best online guitar lesson websites

Best online guitar lessons 2024: remote learning platforms for guitar players, tested by experts

Develop your guitar skills from the comfort of your home, with the help of these online lessons services – options for all levels, reviewed by our experts

Our top picks

Best for beginners.

• Best intermediate
• Most content
• Best for stars
• Best for usability
• Best for gamers

Best free lessons

Also tested.

• How to choose
• Cost analysis
• Online vs in-person
• How we test

1. Our top picks at a glance 2. Best for beginners 3. Best intermediate lessons 4. Best for content volume 5. Best for star tutors 6. Best for usability 7. Best for gamers 8. Best free lessons 9. Others we've tested 10. How to choose 11. How much do they cost? 12. Online vs face-to-face? 13. How we test online lessons

Whether you’re an established guitar player looking to add to your library of skills and techniques, a total novice picking up the guitar for the first time or you're heading back to school or college and want to take your six-string skills to another level, the best online guitar lessons can give you a major helping hand. There’s a growing collection of high-quality platforms available to you in 2024, all for a monthly fee and each providing its own unique set of features to help you master the instrument at home or on the go.

All online lessons services are accessible via your laptop, phone or tablet too – with some even partnered with a dedicated app – so you won’t even need to leave your home to start learning and playing. All you need is an internet connection. For this guide we’ve tested a range options for all skill levels and budgets, focusing on ease of setup, the quality of the content and tutors, the range of content available and, of course, the cost.

You'll be pleased to learn that most platforms offer at least a 7-day free trial too, enabling you to try a few before you sign up for a longer-term paid-for subscription. Commit to one of our choices and you’ll be licking and riffing like a true rock hero in no time.

If you want to get straight to our top picks (and some exclusive savings), keep scrolling to the next section, or head to the end of the page for more expert guidance on what to look for when choosing the best online guitar lessons platform for you.

1. Best for beginners: Fender Play We found Fender Play to be one of the highest-quality and most rewarding platforms for learning the guitar online, and it's constantly evolving with new lessons, courses and songs added regularly. It’s an ideal platform for total beginners, with guided paths and lesson plans ensuring you’ll become proficient in what you want to learn.

Fender is currently offering 50% off an annual plan for all Guitar World readers, dropping the price from $149.99 to just $74.99 for the whole year – that's just over $4 per month. Just add the code guitarworld50 at checkout to see your discount.

>Read more below

2. Best for intermediate players: Guitar Tricks Guitar Tricks has developed their content over the last 25 years and with over 11,000 lessons and more than 900 song tutorials, Guitar Tricks has a lot more to offer intermediate players than many of its counterparts. They also offer a 60-day money back guarantee if you're not totally into it.

Enjoy your first month of Guitar Tricks for a single buck at this link and start improving your playing for way less than you'd pay for a cup of coffee. You'll get a free gift as part of the deal, too.

3. Best for content volume: TrueFire lessons TrueFire has more lessons, tabs and jam tracks than you’ll ever realistically need (like over 50,000), along with a selection of well-respected teachers to learn from. We particularly like the slow-mo and looping features, where you can single out a tricky passage and have it repeated slowly until you nail it.

TrueFire also offers lessons taught by industry-leading teachers, Grammy Award-winning artists and world-class touring musicians. In case that wasn't a good enough reason to sign up, you can save 30% off an All-Access subscription and all courses with the exclusive code GWTF30 .

4. Best for star tutors: ArtistWorks Guitar ArtistWorks goes big on the personal touch. As well as having some world-renowned instructors – including Paul Gilbert, Jared James Nichols, Keb' Mo' and Andy McKee – it enables you to submit your own videos for assessment with a real tutor. Your allocated instructor will review your playing and point out places you can improve. You can currently try ArtistWorks Guitar for free .

5. Best for usability: Guitareo Guitareo contains a massive selection of videos and other resources that teach you how to play guitar. If you’re a complete beginner, they’ll go right from the start, covering all the basic information without it ever seeming patronising. We found it to be well laid out and easy to navigate, with super friendly presenters. 

Guitareo is currently offering a 7 day free trial to all new users.

6. Best for gamers: Simply Guitar Simply Guitar proves that learning guitar doesn't have to be complicated, and practice time need not be dull. It's a friendly iOS/Android app with a fun gamified approach, that holds your hand all the way, from first asking you whether you even own a guitar, right up to teaching you how to master the fretboard.

Right now if you sign up for a year you can save $30/20% , dropping the annual cost from $150 to just $120. At $10 per month after the discount this is amazing value.

7. Best free lessons: Justin Guitar For total beginners, Justin offers one of the best introductory experiences going, and it’s all free. For more advanced players, there’s loads in the way of tutorials and downloadable practice resources, meaning there’s something for everyone. 

Sign up for free here . 

Recent updates

04/19/24: We updated the JTC Guitar entry to reflect the new name and also to add more depth to the entry. This coincided with us publishing our full JTC Guitar review. 02/16/24: We've added clearer labels to each of our top product picks to make it obvious which online service is aimed at which type of player. 01/25/24: This guide has been given a refresh for 2024 to make it easier to navigate and easier to find the right guitar lessons service for you. If you're in a hurry, we've added quick reference 'buy if/avoid if' boxes to each product entry so you can instantly see if a service is right for you.

1. Fender Play

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

✅ You're a total beginner: Fender Play offers a growing selection of high quality entry-level content and song lessons to get you on your way. ❌ You're intermediate or above: Once you move beyond the beginner zone, Fender Play is fairly light on more advanced content.

As one of the first names people come up with when they think of guitars, Fender needed to get it right when it came to developing an online guitar lesson platform. And during our tests we found that Fender Play is one of the highest-quality and most rewarding options available for learning the guitar online. It’s ideal for total beginners, with guided paths and lesson plans ensuring you’ll become proficient in what you want to learn.

There’s plenty for the more experienced guitar players, too – and that content is ever-growing – but if you fit into the intermediate or advanced category you may want to look elsewhere for a truly comprehensive and exhaustive mix of content.

It clearly benefits Fender to start building brand loyalty right from the start of a new player’s journey, but with Fender Play there’s nothing cynical or half-hearted. It’s simply the best online guitar learning tool there is right now – and that's saying something in the face of stiff competition. You can get even more lessons, artist content and gear chat via Fender Play's Live sessions.

If you're a Guitar World reader, Fender Play is offering you 50% off the cost of an annual subscription. Just use the code guitarworld50 at checkout.

Read our full Fender Play review

Best for intermediate players

2. guitar tricks.

✅ You're an intermediate player: Got the basics down? Guitar Tricks is the logical choice to introduce you to more advanced theory and techniques. ❌ You want to learn pop songs: While the song library is substantial, pop is a pretty overlooked genre with artists like Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber absent.

As we all know, learning guitar is an ongoing process – you’re never truly done. This is something Guitar Tricks has obviously had in mind as they’ve developed their content over the last 25ish years. 

With over 11,000 lessons and more than 900 song tutorials, Guitar Tricks has a lot more to offer intermediate players than many of its counterparts, probably because they simply have more content than most of them. That’s not to say they don’t nail the beginner material – they have an extensive core plan that takes you from learning how to hold a guitar to playing barre chords – it’s just that you get the sense their overall focus is on the intermediate crowd here.

We found the song lessons and genre studies in particular to be pretty impressive, offering not only bite sized, easy to follow tutorials, but also accurate advice on getting the tone right; including which pickups to select, amp settings, and what pedals you could use. They cover 12 genres all in, even dipping into some niche territory with the likes of surf and rockabilly. 

It has to be said though, for all this they don’t pay too much attention to pop music. Even with one of the biggest song libraries out there they don't touch many of the biggest acts, such as Taylor Swift or Billie Eilish. They may be missing a trick here – especially with younger people who may have recently been inspired to pick up the instrument – but overall, you can’t blame them for wanting to focus on more prominent guitar genres like rock, blues and metal.

One ace up Guitar Tricks' sleeve is their 60-day money back guarantee. If you find you don't click with GT in your first couple months and you alert their support team within 60 days, you will receive a full refund. 

Not sure whether Guitar Tricks or Fender Play is right for you? Read our Fender Play vs Guitar Tricks comparison feature . 

Guitar World readers can get their first month of Guitar Tricks for just $1, plus a free gift, right now with this exclusive offer.

Read our full Guitar Tricks review

Best for content volume

3. truefire.

✅ You want content and lots of it: As long as you know what you're looking for, TrueFire has the biggest collection of lessons online right now. 80,000 and counting... ❌ You want a cheap option: Although not extortionate, TrueFire is costlier than our other recommendations; in some cases it's double the price. We'd suggest taking the 30 day trial before you commit to this one.

While many of us will have spent time on YouTube lapping up as many free lessons as we can, there are plenty of guitarists out there who would happily pay for something a bit more structured – let's face it, structured content is the modus operandi of most of the online lessons platforms in this guide. 

TrueFire is a great option, with more lessons, tabs and jam tracks than you’ll ever realistically need, along with a selection of well-respected teachers and star tutors to learn from.

We particularly like the slow-mo and looping features, where you can single out a tricky passage and have it repeated slowly until you nail it. It’s a simple trick but one that will work wonders on your playing. Believe us, we've used it to great effect to nail that troublesome part. TrueFire isn’t the cheapest option on this list – especially the ‘lifetime’ membership which would buy you a secondhand car – but it’s a tool that will see you far beyond those first baby steps on the instrument.

Right now you can save 30% off an All-Access subscription and all courses with the exclusive code GWTF30 .

Read our full TrueFire review

Best for big-name tutors

4. artistworks guitar.

✅ You want feedback from famous faces: There's no better way to play like your heroes than to learn from them. And ArtistWorks' star tutors – like Paul Gilbert – will personally assess your playing. ❌ You're on a budget: While personalized feedback from pro players is super cool, you will pay more than standard for the privilege. It's up to you if you think the extra outlay is worth it.

One thing you can miss out on with online learning is the feedback you’d get from a real-life instructor. It’s all very well plugging away on your own, but it’s handy to have an experienced player point out something seemingly insignificant in your technique – a stray finger here or a different pick angle there – that will stop bad habits forming further down the line. 

ArtistWorks goes big on this personal touch. As well as having some renowned instructors – including Paul Gilbert – it enables you to submit your own videos for assessment. Your allocated instructor will review your playing and point out places you can improve. Add in a chunky archive of over 50,000 video lessons and you’ve got a highly comprehensive online learning resource.

Read our full ArtistWorks review

Best for usability and navigation

5. guitareo.

✅ You're on a budget: Guitareo is one of the most affordable platforms out there. ❌ You're a beginner who doesn't know where to start: With so much content on hand, there's a touch of option paralysis when you first join, so beginners should tread carefully.

Newcomer Guitareo contains a massive selection of videos and other resources that teach you how to play guitar . If you’re a complete beginner, they’ll go right from the start, covering all the basic information you need, without it ever seeming patronizing. The aim is to get you playing straight away, and from our experience using the platform they’ve done a good job of making it both fun and easy to understand.

If you want to look into things like ear training and theory, then you can do – we found that there are loads of resources on Guitareo that cover these areas. The more you search through what Guitareo has to offer, the more you realize how much information is in there. There are separate sections on the website that help you in different areas; there are courses in particular genres, a section for learning 500 songs in 5 days, key guitar method lessons and more. If, however, you just want to be taught how to start playing the guitar, then you can simply go through the step-by-step lessons. 

It’s well laid out and easy to navigate, though you’d be forgiven for feeling a little overwhelmed by everything on there at first. That said, it’s worth having a look around at all that’s on offer, because the content is very good. 

Read our full Guitareo review

Best game-style learning

6. simply guitar.

✅ You're a gamer who wants to learn the guitar: The animated fretboard is really engaging, adds a competitive element and makes learning fun. ❌ You're not a beginner: If you're intermediate or above you won't find much to help you here. This is very much a beginner-focussed platform.

Simply Guitar proves that learning guitar doesn't have to be complicated, and practice time need not be dull. It's a friendly iOS/Android guitar app that holds your hand all the way, from first asking you whether you even own a guitar, right up to teaching you how to master the fretboard.

At its core is a fun gamified approach that relies on an animated fretboard. Provided you play the correct notes as the scrolling fretboard delivers them you'll unlock more, exciting content including Simply Guitar's impressive library of contemporary songs (over 1,000 songs and counting). 

Instant feedback lets you know when you mess up, and the app will return you to tricky passages that need more work. It's clever stuff.

Each level is introduced by an often-quirky explanatory video that's delivered with good humor, bad jokes and a great deal of professionalism. The rest of the content is predominantly animated but we found it engaging to the point of being addictive.

If you're a beginner who treasures simple pleasures, you're going to love this app (particularly with the 7-day free trial up front). If you're an advanced player, look elsewhere for more depth.

Currently Guitar World readers can save 20% off an annual subscription at this link . 

Read our full Simply Guitar review

7. JustinGuitar

✅ You want free content that's actually good: A large proportion of JustinGuitar content is free, but we can 100% vouch for the quality. ❌ You want a range of tutors: Justin Sandercoe has a mellow presenting style and is tutor you will see the most on the site. You'll need to look elsewhere for livelier presentation.

If you’ve ever searched YouTube for guitar lessons, you will have doubtless come across Justin Sandercoe. The guy is a legend in guitar circles, so it’s only right we include him in this list. He is by far the best purveyor of genuinely free online guitar lessons .

For total beginners, Justin offers one of the best introductory experiences going, and it’s all free. For more advanced players, there’s loads in the way of tutorials and downloadable practice resources, meaning there’s something for everyone. 

YouTube gave Justin the platform to spread his good word to the masses, but his premium lessons are well worth the extra outlay. 

Read our full JustinGuitar review

So those are our top picks, but we've tested (and continue to test) plenty of other great options in the process of compiling and maintaining this guide. These all offer something a little different.

8. Yousician

✅ Your priority is ease of use: Yousician's gamified approach to guitar lessons is a breeze to set up and use and is particularly suited to kids. ❌ You're ready to move up a level: This is very much a beginner-friendly platform, so you'll quickly run out of useful content if you're already out of the starting gate.

Proving there’s more to the best online guitar lessons than a bank of videos, Yousician aims to introduce a sort of gamification into the mix, similar to Simply Guitar. If you’ve played console games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band, you’ll be familiar with the concept of Yousician. Basically, you use your smartphone or tablet to listen along to your playing, and the device listens to you and scores you based on how accurate you were.

