The Best Online Guitar Lessons (2023 Buyers Guide)

Find out which platform will be best for you to learn guitar quickly and easily.

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Last Updated: August 2023

The Top 4 Guitar Tutorials in 2022

Want to learn guitar? Here are the best training programs we’ve come across.

Guitar Tricks (Best Overall Lesson Platform)
Fender Play (Best for Ease of Use + Bite Sized Lessons)
LessonWithYou (Best for 1-on-1, Private Guitar Coaching)
TrueFire/JamPlay (Most Comprehensive Lesson Platform)

In this full online guitar lessons for beginners comparison and buyers guide we’ll go over the different options above and help you decide which one is best for you!

We’ll look at what’s included, how they work and more.

Full Video Buyers Guide

QUIZ: Which Lesson is Best For YOU?

Quick Comparison Table

A quick look at how each of the best guitar lessons online stacks up

	Guitar Tricks	Fender Play	LessonWithYou	TrueFire/JamPlay
Overall Rating	7.8/10	7.8/10	7.25/10	7.6/10
Ease of Use	7.5/10	8.5/10	7/10	7/10
How Comprehensive	8.5/10	7/10	8/10	10/10
Lesson Quality	7.5/10	8.5/10	8/10	7/10
Affordability	7/10	8.5/10	6/10	7/10
Standout Features	8.5/10	6.5/10	N/A	7/10
Trial/Guarantee	60 Day Money Back Guarantee	14 Day Free Trial	Free Trial Lesson Available	14 Day Money Back Guarantee
Price	$19.95 USD / Month	$9.99 USD / Month	$30 – $55 USD / Lesson	$19 USD / Month
Who it’s Best for?	Best Option for Most Students – Comprehensive + Guided	Complete Beginners Who Want an Easy to Follow Guided Approach	Anyone Who Wants a Private Guitar Teacher	Best for Intermediate Students
Biggest Advantage	Easy to use and navigate	Most affordable option	No contract, and completely personalized to you	A “go-your-own-way” training program
Biggest Disadvantage	No community/1-on-1 training	Not as Comprehensive as Other Options	No Additional Material/Features/Videos	Overwhelming
#1 Best Feature	Core Learning System for beginners + personalized Feedback System	Learn it all – acoustic, electric, bass, ukulele	1-on-1, private guitar instruction	Most Comprehensive Program (54000+)
	Read More or Try it Today!	Read More or Try It Today!	Read More or Try it Today!	Read More or Try It Today!

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Overview of the Best Guitar Lessons Online

There are so many options for figuring out the guitar, that it can be tough to choose what’s right for you.

Getting better at a musical instrument is a lifelong pursuit. And a solid training program is an important part of that.

So when deciding on which online guitar classes for beginners are best, we looked at a set of key decision making criteria to compare each to.

Key Decision Making Factors:

When looking at the best options for learning guitar online, we took into account several factors:

Ease of Use: How easy is the website/program to use? Is there confusion or overwhelm that will hinder complete beginners?
Comprehensiveness: How many lessons overall are in the program? What topics and styles are covered?
Lesson Quality: How good are the actual lessons themselves? Are they fun, engaging, boring, dry?
Affordability: How much do the lessons cost and is the price worth it compared to what you get?
Standout Features: Is there anything that a particular option does BEST or better than everything else out there?

Let’s look at the different options.

Buyers Guide Quick Tips

What to Look Out For + Consider When Making a Decision on Which Guitar Training is Best for You

Think about how you prefer to learn – do you want to jump around from topic to topic as you see fit, or do you want a more hand-held, guided approach?
Are you looking for the easiest to follow lessons or do you want a community or mentor feedback while you’re learning?
Only consider price if absolutely necessary – it’s much better to make your choice based on your intended goal/outcome for learning or preferred learning STYLE.
Are you interested in a specific style of guitar? Or do you want to learn a lot of different genres?
All of the programs are effective at what they do, but remember – it requires YOUR work/effort over a long-ish period of time.
Every option has a free-ish trial or risk-free guarantee, so don’t be afraid to dive right in. Be sure you know the details of the trial/guarantee before committing!

