We have over 150 free video lessons online, but it's no substitute for hiring an actual instructor. And what's better than hiring an actual instructor? Getting a free one. And that's exactly what Billy Farmer does as the Gig Harbor Farmer's Market every Saturday.

"Farmer was spurred on to give guitar lessons when he had a young student drop out of one of his classes because he couldn’t afford the lessons.

“That’s just the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “For every one that you see, there’s a whole bunch of other kids that would like to learn but can’t afford it.”

That’s a sad scenario, Farmer said, because a lot of the children who want to learn have talent.

“I am able to see it right away,” he said. “It’s like turning on a light switch. Then you see the whole self-esteem thing, and it just goes from there.”

Well that's just awesome. I immediately thought of parents having something to distract their kids while they shop. But helping kids in a situation that couldn't otherwise afford it is a great thing.

Earlier this month, the I Heart Guitar Blog came up with 5 Fictional But Awesome Guitar Players. And really it's hard to argue with any list that features Janice from the Muppet Show's Dr Teeth & The Electric Mayhem. But their post lead me to reflect on some my favorite movie characters that played guitar. So I went through the list in my head and found the evidence on Youtube. I've stayed away from real guitarists like anybody featured in Blues Brothers or Jeff Healey in Roadhouse. If you have other suggestions or comments leave them in the comments.

1. Drew from Deliverance. Earns points for being so dedicated to playing guitar that he decided to bring along a six string for a white water canoeing trip.



2. Clint Eastwood in Honky Tonk Man. Because it's Clint Eastwood. Enough said.



3. Tommy Johnson in O Brother Where Art Thou. I know that Chris Thomas King is actually a musician, but I'm making an exception because 99% of America wouldn't know about him if it wasn't for this movie. Tommy Johnson deserves props for not only being the soul selling bluesman, as he's featured below, but also for doubling up and playing the flatpicking lead guitar part for "Man of Constant Sorrow". That's range.



4. Russell Hammond in Almost Famous. "I AM A GOLDEN GOD"



5. Dusty Bottoms singing Blue Shadows (On the Trail) in Three Amigos.

Jody Worrel has a new video lesson teaching you a blues lick for an intermediate to advanced player. This lick is in the key of E and would sound great over a slow blues groove. You can watch the Youtube version below and click here to view the tab



We also have new premium lessons that will teach you how to play Sweet Home Chicago, an an acoustic country solo, and help you work on acoustic country rhythm guitar.

Bob Dylan's recent release of Together Through Life has brought some attention from the media. I've found two things especially interesting. First is a quick rundown of the pseudonyms that Dylan has used over the years. Rolling Stone went through 30 years of interviews to pull Bob's opinions on the same subjects from different stages in his career. I dug this quote on performing live:

"Ask Muhammad All why he fights one more fight. Go ask Marlon Brando why he makes one more movie. Ask Mick Jagger why he goes on the road. See what kind of answers you come up with. Is it so surprising I'm on the road? What else would I be doing in this life — meditating on the mountain? Whatever someone finds fulfilling, whatever his or her purpose is — that's all it is."
[From Issue 278 - November 16, 1978]

In the early days of MTV Unplugged they'd often try to fit several performers into one 30 minute episode. Such was the case with Stevie Ray Vaughan who had to split time with Steve Vai. For some reason, these early episodes never really got shown as reruns. You can apparently find the performance on this dvd. The video below shows all three songs from the performance : Rude Mood, Pride and Joy, and Testify. You can also watch a short outtake of Life Without You

We have a new collection of jam tracks with a country rock feel. The Let's Jam! Country Vol. 2 Download is a collection of seven .mp3 tracks that were recorded by professional studio musicians. These rhythm tracks play recognizable country progressions that you can use to practice leads part over with you guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, fiddle and more. The collection also comes with a .pdf that features the chord progression for each song and a few tips for soloing.

Play sample track: Over the Limit

- Flatpicking Lesson on Tennessee Wagoner featuring tab and .mp3

- Six tips on buying guitars at garage sales or at pawn shops. Most pawn shops are internet savvy at this point, but garage sales can still be a good bargain.

- And the tale of someone who struck guitar gold at a garage sale. Crazy, crazy, crazy amount of guitar gold.