It’s a simple concept but we found it definitely works, particularly for younger players where that instant feedback and ‘one more go’ appeal is strong. If you’re already playing and looking to move to the next level, Yousician probably isn’t the best choice, but for total beginners it’s a quick and fun way to get started. 

Can't decide between Yousician or Simply Guitar? We go deeper in our Yousician vs Simply Guitar comparison piece . And see how Yousician compares with Fender Play here .

Read our full Yousician review

9. JTC Guitar

✅ You want more pro content: JamTrackCentral offers a high volume of lessons packages created by pro players, aimed at intermediate to higher-level guitarists. ❌ You'd prefer to use an app: There's no JTC app at present, so if you're anti-browser then you'll want to avoid.

Not everyone who looks for an online guitar lessons provider is at the very start of their journey. It’s quite common for intermediate and advanced players to hit a glass ceiling with their playing and look for ways to help them break through. JTC Guitar (which used to be known as Jam Track Central) is almost entirely geared towards coaching this demographic of players up to the next level.

There are some great teachers included, like Guthrie Govan and Jeff Loomis, along with a terrific selection of materials you can download so that you’re not staring at your screen the whole time.

One of our favorite elements is video interface itself, where you can choose to display tab, a piano roll or visual fingerboard, depending on how you prefer to learn. What's more, you can remove the guitar from the backing track leaving you t play over it yourself, unhindered.

Read our full JTC Guitar review

10. Pickup Music

✅ You're time poor: In addition to longer lessons and series, Pickup Music benefits from bite-size 5 minute lessons, meaning you can learn something new even if time is against you. ❌ You want to keep learning offline: Pickup Music content isn't currently downloadable for using offline.

There’s no denying that online lessons have their limitations when compared to face-to-face, but Pickup Music does everything possible to limit those and bring a level of personalisation and interactivity that many online learning platforms lack. 

The website is easy to navigate, but upon logging in, you’re greeted by a chat bot that can helpfully point you in the right direction, should you perhaps be overwhelmed by all the different options.

The lessons aimed at beginners are great. They explain things clearly and concisely, without ever being patronizing. They go through the basics like tuning and how to read TAB so no prior knowledge is required beforehand. What’s more, even in the first couple of lessons, you’re playing straight away so you feel like you’re instantly progressing, which makes you want to carry on.

But it’s not just for beginners; Pickup Music is an all-encompassing online learning platform for guitarists of any level – from straight-up beginners, to experienced players looking to expand their six-string vocabulary. Their content is well presented, covers a wide range of music and manages to be fun whilst improving your playing.

The price of Pickup Music recently went up for new members, but they've added extra features to account for the higher cost, including 1 to 1 video feedback, weekly live lessons, more Learning Pathways and Masterclasses and much more. They tell us there are more exciting developments in the works this year, too.

Read our full Pickup Music review

11. Gibson: Learn & Play Guitar

✅ You want content that goes deep: Learn & Play guitar has loads of excellent content for novice players with plenty of depth to ensure you don't miss any key steps in your journey. ❌ You want a service that focuses on learning songs: The Gibson app's song library is currently pretty light, and some track lessons could be executed better.

If you’re a novice guitarist with a taste for blues, classic rock and metal then the Gibson: Learn & Play Guitar app is one of the very best online learning platforms out there. Sadly, if you’re an intermediate player, or someone who would love to learn jazz, funk, country or any other genres, then it doesn’t quite deliver. Not just yet anyway. 

Its UI is bound to polarize players too. If you like tasteful color palettes, gracefully executed graphics, superb imagery and quality video tutorials, all dressed up with a sheen of sophistication (we do), then hop on board. However, much younger players may be better stimulated to practice with the zany cartoon characters and bright colorways employed by some of the competition. 

Like Simply Guitar and Yousician, the Gibson app uses a gamified approach to incentivize learning, one that involves working your way along a learning path. A notation-rich, animated fretboard – one of the finest executions we’ve seen – is where most of the action happens, but there are plenty of detailed video lessons along the way. Currently, the path reaches a dead end after teaching some rudimentary rhythm skills and, more usefully, some excellent lessons on improvising using the minor pentatonic. 

The tuition is superb up until this point, but intermediates will feel disappointed that their journey has been cut short, just as things start to get interesting. Hopefully, Gibson will extend the path to encompass more advanced skills soon, but in the meantime, there are some additional lessons in the Guides section.

Many players will naturally navigate to the Song Library, which is extensively stocked with the aforementioned mainstream guitar genres. Once again, with very few exceptions, the quality of tuition is outstanding, helped in no small part by world-class teachers such as Jamie Humphries. Many songs are faithfully deconstructed into their constituent parts, which provides a real insight into the skills of songwriting. It’s just a shame that more genres aren’t represented.

Finally, there’s the Amp feature. This takes your basic, unplugged guitar sound and, through the magic of augmented reality, turns it into a fully amped up guitar tone, complete with a handful of effects. It’s awesome fun and makes playing along with the included Jam tracks hopelessly addictive. Which is exactly how practice should be. 

Oh, in case you were wondering, the app doesn’t require a Gibson, a Kramer or an Epiphone in order to work, any brand of guitar will do.

Read our full Gibson: Learn & Play Guitar review

12. Orange Learn

✅ You have specific playing goals: Orange Learn is focused on cutting through the noise of other platforms to offer courses with clear goals in mind. ❌ You'd prefer a cheaper monthly subscription: Orange Learn courses require an initial outlay that's more than most monthly subscriptions.

While all the big guitar brands now offer some form of learning aid, Orange was one of the first with its Orange Learn tool. And where others focus on providing a vast barrage of content, Orange has instead gone for credibility. Here, you work through official courses with the goal of receiving an actual, graded qualification at the end. 

Lessons range from total beginner through to Grade 8, and there are even tutors online to help you whenever you get stuck on something. Orange Learn might not be the flashiest offering here, but we found that it’s certainly one of the best equipped to get you where you want to be. 

Orange Learn now also offers lessons for vocalists, too. 

Read our full Orange Learn review

How to choose the best online guitar lessons for you

Whether it's the guitar, ukulele, bass, drums or flugelhorn, learning an instrument is a hugely personal (and very rewarding) experience. Some people prefer to get a gentle nod in the right direction from a friend or teacher and then go and put in the hard yards themselves, while others need more regular attention and guided lessons. However you prefer to learn, there will be an online guitar lessons provider to suit your needs.

You might have had a scan around at some of the best online guitar lessons platforms already. If so, you’ll probably have noticed that they are quite similar in many ways. You sign up, decide which path you want to go down, and then a thread of videos opens up to you. However, there are a number of small variations between them – plus many additional features such as direct feedback and live lessons – that could be the difference between you sticking with the lessons and giving up after a month.

The pacing of the lessons is very important. If they move too fast you’ll become overwhelmed and demotivated. Too slow, however, and you’ll inevitably get bored. What's more, some new players want to learn the chords and scales that will enable them to write their own music, while others will prefer learning famous riffs as a means of getting used to the basics.

Whichever way you want to do it, learning the guitar is not an easy task and requires plenty of effort. By making the decision to learn, you’ve signed up for months of seemingly slow process and, often, sore fingertips. Just keep in mind that it’ll all be worth it in the end.

What are online guitar lessons?

Exactly as the name suggests, online guitar lessons are lessons that you access via the internet, either through a browser or a dedicated app. These usually come in the form of video lessons. For the purposes of this guide we are mostly looking at online guitar lessons that require a subscription to access the full suite of lessons and features. 

These platforms usually deliver a structured curriculum of lessons that ensure you learn the right things in the right order and at the right pace.

Not all online lessons are created equal, however. A lot of content that's available for free online is sub par, lacks the structure of proper lessons and in some cases is just plain inaccurate – YouTube is a perfect example of this.

Do I need an internet connection for online lessons?

This is sort of a trick question as, of course, to access your online lessons you will need an internet connection, whether that's via home internet or your mobile data plan. That said, some platforms have the option of downloading content temporarily to your device so it can be viewed offline – great if you're travelling somewhere you won't have online access for a period of time.

How much do online guitar lessons cost?

Costs can vary wildly, depending on the subscription level and platform you sign up for. Monthly prices start from around $/£14.99, with annual subscriptions also commonly available – these will usually save you a little cash over a monthly sub in the long run. Some brands even offer the option to sign up 'for life' which is a one-off payment that gives you access for as long as the platform exists. It works out cheaper in the long-run, but you need to be committed for a number of years to truly see the payoff.

A monthly or annual subscription can feel like quite a commitment, when it's a service you've not used before. This is why many online lessons providers also offer a free trial before you make a decision to go long-haul, giving you time to explore the content and the user interface to ensure it’s the right fit for your specific learning needs. Free trials can range from 7 days up to 30, depending on the current promotion – sometimes you'll see extended free trial periods around Black Friday and in the lead up to Christmas, or during the back to school season – and some don't require any credit card details so you can sign up knowing you're not going to be charged if you forget to cancel. Other sites are free to join, but you pay to open up specific types of content.

Don't forget, most online lessons subscriptions can be cancelled at any time too, so if you feel you've absorbed enough content to be working on for the time being, you can always take a month or two off and save a few bucks in the process, before picking it back up at a later date. 

Compare these prices to the average cost of a face-to-face lesson – around $40-$60 per 1 hour lesson – and the cost of a monthly online lessons plan quickly pulls into focus. You can read more about online vs face to face guitar lessons here .

Is it worth paying for online guitar lessons?

100%. Yes, there are plenty of free resources available online but, particularly if you’re a beginner, how do you know where to start, how do you know the tutor has the credentials to deliver the lessons in an accurate and considered way, and how do you ensure you don’t miss any critical steps in your guitar playing development? This is something that only a real teacher or a carefully constructed online lesson plan can deliver.

And what about direct feedback on your development, or a community of like-minded learners? Most online lessons deliver these sorts of community features.

As we've already said, with free trials available from most providers, you can try before you buy. This ensures that, once you do start paying, you can be confident you’re getting exactly what you need.

Online vs face-to-face lessons

Can you really learn guitar online.

There are pros and cons to both face to face and online lessons. There’s no match for the instant feedback you get with an actual tutor, but physical lessons can be cost and time prohibitive. What’s more, some online providers also include feedback from a dedicated tutor within the cost, meaning you get the convenience of learning remotely, with the feedback you’d get from face to face lessons.

If the content in your online lessons is delivered in a clear and professional manner then it absolutely is possible to learn via remote lessons. The key is then to build on those skills by playing with other musicians, playing live and recording. In our opinion, these are the best ways to develop your talent and forge your own voice on the guitar. You could always choose the hybrid approach which is to support your online learning with semi-regular face-to-face lessons. We go into more depth on the pros and cons of online vs face-to-face guitar lessons here .

How we test online guitar lessons services

The Guitar World online guitar lessons review process is editorially independent and not influenced by any third parties. For the purposes of our reviews we are either supplied with a free subscription by the platforms themselves, or we purchase our own subscriptions.

We evaluate online guitar lessons platforms in the following categories:

• Ease of registration/setup
• Quality of content/tutors
• Range of content
• Other useful features

This enables us to produce accurate, well-balanced and real-life online guitar lessons reviews to help you easily figure out whether the service you’re interested in really is the best choice for you.

Our testing criteria in detail:

• Ease of registration/setup: How easy is it to sign up for the service and find the right content for your preferences, playing style etc. If there's a free trial, is it easy to find, set up and cancel?
• Quality of content/tutors: Is the presentation of the video content clear and does it sound good? Just as important are the tutors, so we look closely at the delivery of the content. Are the lessons easy to follow and understand, do the tutors play well and do they communicate the information in a friendly, engaging manner? If the platform offers playalong songs or downloadable PDFs, are they easy to use?
• Range of content: Some platforms offer content for all abilities while others are more focused in a particular area. We look at the total offering and look for strengths and weaknesses. We will always aim to recommend a platform for the right type of player.
• Other features: How easy is the content to navigate in general? Is it clearly presented and are the learning paths obvious? Does the site offer live streamed content or member feedback as part of its subscriber community? Are there any other useful features on offer such as the ability to slow down or loop video? Is the content available on multiple platforms (ie. web and mobile)? Is the content available to use offline?

Our testing team includes:

• Expert reviewers with years of hands-on experience testing and owning a wide range of guitar products and services.
• Industry professionals who have worked in the guitar/music industry for decades. This includes guitar tutors and writers who have held positions at guitar companies and roles at leading guitar magazines and websites.

Read more about our rating system, how we choose the gear we feature, and exactly how we test each product.

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Chris Corfield is a journalist with over 12 years of experience writing for some of the music world's biggest brands including Orange Amplification, MusicRadar, Guitar World, Total Guitar and Dawsons Music. Chris loves getting nerdy about everything from guitar gear and synths, to microphones and music production hardware.

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Best online guitar lessons 2024: Improve your playing with Fender Play, Guitar Tricks, JustinGuitar and more

Elevate your guitar skills with our top picks for online guitar lesson sites and apps

Our top picks

• Best beginner
• Best intermediate
• Best content
• Best simplicity

Best free lessons

Best teachers, also tested, buying advice.

• Beginner gear
• How we choose

1. Top picks at a glance 2. Best for beginners 3. Best intermediate 4. Best content volume 5. Best simplicity 6. Best free lessons 7. Best star teachers 8. Also tested 9. Buying advice 10. How we choose

You might be learning your first chords or perhaps you’re already a superstar shredder, but no matter where you are in your guitar journey, you can still gain something from the best online guitar lessons. Learning guitar is something that never stops, even when you’ve been playing for decades. The best thing about the instrument is that there’s such depth to it you can always add another string to your bow. And the best bit? Learning online is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to improve

Being able to learn from the comfort of your own home is a huge benefit as well, as the online nature of these lessons means you can work them around a hectic school or work schedule. You can also learn on a laptop, tablet, or smartphone, meaning even fewer excuses for not nailing the A-minor pentatonic scale!

We’ve extensively tested many online guitar lesson platforms and gathered all of our favourites here in one place for you. Many feature free trials so you can try before you buy, and we’ve even managed to snag some exclusive offers for MusicRadar readers that save you some cash. If you’ve still got questions, head to our buying advice section for more information, or just keep scrolling for our top picks.

