Macintosh (OS 9) version (5.4 MB)

To download the Macintosh Guitar Method Volume 1 demo, click on the link above and save it to your hard disk, then expand the self-extracting ".sit" or ".zip" archive by double-clicking on it (for ".sit", you must have StuffIt Expander, which can be found at: Aladdinsys.com).

Academic Version

Educator Edition

The eMedia Guitar Method Educator Edition includes all the features and content of the consumer version of eMedia Guitar Method v3 plus a printed Teacher’s Guide with a 46-day suggested Lesson Plan. Discounted multi-station lab packs and site licenses are also available. We can provide instrument and software packages, helping to create your school’s new guitar program.

eMedia Guitar Method Teacher’s Guide (PDF)