AS more than one billion people have been asked to stay home in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the music community is coming together to entertain and support self-isolated fans.
In an effort to keep aspiring musicians busy at home, Fender is now offering three months of free guitar, bass and ukulele lessons through its Fender Play platform.
"With everything happening in the world, music has the power to connect us. We want to do our part to see you through -- the way we know how. We're all going to be spending more time inside -- so we might as well make some noise," the guitarist brand wrote on its Twitter announcement.
The new three-month offer is available to the first 100,000 new subscribers to Fender Play, where music lovers of all levels can discover easy-to-follow video tutorials from "world-class instructors."
Normally priced at US$9.99 a month, the Fender Play app also includes how-to videos for hundreds of chart-topping songs by the likes of Led Zeppelin, Green Day, Shawn Mendes, Ed Sheeran and more.
Meanwhile, Gibson has just launched his own "HomeMade Sessions" initiative, where the instrument brand will offer exclusive to at-home performances and interviews from the world's best guitarists.
"As world leaders in music, we are stepping in and bringing both legendary and new artists, music brands and industry partners together across the globe to launch 'Gibson HomeMade'; a worldwide program to unite music lovers everywhere and spread hope through tough times," Cesar Gueikian, Chief Merchant Officer of Gibson, said in a press statement.
The initiative, available on Gibson TV, will include full-length performances and original content from Gibson, Epiphone and Kramer artists such as ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, Slash and Warren Haynes.
"When times are tough and uncertain, music provides a comfort and dependability we all need. Music unites us all, even when we are apart and 'socially distanced,'" Haynes said of "Gibson HomeMade Sessions" in a statement.
While Fender and Gibson have announced their own music initiatives, a handful of artists have created their own tutorials from home.
Among them are Queen's guitarist Brian May, who launched his "Micro Concerts" series by teaching fans how to master the iconic guitar solo from the band's 1975 hit, "Bohemian Rhapsody".
"This is my contribution to the Common Good tonight. A raw cheer-up outburst. Living Room Rock! IG-ROCK! Is this the future? To all you folks out there feeling as disorientated as I do - let's isolate together!!! And keep rockin' together !! OK? With love. Yours truly - your friendly neighbourhood chap who clearly imagines he's in Hawaii!!!" he wrote in his post.