1. Best for beginners: Fender Play Thanks to its clear pathways and high-quality content, Fender Play is our favourite online lessons platform for beginner players. 

Exclusively for MusicRadar readers, Fender is offering 50% off an annual plan , so enter the code musicradar50 at checkout if you decide to go with Fender Play. Read more below

2. Best for intermediate players: Guitar Tricks With a huge amount of content for more advanced players, as well as providing a great beginner selection, Guitar Tricks is our top choice for players who already have a little playing experience under their belt. 

Best of all, you can get your first month for just $1 with an exclusive deal for MusicRadar readers. Just hit the link above to claim.

Read more below

3. Best for content volume: TrueFire With its unparalleled selection of content, TrueFire is our top choice if you want a huge selection of beginner, intermediate, and advanced lessons that cover all the bases. 

In an exclusive offer for MusicRadar readers, you can also get 30% off your first purchase by entering the code MRTF30 when you check out.

4. Best for simplicity: Guitareo If the more intensive courses on offer from other platforms are a bit daunting, but you’re committed to making a positive start to your journey, then Guitareo is the perfect choice.

Try Guitareo free for 7 days .

5. Best free lessons: Justin Guitar Justin Sandercoe is a really good teacher and there is a lot on JustinGuitar that is free to access, all complemented by a wealth of YouTube videos. You can choose lessons in theory or in skills, and there are lessons for all abilities.

Sign up for free .

6. Best for teachers: ArtistWorks Guitar ArtistWorks Guitar provides a wide variety of lessons with great instructors, many of them well-known. Want to lear electric rock guitar with Paul Gilbert, or blues with Keith Wyatt? You got it.

Try ArtistWorks Guitar for free .

Best for beginners

1. fender play.

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

✅ You're a complete beginner: With its slick UI and excellent pathways, Fender Play is perfect for beginner guitar players looking to take their first steps with the instrument. ❌ You're an intermediate player or above: Unfortunately once you get past the beginner phase, there's not as much content for players who already have a grounding in playing and theory.

When Fender entered the education game it was no surprise that it would make it box-office, with high production values, lessons that featured popular songs, and a host of teachers who are totally at ease in front of the camera. Not to mention a great interface whether you're accessing it via a desktop or the dedicated app.

Once you sign up you will be asked to choose your instrument (eh, guitar, please – but bass guitar and ukulele options also available) and then which style you want to learn. Choose from rock, blues, country, folk, and pop. Once you have chosen your style you can then choose your own path, with levels 1 through 5 in ascending order of difficulty.

As a bonus, subscribers also receive a 10% discount on Fender instruments, making Fender Play one of the top online guitar lessons services around.

Read the full Fender Play review

Best for intermediate players

2. guitar tricks.

✅ You're an intermediate player: If you already have some playing under your belt, Guitar Tricks is a fantastic option for improving your playing both in practice and theory. ❌ You're a big pop music fan: Whilst Guitar Tricks covers a lot of different styles, there are precious few popular pop artists available at the moment.

Guitar Tricks has been in the game a long time – since 1998, in fact – and has largely set the blueprint for online guitar lessons. With such a head start, Guitar Tricks has managed to build up an impressive array of resources including 11,000 lessons, artist and genre studies, tone advice and 900+ song tutorials – more than all its counterparts at this point. 

It has also managed to develop an extensive catalogue of content aimed at intermediate and advanced players, so it’s much more suited to already established players than some of the newcomers to this scene who are still developing a lot of their advanced resources (we’d include Fender Play in this category).

It has to be said though, that Guitar Tricks is showing its age compared to many other sites. While it’s one thing to look a little plain, Guitar Tricks won’t be winning any awards in UX either. Whether it’s because they have so much content available they just can’t find an agreeable way to present it all, or they’re simply overdue a major redesign, the interface is definitely the biggest setback here. That’s not to say it’s not workable or that it has any serious issues though. The content alone is worth the price of entry, but there are certainly cleaner, clearer user experiences out there.

For added peace of mind, Guitar Tricks offers a 60-day money back guarantee, so if you're not completely satisfied with the service in your first couple of months and you request a refund before your 60 days are up, you will get your money back.  

MusicRadar readers can get their first month of Guitar Tricks for just $1 right now by clicking the link.

Read the full Guitar Tricks review

Best for content selection

3. truefire guitar lessons.

✅ You want lots of content: TrueFire has probably the most amount of content out of all the options here, meaning it will cover pretty much every base when it comes to learning guitar. ❌ You suffer from option paralysis: Conversely, if you're the sort of person who isn't a self-starter or gets easily overwhelmed, you may find it difficult to decide with such a huge content library.

TrueFire might be a little more expensive, but like ArtistWorks Guitar, it really packs in the features. There is a similarly storied faculty. Want to have a blues lesson from Robben Ford? Well, why not. 

Pretty much all styles are catered for, and all levels, too. Progress is easy to track and there are a whole host of learning tools to bring you up to speed.

Speaking of speed, there is a Slo-Mo and Looping feature that will help you take control of those parts that are giving you the most trouble, and we can all attest to the value of slowing parts down and mastering them there before bringing it up to tempo. Kudos to anyone who takes the lifetime membership after the free trial. Right now, TrueFire is also offering MusicRadar readers 30% off their first or next TrueFire purchase. This promotion includes All Access subscriptions and all courses . Just add the code MRTF30 at checkout to claim your discount.

Read the full TrueFire review

Best for simplicity

4. guitareo.

✅ You want something easy to navigate: The slick Guitareo platform is nice and simple for beginner players to navigate, giving you everything you need without feeling overwhelming ❌ You already know some playing techniques: While great for beginners, if you already have some playing under your belt you'd be better off looking elsewhere.

Guitareo is one of the newer platforms on this list, and it has its sights aimed clearly at the younger, less advanced players. In fact, it is almost perfectly suited to people who have never picked up a guitar before, thanks to its guided lesson paths dealing with everything from the fundamentals through to crafting your own songs from the chords you’ve learned. 

It lacks the bells and whistles of some of the bigger sites, with no interactive tabs, plus mobile integration isn’t as advanced as some others, but what Guitareo does have is bundles of charm. If the more intensive courses on offer from its competitors are a bit daunting, but you’re committed to making a positive start to your journey, then Guitareo might just be perfect for you. 

Read the full Guitareo review

5. JustinGuitar online guitar lessons

✅ You want to learn theory: Justin Guitar has an excellent selection of theory lessons that will really help you get into advanced content like modes, chord theory, and loads more. ❌ You want to learn lots of songs: Although there are a good 600+ songs available, there are other options with much more choice in this department.

Justin Sandercoe is a really good teacher. He’s so good, that perhaps it’s only fair that he uses the internet to teach; that way he can spread the wealth. If you are a beginner, you should probably sign up now, because the beginner’s course is free and Sandercoe’s ability to walk you through the fundamentals is peerless.

There is a lot on JustinGuitar that is free to access and is complemented by a wealth of YouTube videos. You can choose lessons in theory or in skills, and there are lessons for all abilities.

Sandercoe also provides affordable add-on apps ($/£1.99-$/£2.99) and a variety of subscription program, such as a music theory course that delivers over 120 lessons with PDF, audio and Guitar Pro downloads to support your progress.

6. ArtistWorks Guitar

✅ You want feedback on your playing: ArtistWorks is unique in that it offers feedback on your playing from expert players like Paul Gilbert. ❌ You're on a budget: Of course, that pro-level advice doesn't come cheap, which makes this one of the more expensive options on the market.

ArtistWorks Guitar provides a wide variety of lessons with great instructors. It has the likes of Paul Gilbert teaching Electric Rock Guitar and Keith Wyatt teaching Electric Blues Guitar.

Its Video Exchange Learning Platform connects pupils with their teachers to create the sort of personalised feedback that creates a more social online learning experience that can only accelerate a player’s development. 

The plans are tiered so that the longer you sign up for them the more you can learn, but even the most basic package includes unlimited access to lessons, the music theory workshop, and the Video Exchange Library, and users can make up to five video submissions to their designated teacher for assessment.

7. Gibson Learn & Play

✅ You love rock and blues: Gibon's learning platform emphasizes these particular genres, which makes sense when you consider what their guitars are typically used for. ❌ You want to play different genres: There's precious little here for those who don't like rock, blues, or metal, so if you're into jazz, pop, or R&B, you're better off on a different platform.

Arriving late against larger competitors, Gibson Learn & Play has been around for a few years now, finally hitting its stride in terms of content maturity. Perfect for those who like their rock, blues, and metal, this app offers a lot for beginner players picking up the instrument for the first time.

Like many lesson platforms, Gibson has also taken the gamified approach, with the completion of lessons opening up new pathways. It’s a great way to add a sense of achievement, although you can unlock everything in the options if you want to. The pathways do everything from your first string pluck, with loads of detailed diagrams to ensure you’re playing your instrument the right way.

The lesson content is backed up by plenty of popular songs from the world of rock, metal, and blues, but if you’re looking for jazz or R&B you won’t find much here. If you’re into Sabbath, AC/DC, Cream , or Pink Floyd then there are loads of great options available. There’s also a snazzy guitar amp feature, which makes your unplugged guitar sound like it’s coming out of an actual amp, with effects too. 

8. JamPlay online guitar lessons

✅ You want the best teachers: The excellent selection of tutors on offer here makes JamPlay a great option for those who want a teacher who's a professional. ❌ You're easily distracted or overwhelmed: There's so much content here that for those who aren't very assured of what they want, its easy to get waylaid on your learning journey.

JamPlay offers a dizzying amount of content and a number of apps to help you learn while on the move. There are over 100 teachers available, with the likes of Lita Ford and Steve Stevens on the electric guitar faculty, and Mark Kroos and Kaki King on the acoustic side.

There are also a number of guest courses, with lessons from the likes of Ariel Posen and hybrid-picking wizard Prashant Aswani.

Lessons are delivered in 4K video, with interactive tab among the abundance of resources to help you make tangible progress. There is also an online library of chords and scales, and you can chart your progress easily enough.

9. Orange Learn

✅ You want proper accreditation: Orange Learn gives you the option to take accredited online exams, meaning you get a proper qualification from your learning. ❌ You want a laid-back learning experience: If you're not too fussed about qualifications and sitting exams, you might be better off finding a different option.

A great new Orange Learn feature is Orange’s partnership with MGR Music to provide live help, enabling students to get assistance from a teacher whenever they need. Simply click on the Need Help? Button and players will be able to ask a qualified guitar tutor in real time.

Orange Amplification were ahead of brands like Fender when it launched its own online course and now works with Online Music Exams to offer recognised accreditation covering Grades 1-8 for rock guitar.

The syllabus is designed to be worked through alone and at a pace best for you, or alongside your tutor. Downloadable and streamed online lessons include videos and notation with the Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced courses taking students from beginner level to Grade 8.

The exams and resulting certificates give an added incentive to learn, with the flexibility of taking them when you feel it’s the right time, and can form a part of your CV too. There’s a relatively quick turnaround to find out your results too.

Currently the Orange Rock Guitar Foundation is available for free and there's a new vocal coaching program for the singers out there too.

10. Yousician

✅ You want something easy to digest: With its game-style learning process, Yousician encourages repeat playing by giving you a Guitar Hero-esque learning experience. ❌ You already know how to play a little: Geared more towards absolute beginners, there's no much here if you're looking to move beyond the first stages of learning.

Guitar playing is really fun, once you get over that initial hurdle of learning to play. Unfortunately, that hurdle can be quite daunting without the right instruction, which is where Yousician comes into play.

With its game-style progression, bright colours, and audio recognition technology, Yousician has an addictive feel that makes players want to keep coming back. It listens to you while you’re playing, providing instant feedback on any duff notes and giving you an overall score at the end of the lesson, much like you would get on Guitar Hero.

It’s simple but works really well, especially for younger players and total newcomers. If you’re already at an intermediate or advanced level, then you’re not likely to find much use here, however. For totally new players, it’s a fast and fun way to get playing.

11. JTC Guitar

✅ You want to learn advanced content: JTC Guitar features loads of great pro content, making it a great choice for players who already have a good foundation in the guitar. ❌ You're an absolute beginner: There isn't loads of beginner content here, so you may want to look at a different option if you're playing for the first time.

The JTC set-up is hugely impressive. Prices for the packages start from $/£25 per month, with a number of add-on features such as the eponymous Jam Tracks. Instructors include the likes of Jeff Loomis, Guthrie Govan and Jess Lewis. 

While there are fewer choices for beginners here – 62 courses as opposed to 207 advanced and 429  intermediate – we love the syllabus and the bite-sized formats. It’s so flexible. You can sign up for a free account and can download a module for $/£19.99. If you want interactive tab to go with it, then $/£19.99 will last you a year. 

Premium accounts let you access all of the entire library of lessons (excluding Bootcamp) and you get 25 percent off downloads should you want the files on your computer for offline practice.

Are online guitar lessons worth it?

What you’re looking for from the best online guitar lessons is not that different from what you should be looking for from a real-life guitar teacher.

Communication is key. The ability to condense complex subjects – which, when you are first learning, the modes of the major scale and other tricky guitar concepts can be – into something that’s easily absorbed and understood is priceless. You want a person or a service that is accessible and enthusiastic. That will keep you wanting to come back for more and keep picking up the guitar.

It’s also a good idea to think about the sort of lessons you need, so you need to be clear - and honest - about what level you are at. The good news is that there is an abundance of programs to cater to players of all abilities – especially beginners. This is crucial. We’d be inclined to say that how a guitar lessons site tailors its teaching for beginners is a bell weather for how effective the program is likely to be for players looking to progress through higher levels.

Only you can say what sort of online lessons you need, but if you’re thinking of taking the plunge, then think hard about the areas that you want to improve on and see what options are available. Finding the time to practice can be an issue, too, which is why providers such as Fender Play deliver bite-sized lessons via an easy-to-navigate app, so you can learn a song or a riff one day, and then get back at it when you next have some free time.

When it comes to online guitar lessons teaching, delivery is everything. Are the videos in HD? Are there split screens so you can see what’s going on with both the fretting and the picking hand? Does the platform provide an animated tab? These are the sort of features that can demystify the lesson. The best sites will be available on apps for mobile and tablet, too, with downloadable materials so you can access the lessons on the go.

Can I get free online guitar lessons?

