What my guitar students are saying
"It's a structured program that's easy to follow and you can go at your own pace. Before the course I couldn’t even put my fingers in position to play a barre chord, let alone play a barre chord."
– Heather Milburn
"I’ve learned more in 4 months with [Lauren] than I have in 2 years with in person instruction."
– Joanne Inzinna Buffalo, NY
I FELT LIKE I WAS FLOUNDERING AND READY TO QUIT UNTIL I FOUND LAUREN'S VIDEOS
I’m a late learner. I had a gifted guitar lying around for 20 years that I never touched. In Nov of 2020, I went online and tried to learn a bit through various videos. I even signed up to learn with a different online guitar course. I felt like I was really floundering and ready to quit until I found Lauren’s videos. I took an introductory course and learned more in that than I had in the 3 months I was in the other program. I canceled my prior plan and signed up for anything Lauren had! Her way of teaching is so organized and easy to understand. Every lesson logically leads to the next. And Lauren is just so genuine and reachable.
Her 7 Level Guitar System is the place where you learn all the foundations. Then she offers many other courses to take your playing to the next level. What also made the difference for me was the online community and support offered there. I have learned a lot from their tips and advice and made lifelong friends. If you’re looking for an awesome teacher and tons of support and inspiration, this is the course to join!
– Donnalee Robinson
Lauren’s teaching style is so positive!
I had taken two years of in-person lessons but wasn’t having fun. With the 7 Level system, I could go at my own pace and enjoy the “fellowship” of other guitar enthusiasts. Starting with the easy two finger chords was a game changer for me! And Lauren’s involvement in the community is AMAZING!
I can now strum to songs! I even have the confidence to try to learn new songs. And I can’t wait to move on to the other modules.
Lauren’s teaching style is so positive! She breaks things down to an easy level without being condescending. I can't recommend it enough!
– Leslie Williams
I tried some other courses but they were too complicated.
I started playing just about three years ago when I turned 60. I had no musical experience at all. I looked around online and I found Lauren's website. I tried some other ones but they were a bit too complicated. Lauren's was perfect because it was like a second-grade teacher. She broke it down and the 7 Level course is what got me to where I am now. I owe her a lot of thanks because it's exactly what I needed. She broke it down, made it simple and I'm really enjoying this journey. The more I learn, the less I know, but I’m still having fun!
– Rick Valdes
The 7 Level course is organized with specific goals and measurable progress, which is a big plus.
I first tried playing the guitar in the 80's when there was no internet. I had to buy books and do the best on my own. Lessons were out of the question for me, at least I thought they were. I didn’t have any structure, I skipped around doing what was easy, and got nowhere. The 7 Level course is organized with specific goals and measurable progress which is a big plus.
There are so many things that I learned in the 7 Level: a variety of chords, my strumming went from almost zero to something structured, alternate picking and arpeggios, and the list goes on and on. I also went through the music theory course and this helped make the 7 Level course interesting. I can clean and re-string a guitar and that's amazing. I learned that there is a tremendous amount of knowledge and practice that has to be absorbed to even be called a mediocre "beginner". Thank you, Lauren, for the course, your patience, and most importantly your friendship.
– Jim Arnold
Join the 7 Level Guitar System
Start having fun playing guitar for as little as $2.81 per lesson!
I had previously taken another online (beginner) course and it made big jumps in the learning curve, which was frustrating.
The 7 Level course met all of my expectations. It followed a very doable pace & kept my interest going. I committed myself to practice 1-2 hrs per day & had a goal of getting through the course in 3 months. Even though I have completed the course I am far from being proficient in all areas but will continue to practice & go over the basics.
It has given me a base to go further than I have before. Sometimes I think I have not progressed but my husband seems impressed by some of my playing. I had previously taken another online (beginner) course and it made big jumps in the learning curve, which was frustrating. And there was nowhere to ask questions and get answers.
This step-by-step approach and all of the support you offer is invaluable. I would feel confident recommending this course to anyone who would like to further their guitar-playing skills.
– Peggy Little
THIS COURSE EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS
I have been trying to learn guitar all of my life. I took in-person lessons while in high school and tried learning on my own. I took some other online courses but none of them worked. I could not even play one song all the way through. I am 67 years old now and started Lauren's 7 Level course a little over one year ago. Now I have about 25 songs that I can play and many more that are within my reach.
– Stephen Magdalenski
I recommend the 7 Level Guitar System because it gives your practice and learning a step-by-step direction!
The 7 Level program gave me a direction and goals. I was jumping from one song to another using Lauren's videos on YouTube. It was fun but didn't really have a structure for progression. The 7 Level System gave me what I needed to keep going!
I started this journey with a piano background. So I could read music, count, and had a pretty good handle on rhythm, scales, and chord theory. I just couldn't translate it in my head to the frets of a guitar.
I had tried multiple times in my life to learn to play and always started with the same Hal Leonard books. My fingers got sore and playing the melody was slow.
The 7-Level coursework led me through how to translate what I knew to guitar! It has been an amazing journey so far! Starting with chords instead of melody gave me instant success and I could even sing with the simpler tunes! That pushed me through the sore fingers!
As I neared the end of the 7 levels, I went back and picked up those same Hal Leonard books. Now they make sense and I have begun to move from watching the fret numbers to being able to start referring to the notes and knowing where they fall on the guitar. I am just in the beginning of that journey but I have come so much further than I would have thought possible!
