Jean Welles Worship Guitar Class (TOS Review)

WorshipGuitarClass.com

"Want to LEARN TO PLAY GUITAR from scratch or improve your skills?"

"What an AWESOME God we have! He is so worthy of our praise. It's been a joy for me to teach others to play the guitar for most of my life. In 2001 I made the first Worship Guitar Class video with you in mind. The Worship Guitar Class lessons were birthed in prayer and for the purpose of helping people just like you draw closer to Him through learning and developing the skill of playing worship guitar....Today 'Jean Welles Worship Guitar Class™' is a tool for Christian churches and worshippers in over 50 countries. I've had the wonderful opportunities to study with world-class guitarists. You can have lessons from a worshipper who can explain how to play with excellent technique too."--from the Worship Guitar Class website

Those quotes sum up the flavour of Jean Welles' Worship Guitar Class DVD series. We were sent the first level (along with its accompanying songbook) to review. On the first DVD, you learn "seven songs, a dozen chords, and several strumming and picking patterns." And that's it, pretty much--you can see a demo video on the website. The instructor shows you each lesson's new chords and strums, and then plays and sings a praise song (such as "Lord, I Lift Your Name On High") using the new techniques.

There are several things assumed in these lessons: first, that you are a Christian and are comfortable with frequent references to same and suggestions that you pray for help with guitar technique; and second, that you'd rather learn basic chords and strums using this type of music than you would using "Frankie and Johnny" and "Comin' Round the Mountain" (the first two songs I ever played, thirty years ago). The unspoken third assumption is that you probably have some intended audience for this music--you want to play on a worship team at church, or for group meetings.

If you are, if you do, and if you do, you'll probably like this series. In fact, I can imagine that it's exactly what a lot of people are looking for. The songs used are still fairly current, at least around here; and the teaching is straightforward, without any fancy computer graphics (you really need to refer to the written material as well as watch the DVD, because it is sometimes hard to see how a chord is being formed). You're not getting a lot of theory, at least not in the first DVD; it's all towards the practical end of getting you to play a few songs and play them well enough to accompany singers or other instruments. Later levels take you through "learning about the I, IV, V chords and playing bass runs" and "tips for playing bar chords."

The upside? I liked the way the first lesson started, with A and E7 chords; that seemed a good choice for beginners--better than the way I started, struggling to switch from full-bore C to G and F. If that doesn't mean anything to you, just say that there are fewer fingers involved. I like the full-size book--it's pretty clear. (I'm remembering what it's like to get started with a Christmas-gift guitar and not have anyone helping you. My first lessons came out of an article in Young Miss Magazine, and then I graduated to Roy Clark's as-seen-on-TV-method.) In other words, following this DVD will get you somewhere. It may not be where you'd get to with a teacher, but for the practical ends I've described, it will do fine.

The downside? One of our offspring, who hasn't had much guitar experience, picked up one of the three guitars we have sitting around here and tried it out with the DVD. This may sound strange but she found one feature of the DVDs so disconcerting that she didn't continue with the lessons: the instructor's habit of singing with her eyes closed. I know this is a common practice when singing worship songs, but in this context it seemed to disconnect the teacher from the student. I think the other issue might have been that the choice of songs didn't interest her enough to want to keep practicing them. If this isn't your style of worship music, you might be happier learning with campfire songs. The company does sell an E-book of Favorite Hymns For Guitar, with "a half-dozen popular hymns with suggestions of strumming or picking patterns, plus the stories behind the songs."

They also sell instructional materials for piano and drums, as well as voice training materials, instruments, and a Worship Guitar Class for Kids (ages 5-9). What I picked out just from watching the Kids class demo was that the eye-closing isn't as noticeable, that there are some onscreen graphics, and that a child is included in the sessions as well--that's very motivating for kids. I also like the simplified C and G7 chords that are used in the first lesson--that's something that worked for me way-back-then too.

Cost: You can get the complete set of Worship Guitar Class Volumes [the four DVDs] plus 'Tips, Tricks & Exercises for Great Guitar Technique' & 'Hymn eBook,' '200+ Chord Charts and Pictures, and much more...' and 'Chord Charts with Pictures for 5 Major Keys + How to use this Guide Book' for US$99.80. You can add in the four full-size books for $119.80. Individual DVDs plus books are $29.95. Books by themselves are $5.95. There are also some online products.

For more reviews of this product, see the Old Schoolhouse Review Crew website.

Dewey's Disclaimer: This product was provided free for purposes of review. No other payment was made. The opinions expressed in this review are our own.