Q: How do I sign up/login to the lessons?

A: To sign up, please click on the "Sign Up" button at the top right-hand side of the page. Once you have signed up for lessons, you may log in by clicking the "Members' Area" button at the top right-hand corner of this page.


Q: Are the online payments secure?

A: Your payments are handles by Paypal though a 256-bit SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption. Your private information is never recorded or stored. We never share your personal information with any third party.

Q: Is there a limit on the number of times I can view a lesson?

A: No, you have unlimited access to all lessons in all programs in which you are enrolled.


Q: I already signed up for LAGA Classical, I'm interested in LAGA Flamenco as well.  Do I need to submit a new registration form?

A: No, if you have an active subscription to a LAGA program, or if you were a member in the past, you can login to your account and use the upgrade option to easily sign up for any program. 

Q: Will I need a classical / nylon string guitar, or can I use my steel string / acoustic guitar to begin?

In the first couple of lessons you may be able to work on basic left and right hand techniques on a steel string guitar. Eventually, however, you will need to move up to a true classical or Flamenco guitar. We have a few other suggestions on our webpage for first-time students: http://www.laguitar.com/free-first-meeting.html.


Q: I've mastered all the tutorials in all LAGA Online programs. What next?

A: If you have professional goals (concerts, recitals, auditions, competitions etc) you might choose to enroll in LAGA Live for live 1-on-1 lessons, customized to meet your needs. These live webcam lessons will take your playing to the next level and help you build a repertoire based on your musical interests.


Q: Will the site work on both PC and MAC?

A: Yes, the website and the video content are platform independent.


Q: I'm already taking lessons from a local teacher. Can I benefit from the LAGA Online programs? Is it possible to learn guitar just by watching videos?

A: Yes. All LAGA programs have been designed by professional guitarists and dedicated music educators. The curriculum for each program is based conventional guitar pedagogy and enhanced by breakthrough concepts in music education. Therefore the overall content and general skill sequencing will be similar to reputable private instruction with the LAGA Faculty. LAGA programs are complete course offerings. While they are wonderful for those interested in independent home study, they are also a great way to supplement your private guitar lessons and have fun while practicing. All LAGA programs are supported by live, one on one coaching in our virtual classroom through LAGA Live.

Q: Should I signup for the live or on-demand programs?
We offer both on-demand and live webcam lessons on Skype. The webcam lessons, of course, would help you progress much faster since they are given live and in person by one of our LAGA faculty members.

The webcam lessons are taught in a one-on-one, private format. They are very similar to studying in-person with our instructors in our studios, only on Skype. If you want to pursue that option, the best way to get started is by filling our our pre-registration form. We will then match you with a private teacher that will be the best fit for your background and goals, as well as a time slot that will work for both you and your teacher. Many students have studied the guitar successfully using this format.

Our on-demand lessons are pre-recorded streaming videos. They are available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and are also taught by the Los Angeles Guitar Academy faculty. With those lessons, we offer free feedback from our instructors once a month. Each month, you may send a video clip of yourself playing one of your pieces. One of our LAGA instructors will review it carefully, and send you a detailed email with their evaluation, giving you advice on how you can improve your playing skills, as well as encouraging you in areas of strength. For both options, students pay for one month's lessons in advance. Students are placed on automatic billing thereafter until they cancel.

Q: Which level do I start at?

Our program builds our students' technique in a systematic, step-by step manner, each new skill dependent upon the student's mastery of the previous steps. If you have studied the guitar previously, start at a point at which you have already mastered all of the skills and pieces before that. If you feel it is too difficult, start at an earlier part of the curriculum. It is always a good idea, however, for even more advanced students to review earlier levels to brush up on basic skills. Beginners, even those who have played before, should start with the first lessons, since our method is dependent upon mastery of the skills previously learned. If you find that you have mastered that portion of the material, feel free to move on to the next.
 

Q: Does LAGA Classical come with sheet music?

Yes, LAGA Classical does come with downloadable material. There is no limit to accessing all of the material within a course. You may access any of the lessons within that course at any time, 24/7, until you cancel your subscription to that course.


Q: How can I cancel my monthly subscription? What is the procedure for discontinuing automatic payments?

A: Based on your payment method, you can unenroll anytime by browsing to 'Your Payment History' tab on your main student account page, or by logging into your Paypal account and canceling your payment profile.
If you are cancelling via Paypal, please see this Paypal help page for a detailed walkthrough:
https://www.paypal.com/helpcenter/main.jsp?cmd=_help&solutionId=185241&t=solutionTab

Q: Does the LAGA Flamenco course come with sheet music? Which one should I sign up for: LAGA Classical or LAGA Flamenco?

In our Flamenco video curriculum, we follow the time-honored method that Flamenco guitarists have used throughout the history of the art. Traditionally, Flamenco guitarists learn by listening to the teacher closely, observing his every movement, then imitating those movements--the goal being to faithfully reproduce his sound.

Unfortunately, written materials--such as tabs, scores/sheet music--actually get in the way of this process. The subtle nuances inherent in the music are best understood by the student first hearing the music and watching the finely-detailed movements of one's teacher as he plays, then trying to reproduce those movements and sounds on their own instrument. Hence, we do not use tabs or written material in our Flamenco course.

To learn Flamenco music properly, a student must progress in a logical, step-by-step fashion, not skipping steps or taking shortcuts. Each skill builds upon the ones previously mastered. Our curriculum is designed to take students from the simplest drills to the most advanced levels. It is a gradual process that takes great patience on the part of the student--but is well worth the wait.

