TrueFire Sale - Tons of Good Stuff - $99 for an annual sub?! YES PLEASE!

[WA Paul]

Agreed, b/c I'm hoping that the fact that they make it available on CD indicates that it's not too tough to pull off.

So, I did a couple of quick tests tonight.

1 - downloaded courses on my PC (Win10) and was able to see the underlying MP4 video files (looked like TF uses VLC media player). Good news! Easy to copy and back up the files, which I immediately did. Also saw the GP5 (tab) and PDF files (ditto on the backups). Even was able to play video using VLC independent of the TF App.

2 - was able to do airplay using my iPad and Apple TV - whew! Makes life much easier when playing along with guitar.

 

[matonanjin]

I Do you use a computer or an iPad/tablet when using the material? Generally I prefer to download my material so I have a permanent copy rather than streaming which seems to suggest a computer use rather than iPad. I like to throw the videos on my TV which is a bit easier from my iPad than a computer currently, though I can throw content on a USB stick. Thoughts?

Thanks for the replies - was trying to think of my 'workflow' for using the material. I have tired eyes and I like to throw video content on my TV for easier viewing and tabs on my iPad (use a holder on my mic stand). I'll give it a whirl - take my mind off of packing up for listing our home for sale.

Agreed, b/c I'm hoping that the fact that they make it available on CD indicates that it's not too tough to pull off.

When you download from TrueFire you can do so their "normal", newer way which has you using their app. You go through downloading the TrueFire installer, etc. I'm sure this is how most do it. But there is also a route that allows you to download all the data files only. You then can play all the files with whatever video or audio player you want and transfer files to your devices to your heart's content.

Instead of going the "My Courses" menu option from the TrueFire website, click on "My Dashboard" and then "My Other Downloads". At the bottom you will see "Legacy Downloads". It's fairly obvious how TrueFire views this because they call it "Download your courses with the Old Standalone Player". But when you do this you download a Zip file with all the course material. (Some courses have two files.) When you unpack the file you will have a folder structure that includes some different folders and files. One of the folders is named "Data". There is also one called "Guitar Pro Files" which includes what one would expect. If you open up "Data" there are four more folders and here is all the good stuff:

1. Chart: All the pdf's with the sheet music for each lesson.
2. Jam: The jam tracks in mp3 format for each lesson
3. Tunings: an audio files for different notes
4. Video: The video lessons in mp4 format for each lesson.

The files in every folder are intuitively named. For example, I am just about to finish up Corey Congilio's "30 Beginning Blues Licks You Must Know". If I go in the "Jam" folder the files are "c30bbl-001.mp3, cc30bbl-002.mp3, .......cc30bbl-030.mp3".

I go into the "Video" folder and load into VideoSurgeon the lesson that I happen to be working on. I go into the "Chart" folder to get that lesson. I transferred all audio files from the "Jam" folder to my Boss eBand JS-10 to jam to it to complete the lesson.

 

[DickBanks]

TrueFire is running a bunch of sales. One of the sales will get you an annual subscription for $99. Pretty sweet deal. I picked it up and am looking forward to getting through some of these courses. The samples I have seen are very well done and include lots of big names, David Grissom, Robben Ford, Oz Noy, etc. The site is also very well done and easy to navigate. I am impressed.

You can sign up solo or through a referral if you want to be my bro-hammer. Either way you get $10 credit. Hurry kids, the sale doesn't last much longer!

Sign up and you get $10 credit.
www.truefire.com

Sign up through me and we both get $10 credit.
https://truefire.com/ignite/?code=jessefbaker

I've been taking lessons there on and off for 2 years now.

They are all that and a bag of chips!

 

[DougUSMC]

When you download from TrueFire you can do so their "normal", newer way which has you using their app. You go through downloading the TrueFire installer, etc. I'm sure this is how most do it. But there is also a route that allows you to download all the data files only. You then can play all the files with whatever video or audio player you want and transfer files to your devices to your heart's content.