There are plenty of free online guitar lessons around, particularly on YouTube, however unless you know exactly what you’re looking to learn - something only more advanced players are likely to know – you’d be better off using a more structured system to progress you at the right pace without any gaps or giant leaps.

The great news is that most of the best online guitar lessons services we recommend here offer a free trial of anywhere from 7 days up to a full month, so you can try a few for size before you commit to the right one for you. Most are easy to cancel too, so if you really don't get on with a particular service, you're no worse off.

Then you have a platform like Justin Guitar, where the vast majority of content is completely free, with the option to buy additional content should you so wish. 

What extra equipment do I need to take online guitar lessons?

For a basic setup all you really need is a guitar, a decent internet connection, and some kind of device for audio and video, whether that’s a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer is up to you. Of course, there are many useful tools you can use to augment your practice such as a pair of headphones so you can block out distractions and focus on your lesson, and a music stand to hold a notebook or your tablet if you’re using one.

When you’re learning guitar you want to be comfortable in your space, so investing in a good, comfortable chair (preferably without arms) is a must. Having enough space for your accessories like cables, clip-on tuners, guitar picks , and fresh strings is also another essential item, so a good quality desk will go a long wa 

How many hours a week should I spend learning guitar?

This is entirely up to you really. For beginners, doing 30 minutes a day, five times a week is a great way to progress quickly. However with a busy modern lifestyle this may not always be possible. It really comes down to your personal motivations to learn the instrument. If you really want to play guitar, then you’ll make time to learn the techniques required, which is also one of the great things about online guitar lessons – you can take your lesson anytime, anywhere, no matter how busy your day has been.

If your aim is to go professional or become a session musician, then you’ll want to practice a lot more. Steve Vai allegedly practiced between 10 and 12 hours a day to achieve his impressive chops, but you don’t have to practice quite that much to get good. As a rough example, anywhere between 90 minutes right through to 4 hours has been cited as sufficient practice time by professional guitar players. The key is really in focusing your practice and making sure you’re always developing, rather than just noodling the same riffs for hours. Challenge yourself to learn new songs and techniques each time you practice and your progress will skyrocket.

Beginner guitar gear

Looking for the right guitar gear to help you improve as you journey through your beginner lessons? Our expert buyer's guides below are a great place to start.

• Start rocking with the best beginner electric guitars
• Get to grips with the best acoustic guitars for beginners
• Introduce your child with the best guitars for kids
• Embrace the low end with the best beginner bass guitars
• These are the best cheap electric guitars
• The best cheap acoustic guitars

How we choose the best online guitar lessons

All of us here at MusicRadar had to start somewhere, so we've got a lot of experience with guitar lessons, both in the real world and online. A few of our writing team are also guitar teachers in their own right, so we have a unique perspective on what makes a truly great online guitar lessons platform.

When choosing what we believe to be the best online guitar lessons available right now, we combine our hands-on experience, user reviews and testimonies and engage in lengthy discussions with our editorial colleagues to reach a consensus about the top products or services in any given category.

First and foremost, we are musicians, and we want other players to find the right product or service for them. So we take into careful consideration everything from price, features, and quality of content, to ease of use and lesson structure to come up with a list of what we can safely say are the best online guitar lessons on the market right now.

Find out more about  how we test music gear and services  at MusicRadar.

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Jonathan Horsley has been writing about guitars and guitar culture since 2005, playing them since 1990, and regularly contributes to MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitar World. He uses Jazz III nylon picks, 10s during the week, 9s at the weekend, and shamefully still struggles with rhythm figure one of Van Halen’s Panama.

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10 best online guitar lessons.

Looking for the best online guitar lessons? You’re not alone.

In a digital age where countless resources crowd the internet, finding the right online course can be overwhelming.

My article narrows down your choices, presenting top-notch platforms to accelerate your journey from novice strummer to maestro.

So, keep reading as I’m going to be walking you through and reviewing the best online guitar courses in 2023.

So, in a nutshell, what are the best online guitar lessons? The best online guitar lessons are Guitar Tricks , TrueFire, and JamPlay. Guitar Tricks is great for beginners with its easy-to-follow courses, TrueFire offers a wide range of specialized lessons for intermediate to advanced players, and JamPlay features lessons from professional artists across multiple genres. Each platform has its unique offerings, making them suitable for learners at various skill levels.

Disclosure: We are a professional review website that may receive compensation for the products we review .  All recommendations are genuine and/or verified by myself!

• Free trial available: Yes
• Quality of instructors: High
• Pricing: 5/5

• Free trial available: No
• Pricing: 4/5

• Pricing: 4.5/5

Best Online Guitar Lessons Ranked

Here is a quick list of the best places to learn guitar online based on my hands-on analysis:

• Guitar Tricks – Overall best online guitar lessons for beginners (free trial)
• TrueFire – Best for advanced players
• JamPlay – Best for intermediate players & style-specific learning
• Fender Play
• ArtistWorks
• JustinGuitar
• Marty Music
• Andy Guitar
• Rock Like the Pros

Don’t like reading? Check out my video on the best online guitar lessons:

Best Online Guitar Lesson Reviews

7% of the population aged 13-64 (approx. 16 million people) started to learn guitar in the last two years ( source ).

With a rise in newcomers entering the market, it’s more important than ever to find the best online guitar classes for your level of expertise.

I’ve spent the last few years reviewing 25+ different courses, apps, and software, using the following key criteria to rank them: price, course curriculum, quality of instructors, lesson structure, and more.

Using my experience in this field, I’ve compiled a list of the top online lessons available, comparing the above criteria to help you make an informed decision and take your playing to the next level.

Take a look at the reviews and list I’ve prepared below.

1. Guitar Tricks – Overall best online guitar lessons for beginners (free trial)

In my experience, the definitive winner is Guitar Tricks .

Guitar Tricks has been around for a long time.

It’s an award-winning course that provides a fast and fun way to learn guitar.

Features and Benefits

The interface is very user-friendly and easy to navigate. It offers lessons for beginners and more advanced guitar players.

A series of videos will teach you how to play the guitar through simple songs. Lessons cover guitar theory and include song play-throughs, and teaching techniques as well.

The Core Learning System is effective; after finishing the Guitar Fundamentals Level 1, you’ll have a strong foundation.

The video lesson quality is excellent – you can see two camera angles at all times, making them one of the best. You can also loop videos and change settings, which helps you to learn at your own pace.

Another Guitar Tricks benefit is the versatility of genres and an extensive song library. There are more than 1,000 songs available with new releases weekly.

Some of the songs you can learn are “My Sharona” by The Knack, “Hey Joe” by Jimi Hendrix, and “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran.

You’ll also have access to live group lessons with a dedicated group coach. You’ll get regular check-ins and lesson plans suited to what you need to work on individually.

The Pro full-access offers one-on-one live lessons which is the best way to to receive instant feedback.

What Sets Guitar Tricks Apart From Other Platforms?

Guitar Tricks provides private coaching; schedule a live online lesson to get feedback and tips from a guitar coach.

You can choose a coach that fits your style and goals. They’re all very experienced and talented.

Who is Guitar Tricks for?

Guitar Tricks offers the best guitar courses for beginners, even though it has content for all abilities.

Through step-by-step lessons, you will easily learn basic guitar skills and progress to more advanced techniques.

It’s also one of the most effective ways to learn new songs and expand your repertoire. Read my full Guitar Tricks review .

• Private coaching
• A wide range of lessons
• A variety of genres
• A good core learning system
• Might be overwhelming (due to a large amount of content)

2. TrueFire – Best for advanced players

I personally recommend Truefire’s lessons for more experienced players.

As one of the oldest surviving guitar lesson platforms, TrueFire has plenty to offer.

With over 40,000 lessons/courses available to users it is one of the most extensive options out there. You won’t have to worry about running out of content.

One of its greatest advantages is you’ll get access to 200+ sought-after Grammy-award-winning contributing tutors.

It is competitively priced in line with Guitar Tricks but some of the names on the books might leave you a little more star-struck.

With lessons from the likes of Steve Vai and Larry Carlton, you will learn to pluck, pick, and shred in no time.

TrueFire offers quality video lessons. It has been active since 1991, but the site has seen plenty of revisions and the content is fresh-looking.

You can follow different Learning Paths like the Jazz Learning Path or Acoustic Learning Path and track your way from beginner to advanced levels.

Or, browse through specialized courses like Scales & Modes, Arpeggios, and Improvisation and choose what you want to work on.

There is a vast amount of technique videos available and the library is extensive and updated all the time.

What Sets TrueFire Apart From Other Platforms?

TrueFire offers classes for all skill levels, while it offers material for advanced players that many platforms miss.

Who is TrueFire For?

TrueFire has plenty to offer for players of all levels of experience.

However, it’s perfect for intermediate and advanced players who will find it helpful due to its detailed video lessons on techniques and different playing styles.

Read my full TrueFire review .

• A lot of content
• Downloadable courses
• Learning paths
• Private lessons
• Might be too much for casual players

* Use code MidderMusic100 for $100 Off an All Access: Annual Plan to TrueFire

Learn more about TrueFire here!

3. JamPlay – Best for intermediate players & style-specific learning

I’d recommend JamPlay if you’re looking for style-specific learning.

JamPlay has been around for a while with 5,500 lessons, smaller than some platforms but still significant.

There are more than 120 tutors contributing.

JamPlay is an excellent learning platform because you can follow a structured learning path or create your own based on the songs and styles you prefer.

Their lessons are divided into four categories and phases.

With Phase 1 you’ll get to grips with the basics while Phase 2 is focused on genres and skills. Phase 3 is a song-based library of lessons and Phase 4 is aimed at songwriting and teaching you to use your skills creatively.

There is also a master-class area for the more experienced players, where you can learn from touring and studio pros.

Apart from high-quality videos, JamPlay provides learning tools like interactive tabs, notation, progress reports, and ask-a-teacher functionality.

You can also participate in daily live Q&A sessions and weekly workshops.

What Sets JamPlay Apart From Other Platforms?

JamPlay covers a good variety of genres.

You’ll come across some genres that many other platforms don’t offer such as Hawaiian Slack Key, Flamenco, and Surf.

Who is Jamplay For?

JamPlay is for anyone who wants to learn guitar online or improve their skills. The website offers a structured course for beginners and masterclasses for advanced players.

Read my full JamPlay review .

• A ton of material
• Accessible teachers
• Great video quality
• A somewhat small selection of actual songs to learn
• A bit pricey

Learn more about JamPlay here!

4. Fender Play

If money doesn’t stretch to the $19.99/mo of Guitar Tricks then another great web-based platform for learning guitar you might want to check out is Fender Play .

It’s a beginner-friendly choice with many lessons, offering custom plans at half the price.

The platform asks users to fill out a short questionnaire upon sign-up to help determine the best course of action for their learning.

You can choose your style (acoustic or electric) and a path (rock, pop, blues, folk, or country). The difficulty level progresses as you would expect with any learning tool.

You’ll be learning from a well-rounded curriculum and lessons focused both on songs and theory. The level 1 lessons cover guitar fundamentals and also offer a brief bit of guitar set-up advice which is a nice touch.

The genres covered in the library are pretty extensive, with simple and difficult songs available in each category. You can choose from popular hits to indie gems.

The app is easy to use and has a few welcome extras. There is an integrated tuner for your instruments and you can use their Fender Tone Amp Control App from within as well.

They have two newer features, practice mode, and streaks, to help encourage practice habits and track your progress.

What Sets Fender Play Apart From Other Platforms?

Fender Play lessons are very comprehensible and easy to follow.

The dashboard is streamlined, and the whole program will provide you with clear guidance which is ideal for beginners.

Who is Fender Play?

Fender Play is a great choice for beginners. However, due to the extensive song library and renowned skilled instructors, players with a bit more experience will also benefit from the program.

Read my full Fender Play review .

• You can use it on all devices
• Excellent video quality
• Great instructors
• Features a customized path
• Could have more advanced material
• Lacks some additional tools

Learn more about Fender Play here!

5. ArtistWorks

ArtistWorks might just have some of the most exclusive content available online. The roster of celebrities gets bigger every year.

The site caters to a whole host of instruments so the content for guitars specifically is trickier to navigate. The platform is a little more academic in lesson delivery.

It focuses on theory and technique, lacking song libraries but offering pro courses for all levels.

With ArtistWorks , you can go through the course content at your own pace or you can take a tailored 12-week course on a range of topics and receive a certificate of completion.

Video lessons cover the most basic guitar classes all the way up to the complex techniques for the advanced guitarist. The videos are shot in the studio and the quality is great.

You can play the video in slow motion and utilize video looping. You’ll also get sheet music with each lesson.

The website is community-driven, allowing students to share videos and learn from each other as well as from top-notch tutors. Bryan Sutton, Paul Gilbert, and Guthrie Trapp are just some of the names you’ll come across.

What Sets ArtistWorks Apart From Other Platforms?

ArtistWorks features a video exchange library. If you submit a video, you’ll get feedback from a teacher.

The video exchange library is also a great source of playing tips and tricks.

Who is ArtistWorks for?

ArtistWorks offers courses suitable for all kinds of players.

I would recommend ArtistWorks if you’re looking for quality structured learning due to its 12-week course.

Read my full ArtistWorks review here .

• Suitable for all levels
• Video exchange library
• Emphasis on theory
• Great tutors
• Lack of lesson descriptions
• There could be more useful tools

Learn more about ArtistWorks here!

6. Jamorama

Jamorama began life as a free lesson resource led by Mark McKenzie running a one-man ship.

You may recognize him as The Guitar Guy from YouTube where he has built a substantial fanbase of subscribers.

With 20 years of teaching under his belt, his at-home guitar lessons are very informative and chock-full of advice and tips. There are technique-based and song-based lessons to choose from.

It’s a very clear, step-by-step program perfect for beginners.

There are technique-based and song-based lessons to choose from. They are shot in high quality and Mark explains the material in a patient and informative manner.

Many tutorials start basic and become more complex, but they don’t hit an advanced level.

Mark uses an acoustic guitar for teaching, but the techniques also apply to electric.

You’ll learn a lot about strumming, scales, progressions, lead guitar, fingerstyle, and practice routines.

The site offers song tutorials; while the library isn’t as large as others, it features artists like Phil Collins, Mumford and Sons, and Damien Rice.