If, however, you would like a course that focuses on the written aspects of guitar music, we would suggest our classical course. Our Classical program is supplemented with sheet music for all lessons that require written music. It incorporates some skills, such as rasgueados, which are used in Flamenco music, but also incorporates sheet music, scales, and drills in its method. Many students have found that studying the classical guitar enhances their technique on the Flamenco guitar, as well as many other styles.

 
Q: I'm at a pretty good level technically, but I use tabs. Thinking of switching to /starting classical guitar. Will I have to learn sheet music?

We commend you for your hard work that helped you get to such a high level without reading music. This shows that you have great aptitude for the guitar. On the classical guitar, however, you will need to learn to read music to move up into the higher levels.  That is a skill that will help you overcome your struggle to move beyond your current level. Therefore, our courses are not in tablature.

Our method makes it very easy to learn to read. With your background on the guitar, it should come quickly to you. When you enroll in our full-subscription lessons, you receive all of the levels at once. We would advise you to break up your lesson in two parts.

The first part would be devoted to reviewing the basics and reading music. Our Level 1 lessons teach you to read music through playing melodies chosen from folk music from around the world. The second part of your lesson, you would work on pieces at the level that you are currently playing on tab by rote imitation of the demonstration videos. At some point, your music-reading skills will catch up with your technical proficiency, and you will be well on your way to becoming a complete classical guitar player.

Our lessons are set up so you will advance step-by-step, building on skills that you have already mastered to teach you the next step in your progress. They start with the basics and progress to include many of the pieces in standard concert literature for the classical guitar, such as Adelita, Recuerdos de la Alhambra, El Colibri, and more.

The number of pieces per level varies by difficulty. You will progress at your own pace. When you master one piece, you move on to the next.

One of the best features of our lessons is that you may send us a video clip of your playing every month. A faculty member will review the clip carefully, and send you detailed feedback with suggestions for improvement.



Q: Where can I find quality jazz / rock / blues / improvisation lessons?
We do have an excellent program in contemporary jazz, blues, rock, and more. Our private live webcam lessons, taught on Skype, would be an excellent fit for your needs. We can customize these lessons to help you achieve your exact goals. You can learn more about this program on the following webpage: http://laguitar.com/webcam-guitar-lessons.html.

While you are on our website, please take a look at our faculty page. We have just added Mark Goldenberg to our faculty as a guest instructor. Mark is an expert in the styles that you are interested in. He has had many years of experience playing with world-renowned jazz, blues, and rock artists. To see his credentials, please take a look at his biography on his webpage, http://laguitar.com/faculty/main/markgoldenberg.html.

When you have finished looking over the information, the next step is for you to fill our our pre-registration form, also available on the left-hand sidebar of our website, http://laguitar.com. After seeing your musical background, goals, and available times, we can provide you an instructor and program that will suit your specifications.


Q: I want to learn classical guitar, Flamenco guitar, and music theory for the guitar. I like the fact that your courses are graded in levels. I am, however, looking at my budget, and am wondering about how I can pay for all of these courses. I am serious about the guitar, and want to learn from the best. However, I cannot afford to pay the monthly rates for all of these courses. I thought about enrolling in one of those "tips and tricks" online guitar lessons, but their instructors do not look as qualified as yours, nor do they cover as much as yours. Yet I look at their prices, and I'm tempted to try theirs. Please tell me why your online guitar lessons are worth the money I'll have to spend.

A: Thank you so much for your thoughtful question.

There are many DVDs and other online programs that have classical and Flamenco guitar lessons. Our lessons follow a systematic approach using the same levels, method, and curriculum that we use in our studios. Our instructors have graduate degrees from some of the best music schools on the planet. They have studied the topics that they teach at the doctoral level. Furthermore, the quality of their technique in each of their specialties is of concert quality. Imitating their form, you can become a topnotch player yourself.

We also offer our students a monthly critique. If you send us a clip of your playing, one of our studio faculty members will carefully review your technique, and send you a detailed report of your progress, areas in which you can improve--and how to correct them.

Of course, these lessons are offered at a higher price than many of the others. We would not like to speak ill of our competitors, but the qualifications of our instructors, the quality of our teaching, combined with our monthly personal attention to your progress, will cost more than those who do not have the quality that we offer. We cater to the serious student of the guitar--but at a fraction of the cost of studio lessons.

In this tough economy, we definitely can understand your dilemma. A person who wants to study the guitar in-depth, such as yourself, would be looking at quite a bit of expense if you would like to study all of these at the same time. On the other hand, however, all of those together would not even come close to the cost of live online guitar lessons on webcam, let alone studio lessons.

Our recommendation to you, then, would be to start with the LAGA Classical program. In it, you learn a few Flamenco techniques that are used in playing the classical guitar, as well as some some basic theory. As you progress, and as the economy improves, you can add the Flamenco and theory lessons as you are able.

Occasionally, we offer discount coupons on some of our courses. Please follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/guitarlessons7g) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/laguitaracademy) to find out when we have these special promotional discounts available. That would be the perfect time to enroll in that second course!

We also offer an affiliate program. On our website, we have banners and links that you can put on your website and social networking sites. When someone signs up for lessons using your links, you will receive a one-time commission. With enough of these, you could use the extra cash to pay for the other programs that you want to study.

Finally, a serious student such as yourself may want to put some money aside each month to save for our live online guitar lessons via webcam, so that when you get to a level at which you would like some more intense training, you can indulge yourself in these live lessons, which our faculty can customize to include all three topics in which you are interested.