Each in-depth look below goes over the following information:

Program Highlights
Key Factors Summary
The Good and The Bad
Program vs. Competitors
Who Should Use it and Who Shouldn’t

Guitar Tricks – The Best Guitar Training Platform Overall

BEST FOR: MOST PEOPLE – ESPECIALLY BEGINNERS WHO WANT A GUIDED APPROACH AND COMPREHENSIVE LESSONS

Guitar Tricks has one of the best online guitar classes platforms available. And it’s one of the most comprehensive that we’ve come across. It used to be our runner up pick, but this year it’s moved to the #1 spot for a few reasons.

They’ve got over 11,000 videos now – it was only 8000 the first time we reviewed the program – so it’s comprehensive. And that means they are continually updating the program and the content.

Moreover, they’ve re-designed the website and it provides a better user-flow making it more easy to use. There isn’t any overwhelm or confusion on where to go or what to do next.

And that’s why Guitar Tricks is now our top pick for best online guitar lessons! If you’re a beginner that wants a tried and true, but continually updated set of training material, definitely pick up this program.

Try Out the #1 Guitar Lesson Program for Most People, Risk Free Today!

Program Highlights:

Pricing: $19.95 per month, OR $180 per year (saves 25%)
Fully video-based online guitar classes platform
Guided, hand-held approach via the “Core Learning System”
Includes downloadable media and tools/resources
Free Trial available
*60 Day Money Back Guarantee* (longest in industry)

Key Factors:

Ease of Use: one of the more easy to use platforms. The “Core Learning System” is a hand-held beginner/fundamentals course that takes the overwhelm out of learning online.
Comprehensiveness: One of the more comprehensive options available with over 11,000+ videos, being expanded all the time
Lesson Quality: Well shot videos that are well structured, though some can be pretty boring at times. Very traditional style of teaching.
Affordability: Not the most affordable option, but in line with other players in the market. Best value for the amount of content + extras
Standout Features: Easy to use site + good user experience. Very active community forum. Lots of nice-to-have extras. New “personalized feedback system” lets you get help from real people when you need it.

The Good:

Very easy to use website and platform – no confusion/overwhelm
Guided and hand-held for beginners, choose-you-own-lessons for intermediate students
Covers lots of ground – genres/style, techniques, fundamentals, skills, practice and more
Comprehensive song library to learn from
Progress tracker makes it easy to pick up where you left off
Ability to book live one-on-one coaching (extra fee)
Ability to get personalized video feedback from instructors (no extra cost)
Forum/community section to interact + get advice/feedback
New content added regularly
Lots of extras + bells/whistles (chord/scale finders, tuner, trainers, etc)

The Bad:

Not a ton of lesson material or song choices for R&B/Soul styles
Mostly focused on Blues/Country/Rock
Very traditional approach to teaching guitar
Less fun getting through the first few lessons than other options

Check out our Full Review of Guitar Tricks

More About This Training Program

The best things about Guitar Tricks is the sheer amount of learning material and their “Core Learning System” as the foundation of the platform – it’s a guided A to Z approach to get you playing your favorite style of music as efficiently as possible. And then you break off into different styles and techniques you’re interested in.

They’ve also got a great set of additional features. They’re not deal-breakers, but definitely nice-to-haves – a very active community forum, lesson progress tracking, and a tool-kit full of things to help learning become easier like chord/scale finders, tuners, metronomes and more.

And you won’t find many online platforms that are as comprehensive and growing as Guitar Tricks that also offer the option for one-on-one private training with instructors. That’s a pretty handy feature to help you correct bad technique or habits.

What Sets Guitar Tricks Apart from Competitors

It’s a combination of the guided approach, comprehensive lessons and commitment to growth that really sets these guys apart from the competition.

Most established guitar lessons online are overwhelming and difficult to use. But Guitar Tricks does a good job at trying to alleviate that. Jamplay, for example, is a lot more overwhelming in terms of getting started and knowing what to do next. It’s not just the ease of use of the website, but also the structure of the tutorials themselves.

The extras we mentioned above are also things you won’t find in most of the competitors out there. Beyond that, they’re continuing to evolve, which some of the competition has no doubt neglected.

Who Should Use It?

Most people who want to learn how to play the acoustic or electric guitar will be best suited to Guitar Tricks as their training platform. It’s comprehensive and guided, so you’ll be able to learn everything you need AND everything you want to learn in the most efficient way.

Even intermediate and experienced guitarists will find lessons in Guitar Tricks that will help them level up their skills. The sheer amount of training material on their site almost guarantees this.