Instead of going the "My Courses" menu option from the TrueFire website, click on "My Dashboard" and then "My Other Downloads". At the bottom you will see "Legacy Downloads". It's fairly obvious how TrueFire views this because they call it "Download your courses with the Old Standalone Player". But when you do this you download a Zip file with all the course material. (Some courses have two files.) When you unpack the file you will have a folder structure that includes some different folders and files. One of the folders is named "Data". There is also one called "Guitar Pro Files" which includes what one would expect. If you open up "Data" there are four more folders and here is all the good stuff:

1. Chart: All the pdf's with the sheet music for each lesson.
2. Jam: The jam tracks in mp3 format for each lesson
3. Tunings: an audio files for different notes
4. Video: The video lessons in mp4 format for each lesson.

The files in every folder are intuitively named. For example, I am just about to finish up Corey Congilio's "30 Beginning Blues Licks You Must Know". If I go in the "Jam" folder the files are "c30bbl-001.mp3, cc30bbl-002.mp3, .......cc30bbl-030.mp3".

I go into the "Video" folder and load into VideoSurgeon the lesson that I happen to be working on. I go into the "Chart" folder to get that lesson. I transferred all audio files from the "Jam" folder to my Boss eBand JS-10 to jam to it to complete the lesson.

Confirmed, this is GENIUS!! Thanks!!

 

[matonanjin]

Confirmed, this is GENIUS!! Thanks!!

Far from "Genius" but I'm glad that you find it helpful.

 

[DougUSMC]

Far from "Genius" but I'm glad that you find it helpful.

Heck, so much easier than having to find a way to "work around" the permission issues. Now I can focus on combining the videos into a single whole for each course.

 

[matonanjin]

I've been taking lessons there on and off for 2 years now.

They are all that and a bag of chips!

I agree. And I don't know why this seems like this is a "full disclosure" type of comment.

I had mentioned in my post about the downloads that I am about to finish up the Corey Congilio 30 Beginning Blues Licks. Working through this I have taken private lessons with Corey. For each lesson, each of the 30 licks, I send him a video of my playing the lick. He critiques it and sends me a video response. I then work his suggestions and send him another video of my working those suggestions. He may, and in most cases has, send me another video evaluation of my reworking the lick.

These video lessons with Corey have been the greatest thing I have done since trying to learn guitar. These last few months of these lessons have produced more progress in my playing than anything I had previously tried.

And I don't think it is just Corey. I think it would be very difficult to find a bad teacher at TrueFire. I've taken SKYPE lessons with a couple, Robert Renman, Kelly Richey, and worked a few of the other courses. I, unfortunately, probably own most of their blues courses.

They are "all that and a bag of chips", even though I'm not fully certain what that means.

 

[DougUSMC]

I agree. And I don't know why this seems like this is a "full disclosure" type of comment.

I had mentioned in my post about the downloads that I am about to finish up the Corey Congilio 30 Beginning Blues Licks. Working through this I have taken private lessons with Corey. For each lesson, each of the 30 licks, I send him a video of my playing the lick. He critiques it and sends me a video response. I then work his suggestions and send him another video of my working those suggestions. He may, and in most cases has, send me another video evaluation of my reworking the lick.

These video lessons with Corey have been the greatest thing I have done since trying to learn guitar. These last few months of these lessons have produced more progress in my playing than anything I had previously tried.

And I don't think it is just Corey. I think it would be very difficult to find a bad teacher at TrueFire. I've taken SKYPE lessons with a couple, Robert Renman, Kelly Richey, and worked a few of the other courses. I, unfortunately, probably own most of their blues courses.

They are "all that and a bag of chips", even though I'm not fully certain what that means.

That sounds pretty cool, I've wondered how the lessons on their site work out. Any particular reason why you did video w/him and Skype w/the other two?

 

[matonanjin]

That sounds pretty cool, I've wondered how the lessons on their site work out. Any particular reason why you did video w/him and Skype w/the other two?

Yes, one very good reason. Corey does not offer SKYPE lessons. He used to offer face to face lessons but he no longer does that. About a year ago I was going to be in Nashville and had set up a face to face lesson. But I cancelled my trip. since then he has stopped doing it. Apparently he is busy enough with his gigging and selling his TrueFire courses . He also does road shows with Martin guitars.

 

[DougUSMC]

Yes, one very good reason. Corey does not offer SKYPE lessons. He used to offer face to face lessons but he no longer does that. About a year ago I was going to be in Nashville and had set up a face to face lesson. But I cancelled my trip. since then he has stopped doing it. Apparently he is busy enough with his gigging and selling his TrueFire courses . He also does road shows with Martin guitars.