I recommend the 7 Level Guitar System because it is a system! It gives your practice and learning a step-by-step direction! There are people in the community that are there to help when you trip and fall. They support you through "embrace the suck" and have all been through whatever I was going through at the time.
– Dellea Underwood
If you're thinking about joining, give it a try. It took me a while to buy into it and I wish I had done it sooner!
I saw a lot of offerings that Lauren had online and I kept finding myself going back to her style and the way she approached things. The course itself is just terrific. Being able to watch and rewatch the recordings makes it feel like she's right there, playing guitar with you in your living room. And it also makes the process fun. You don't have to get hung up on the methodology, and you can quickly start enjoying playing your guitar.
Lauren also encourages you not to get discouraged. She tells you to look back at where you were a week or two ago, and you'll recognize that you made some progress. I'm going slowly, but I'm really enjoying it.
– Thomas Flanagan
This course keeps your interest and challenges you to keep learning.
The course exceeded my expectations - I can't believe I actually finished 173 modules! It kept my interest and I could hardly wait to practice every day. In fact, I haven't missed a day of practice since I started the course. I loved the practice modules and I could understand what Lauren was teaching. It was exciting to learn new things and put them into practice. I have signed up for the rest of the courses and looking forward to learning more.
I understand rhythm a lot better than I did. I can do quite a few strumming patterns now which I could not do before. The speed of my chord changes have greatly increased and learned so many new chords!
I would recommend the 7 Level program 100%! If you go through the modules and practice daily you will see results! This course keeps your interest and challenges you to keep learning.
– Ann Sherba
Want to Improve Your Guitar Playing Better?
I started the course about four months ago and cannot get over how far I have come
I’ve wanted to learn guitar since I was a teenager, but I never believed I had the talent or the coordination to do it. Now 61, I thought it couldn’t hurt to at least try, so I purchased an inexpensive guitar and started looking at YouTube videos. Many were too fast-paced for me to follow or didn’t show me how to form the chords being played.
Happily, I came upon a video by Lauren Bateman. The course is beautifully organized and designed to take you, at your own pace, from absolute beginner to intermediate player.
Everything from choosing a guitar and pick to working in a logical progression to create chords, strum, and pick is laid out in a clear format with ample support, encouragement, and recognition of the difficulties faced at each stage as you develop strength, dexterity, stamina, and self-confidence.
– Daryl Holmes
The Community is very encouraging and makes sure you do not ever feel alone or isolated.
Lauren's personality and teaching style is very comfortable. She makes you feel like she is sitting in person with you; talking you through the lessons in a very easily understandable and friendly manner. The lessons are very easy to follow. It is set up to allow you to go at your own pace; which is much better than the in-person lessons. This self-paced approach is a very good way to give someone all the time they need to learn the concepts being explained.
The Fellowship of the Strings Community is also a brilliant means to not let the people be left in a learning isolation. Many would give up when they face their "embrace the suck moments" without our Community's constant presence and support. The Community is very encouraging and makes sure you do not ever feel alone or isolated, plus you get to meet a lot of other great guitar enthusiasts. The monthly Q&A, "Lauren pop-ups", newsletter, Song Circles, emails on songs, etc. provide additional learning opportunities beyond the basic 7 Level Course. I am so very glad I found Lauren!!!
– David Eisel
The investment you’ll make is nothing compared to what you get out of it.
If you're thinking about joining the 7 Level program, I would say go for it. Coming from someone who knew absolutely nothing about playing a guitar, at age 62, I decided to do it. And it was the best investment ever. I'm amazed at what I did not know. I didn't even know what a chord was. And a year and a half later, I can play songs. I know what chords are. I'm learning about hammer-ons and things that like.
The investment you’ll make is nothing compared to what you get out of it. I highly recommend it!
– Sandra Sexton
The 7 Level System was everything I’d hoped for and is very well organized.
Considering I didn’t know anything about playing the guitar when I started, I would have to say I got a tremendous amount out of it. I like that it was very broad and hit a lot of different things. I’m very comfortable with the guitar now and my chord changes have improved immensely. My finger dexterity is a lot better and my picking hand is better When I look back, I’m amazed at the progress I’ve made. I truly wish I had filmed myself when I started because sometimes it was hard to tell if I was making progress, but now that it’s been an entire year and I think back to struggling as a rank beginner, I’m amazed at the progress I’ve made. I’ve already recommended this program to others!
– Peter Poanessa
Although Lauren is a thousand miles away, it’s as though she is just around the corner.
“I had researched a number of online guitar teachers and discovered that Lauren’s methodology and demeanor reached out to me. The teaching builds a up from zero guitar experience and allows the learner to work at their own pace without any pressure.
The online community is very supportive and makes you feel that although your learning is distant, you are never alone. I have asked Lauren on several occasions for guidance and she always responds quickly with sound direction. Although Lauren is over three thousand miles away, it's as though she is just around the corner.
In the few months I have been learning, I am able to perform songs using 9 chords and picking. This has enabled me to play songs which is something I have always wanted to do. I cannot thank Lauren enough for bringing me this gift."
– John Conway
It’s only been three months but my strumming and chord changes are very much improved.
When I turned 60, I wanted to take guitar lessons. I signed up for classes at a well-known music store. Four instructors, two music schools and two years later, I didn’t feel I had learned much. I decided to try to learn on my own with YouTube. I came across some videos by Lauren Bateman. After watching a few videos and seeing what I liked, I signed up for Lauren’s online classes. She is a great instructor, very patient and very concise. It’s only been three months but my strumming and chord changes are very much improved.
– Lori Bennet
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