What Sets Jamorama Apart From Other Platforms?

Jamorama offers a free and paid version.

A free Jamorama version is perfect for anyone on a budget. It’s limited though, but it provides a great Beginner’s Kick Start course and quality video lessons.

Who is Jamorama For?

Jamorama is an excellent learning tool for beginners. It can provide you with fundamentals and teach you how to play familiar songs.

Although you’ll find intermediate and advanced content too, it’s not as thorough as it should be.

• A free version
• Beginner-friendly
• Great song selection
• Lack of personalized instruction
• Lack of more advanced content

7. Justin Guitar

Another popular guitar course is from Justin Guitar.

The website was created by Justin Sandercoe, a guitarist and teacher who is dedicated to sharing his knowledge with students around the world.

The website is mostly free, so it’s great if you’re searching for free lessons. But, you can get exclusive extras if you become a member.

Justin offers many YouTube videos, but his website organizes them by level and genre for easy access. The recently updated layout is modern and uncluttered.

There are over 1,000 lessons available. They are broken down into grades with separate modules. Each module has an introductory video and the steps are linked at the side so you can skip them if you are more familiar with the content.

The video quality is great – there are also chord diagrams displayed. Videos can be marked with a check on his site as completed to keep track of your progress.

Moreover, you can also choose from more than 600 free songs to learn – from Dire Straits and Pink Floyd to modern bands like Coldplay.

Justin Guitar also offers different apps such as the Ear Trainer, Blues Licks, and One Minute Changes app.

What Sets Justin Guitar Apart From Other Platforms?

The Justin Guitar website is created by a teacher and musician Justin Sandercoe, so everything feels very personal and friendly.

He also has a lot of free content on YouTube.

Who is Justin Guitar For?

Justin Guitar is suitable for players of all levels. The website is free, so it’s great if you’re on a budget.

The website also offers useful apps that are great for people who prefer that type of learning.

If you’re looking for a personable teacher, Justin Guitar is your best bet.

• Free content
• Personal touch
• Lots of songs to learn
• Not enough content for advanced players
• Some genres are not included

8. Marty Music

Marty Music is another YouTube face you might have stumbled across. 

Marty’s channel is stacked with videos, that include the breakdowns of simple chord progressions as well as complex famous riffs.

Marty, with 350 million viewers, offers clear explanations and a friendly approach for both beginners and those looking to improve. He has a relaxed, methodical approach to teaching.

Marty breaks the song into bite-size chunks or focuses on one notoriously tough part (in his more advanced videos).

He uses YouTube time-stamp skip to put whole songs into chapters so you can repeat sections and skip parts. It isn’t as flawless as some videos on other websites, but it’s convenient nonetheless.

On his official website, he also offers in-depth courses comprising of videos grouped by the bundle. There are different styles and genres to choose from, such as essential blues and rock, beginner acoustic, and so on.

What Sets Marty Music Apart From Other Platforms?

Marty has a really good approach to teaching. If you take this course, you will feel like you’re in a music school, which is not always the case with online programs.

Who is Marty Music For?

Marty Music is for anyone who is looking for reliable free online guitar lessons. 

• Good approach
• Free content  
• Extensive, linear lessons   
• Less structured than some other programs
• Some things could be better explained

9. Andy Guitar

A great alternative one-man band with a well-structured guitar course is Andy Crowly of Andy Guitar.

He offers almost 700 free tutorials and individual premium courses (for a fee).

In his videos, Andy has a very positive and motivating approach. He is teaching both acoustic and electric.

His website is very streamlined and the courses are well-structured. You can take several routes or approaches to learning, as well as the fundamental path for total beginners.

Within the main syllabus, there are beginner, improver, intermediate, and lead 1, 2, and 3 courses (stated as intermediate-plus).

There are also rock-oriented or finger-style pathways to choose from, each containing popular songs as well as technique-style videos that teach the rudiments and progress from there.

Some of the songs you’ll learn from Andy are Angie by The Rolling Stones, Man on the Moon by R.E.M, and Levitating by Dua Lipa. As you can see, there’s a variety of genres to choose from.

There’s also a free Android app version of Andy’s lessons.

What Sets Andy Guitar Apart From Other Platforms?

Andy makes learning guitar very easy. For example, Marty’s Music lessons sometimes seem a bit overwhelming, but Andy’s lessons are very easy to follow. They are great for absolute beginners.

Who is Andy Guitar For?

Andy Guitar is great for anyone wishing to learn how to play guitar through laid-back but thorough lessons.

Andy Guitar has plenty of free content so it’s perfect if you’re searching for free classes.

• Great approach
• Comprehensible
• Could have a better structure
• Lack of advanced content

10. Rock Like the Pros

Rock Like the Pros has a bit of a different approach to teaching.

The platform is app-based and allows users to learn via their mobiles. Each course requires a separate purchase and all are priced individually according to their content.

Terry Carter started Rock Like the Pros as the result of his many years of teaching his immersive curriculum in L.A. With the modern developments of technology, he saw the potential for turning his methodology into a digital format.

The courses are very well-structured and cover everything from foundation ability to experienced player techniques. You can select from styles, theories, and master classes.

The ultimate Beginner Chord and Strumming course is comprised of 20 units with lessons that focus on 6 main chords. There are also units with examples in the style of popular songs so you can put what you’ve learned into action. That way the course also stays dynamic.

The strumming and rhythm get revisited on an intermediate level, and there are many more song-based examples. This goes right up to rhythms with rests.

Sheet music and TABs are supplied alongside each unit.

On top of that, Rock Like the Pros has a very active forum-based community. You can also sign up for weekly Zoom video call-based Q&As.

What Sets Rock Like the Pros Apart From Other Platforms?

Rock Like the Pros’ live Q&A sessions are a great feature. They will make you feel involved and give you a chance to learn new tricks.

Who is Rock Like the Pros for?

Rock Like the Pros is for guitar players of all levels. Although it has a great beginner course, you can find more advanced specialized lessons too.

The program has live Q&A sessions, so it’s great for anyone who has a specific question or wants advice.

• Live Q&A sessions
• Well-structured
• Specialized lessons
• No direct feedback
• They’re not so active on social media anymore

How to Choose?

The best guitar lessons on my list have quality curriculums, great instructors, and useful features.

You just need to find a course suitable for your goals, skills, and teaching style preferences.

Before choosing your online program, check out the quality of the videos.

Guitar playing requires simultaneous coordination, which can be tough to master when you are starting out. Because of that, video quality is important and so is the layout.

Having the close-ups of both hands for example is pretty vital for a beginner.

If you’re a beginner, you should also be sure to get thorough lessons on fundamentals.

Everyone wants to jump in head-first and play their favorite tunes, but you need to master the basics first. If you start the right way, you won’t develop bad habits that need correcting further down the line.

Basically, before you decide which lessons to take, read reviews, watch videos, and see if you like the teacher as well as the content.

If everything clicks and you feel excited by the information you see on the website, you’re on the right track.

Factors to Consider When Deciding Which Guitar Program is Right For You

If you’re not sure how to choose the best program for you, let’s take a look at some of the factors that can affect your decision.

Lesson quality

If the platform features guided video lessons, make sure they’re recorded with good quality and perhaps feature on-screen notation, multiple angles, split-screen, and so on.

That way, you’ll be able to see your teacher more clearly and play your guitar correctly.

Speaking of teachers, lessons should be guided by experienced, professional, and friendly guitar teachers. Luckily, the best programs like Guitar Tricks have quite an impressive roster of teachers.

And if you’re using an app to learn guitar, it would be great to have an instant feedback feature. That way, you can learn the correct notes and rhythm more easily.

Learning structure, methods & curriculum

Your lessons should fit your learning style and goals. Some courses are more flexible, and others provide linear lessons.

Also, different programs use different teaching methods. For example, Guitar Tricks is based on guided video lessons and a well-rounded curriculum focused both on theory and playing songs. Guitar Tricks also allows you to learn in a structured, step-by-step fashion.

So, it all comes down to your preferences. But it’s always good to have more structure in your learning process, especially if you’re a beginner.

To have a productive learning process, you need to make sure that the program’s results align with your goals and wishes. Besides checking the curriculum, you can read users’ reviews and see if the course tends to yield the results it promises.

Different virtual guitar lessons are available on different platforms. It’s good to find a course that is accessible on multiple devices, especially if you want to take your lessons while you’re traveling. Either way, that makes the program much more practical.

For example, Guitar Tricks also has an app so you can access it on Android and iOS devices. You can even download lessons to your phone.

Songs and styles

When it comes to learning, it’s important to have a rich song library at your disposal. That way, you can learn songs that you really like. And playing songs is the best way to learn new tricks and techniques.

Luckily, you can play all kinds of music genres on guitar. And that’s why platforms like Guitar Tricks and Truefire cover a variety of genres. Truefire even offers genre-specific learning paths.

When it comes to pricing, it all depends on your budget. But generally, compared to traditional lessons, online courses and apps are quite affordable. Some of them also offer free content or tutorials on their YouTube channel.

There are many budget-friendly options out there. But even if a program is a bit more expensive, it probably offers more content, features, or an impressive roster of teachers.

It’s also good to find a program that offers a free trial as well as the possibility to ask for a refund. For instance, Guitar Tricks offers a free 14-day trial and a 60-day money-back guarantee.

Skill level

One of the most important things about your course is that it’s suitable for your level. That might sound like common sense, but some platforms claim they offer content for all levels when, in fact, they’re only good for beginners.

So, if you’re an intermediate player, make sure the program you opt for provides advanced lessons.

Nevertheless, programs such as Guitar Tricks are aimed at beginners, but they also provide content for more experienced players. That way, you can learn the basics and progress towards more demanding lessons.  

Extra features

Finally, it’s always good to have modern learning tools and additional features at your disposal. That can only enrich your learning process and make it more fun and engaging. But these tools can also be essential for your learning if you don’t have a teacher by your side.

Guitar Tricks , for example, has a Toolbox section with useful tools like a metronome, chord finder, reference tuner, and so on. The program also offers live group sessions with a coach.

What Are the Benefits of Online Guitar Classes?

There are many reasons why learning online can be beneficial.

Obviously, the convenience of being able to fit it in around your lifestyle is a big plus. Apart from learning whenever and wherever you want, from behind a screen with no one to hear, your baby-step renditions can be more liberating.

Learning a new instrument takes a lot of time and e-learning allows you to learn at your own pace. You can go as slow or as fast as you like and have the capability to go over something tricky for as long as you like without pressure.

Moreover, many platforms have notable and famous names on their team, so learning from the best is really a privilege only virtual guitar instruction can (affordably) give you.

In the end, if you dedicate yourself to this learning process, you’ll get the same benefits as learning music in any other way – it will be a rewarding, fulfilling, and fun experience.

How I Test Courses

MidderMusic produces honest and accurate reviews based on personal experience and research. The review process is fully editorially independent. I am either supplied with a free subscription by the platform or I buy my own.

When evaluating a platform, I take into account the following factors:

• Simplicity in setup and use – How easy is it to sign up and install the program? Is the program user-friendly? Is it easy to find the content you’re looking for?
• Quality of content/tutors – Are the lessons easy to follow? What is the quality of the video? Are teachers easy to understand? Do they give clear instructions? Do they communicate information in a friendly manner?
• Range of content – What areas or skills is the platform focused on? Does it offer lessons for advanced players? If it’s only suitable for beginners, does it have enough material and songs/tutorials?
• Useful features – Can you use the program on multiple devices? Is there a possibility to get feedback on your playing? Is the service flexible or customizable? Are there features such as the ability to slow down or loop video?

I approach every platform with these same four categories in mind.

Wrapping Up My List of the Best Guitar Courses

There has never been a better time to take up the hobby you have been procrastinating on.

Online lesson formats have evolved and are a viable way to master your craft and hone your guitar skills.

Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro looking for breakdowns of advanced techniques, learning online could be the perfect solution.

All of these learning platforms are popular and reliable, however, I recommend  Guitar Tricks  as the overall best.

Their lessons are everything you need to perfect your guitar-playing skills and learn how to play in a fast and effective way.

• Easy and fun way to learn guitar online
• Learn to play your favorite songs
• Try now for free with no obligations

Can you really learn guitar online?

Yes, you can learn guitar online effectively. If you choose the program that suits your needs and practice regularly, you’ll be able to learn basic skills and keep improving them.

Are online guitar lessons worth it?

Yes, they are worth it, they are effective and affordable. They also offer a lot of useful features and modern learning tools. Although the learning process might take a while (as with any other instrument), once you start seeing the results, you’ll be even more motivated to keep going.

Can you teach yourself guitar?

Yes, with the right course, you can learn by yourself. Although it’s perhaps easier to learn when someone sitting next to you is demonstrating how to play the instrument, online lessons have other benefits and features designed to help you learn.

How much are online guitar lessons?

Online lessons can cost between $20 to $200 per hour – if you’re taking private guitar lessons. However, most online courses offer monthly subscriptions. The most popular digital programs cost between $20 and $30 per month, which is much cheaper than hiring a private tutor or taking traditional music lessons.

What’s the best site to learn guitar?

The best site to learn is Guitar Tricks. It’s an award-winning program that offers online lessons for beginners as well as advanced players. Guitar Tricks offers quality content, an extensive song library, and cool features such as live group lessons.

Can I learn guitar for free online?

You can learn guitar online for free. Many popular learning platforms (like Guitar Tricks and Truefire) offer free trials. Some programs also offer free versions of their program. For example, Jamorama provides a free Beginner’s Kick Start course and quality video lessons.

What are the best online guitar lessons for beginners?

The best online beginner lessons are provided by Guitar Tricks. This popular platform provides a series of videos that will teach you how to play guitar through simple songs. You’ll also have access to live group lessons and the possibility to schedule a private online lesson with the Guitar Tricks coach.

What are the best online guitar lessons for kids?

The best online guitar lessons for kids are offered by Guitar Tricks. The platform offers beginner-friendly and fun video lessons that are easy to follow. The Guitar Tricks program is also adjustable and easy to navigate, so it’s appropriate for learners of all ages. JamPlay also offers classes for kids and teens. The platform is generally reliable, well-structured, and versatile.

What are the best self-taught guitar programs for left-handed beginners?

The best lessons online for left-handed beginners are offered by popular platforms like Guitar Tricks, Truefire, and JamPlay. These websites offer courses focused on left-handed techniques, and they are generally very popular and reliable.

