eMedia Guitar and Bass Method CD-ROMs
A breakthrough in self-taught music instruction
By David Barnes

eMedia makes learning to play guitar or bass easier than ever before with their new Guitar Method 1 For The Beginner - Version 3.0, Guitar Method 2 for The Intermediate, and Bass Method CD-ROMs. It's just like having a full-time, live-in master guitar teacher available 24/7. Except that this house guest won't eat your food, charge for lessons, or spill drinks on your carpet. That's because this teacher is a virtual one who resides on your computer.

The graphics and sound make for a sensory learning experience that's as fun as it is effective. Younger students take to it like ducks to water, though the easy-to-use interface is excellent for aspiring players of all ages. A lot of new features have been added to help ease the learning curve.

Some of the thoughtful additions on version 3.0 include 20 new videos, split-screen video with close-ups of both hands, a full-screen mode with larger text, and easy-to-read anti-aliased fonts. The split-screen in particular is a great help. Strumming and picking techniques are much easier to focus on with these close-range perspectives.

Cutting-edge new material covers movable power chords, palm muting in modern rock, and rock and punk-style strums. The series delves into hard rock with a tear-it-up Guns 'N Roses-style version of the Bob Dylan classic "Knockin on Heavens Door", and "Chika" with power chords. The metal and punk stuff here makes sure your playing vocabulary is up to date. Both acoustic and electric players will find a wealth of learning material, as the tunes run a wide stylistic range from classical master Beethoven to classic rock by the Grateful Dead and the Rolling Stones.

The series is equally at home on both windows and mac platforms. Newer mac users will find 3.0 native OS-X compatible.

Strumming in Seattle
eMedia's groundbreaking music self-instruction programs have been making waves in the computer world and making many fans among musicians since the company formed in 1994. The Seattle-based enterprise, founded by Adrian Burton, a former manager in Microsoft's multimedia division, has quickly grown into the world's biggest publisher of guitar instruction software. Critics have been singing their praises from the beginning. The breakthrough original Guitar Method Vol 1 was named a top 50 CD-ROM of the year by Newsweek and received rave reviews from more than 100 sources. And the new 3.0 version of the package has been called "one of the best music teaching programs we've seen" by PC Magazine, who gave it their highest rating.

It's the hottest thing to come out of Seattle since latte.

Musicians rave about the Guitar Method series. Rock legends like Peter Frampton and Heart's Nancy Wilson are enthusiastic endorsers. Ms Wilson said "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?"

The Method series has expanded to offer other great titles, including the eMedia Piano & Keyboard Method, eMedia Blues Guitar Legends, and eMedia Guitar Tunes.

This is your brain on guitar
Each method in the series all use basically the same teaching techniques to get you up and playing tunes quickly. It's suggested you use the series as follows: step one, watch the video demonstrate the technique; step two, practice slowly with the exercise; and step three, play along with the tune as the animated fretboard guides you. The music can be configured in either standard music notation or tablature. The ability to loop any section at the speed you choose is quite helpful, letting you progress at your own pace. This approach to the learning process is effective because it happens on so many levels of your brain - aural, visual, and intellectual - simultaneously.

Instructor Kevin Garry, a 20-year veteran guitar teacher, is the resident artist who leads you capably though the Guitar Method's video lessons and demonstrations.

All the essentials you need to get playing are included in animated virtual form. There's an automatic tuner. You simply play into your computer's microphone and tune up easily. A digital metronome with audio and visual feedback keeps you on the beat. An animated fretboard displays the fingering as the song plays; can be set for left, right, or mirror views; and will display any note you click on. A chord dictionary plays and shows fingering charts for over 250 chords. There is also a digital recorder for saving your own performances. You can compare your version with the instructor's or impress your friends and family with your stunning progress!

Taking it to the next level

More experienced players will want to check out the Intermediate Guitar Method. It teaches you burning lead solos in the tradition of Hendrix, Clapton, and Jeff Beck, expanding beyond the basic chords and melodies offered in Volume 1. 175 lessons explore more advanced concepts, including bends, vibrato, slides, barre chords, strumming styles, 12-bar blues, fingerstyle patterns, and the basics of improvisation. The section on using scales and building chords is by itself a fine introduction to music theory. The scale directory in the appendix includes fingerings and audio for over 200 scales.

There are tastefully played, full-band arrangements of a diverse selection of blues, rock, classical, and folk material. Highlights include Jeff Beck's arrangement of "Too Much To Lose", Jim Croce's "Time in a Bottle", and Hendrix's definitive rendition of "All Along the Watchtower". The smoking Jimi-style solo on Watchtower does a fine job of capturing the guitar hero's always-creative sound and touch. If you play along with this CD consistently, your guitar playing will make great strides along the path to mastery - and you'll have big fun along the way.

Give the bass player some
The eMedia Bass Method brings the same revolutionary learning aids used in the Guitar Method series to aspiring bassists who are just learning or want to brush up their chops. Bass students will commence grooving immediately with over 100 lessons and a treasure of over 200 hit songs to play along with as you join the rhythm section. Using the same working concepts as the Guitar Series, the Bass Method CD-ROM gets into right- and left-hand techniques, bass lines, scales, triads, rhythmic variations, chords, fills, syncopation, tablature, notation, and more. Instructor John Arbo confidently leads you through the video portion of the lessons and demos.

Bass students will enjoy following along with traditional rock classics like Credence Clearwater's version of "Midnight Special", "Scarborough Fair" as played by Simon & Garfunkel, and a lively version of Latin favorite La Bamba. Many of the tunes feature kicking full-band arrangements, and a cool "no-bass" feature drops out the bass line to let you insert your own part.

Everyone deserves music
With eMedia's Guitar and Bass Method programs, your computer realizes its potential as a powerful learning tool. The forward-thinking design and planning that went into these programs shows. Aspiring guitarists and bassists can teach themselves the kind of music they want to learn, set their own schedule, and progress as fast or slow as their time and commitment allows.

You would spend thousands of dollars learning this material from an instructor. eMedia puts these awesome learning tools in your hands for a fraction of the cost. Everyone deserves the chance to learn to play music. Invite eMedia's revolutionary virtual Guitar and Bass Method teachers into your home, and start your musical learning journey today.

Features & Specs
eMedia Guitar Method Vol. 1 Version 3.0 eMedia Intermediate Guitar Method

Video instruction with split-screen closeups

Animated fretboard with multiple perspectives
Automatic tuner
Chord dictionary
Digital metronome
Digital recorder
Variable-speed MIDI tracks
Over 150 lessons
Over 70 songs, with hits by Guns N Roses, the Rolling Stones, Steve Miller Band, Bob Dylan, and more
Rock, blues, folk, country, and classical styles
Moving power chords
Full screen mode
Standard or tablature notation
Big, anti-aliased fonts
Audio with tracking
PC/Mac compatible
Video instruction
Animated fretboard with multiple perspectives
Automatic tuner
Chord dictionary
Digital metronome
Digital recorder
Variable-speed MIDI tracks
Over 175 lessons
Over 50 songs, with hits made famous by Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, and more
Rock, blues, folk, country, and classical styles
Moving power chords
Hammer-ons, pull-offs, bends, vibrato, and slides
Barre chords and strumming styles
Advanced fingerstyle techniques
Standard or tablature notation
Audio with tracking
Intervals, scales, and basics of improvisation
PC/Mac compatible

eMedia's revolutionary Guitar and Bass Method CD-ROMs make it easier and more fun than ever before to learn to play music and Musician's Friend carries them at the best price you'll find anywhere, guaranteed! Pick up a copy and start learning today!

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