Further, if you’re looking for a set of lessons that will take you from A to Z and continue honing your skills, this is your best choice. If you want the option of one-on-one feedback without the commitment of a local guitar teacher, it’s also the best choice for you.

Who Shouldn’t Use It?

The only people we would steer away from Guitar Tricks are people who plan on learning multiple types of instruments. If you want to learn acoustic, electric and bass plus the ukulele at some point, then we recommend going with a yearly subscription to Fender Play instead. That platform allows you to switch your “learning path” back and forth to different instruments and styles.

But if you’re pretty set on just mastering electric or acoustic, then Guitar Tricks is still your best bet.

All in all, Guitar Tricks is the best online guitar lessons platform out for most people who want to learn how to play the acoustic or electric. You won’t be disappointed.

Click Here To Try Guitar Tricks Absolutely RISK-FREE

Fender Play – Best Design and User Flow

BEST FOR: ANYONE WHO GETS BORED EASILY, WANTS TO LEARN SEVERAL GUITAR TYPES – BASS, UKULELE, ETC. – OR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO BUY FENDER PRODUCTS.

Fender Play is also one of the best online guitar lessons for beginners on the market. Although they’re newer relative to the other options on this page, they’ve done a great job with their offering.

It’s very similar to other programs out there but it’s got one of the better designed sites we’ve reviewed. It’s clean, and eye-catching and very easy to use.

When you first sign up you’ll be asked a few questions to determine your “learning path.” The learning path is a custom flow of lessons specific to what instrument and style you want to learn.

The lessons themselves are short enough to not be boring, and the flow of the lessons is great. If you want a fun-to-use, engaging learning experience and the ability to learn multiple types of guitar, Fender Play is your best choice.

Try the Best Designed Guitar Training Program Today!

Program Highlights:

Pricing: $19.99 USD / Month OR $99.99 USD / Year (for first year)
Yearly plan includes 10% discount on all Fender products (for US/UK/AUS residents)
Guided, hand-held approach with short videos and fun learning experience
Includes downloadable material, online tuner, “chord challenge” game for finger dexterity
2 week free trial available
Starts with questions to determine your “learning path” (based on genre/instrument)
Acoustic/electric guitar lessons can have Rock, Blues, Pop, R&B/Soul, Country or Folk focus
Bass lessons can have Funk or Rock focus. Ukulele lessons has no genre/style focus.

Key Factors:

Ease of Use: Extremely easy to use and follow – completely guided approach, no confusion/overwhelm, easy to navigate website
Comprehensiveness: Lots of content to keep you busy for a long time, but not as comprehensive as something like Guitar Tricks
Lesson Quality: Well shot, very short (bite sized) video-based lessons, theory interspersed with practice exercises and riff/song exercises. Easy to watch, fun to follow along with.
Affordability: The most affordable program out of all the picks here (at least for your first year)
Standout Features: Best designed website and “learning path” for beginners online guitar lessons. Start playing riffs/songs almost immediately.

The Good:

Well designed, eye-catching design
Great user flow and structure for complete beginners – no confusion/overwhelm
Learn acoustic/electric guitar, ukulele and bass all with one subscription
Great selection of songs in available genres – including newer releases/artists
Bite-sized lessons make learning experience fun and engaging
Start playing riffs and song sections almost immediately
Videos are well shot, interspersed with easy-to-follow online exercises
Easy to find customer support section

The Bad:

Not as comprehensive as something like Guitar Tricks
Material not added as often as some of the competitors
Not enough genre/style selection – only 5 to choose from
Not a lot of “extras,” no community
No Money Back Guarantee

More About Fender’s Platform

The best part of Fender Play is that for one subscription price you can learn electric/acoustic guitar, bass or even ukulele. So you can buy an annual subscription and spend a few months learning each of those instruments if you want. That’s an insanely valuable feature in any set of online guitar lessons. They also teach in several styles – funk, soul/r&b, rock, country, etc.

So there’s no shortage of content in the program. Beyond that, you get to playing cool stuff right away – riffs and songs. There’s no droning on about theory. It’s very concise and to the point in the way it teaches.

And it’s easy to switch your “learning path” if you decide you want to learn Rock instead of Funk. The core material stays very consistent, but the exercises and songs/riffs you practice will change. There’s a variety of instructors and they all do a good job with the bite-sized, well-shot video lessons. Exercises are a part of the learning path and the web app for them works pretty damn good.