What are the best online guitar lessons for advanced players?

The best online guitar classes for advanced players are provided by TrueFire. TrueFire offers quality video lessons, learning paths, downloadable resources, and plenty of material for advanced players. The platform also offers many specialized courses focused on a specific technique or style.

What are the best online guitar lessons for intermediate players?

The best online lessons for intermediate players can be found on the Guitar Tricks platform. The program is suitable for players of all ages and has plenty of material for players with some experience. TrueFire is another great option for intermediate players. The program has an extensive library and a variety of specialized courses focused on more advanced techniques.

What are the best online acoustic guitar lessons?

The best online acoustic guitar lessons are offered by Guitar Tricks. For example, there are the Acoustic Level 1 and 2 courses focused on different styles. TrueFire also offers excellent acoustic lessons. With TrueFire, you can choose the Acoustic Learning Path and take a comprehensive, step-by-step acoustic course.

What are the best free online guitar lessons?

The best free guitar lessons can be accessed on the Guitar Tricks site. The platform offers a 30-day free trial that can help you grasp the basics. Some programs also offer free versions of their program. For example, Jamorama provides a free Beginner’s Kick Start course and quality video lessons.

Are guitar lessons better in person or online?

It’s hard to say if guitar lessons are better in person or online. Private teachers and traditional music schools will undoubtedly teach you how to play in a proper way. However, online courses and learning apps have their own benefits such as flexibility, affordability, modern tools, and freedom to choose your own material.

Are there any guitar lessons near me?

Visit the TakeLessons website to find guitar lessons near you. This popular platform allows you to connect with a tutor online or in person. You can browse a wide selection of teachers and see if anyone is in your area.

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Best Online Guitar Lessons: Improve Your Guitar Playing With Our Pick Of Online Lessons For Every Skill Level And Budget

Whether you’ve been playing for 30 years or 3 days, it’s possible to evolve your guitar skills from the comfort of your home with the right online lessons platform

• Latest Offers
• Guitar Player’s Choice
• Product Guide & reviews
• Buying Advice

Playing the guitar is a lifelong journey; regardless of how long you’ve been at it, the learning never stops. Although there are many merits to self-teaching, guitar lessons tend to be the best method if you want to achieve steady progress. There are a number of reasons you may be thinking about taking up guitar lessons, whether you’re a self-taught player who wants to smooth out some bad habits, a long-term player looking for new challenges, or you’ve never picked up a guitar in your life, the best online guitar lessons can give your playing a vital boost.

Back in the day, guitarists would sit next to a record player repeating segment after segment, painstakingly trying to pick out their hero's chops by ear. Although this approach helped develop a keen ear, today there are much more efficient ways of learning, particularly if you want to learn remotely.

If the thought of an online lesson strikes fear in your heart, worry not, as the breadth of resources and quality of online tools have improved dramatically over recent years. Online guitar lessons helped thousands start learning during the era of Covid and there have been more and more brands, websites and apps springing up since to help tighten up your playing.

Although there are many benefits of physical one-to-one guitar lessons, an online guitar lesson may work better for your personal situation. You may be on an anti-social work rota, perhaps you live in an isolated area without a guitar teacher for miles. Maybe you don’t have a huge budget for lessons, or perhaps you appreciate a more casual learning pace and like doing things in your own time. If any of these points resonate, online guitar lessons could be your best way forward. 

The sheer volume of different online platforms can be a bit overwhelming at first, but that’s where we step in. We’ve whittled down the surplus and tried a bunch of online lessons services to bring you our pick of the best ones right now – all of which will help you reach the desired destination on your guitar-playing journey.

Best Online Guitar Lessons: Latest Offers

Guitar Tricks: Get 1 month for only $1 If you've decided that our number one pick Guitar Tricks is for you then you can currently take advantage of this Guitar Player exclusive deal – get your first month of Guitar Tricks for just $1. There aren't many things you can buy for a single dollar these days, and certainly not access to 11,000+ premium guitar lessons!

Best Online Guitar Lessons: Guitar Player’s Choice

In a crowded market, it takes something impressive to stand out from the rest. Whilst testing different platforms it became apparent that Guitar Tricks was the best of the bunch, particularly for intermediate players. The comprehensive sections will appeal to experienced players as you can pick and choose between categories like artist studies and tone guides. We love the concise yet detailed lessons and having over 1,000 carefully-selected songs to learn is a real treat. What’s more, it’s all packaged within a slick, easy-to-use website. Guitar Tricks is impossible to ignore.

If you’re new to the world of guitar, then Fender Play is your best bet. With detailed, structured lessons, high quality video and excellent tutors, you can easily track your progress on Fender’s user-friendly website, or via the iOS/Android app. Fender Play explains guitar fundamentals in a very digestible way, so if you’re unfamiliar with guitar jargon and want to start from the ground up, we’d recommend checking them out.

Best Online Guitar Lessons: Product Guide

1. guitar tricks.

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

With over 23 years in the industry, Guitar Tricks have been teaching guitar online since the idea was first conceived. During that time they have amassed a dense catalog of over 11,000 video lessons. 

Rightly lauded as a pioneer of online guitar lessons, Guitar Tricks offers lessons in a sensible, topical order, mapped out with a clear progression route. There are 33 professional instructors in the Guitar Tricks program and, although there are other platforms that boast more, the faculty is diverse enough to cover a wide breadth of styles and helps breed a sense of familiarity with your teachers as you work through the lessons. 

Unlike some other platforms, Guitar Tricks have made sure their content will appeal to intermediate and advanced players as well as beginners. In particular, those with a penchant for blues and rock ‘n’ roll are well served here. This is most apparent when looking at their song catalog, which is one of the largest in the game. With over 1,000 licensed songs to choose from, including classics from Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Beatles, B.B. King, Steely Dan and Bob Dylan, you won’t get bored anytime soon. We believe that learning the guitar via your favorite songs is one of the most enjoyable methods, so this is a huge tick in the box for us. 

Beginners are well catered for, too. Newcomers will start at Guitar Fundamentals Level 1. This will take you right back to basics, teaching you simple songs, plus instrument maintenance and essential skills such as how to tune your guitar. If you’re more familiar with the guitar you can jump straight to the more experienced section where you can dive deep into four genres: blues, country, rock and acoustic.

If the promise of additional tools like fretboard diagrams, chord charts and a scale finder isn’t enough to convince you to give Guitar Tricks a whirl, you can dip your toes in by signing up to their 14-day free trial. They’re so confident you’ll love their program that they even offer a 60-day money-back guarantee on paid subscriptions if you’re not completely happy.

2. Fender Play

Compared to other entries on our list, Fender Play is a relative newcomer. Created in 2017, Fender offers a sleek and attractive learning platform that is very intuitive and well structured. The production of their video content is nothing short of stunning, with many available in 4K. They make great use of different camera angles, getting up close and personal with the tutor’s hands to show you exactly what they are playing. This is very useful for those intricate parts that you may struggle to pick up immediately.  

At the start of your journey you will be asked what your preferred instrument is – in addition to acoustic or electric guitars , ukulele and bass lessons are also available – then you can select one of five genres: blues, rock, folk, country or pop. Your course will then be curated as per your choices and will take you through five different levels. Song-based lessons are a great way of keeping things entertaining and Fender has done a good job at selecting an eclectic mix for each genre.

Each level has multiple lessons to progress through and covers both theory and practical playing elements. The lessons are very well structured and we believe this approach will benefit beginners the most. Advanced players may find the rigidity and chronological progression a bit suffocating and the intricate details somewhat tedious.

There are over 700 songs to learn within Fender Play which you can access via the sidebar at any given moment. The collection of songs are impressively diverse and feature artists ranging from Rory Gallagher to Dolly Parton. Throughout all the learning materials on Fender Play, there is play-along tablature on screen that will keep you on track.

The most obvious drawback to Fender Play is the lack of material aimed at intermediate and advanced players. Although the rigid lesson structure is perfect for beginners, advanced players will yearn for more freedom to hone specific skills. Although comprehensive, the lessons primarily focus on guitar fundamentals, and if you’ve covered them before there won’t be much worthwhile on offer.

3. TrueFire

TrueFire has a never ending amount of content to choose from. They host the largest video library of all the online guitar learning platforms with, at the time of writing, over 51,770 lessons available. This number is constantly growing since new courses are being added and updated weekly. 

Honestly, with over 300 award-winning instructors and 20,000 jam tracks on hand, there is more content on TrueFire than you will ever realistically find the time to work through. 

Their lessons are straightforward to navigate and tools like synced tablature and a slo-mo/looping feature will help you nail any tricky riffs.

Although TrueFire offers beginner-targeted learning paths that allow you to track your progress, we believe their content is best suited to intermediate and advanced players. There is more freedom to pick and choose what lesson or courses to complete and the platform operates in quite a free-flowing manner. This is great if there is a specific style or technique you know you need to work on, but not so great if you are still quite green and need detailed structure to get you underway. 

4. ArtistWorks

Created by ex-AOL executive David Butler in 2008 after trying to master jazz guitar , ArtistWorks is an online learning platform that takes interaction to the next level. Although operating in a similar video lesson style as other platforms, ArtistWorks’ USP is offering a video exchange with their tutors. This means you can directly ask your tutor any nagging questions or advice about particular sections and submit your own videos for scrutiny and feedback. 

This is made even more exciting when you learn who the instructors are. ArtistWorks have drafted world-famous musicians such as Andy McKee, Keb’ Mo’ and Paul Gilbert to teach the genres they are best known for. There are 35 famous instructors in total with over 50,000 video lessons spanning genres including acoustic fingerstyle guitar, Americana roots, rock guitar and blues guitar . Plenty to get your teeth sunk into.

The lessons are divided up into ‘schools’ and each teacher is responsible for teaching an entire genre. For example, Keith Wyatt teaches the entire blues guitar genre. This gives consistency between lessons and familiarity which assists learning. The blues school consists of several different modules which are defined by varying degrees of difficulty such as fundamental, intermediate and advanced. Each module comprises around 25 different video lessons and we found this to be really comprehensive and cover a lot of detail.

Unlike TrueFire, you don’t have to pay any additional charges for the premium teachers and there are far more big names accessible on ArtistWorks. That being said, ArtistWorks monthly charges are the highest on our list. However, objectively speaking, $35 per month to be taught by Andy McKee? That sounds like a pretty good deal to us. 

5. JustinGuitar

Justin Sandercoe has been imparting guitar wisdom to the masses since 2003. If you are a self-taught YouTube learner, chances are you will have stumbled across Justin’s page. With over 1.5 million subscribers and 1,300 free video guitar lessons available, Justin is impossible to ignore in the best possible way. 

Justin’s website – JustinGuitar – offers a wide range of video lessons aimed at beginner to advanced players. Courses are laid out in an organized, rigid structure that will help you advance in a steady manner. Justin teaches 3 playing levels – beginner, intermediate and advanced – which are each split into 3 grades. Grades are then split into around 10 different modules and each module comprises multiple lessons; some with as many as 12 video lessons. 

JustinGuitar is very reasonably priced. Starting from as little as $5.99 per month, you are getting access to incredibly well curated tuition with a cornucopia of downloadable materials to support your journey. In terms of value for money, we certainly can’t complain. There is also a generous selection of free beginner material available, which will allow you to decide if you like Justin’s teaching style.

In terms of songs, you can learn classics like Van Morrison’s Brown Eyed Girl, through to newer material like Hysteria by Muse. 

Some of Justin’s older videos are littered throughout the website and are now showing their age. Videos filmed in 240p definitely look rather dated, but luckily these are few and far between. 

Naturally, an instructor will tend to focus on their own strengths and interests as that is what they are most comfortable teaching. As far as JustinGuitar is concerned, only having the one teacher instead of multiple perspectives like other platforms in this guide does narrow the scope of knowledge somewhat – we definitely prefer the variety of perspectives from multiple tutors. That said, if you are looking to learn electric blues, rock or acoustic fingerstyle you will feel right at home here as Justin teaches those styles very well.

6. Guitareo

Guitareo is a very accessible site for beginners who are wanting a quick route into guitar playing. Presented mostly through energetic, bite-size video lessons with very likeable instructors, Guitareo has a gigantic collection of lessons to help you improve. 

Boring guitar lessons are a surefire way of putting you off playing or practising, but Guitareo does a brilliant job of covering guitar basics without becoming monotonous or predictable. This is largely thanks to their slick video editing and modern aesthetic.

Guitareo is a great platform for those who aren’t able to dedicate huge amounts of time to learning as video lessons are concise, usually lasting around 15 minutes. 

The lessons are broken into different sections on the website and all follow a progressive, step-by-step layout. Rudiments like guitar anatomy, string theory, notes on the fingerboard and practice tips are covered in sleek, high-definition videos. If you start from the beginning and discover you already know the talking points, Guitareo has designed their video player so you can easily skip ahead.

We also found that Guitareo has a dense back catalog that covers more sophisticated topics like scales, songwriting, soloing and song anatomy. Although a little overwhelming at first, it is well worth your time exploring what’s on offer – there are few categories that aren’t covered here. 

The lessons are always captivating thanks to the impressive roster of instructors, including teachers like YouTube sensation Rob Scallon. The only issue we have with Guitareo is the lack of material for more proficient players. Although many topics are covered, subjects are rarely covered deep enough to intrigue an experienced player. Those out there who already know a thing or two may want to look elsewhere. 

7. JTC Guitar

JTC Guitar – aka JamTrackCentral – is a dense online platform that harnesses some of the best guitarists in the world to deliver informational videos about specific playing styles. Although there are beginner options on JTC, we found the platform suits intermediate and advanced players best. The lesson packs are very specific and focus on particular types of playing, like blues improvisation, modern rock soloing and bossa nova jazz. It’s a fantastic platform to expand already existing skills and for targeted learning. 

$14.99 per month will grant you access to unlimited streaming of lesson packs and masterclasses (excluding Bootcamp) which are taught by talented instructors like Guthrie Govan, Lari Basilio and Aynsley Lister. A premium account also opens up a 25 percent discount on downloadable materials should you prefer to save lessons on your device instead of streaming.