Ah, understood, very cool. I'm glad to hear that those instructors are rewarded enough for their work that they're able to make those kinds of choices.

You mentioned Skype lessons w/2 different instructors, video lessons, and a (cancelled) F2F lesson. IF you don't mind sharing: On a scale of MIM Tele to PRS PS, how much would you guess you're spending a year on lessons thru them? Without taking annual pass or bought courses into account.

 

[matonanjin]

Ah, understood, very cool. I'm glad to hear that those instructors are rewarded enough for their work that they're able to make those kinds of choices.

You mentioned Skype lessons w/2 different instructors, video lessons, and a (cancelled) F2F lesson. IF you don't mind sharing: On a scale of MIM Tele to PRS PS, how much would you guess you're spending a year on lessons thru them? Without taking annual pass or bought courses into account.

First off, I don't have an annual pass. As many courses as I have purchased, in hindsight, I should have! And I love the nebulous analogy of MIM Tele to PRS PS, but I can't relate. But it has to be closer to Private Stock or at least Artist Package.

But avoiding the analogy, I can just give you actual numbers. When I contacted Corey about starting private lessons we agreed to use the 30 Beginning Blues course as the lesson materials. I thought that probably I would most likely use a lesson every couple licks. So 30 divided by 2 =15 so I bought 15 private lessons. Private lessons are $39 each but I purchased them when TrueFire had one of their sales in progress. I can't remember what I paid then; it was either $19 each or $29 each. I was telling someone this and he made some comment skeptical of my financial sanity, "You paid $29 for a course and now paying $300 to study it?!?!". But I am not. I bought some lessons to study with Corey. We, as I said above, are using the 30 Beginning Blues course as our study material. Actually when I started with Corey I sent the first video to him of Lick 1. It apparently was bad enough! that he told me to put the licks course away for a bit and he gave me an assignment using pentatonic scales. We went back and forth on that for a while and after he was comfortable with my doing that we returned to the Licks course. As I also previous stated, I just finished the 30 BBL course. I sent the last video to him Friday. Yesterday, I started his 50 Blues Rhythms You Must Know. I have a few Private Lessons in inventory but I should have purchased some more over the Memorial Day sale. Anyway, I am continuing to take private lessons now using the Rhythms course.

Per year, to finally answer your question? I don't know. It probably appears expensive but I maintain it is less expensive than F2F lessons with a local instructor at what?, $75/lesson? And I send lessons at my leisure, I don't have to commit to a weekly lesson, don't have to drive somewhere nor brush my hair. For now, this works for me.

 

[DougUSMC]

Weird, the thread won't let me post something...

 

[DougUSMC]

Won't let me quote matonanjin...

Lol, I was thinking along these lines:
Tele > SE > S2 > CE > Core > PS

I don't think you're paying that much at all. I'm definitely paying more than that, in my weekly lessons w/a local instructor. I bought the annual pass, plus a bunch of courses that I dug that I wanted to own, PLUS a local instructor. I can definitely see where bouncing across various genres and lesson plans are making a WORLD of difference over prior years. I've changed from the "let's get the tab and learn this song" to "let's find something a little more difficult in this genre". Instead of finding things w/in my skill level, I'm pushing to those levels that I used to think were beyond me.

 

[jfb]

I just renewed my Truefire subscription and wanted to give this a bump. It's a great value and I have a lot of fun with the content.

If you haven't checked them out I highly recommend the content and service they provide. A lot of your favorites are bound to have lessons available.

You can sign up with my promo code here or use someone else you know. Everyone involved gets some credit to spend however you like on their store!

Paul talks a lot about finding a mentor. Here is your shot. Have fun out there!

 

[CVS]

Like others have said, I prefer to own the lessons that I buy. Not that I think that Truefire is going to go out of business anytime soon (In fact I think they are doing very well), but in this day and age, you never know.
I download all the lessons onto my computer and then back them up on an external drive. IMHO - the quality of the lessons is excellent. I learn more from watching the videos than I ever have when taking face to face lessons (which I have not done for a number of years now). The only thing missing is feedback. I might take the plunge this year and sign up for a few private lessons.

A great site, but you have to be at an intermediate level to really take advantage of what this site offers.

PS - If you are really interested in learning specific songs, this site is not for you. There are plenty of other sites that do this.