What Sets Fender Play Apart from the Competition?

The biggest criticism we have of Jamplay and Guitar Tricks is that the amount of content they have is just completely overwhelming. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. But it can lead to confusion and paralysis for beginners just starting out.

Guitar Tricks does a good job of avoiding that with the core learning system, but Fender Play is an even easier to follow path for going from knowing nothing to being able to play at a novice/intermediate level quickly.

Lastly, and maybe most importantly, I personally enjoyed the learning experience from Fender Play the most out of any of the platforms reviewed. Although I still think Guitar Tricks is the best guitar lessons option overall, I enjoyed using Fender Play the most – you got up and playing almost immediately. The site is the easiest to use, the learning path is the most straight-forward and hand held – it’s just an overall enjoyable experience.

Who Should Use It?

Honestly, the design of Fender Play makes it one of the best online guitar lessons out there, but it’s not the most comprehensive. That means it’s perfect for beginner and intermediate students – especially those that don’t like long, drawn out boring material. If you’re someone that likes short videos and wants to get right to playing without focusing on theory at the very start, this is a great option.

If you’ve got only a little bit of time for lessons and practice, it’s the best option. Further, if you want to learn both guitar AND bass (or ukulele), Fender Play is the best option for you. If a hand-held approach but one that’s immediately fun to follow is important to you, get Fender Play.

Who Shouldn’t Use It?

If you’re someone that wants a truly A to Z guitar online lessons platform that is constantly updated with new content and is a complete and comprehensive program, don’t get Fender Play. Guitar Tricks would be a much better option. It’s got more material and is better suited to the “everything but the kitchen sink” approach to learning.

Step Your Guitar Playing Up Today!

Read Our Full Fender Play Review

LessonWithYou – Best Private 1-on-1 Guitar Tutors

BEST FOR: ANYONE WHO WANTS A TRADITIONAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE WITH A PRIVATE GUITAR TEACHER (1-ON-1 WITH FEEDBACK) IN THE COMFORT OF THEIR OWN HOME.

LessonWithYou is an online learning platform that is much different than the others on our list. It’s not a traditional online learning platform that gives you access to a library of video lessons you can learn from.

It is, on the other hand, a traditional guitar learning experience where you sit down with a private instructor for LIVE 1-on-1 lessons and training.

The company allows you to subscribe to weekly lessons for your chosen instrument in 30, 45 or 60 minute lessons.

You’re paired with the ideal instructor for your needs and the lessons happen over Zoom the same time each week, like a traditional local guitar instructor.

LessonWithYou is a great way to personalize your learning in a way that’s not possible with other online lesson platforms. It is more pricey than other options, since you’re paying PER LESSON, but if you learn best while being guided by an actual person – in real time with feedback – then it’s likely the best option for you.

Try Out a FREE Live Lesson With LessonWithYou Guitar Training Today!

Program Highlights:

Pricing: $30 USD – $55 USD per Lesson (depending on how long lesson is)
Free 30 minute trial lesson for new users
Lessons can be 30, 45 or 60 minutes in length, offered weekly
Offer instruction for various instruments and voice, for both adults and children
Lessons happen via Zoom video-conferencing software – requires webcam w/ microphone
Lesson materials (sheet music, exercises, etc) are shared via screen recordings during lesson and sent to email if applicable
May require some additional course/lesson material (purchased separately)
Online shop offers lesson books, accessories and even instrument purchasing

The Good

Free trial lesson makes it easy to see if it’s the right approach for you
Very easy to get up and running for your first lesson
Extremely knowledgable, friendly instructors
Hit the ground running without hours of boring instruction before getting to play
Detailed and personalized on-boarding process makes sure you’re matched with the ideal instructor
Cancel lessons any time if it’s not working out for you
Often ends up being cheaper than local in-person music lessons
Offer a $5 discount per additional weekly lesson if you have more than one person learning at LessonWithYou
Can switch instructors if necessary

Click Here to Try Out LessonWithYou Today *RISK FREE*

The Bad

Stuck learning at a weekly pace, as opposed to on your own schedule/pace
No comprehensive video lesson library where you can learn more outside of weekly lessons w/ instructor
Can be difficult for quieter sounds to be heard by instructor via microphone/webcam
No “extras” like other platforms (backing tracks, tools, etc)
Will become much more expensive than “learn by yourself” options over time
Lessons (especially 30 minute ones) can go by VERY fast

Check out our Full LessonWithYou Review (coming soon)

More About LessonWithYou’s Offering

The best thing about LessonWithYou is that it’s a modern way of learning music with a professional coach/instructor.