Tools like the speed-adjustable interactive tab are a brilliant learning aid and there are accessible tips from instructors throughout lessons which we felt were always on time and supportive. Once you are confident enough to branch out and apply your newly learned skills, there are over 1,000 jam tracks you can access at any time. Rock and blues soloists are best catered for here as there are 375 rock and 191 blues jam tracks, over half the total number of tracks.

JamPlay operates on the principle that too much choice doesn’t exist. With over 9,347 lessons, 137 instructors, 450+ guitar courses and 20+ music genres, their catalog of learning materials is astronomical. With over 500,000 pupils taught, it looks like their principle may be successful…

Shooting video lessons in either 4K or 1080p, the clarity is stunning. You can see every detail and nuance throughout each lesson, making note-heavy sections easier to digest. The learning paths section of their platform is ideally suited to beginners as it will take you right back to basics. The paths are genre specific and you can choose either rock, blues, country or fingerstyle guitar. 

If you want to learn from the best, JamPlay has got them. Famous recording and performing artists like Billy Sheehan, Tommy Emmanuel and Mark Lettieri are on hand to teach a wide array of genres and playing styles. Learning the skills of the trade from genuine legends is a real treat, especially considering the detail most go into.

We particularly love JamPlay’s app which you can download on iOS and Android devices, ideal if you prefer to learn on a tablet or smartphone. Although JamPlay has delivered high-definition videos and a very usable app, the interface is looking a bit tired and could do with a spruce up. 

9. LickLibrary

Those out there who have been in the game for a while may be familiar with LickLibrary. Their collection of guitar lesson DVDs was a rite of passage for many. Although very successful, DVD lessons had their disadvantages. We remember spending half of our time trying to rewind to the correct section without skipping directly back to the start. 

LickLibrary made the transition to online video lessons a few years ago and they brought with them a wealth of teaching knowledge and classic song dissections. With over 2,000 songs available, LickLibrary is the ideal platform if you want to learn your favorite tunes. 

Albums from the likes of AC/DC, ZZ Top and Joe Satriani are taught by professional teachers including Danny Gill, Andy James and blues sensation Chris Buck. Every note expression is taught with maximum accuracy and the instructors do a fantastic job of teaching you the soul of the music. 

Technique courses will help intermediate players work on any blind spots in categories like soloing, scales, improvisation and picking techniques. There are also tailor-made courses for different skill levels. From easy to expert, LickLibrary’s platform is impressively comprehensive.

Best Online Guitar Lessons: Buying Advice

Is it worth paying for online guitar lessons?

100 percent, yes. Although there is a deluge of free learning material out there on platforms like YouTube, we can’t understate the benefits of structured online lessons. Online guitar lessons help keep you on track whilst allowing you to visualize your progress and destination.

Many online guitar lesson platforms offer personalized feedback to their members. If you encounter a tricky technique or need help with something, remote instructors are just a message away. Most online guitar websites offer tailor-made courses that are aimed at every skill level. If you have never touched a guitar in your life, beginner courses will start with the fundamentals. Advanced players can benefit too, with specialized platforms focusing on specific guitar techniques or playing styles that you’re yet to master. 

Jumping from tutorial video to tutorial video on YouTube can mean a disjointed learning curve, potentially pushing you towards bad habits. Online guitar lessons are specifically designed to give you the fullest and most consistent experience possible. 

Online lessons are also a fraction of the price of in-person tuition, with most platforms asking for a reasonable monthly subscription of around $15 per, with the option to cancel at any time. 

Another benefit of online guitar lessons over in-person tuition is the sheer volume of knowledge on offer. Where a singular tutor may have their core areas of expertise, online guitar lessons usual offer multiple instructors – sometimes world-famous ones – who are masters in their field. 

If you’re still unsure of the benefits of online guitar lessons, most platforms offer some form of a free trial too, so you can take a closer look with no obligation to sign up until you’ve found the right one for you.

What technology do I need for online guitar lessons?

The chances are, if you’re reading this, you already have the right technology to hand to learn the guitar online. Most platforms do so through instructional videos. If you have an internet connection, plus a smartphone, tablet, laptop or computer that is capable of playing YouTube videos, you can take online guitar lessons.

Some platforms offer high-resolution videos which will require a robust internet connection to download or stream without buffering. That said, this is not completely necessary, it will just mean a smoother experience. So, if your internet connection isn’t the best, this is jus something to be aware of. 

Depending on what online guitar lesson provider you decide to go with you may also need a camera. Quite a few providers offer instructional feedback that requires you to video yourself playing. If you want to utilize this feature then you’ll need some sort of webcam. Most tablets and all smartphones have front-facing cameras so if you have one of these to hand you needn’t worry. 

How we choose the best online guitar lessons

You can trust Guitar Player. Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

Here at Guitar Player, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything guitar related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience when selecting the products for our guides. When choosing what we believe to be the best online guitar lessons available right now, we combine our hands-on experience, user reviews and testimonies and engage in lengthy discussions with our editorial colleagues to reach a consensus about the top products and services in any given category.

First and foremost, we are guitarists, and we want other players to find the right product for them. So we take into careful consideration everything from budget to features, ease of use and learning path to come up with a list of what we can safely say are the best online guitar lessons on the market right now.

Read more on  how we test gear  here at Guitar Player.

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Ross has been a music lover and guitar player since the age of 8. He has spent the five years since graduating from university working in music retail, selling guitars, amps and more. Ross is particularly interested in electric guitars, pedals and amplifiers and his current rig includes a trusty 2009 American Standard Stratocaster and Vox AC30S1 with a few Walrus Audio and Way Huge pedals in between. He currently writes for Guitar Player and Guitar World. 

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The 10 Best Online Guitar Lesson Sites & Apps In 2024

by Marko Jovanovic Last Updated October 19, 2021

Marko Jovanovic

Marko is a professional bassist who has been playing and touring with his band for over a decade now. When he’s not playing with his band or recording in the studio, he spends his time teaching others how to play both bass and the guitar. Other hobbies of his include quality music gear, King Crimson, and sifting the web for the latest music updates - and ofcourse writing about them.

Consordinis articles are written by musicians who independently research, test, and recommend the best instruments and products. We are reader-supported. When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Once you set your feet on the path of learning how to play an instrument, you never actually stop learning. There’s plenty of room for improvement in every technique you deem you’ve mastered, and in all fairness, nobody knows ‘everything’ as far in terms of theoretical aspects behind the actual playing.

Now, some people pay hundreds of dollars each week to their guitar professors, which used to be perfectly fine, but more and more people are turning to online courses simply due to the simplicity they offer. Knowing that there are dozens and dozens of guitar lesson websites and platforms, we’ve searched the market for the most comprehensive online platforms (both paid and free) and have come up with the following list.

Here are the best online guitar lessons in 2024:

1. guitar tricks.

Guitar Tricks boasts longevity that not many guitar lesson websites have; they’ve been around the market ever since 1998, and they’re still going strong more than two decades after. There are numerous reasons why they are held in such high regard among guitar newcomers and beginners, and we’re here to name but a few of the most notable ones.

Guitar Tricks are also one of the best beginner-friendly sites that feature specially designed programs that can teach immediate beginners the ropes of guitar playing; their CLS (core-learning-system) starts off with two levels of guitar fundamentals, after which newcomers are allowed to pick and choose one of the three ‘specialization trees’, including Blues Style, Country Style, and Rock Style.

Firstly, before you dive into one of the three branches you’ll get the opportunity to learn basic and relatively advanced techniques while the intermediate levels will help you refine and polish your chops in a simple fashion.

Additionally, you will be able to quickly learn how to play some of your favorite songs, as the catalog of Guitar Tricks offers over a thousand step-by-step tutorials of popular songs , and better yet, it’s expanding even as you’re reading this.

From iconic rock tracks composed by bands such as The Eagles, Lynyrd Skynyrd, over classics like John Lennon and The Beatles, to up-and-coming performers such as Cage the Elephant, Ed Sheeran, you’re bound to find your go-to tunes as well as discover interesting new ones.

Now, another great benefit that you will be able to reap is the fact that this platform offers a free trial ; you’ll be able to check out its features and actually even learn a couple of tricks before deciding whether or not you want to stick with it.

 As far as price is considered, Guitar Tricks operate on monthly memberships; there’s no ‘exclusive content’, which means that you will be granted access to all of the features as you see fit. However, you can also stick with the training courses if you want to get the most value for your buck.

Guitar Tricks is essentially a beginner’s platform that will be able to bring out your talent and refine your working ethics in a fun, engaging way. We recommend this online guitar lesson website mainly because they offer so much while asking for so little; newcomers won’t have to worry about saving up money for these lessons, as they are available cheap even after the free trial period expires.

If you’ve been searching for online guitar lessons and courses prior to stopping by here, the chances are you’ve stumbled upon Udemy already. That’s not surprising at all given the fact that this is one of the largest, most popular guitar-learning websites around.

In short words, Udemy is an online skill acquisition academy , and it’s a terrific spot for beginners to learn the basics, and even for the top-tier killed players to refine their techniques.

Their platform is relatively easy to navigate, you’ll have to at least have some idea what to look for before you can start getting some actual value for your buck. The ‘most popular’ searches all relate to paid content, and there is no free-trial package that will provide you access to these courses sadly.

However, there are quite a few benefits to be reaped should you decide to go with this option. Udemy hosts an array of professional teachers , which makes taking different lessons and courses a bit more versatile and eclectic.

The tons of all the content are neatly categorized into logical groups, such as acoustic guitar, blues guitar, fingerstyle, rock, classical, country, and similar genre-based packages, but some sessions and classes regard music theory, techniques, and even bits and pieces of music production.

Arguably one of the best things about Udemy is that they often offer substantial discounts to their sponsored masterclasses weekly, although the drawback of this approach is that you’re not always going to be able to line your lessons in chronological patterns.

Further on that note, the highlight feature of Udemy’s guitar learning academy segment is precisely the master-class section. Instead of resorting to all-encompassing packages and learning systems, students will get to learn the craft of different teachers in small steps.

As mentioned before, Udemy does not offer free trials, and all of the content on their guitar lesson website is based on the pay-to-unlock system , which is actually much better than it sounds. Unlocking guitar classes will allow you to visit them at any time you want regardless of where you are, which makes the learning process tailored to your personal preferences and, obviously, obligations.

However, the main drawback of this is that there aren’t any disciplinary ‘systems’; if you get stuck or overwhelmed at any point, you won’t get notifications, pep-talk, or any sort of extra ‘motivation’, for a lack of a better word.

Udemy has something for everyone; beginners will get the opportunity to quickly acquire the basic skills while advanced players can partake in intermediate-level master-classes. The accessibility of Udemy classes and lessons combined with weekly discounts on numerous master-classes casts a long shadow over the fact that most of the content is, sadly, quite pricey.

3. TrueFire

Signing up for TrueFire guitar lessons is a sure-fire way of learning how to play guitar, even if you’ve never picked up an instrument in your life so far. Generally speaking, this site offers everything a guitarist could ever possibly want, including super-star educators, simple beginner’s lessons, thorough advanced lessons, cheap membership, free-trial packages, and even the chance to apply for a position of an actual educator within the company.

Let’s start from the ground up, the main reason why we are recommending this guitar lesson platform is that it features streams from some of the most renowned guitar gods on the planet, including Steve Vai, Tommy Emmanuel, Larry Carlton, and many others.

Money-wise, there are a couple of options you have depending on your budget and obviously determination to learn how to play an instrument. Initially, we recommend going with the free trial version , which will give you access to the most basic facilities of the site, which includes a solid number of beginner lesson streams and virtual guitar tools.

A monthly membership subscription costs $19, but annual subscriptions are much cheaper, totaling at $199. There’s another option for the most dedicating, most determined players who want to stick with TrueFire for life, but it’s as expensive as $1,999.

Although it may appear counter-intuitive at first, it actually offers the most value for the buck since there’s enough content already for a century of learning, not to mention that new videos, lessons, and classes are uploaded regularly.

Some of the other notable features of the TrueFire platform include interactive tablatures and notations of popular songs , as well as personalized progress tracking, both of which are highly motivational features that are constantly being upgraded and refined. This platform is excellent for beginners and skilled guitar players, but it actually has numerous streams that have helped professional players just as much.

Being taught by some of the most respected and renowned guitar teachers and players is one thing, but being able to access such content free of charge is game-changing. If you decide to stick with TrueFire, you’re bound to learn not just the basics, but some of the best-kept guitar secrets too. Additionally, all membership options are fairly cheap.

JamPlay is an excellent site that offers a plethora of features to both members and non-members. What makes this guitar training website different from others is the fact that they boast a massive library that you can use to step up your music theory game before even starting the free trial course.

While this is essentially a beginner’s guitar lesson website, JamPlay also offers hours and hour’s worth of content that can help intermediate-level and skilled players advance through the ranks rapidly.

The learning system of this website is pretty diverse, and it’s comprised of beginner lessons, style and genre familiarization, skill-building courses, master classes, and song tutorials. Of course, you’ll have unlocked most of this content by simply applying for membership, but only a handful of features will be available prior to actually signing up.

That’s where ‘Libraries’ come in; the Library section features a comprehensive chord library, a section of scales, licks, and riffs, but there are also a couple of training games and progress tracking features. Note that not all of the features present in the Library category are available before signing up.

As far as the price goes, this website offers a membership-based course unlocking system. There are a couple of options at your disposal, although the free trial package is not one of them; the monthly membership subscription is pretty cheap, being $19.95 while the annual membership subscription costs $159.95. There’s another level called the ‘Pro’ membership, which costs almost twice as much, but it includes extra content in terms of additional lessons and tools.

The accessibility of JamPlay lessons is their forte; you’ll be able to switch between lessons and advance at your own pace, although it’s recommended that you stick to the regime and follow the plan if you want to get the most value for your buck.

The free-access library of JamPlay makes it an excellent choice for beginners to start with; you don’t even need a free-trial tour of the academy to see that this is a serious organization that houses professional teachers. Given the fact that the membership is pretty cheap and that there’s enough content for several lifetimes, there truly are no reasons why you shouldn’t at least check them out.

5. Fender Play

Fender Play is easily one of the strongest, most renowned online guitar course platforms available on the market. Guitar lessons contained on their platform are suitable for beginners and intermediately skilled players just as much as they are suited for experienced and seasoned veterans.

One of the most unique features of Fender Play is the fact that they offer unparalleled app-based accessibility to their courses, along with plenty of convenient guitar tools such as guitar tablatures, notation, and step-by-step song tutorials.

