tonebase is confusing! Am I missing something?
I find the tonebase website hard to navigate with no clear learning path that connects all of the videos. Am I missing something in the navigation?
26 replies
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Hello Stephen
I don't think you are missing anything. Whilst I think tonebase is a great site and has a lot of valuable learning courses I find that the courses offered are geared more towards intermediate to advance players. A lot of what is available is way over my pay grade. I am nowhere near experienced enough to take advantage of the material on offer.
Also there is no structure for a beginner to learn and develope into a better player.
Hope that helps.
Cheers
Michelle
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While I don't completely disagree with you, I don't think there is a better website for classical guitar out there. It seems that they have super quality guitarist that often teach a short lesson on technique or skill, which I doubt you'd get anywhere else. However, your correct, there's not a lot off hand holding as in, first learn this and next learn that.
Maybe that is more geared to a slightly advanced player, but I feel it's worth the effort to map out your own journey. I think the quality of the teachers and what is being taught is exceptional you may need to find and build your own (sort of) program. I tried more than a few sites out there and this is the best (for me).
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Completely. It’s very easy once you log in and create your own programme.
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Many missed the structure provided by the Level System.
On the home page, just go to ''Your Level''. You can take the quiz that will help you define the level you are at. Then check your specific level. There is a full list of courses, thechnical lessons and repertoire you can work on.
For the repertoire you can also check in the Forum the Level system section.
This is not perfect but with these tools you can certainly developp your own learning path.
Good luck
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I agree. While I find an occasional lesson on a technique or piece of music helpful, the site doesn't seem to offer a clear pathway for beginners to progress through levels.
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I've been a Tonebase member since Sept 2024 and came onboard as a mostly self-taught acoustic guitarist. I'll admit that I found it confusing at first. Yes, there is the level system, and no, there is no real hand holding, And I did go through a few beginner programs elsewhere, and also passed the Grade 1 exams on another website. But I realized the amount of superior content here, and I knew I would appreciate it more and more as I moved along my classical guitar journey. I was smart enough to purchase a lifetime membership before I retired. And I'm taking advantage of coaching with Premium+. It's now become my favorite learning platform.
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, you're not missing anything, Stephen, and this is exactly the kind of feedback we want to hear. tonebase started as a library of master classes, and the structural connective tissue between them is something we're actively working to add. Andre's pointer to the Level System is a helpful starting point, and the fact that the quiz placed Michelle Roper too high is exactly the friction we need to fix. We've launched a set of guided practice tracks for guitar that walk through specific pieces and techniques in a clear week-by-week sequence, with more coming to cover broader repertoire and levels. If you want a teacher's hand on the wheel inside the platform, Premium+ coaching is the closest thing to that.
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I believe one of the challenges is that some of the videos assume a very high level of playing. For many of us who are not music students, fundamental issues, such as fingering, are often overlooked. In several cases, the videos focus almost entirely on interpretation, which is certainly valuable if you already know the piece. However, if there is only one lesson per piece and it is geared toward an advanced player, it becomes very difficult for others to learn the work at all.
Many of the videos are excellent, but it might be helpful to provide some guidelines for those creating content. For example, a simple template could ensure that key foundational elements, such as, fingering, basic technique, and initial learning strategies, are consistently addressed alongside interpretation
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I'd really like to see a single page with text links to all of the courses, lessons etc - an index. Just to get an idea of the scope of the site.
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I also just joined and was surprised by the lack of structure. In my case it is less of a problem as I and return to guitar and already have good idea what I want/need to work on. But for someone who is brand new to classical guitar I could see how this would be added challenge and I would for sure looking into getting some lessons with local teacher or maybe online.
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For anyone new to classical guitar, there is a Beginner Guitar course on the site. Part 1 can be found in Level 1. However, Part 2 does not show up in Level 2 for some reason, but it can be found in the Library. Both of these courses are good.
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I agree and will not be renewing my annual membership. There is plenty of information out there on the Internet and there is no substitute for face to face, one to one lessons with a good teacher.
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I feel that perhaps we have all been a little hard on Tonebase, which is not really that fair. Whilst there could be changes made to make the site a little more user friendly for beginners I have to give credit where credit is due. I am very grateful for the the ability to see world class guitarists give tips and advice on how to play iconic classical guitar pieces. Artists like Ana Vidovic advice on playing Asturias or Lukasz Kurpaczwski course on practicing, which was brilliant and something I use daily. And there are many more. Like my guitar playing "nothing in this world is perfect."
Cheers
Michelle