Thanks for sticking with me so far. This is where it starts to get really exciting. But before we get to the question of lessons, suitable tutors and so on, there is something I want to make very clear to you. Call it part of the contract between me, your friendly guide, and you stumbling around in country guitar darkness, just as I was a couple of years ago.

When I first decided I was going to learn how to play country guitar I was swamped with advice from well-meaning friends, guitar sales people and residents of the ubiquitous forums. In hindsight, surprisingly little of it was of any value and some of it led me into making expensive mistakes – the sort that I’m hoping to help you avoid.

It was the same with lessons. I tried free internet lessons on advice from friends, I tried books, two live tutors (total disaster; they could play but not teach) and I spent money on a whole raft of video based lessons. I did eventually find exactly what I needed and my playing took off, but once again I had a hole in my wallet where hard earned cash used to be. If you’ll let me, I would like to guide you through that particular minefield.

Now let me state at the outset that, free recommendations apart (and there are some), I will earn a commission from any paid lessons you take as a result of following my advice. That’s life, that’s business. It’s equally true that the paid lessons I will be steering you away from would also pay me good money to do exactly the opposite. They want your business too and they would pay me handsomely to get it. This is not about money. Well, it’s not just about money, okay?

I really do want you to succeed in your ambitions to learn country guitar – or any other kind of guitar – and I really do want to save you money, time and frustration. The fees you pay for online lessons are the same whether or not you buy through me and the commissions payable to me are pretty much the same from the good guys as they are from the bad guys.

I wanted to make these points just to ensure we are on the same page and that you get a very clear picture of what I’m all about. I promise you this: I will never recommend something to you just because it pays a commission. If I don’t use it and/or find it an important part of my learning process you will never get to hear about it from me. Fair enough?

Okay. On to country guitar lesson no.8