Just one year ago, Fender reported that guitar sales in the US had increased a massive 17% due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and nascent musos eager to turn their isolation into creativity. Meanwhile, 7% of the US population between the ages of 13-64 (that’s 16 million people) began to learn the guitar in the last two years, while 72% of new players are between the ages of 13 and 34.
While it remains to be seen whether 2021 will indeed top last year as the company’s best in their 75-year history, one thing that has become clear is that there is not only a thirst for making music, but a massive need for the know-how involved in the process.
As such, Fender recognised that with more guitar players than ever before in the world right now, it’s time to ensure that all barriers of entry are swiftly removed, and that everyone who desires the knowledge required to learn how to play their instrument is able to get it.
Just last month, Fender announced the launch of their all-new Beginner’s Hub. Hosted on their website, it’s designed as a one-stop destination for everybody and anybody starting out on their own personal learning journey.
“The pandemic rapidly accelerated the already healthy growth in beginner guitar players and we accelerated our investment in tools to support them,” explained Fender CEO, Andy Mooney. “Our suite of Beginner Tools enables new players to enjoy the process of learning to play music they love and perhaps go on to create music we all will love.”
So what does this mean for the new guitar players of the world? It means that Fender are on hand to ensure your entire journey into the world of music is one that is as easy as possible, eliminating all the guesswork that comes with tackling a new instrument on your own.
The Beginner’s Hub kicks things off right where any aspiring musician would want it to, with its Find Your Fender giving budding artists the opportunity to do the proper groundwork and figure which is the perfect guitar or bass for them based on their style, sound, and tone preferences, regardless of budget.
In addition to curating bundles for electric/acoustic guitars, bass guitar and ukulele on a section of the Beginner Hub, they’re all organised by experience level, starting with Basic before moving up to the likes of Beginner+ for the more familiar players. Fender even help out in terms of finding the correct instrument and amp, while also offering options for younger players, too.
From there, the appropriate-sized steps are taken to ensure that the journey into music isn’t a daunting one, with the likes of Fender Tune giving players the opportunity to learn how to tune their instrument via an app, before Fender Play kicks it up a notch by offering an intensive series of guitar lessons (with a seven-day free trial also on offer).
Fender Play offers over 3,500 lessons, with its bite-sized courses coming from expert instructors, while also offering the chance to perfect rhythm skills by way of backing tracks, and increasing knowledge by way of its chord challenge.
Meanwhile, lessons are also curated to give aspiring musicians the chance to dive into their favourite artists, genres, and techniques, meaning that you can dive directly into the style of your choice, instead of spending countless lessons learning about genres you’re not particularly into.
As Fender explain, Fender Play is designed to help players overcome difficulties and experience the joy that comes from mastering guitar. This will also see first-person insights from iconic guitarists such as Brothers Osborne, Larkin Poe, and Jim Root, who will walk new players through their unique “My First Fender” experiences via video, providing a fan-to-artist connection that demystifies the beginner to the recording star pipeline.
Fender Play also offers their new Feedback Mode, which goes far beyond the guitar instruction already offered by the app, listening to your playing and offering an overall score, and detailed, note-by-note feedback to help new players adjust and improve their skills. This new feature – paired with a massive song library, plus video instruction on popular songs from songwriters themselves – provides a wholly comprehensive way for any musician to learn how to play.
Though any musician will readily tell you that the journey towards musical stardom is one that can be fraught with difficulty and hardships, the first steps on that journey don’t need to be, with Fender aiming to ensure that they demystify the fundamentals as possible to make the world of stringed instruments a positive and welcoming one.
With more guitar players in the world than ever before right now, there’s never been a better time to take charge of your musical destiny and find the helping hand needed to set you on the right path to achieving your musical goals. We’re not saying you’ll be a rock star just by checking out Fender’s Beginner’s Hub, but if you want to learn the fundamentals on how to become a rock star the right way, then Fender’s Beginner’s Hub might be just what you’re looking for.