You can choose what you want to learn and completely personalize your lesson plan with your instructor. You don’t have to leave to visit a lesson center or instructor’s home – everything is done within the comfort of your own home. The lessons go by fast, especially the 30 minute ones, so longer length lessons are recommended for most people.

Your first lesson will likely be the trial lesson (free) that you sign up for. When you first sign up, someone will reach out to you to learn more about your instrument, existing knowledge and goals.

That allows you to work together to come up with the best plan of attack for your learning needs. Want to learn a specific genre/style? LessonWithYou will take that into account when pairing you with a teacher.

Because of this, it’s an ideal choice for either the beginner or more experienced guitar student. Your lessons will be customized to meet you where you are on your music learning journey. Whether you need help with specific guitar skills (like shredding, guitar picking, etc) or learning to master real songs from real bands/artists, the lessons will focus on what you want to learn.

How Does it Stack Up to the Competition

It’s a bit difficult to compare LessonWithYou to the other options we have reviewed here. It’s a bit like apples and oranges. Our most preferred lessons are video-lesson libraries that allow you to teach yourself. LessonWithYou, on the other hand, is a platform for personalized, private tutoring.

Other options like GuitarTricks or TrueFire do offer you the ability to book 1-on-1 private coaching calls with instructors, but they’re more expensive and you still have to pay a yearly/monthly subscription fee to be a member of the service.

The best way to compare and contrast these options, then, is to focus on how you learn best. Are you a self-starter with lots of discipline, or do you work best with personal guidance and outside accountability?

Who Should Use It?

If you like the idea of having a personal “guitar teacher” that will walk you through your learning and give you realtime feedback on your playing, LessonWithYou is a fantastic choice. If you struggle with practicing on your own because you need accountability from someone other than yourself, LessonWithYou is the ideal choice.

In many cases, it’ll be an even better choice than meeting with a local guitar teacher in your area. It can be cheaper to use LessonWithYou than finding a local teacher and often the instructors will be much more qualified (with professional degrees) than random local guitar teachers.

It’s also nice that you can do everything from the comfort of your own home.

If you’ve been looking for a great private guitar tutor online, then subscribing to LessonWithYou may be the exact thing you’re looking for. And I’d highly recommend it.

Who Shouldn’t Use It?

On the other hand, if you’re more of a self-starter that wants to go at their own pace and flip back-and-forth between lesson material as you wish, LessonWithYou is not a good choice. There’s no video library where you can learn on your own or go faster than what you learn on a weekly basis.

If you prefer to teach yourself through video lessons and may occasionally want professional feedback from an instructor, something like Guitar Tricks or TrueFire would be a better choice for you. With those libraries you’re able to focus-in on specific genres/skills and switch back-and-forth as you desire, while still having the option of some private lessons (for an extra cost) as well.

And with Guitar Tricks’ new “feedback system” (where you submit a video of your playing and an instructor gives you personalized feedback) you can bridge the gap between video lessons and a live teacher. It’s not exactly the same as having a personal guitar teacher, but is a decent middle ground.

Click Here to Try LESSON WITH YOU Risk-Free Today!

TrueFire/JamPlay – The Most Comprehensive Online Guitar Lessons Platform

BEST FOR: NOVICE/INTERMEDIATE GUITARISTS, NOT COMPLETE BEGINNERS, WHO WANT A “GO-YOUR-OWN-WAY” SYSTEM THAT HAS THE MOST AMOUNT OF CONTENT

TrueFire is one of the older and most established online guitar lessons out there. It’s always been one of the most comprehensive lesson platform we’ve reviewed with tens of thousands of videos.

But now that it has essentially “merged” with it’s former competitor JamPlay, it truly is the ABSOLUTE MOST COMPREHENSIVE guitar lesson platform in existence.

They have over 70,000 guitar lessons (video lessons) combined.

The original platform was (and still is) setup like a store, so you could purchase individual courses on a variety of topics.

But the real key is their “all-access” monthly/yearly subscription where you can get streaming access to every course they offer.

They do have “learning paths” for beginners that you can subscribe to that work similarly to JamPlay – along with the accompanying confusion and overwhelm in what to choose.

If you’re looking for the MOST comprehensive lesson platform out, then TrueFire is the best choice for you. If you’re a complete beginner, you’d be better off choosing something else, but if you know the basics and want the widest variety of material in style/genre/skill then choose TrueFire/JamPlay.

Try the #1 Singing Lesson for Beginners Today, Risk Free!

Program Highlights:

Pricing: Individual Courses for $30+ USD, All Access Subscription for $19 USD / Month OR $99 USD / Year
Can individually purchase courses from store for permanent access
All Access monthly subscription comes with 1 “course download” per month
Over 70,000 videos – topics/skills, genres, specializations, etc – and continually growing
Has several “learning paths” for beginners, or a “go-your-own-way” approach to skills/etc
Comes with bonuses/extras – backing tracks, progress tracker, etc.
Includes harmonica, ukulele, bass and banjo lessons
“Satisfaction Guarantee”

The Good:

Largest selection of video lessons gives you everything you could possibly want to learn
Legendary guitarists as instructors (like Steve Vai from Frank Zappa)
Interactive tab/notation for exercises/lessons/songs
Comprehensive and very affordable option compared to FenderPlay or GuitarTricks
Can get permanent access to courses with all-access pass (monthly download) – keep it even if you unsubscribe

Try TrueFire/JamPlay Today!

The Bad:

Guided learning paths are not the best options for complete beginners
Way too much content makes it overwhelming (even moreso, now that they’ve merged with JamPlay)
Don’t know where to start or what to do
Not the best site design – bland/plain

More About TrueFire’s Learning Platform

The best thing about the newly merged TrueFire/JamPlay platform is definitely just how much content they have. But as with any of the comprehensive platforms out there, it’s prone to confusion and overwhelm – especially for beginners. But for those who want to go their own way, it let’s you choose your own path. Here’s the content, learn whatever you want.

The video lessons are good quality – shot well and the interface of the website isn’t terrible. It’s not the most eye-catching, but it works well for what it is. It has an interactive practice/exercise web app, and has some great instructors. You’ll learn from some of the top musicians in the world.

And that’s really one of the main advantages of this set of guitar lessons online. If you’re someone who doesn’t need to be hand-held and wants the most possible options for learning content, TrueFire/JamPlay will be a great choice for you.

How it Stack Up to the Competitors

TrueFire is most similar to JamPlay, though it is more affordable if you choose to pay yearly. It also has much more content – JamPlay and Guitar Tricks have a great amount of content, but nowhere near what TrueFire offered. And now that they’ve fully merged with JamPlay, TrueFire is literally the most comprehensive set of lessons on the planet.

You won’t find a competitor with more varied lesson material + videos.

However, it’s still not great for beginners. Fender Play and Guitar Tricks definitely come out on top with how hand-held and guided their programs are. Fender Play is similarly priced for a yearly plan, but Guitar Tricks is actually more expensive. If you’re a complete beginner, you don’t want to choose TrueFire unless you deal with indecisiveness and overwhelm well.

In terms of quality, the online guitar lessons from TrueFire/JamPlay are great – very on par with Guitar Tricks. But Fender Play still beats them out in terms of easy-to-follow, short and concise video lessons

Who Should Use It?

Intermediate, advanced and maybe some novice players will find TrueFire a gret choice. If you’re a self-starter that doesn’t need to be hand-held then try it out. If you want the widest breadth of lesson content, these guys definitely excel in that regard. If you were thinking about joining GuitarTricks but don’t really care for the extras and are more interested in the wide range of content, TrueFire would be a cheaper (if you subscribe yearly) and better option for you as well.

Who Shouldn’t Use It?

Complete beginners should steer clear of TrueFire/JamPlay as there are better options. Also if you don’t want any confusion or overwhelm then TrueFire may be a difficult platform to use. Further, if you are interested in one-on-one training privately along with your video lesson archive, there may be a better choice for you (like LessonWithYou, for example).

Become a Better Guitarist With TrueFire/JamPlay Today!

Read Our Full TrueFire Review or our Full JamPlay Review

What Guitar Tutorials are Best For You?

So what’s our recommendation on the best online guitar lessons for you? It’s pretty safe to say we love both Fender Play and Guitar Tricks.

We think they are the best choices overall for any guitarist.

If you want the most amount of content with a great user experience, then choose Guitar Tricks.

If you’re a complete beginner who wants a more engaging experience, go with Fender Play.

If you want a private/personal guitar teacher to work with 1-on-1, go with LessonWithYou.

Both sets options are great – professionally shot, easy to follow/understand and with a large number of different instructors.

You’ll learn all the basics of playing, any style/genre of music you want, a bunch of important “master-level” skills and a ton of the most classic songs ever made.

As for the other two programs we mentioned, they’re good options but nowhere near Guitar Tricks or Fender Play.

There is no reason to recommend them over the main picks we told you about, even if you have a specific learning goal or situation. If you still aren’t happy after your free JamPlay/GuitarTricks trial, try one of the “other notable options.”

But in all honesty, we think you’ll love JamPlay as much as we do.

Are Internet-Based Guitar Tutorials Worth It?

So the real question most people ask is “are online guitar lessons better than a real-life guitar teacher?”

In our humble opinion here at Deviant Noise – ABSOLUTELY.

The problem with an in-person coach is you’re stuck learning their technique. Unless you’re rich and can afford a master-level guitarist, you’re probably getting someone who isn’t really interested in teaching.

And if you don’t like one instructor’s style, you can switch it up.

If you have something specific you’re trying to learn (whether it’s a style/genre, a difficult skill or popular song) there are training videos for that. You don’t get the flexibility, depth or variety with a real guitar teacher. It’s not humanly possible. Beyond that, private lessons are costly.

A single lesson from a private teacher will cost you TWICE as much as the monthly JamPlay membership. Online guitar lessons are simply the best way to learn in the 21st century.

Personal Experience with Learning Guitar on the Internet

When I first wanted to learn guitar (I was a little kid) I was extremely excited to learn my parents bought me a guitar for my birthday. I was about to be a rock star.

Except… I wasn’t.

Because after about 4 of the most BORING lessons in history, I quit. The teacher they hired just wasn’t good. Rather than stoke my passion for music and the guitar, he killed it.

So I didn’t pick up a guitar for a long time after that. It was like I was scarred (lol).

Could It Be Done For Free?

Eventually, years later I learned to play drums, piano and make beats but I still had my old guitar sitting around. So I decided to get it re-stringed and try learning it again.

And by now YouTube was in full swing, so it was the perfect opportunity. I started searching around for some guitar lessons that were free. What I found was:

A few basic articles
A few good videos that showed me the basics
A bunch of useless, unprofessional (sometimes boring) videos from random people

Daily Practice? Sure if I was a better man, I could take that free info and master the guitar without needing more. But that would take a lot of digging and a lot of practice.

And I’m bad at practicing without the proper help and motivation.

Then, Finally Came Game Changer

After going through numerous frustrating paths and going nowhere, I finally said to myself “what the hell, just pay for something.” But I was still turned off of personal/private teachers.

So I found JamPlay and dove right in. It was one of the best decisions I made when it came to learning how to play the guitar. Everything about JamPlay just excited me about playing (and learning!) again.

It was much better than the private guitar teacher I had as a kid. It kept me engaged and I could jump around to whatever I wanted to learn when I got bored.

I’m a big fan of learning music online through these types of structured lessons and think all students can benefit from it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are In Person Guitar Lessons Worth It?

The best thing about learning guitar in person is that you can get direct feedback on your technique. But in person lessons can get expensive over time. Online lesson, however, give you all the information you need to know and the best ones give you the option to get personalized feedback as well. Online lessons are also usually always more affordable than in-person lessons. You get access to a lot more options for learning as well.

Do Guitar Lessons Help?

Guitar lessons are probably the best way to learn how to play guitar. Whether you’re using online or in-person lessons, the information you get (and the way it’s presented to you) is invaluable. When you try to teach yourself through random free videos it can be frustrating to progress. But with lessons, you have a structured way to really progress and improve your playing methodically.

How Long Should a Guitar Lesson Be?

If you’re taking in-person guitar lessons, a good minimum time for a lesson would be 30-45 minutes. A great lesson would be a full hour at 60 minutes, but it’s not necessary. If you’re taking online guitar lesson, then each individual lesson might only be 10 minutes. That’s because in additional to the lesson material, you need to practice what’s being taught on your own.

What Do Guitar Lessons Cost?

Training programs for the guitar can vary greatly in price. In-person lessons can range anywhere from $100/month to $100/hour. Online lessons are usually around $20 per month or cheaper if you pay yearly.