What we liked the most about this platform is the fact that each lesson features numerous camera angles, especially the close-up views of finger positioning with each course. Progress Tracker is another cool feature that will help you note down your achievements and track various parameters, such as courses attended, songs learned, and so on.

Needless to say, Fender is most renowned as one of the most iconic guitar companies in the world , and they generously offer discounts on all their gear with a subscription to Fender Play. In this way, you will be able to swat two flies with one stone by equipping yourself with better instruments and accessories, while also acquiring skills on how to best use them.

Another highlight feature of Fender Play is the well-designed training path meant for immediate beginners who have just ventured on the path to become guitarists.

Lastly, Fender Play monthly subscription is incredibly cheap, and you’ll be able to take a free trial course, which will unlock most of the features on the platform.

In a nutshell, Fender Play offers much while requiring very little, especially for newcomers and beginners. This is a professional guitar learning platform that hosts a plethora of skilled educators, and the tools that will be at your disposal will help make your learning experience much more pleasurable and comfortable.

6. JustinGuitar

Justin Guitar is our top choice for free online guitar lesson websites of the day. This platform was founded by Justin Sandercoe (hence the name), and to no surprise, he’s the lead teacher and educator that presents all of the lessons and videos on the platform.

That might sound like a bit of a drawback in comparison to paid online courses where you’d get to cherry-pick one of the hundreds of guitar teachers, but in our humble opinion, this might as well be a huge benefit in itself.

Having a single educator gives the sense of familiarity that will invariably forge a bond of sorts, thanks to Justin’s innate open-heartedness and friendliness mainly. Guitar legends such as Steve Vai and Mark Knopfler vouch for and endorse Justin, which should be a reason enough to at least give it a shot.

The format of the JustinGuitar platform is pretty neat, although it wasn’t as pristine as it is now a few years back. All of the categories are neatly visible and accessible from the main page, allowing you to get to the lessons, covered songs, the knowledge base, a bit of music theory basics, tools, and most importantly, interact with Justin or with the student community participating in the lessons.

One of the things we’ve liked the most about Justin’s platform is that it features dozens of lessons and an actual grade system. This system has much in common with karate belts; students are given ‘color’ grades as they enter the academy, although you don’t need to start off from the very beginning necessarily (if you’ve already learned the basics, for instance, you can kick things off with yellow or orange).

The lessons are neatly organized in these color grades, although the final grade has not yet been finalized. There are other lessons you can access that are not grade-based, such as playing techniques, scale-related courses, introductions to chords, buying guides for guitars, and so on.

We strongly recommend the JustinGuitar website to beginners, mainly because this platform is both fun and highly interactive. The grading system is a fun, engaging way to keep the students interested in the instrument, and the lessons are straightforward but full of musical value. Most importantly, there are no drawbacks – all the lessons and tools are completely free.

7. The Great Courses Plus

Next up we’re reviewing a massive platform that offers a huge amount of streamable content that touches numerous categories aside from guitar playing. Speaking of which, the courses that relate to instrument skill acquisition are in abundance too.

The quality of the aforementioned content is the first reason why this site has made it onto our list of the best online guitar lessons. Namely, the teachers and educators are both professional and fun, but the same can be said about the quality of gear used to record the stream videos and clips.

Guitar and music-related courses are designed to replicate actual classes you would otherwise have taken in music schools (or with a private teacher); most of the lessons last around 30 minutes on average, so even the most immediate beginners will be able to get up and stand on their feet after a couple of weeks.

On the downside, even though the courses are comprehensive, they are not gelled into a system (such as GuitarTricks Core system, for example). Even though the lessons are listed numerically in a logical order, all of the content is unlocked with membership, which means that many people will feel tempted to skip out on theory lessons.

Only a handful of educators are listed as The Great Courses Plus guitar teaching staff, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The educators succeed one another after each segment of the skill acquisition course is finished, which can basically be perceived as a shortened version of the basic music school.

As far as price is concerned, this guitar learning platform offers both free trial packages and different membership prices. The free trial version of The Great Courses Plus is one of its highlight features; you’ll have fourteen days to take a look at the lessons (which last approximately 30 minutes), which further means that you’ll be able to tackle most of the content within this time span without paying absolutely anything.

This is why The Great Courses Plus is perfect for fast learners and people who’ve had some experience with guitar playing, but it’s just as generous to beginners who’ll invariably have to return to lessons a couple of times. The membership plans are divided into three categories – monthly plans, quarterly plans, and annual plans.

Basically, all three options include the 14-day free trial, unlimited streaming, and the ability to cancel the subscription at any time. The ‘unlimited streaming’ means that the entirety of the content will be unlocked after you subscribe to any of the three membership plans. Speaking of which, the monthly membership starts at $20 per month; quarterly membership is cheaper at $15 per month, and the annual membership is the cheapest at $12.50 a month.

A guitar learning platform that offers a free trial course is almost by default valuable to beginner students, but that’s not the reason why you’ll love The Great Courses Plus. Basically, this site features plenty of content that spans beyond guitar-play, and given the cheap membership fees, you’ll get the opportunity to expand your knowledge to other instruments and music theory in general.

Even though FretHub is a relatively new guitar lesson website, these guys have managed to film more than four hundred lessons with quality cameras already; this maybe wouldn’t sound as impressive if we didn’t add that there are only two teachers currently educating young guitar players at this virtual academy.

We’ll start our review of FretHub with their accessibility ; basically, you’ll be able to watch the lessons on your PC, your tablet, or your smartphone. Furthermore, each lesson features at least a dozen camera angles that will look pristinely visible on any given platform.

Since there are so many lessons, it would be hard to describe each and every one of them; rather let’s discuss some of the topics that you’ll get to learn about at FretHub, including chords, strumming and picking techniques, scales, different playing styles, genres, and more importantly, there are even advanced techniques as well as improvisation-based tips and tricks.

What we quite liked about this guitar learning platform is that a developed, well-thought system exists for both immediate beginners and advanced-level players . The exquisite Foundation Course is split into 10 levels and features lessons that will help you understand the basic concepts of music theory, some of the simplest chords, and the fundamentals of guitar.

Advanced lessons are basically a form of natural progression; this is where you will learn different playing styles, get accustomed to different music genres and even start to develop your style and voice as a guitar player.

FretHub offers a free trial course, but it’s fairer to label it ‘preview’ actually, given the fact that it lasts only five days. Nevertheless, this should be enough time for you to get acquainted with the teachers, the features, and the platform itself.

As a relatively new face on the market, FretHub offers a variety of benefits that most well-established companies might not. Aside from the free ‘preview’, they offer plenty of quality content at dirt-cheap prices, not to mention that they have one of the most comprehensive and interactive educational systems out there.

9. Your Guitar Academy

Your Guitar Academy is exactly what its name implies; this is a very friendly online guitar lesson academy that boasts Beginner courses for starters, Player Studies for those interested in breaking down the playing style of their favorite guitarists, Guitar Gym for those looking to step up their chops, and the massive Theory Lab for those who want to learn a bit more about music theory.

YGA is an actual academy where students will be able to learn all the aspects of guitar playing starting from the ground up.

The Basics is the first feature of this guitar lesson platform; it packs numerous features regarding acoustic and electric guitar playing for beginners, dabbling in chords, scales, and some of the simplest guitar techniques.

Instead of having a regulated learning system, YGA utilizes levels to point out how difficult (or easy) each course is.

Player Studies is definitely one of the most interesting features of the Your Guitar Academy; this section demystifies the playing styles and habits of iconic guitar players such as Slash, David Gilmour, Santana, Jimmy Page, John Mayer, Eddie Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, and many others.

The Guitar Gym is another cool, exquisite feature of this site; this ‘gym’ helps players develop healthier guitar playing habits and aims to correct mistakes that are deeply rooted in the player’s hands and muscle memory.

Finally, the Theory Lab is where you’ll be able to take lessons regarding music theory, including scale harmonizations, triad construction, chords, modes, and so on.

What’s even better is the fact that a lot of the lesson videos are actually completely free of charge. This is one of the few platforms that don’t offer a membership-based learning experience; rather they offer paid tuition and unlock-based courses.

That being said, it’s pretty obvious that YGA’s services are a bit more expensive in comparison to most platforms we’ve covered so far. However, there’s a silver lining here in the sense that these skill books and paid courses are substantially more comprehensive.

If you don’t feel dissuaded by steep price tags, YGA might be the perfect guitar academy for you. Their content is absolutely fantastic, and they offer numerous unique features, as well as physical copies of skill books and e-books. The only downside to this guitar learning platform is that you have to unlock each class you want to take.

10. Andy Guitar

If your favorite mode of learning is by one-on-one interaction, you’ll probably want to stick around and see what Andy Guitar has to offer you. This is a special guitar learning center in the sense that Andy Crowley is its only educator, but what truly makes a clear distinction between this and similar platforms is the fact that Andy managed to film so many lessons and song tutorials all by himself.

As we’ve mentioned earlier, sticking with one teacher may have numerous positive side-effects, such as getting familiar with the pace and the style of teaching, familiarity with the previous (and future) lessons, and ultimately, the improved interaction.

Andy Guitar’s classes are divided into ‘free’ and ‘premium’ courses. Instead of offering a free trial for people to ‘speed-run’, Andy decided to put up six masterclass-based lessons that will be accessible and readily available to everyone at any given point.

Unlocking any course will permanently make it available for you to preview, but it also might be a good idea to consider applying for a monthly membership. Even though there’s enough free content for you to browse, some of the most prolific guitar lessons Andy filmed are locked, and a monthly subscription will make it available for you at a decently approachable price.

Obviously, premium courses are in greater number, and they’re mostly meant for advanced-level guitar players. Andy is constantly updating his lessons catalog, and he’s made all of the courses available on both PC and mobile apps, which means that the accessibility of his content is pretty great too.

On the downside though, Andy being the only teacher means that he can’t exactly cover as much ground as academies with 10-20 teachers. Certain segments of his platform are still in development, particularly areas regarding song tutorials, covers, and such.

We recommend Andy Guitar online guitar lessons mainly because Andy Crowley is a well-respected professional guitar teacher that has collaborated with numerous other pros and guitar course platforms. The quality of his lessons is indisputable, and the accessibility to his platform is just as great. Most courses are free of charge, and even the monthly subscription is dirt cheap.

How to choose the best online guitar lessons for you?

While hopping from one free online guitar course to another is a viable option, people who quite want to learn how to play guitar should at least consider subscribing to an actual professional site. If this has been on your mind for some time, we’re here to help you decide by offering easy tips on how to pick the best platform.

First and foremost, you should always check out what ‘free trial’ actually means. There are numerous academies and websites that offer free trial courses only if you subscribe in advance, allowing you to cancel your subscription at a later point, but charging you the initial fee.

Secondly, the quality of the content always beats the quantity of the content. For instance, if a platform offers thousands of lessons that are poorly explained or filmed most people wouldn’t feel persuaded to return to future lessons and classes later on.

Thirdly, decide which learning approach you feel the most comfortable with before signing up for membership. Some people enjoy watching 1-hour master classes’ more than bite-sized videos that last only a couple of minutes, and vice versa.

Further on that note, the number of teachers that appear in the videos and streams also plays an important role. On one hand, if the platform features dozens of teachers you will be able to have different prisms of perception regarding similar topics.

On another hand, getting familiar with the teaching style and approach of only a few educators might feel a bit more comfortable with others. This is entirely a matter of subjective preference, which means that there are no ‘right or wrong’ answers to this question.

Finally, the price, as the most definitive factor for some, should also be accounted for. Most online guitar lesson courses are accessible via subscriptions, so obviously you need to decide how much money you are willing to spend.

In most cases, quarterly and annual subscriptions are much cheaper than monthly membership fees. Furthermore, you should also make sure to check whether your membership will give you access to all the content on the site or only some of it. Some platforms feature several ‘levels’ of memberships, as well as platforms that operate on ‘unlock-based’ mechanisms.

Any of the 10 guitar lesson websites we’ve covered will give you what you need to learn the basics; most of them actually feature content that will be of much help to you even as your skills improve. It’s up to you how far you want to go as a guitar player, and we certainly hope you’ll reach the upper echelons.

We also hope that you’ve liked our reviews of the best online guitar lessons and wish you happy, joyous studying of the world’s most remarkable stringed instrument. Make sure you are staying safe and have a good one, folks!

5 Best Online Guitar Lessons Websites in 2024

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So Many Online Guitar Lessons, so Little Time

We live in a golden age of guitar education.

Only a couple of decades ago, if you wanted to learn guitar, you had to find someone who could show you, drop the needle over and over to learn parts by ear, or spend $50, $60, or more on various instructional VHS tapes and DVDs (remember those?).

Now, with a few clicks, you can find lessons and content - both free or for a fee - on technique, theory, scales, chords, progressions, which overdrive is the best, and more.

The bad thing is that there’s almost too much choice when selecting guitar lessons online, not to mention the wide-varying quality. Anyone with a guitar, a cheap webcam, and a YouTube account can offer a lesson, but that doesn’t mean they’re qualified!

Since Equipboard helps guitarists from all walks of life make the best gear choices, we figured we could help you make the best choice regarding online guitar instruction.

How We Made This List

We have several guitarists on the Equipboard team, and between us we’ve tried nearly every method there is to learn and improve our guitar skills. We combined our experience with scouring the web to find out what actual guitar lesson students are saying about their experiences - both good and bad. Basically we did many hours research so you don’t have to!

The 5 Best Online Guitar Lessons At-A-Glance

Before you dive in, we’ve summarized our findings in the chart below.

Now, you might be thinking, aren’t there more than five guitar lesson websites out there? There certainly are - in fact, there are dozens of websites, and even more if you count apps available on iPhone and Android. We signed up for all of them and took them for a test drive. Truth be told, some are total trash. Several are pretty decent, but in the end what we found is five websites emerged as the clear winners when it comes to online guitar lessons .

If you only take one thing away from this article, it’s this: Guitar Tricks and TrueFire are the top two membership-based websites. They’ve both been around for a really long time, they’re good at what they do, and they have generous free trials to let you try them out. The best free option out there is without a doubt Justin Guitar, which has YouTube-based video lessons taught by Australian guitarist Justin Sandercoe. Not the best lesson site in the world, but the fact that it’s free & popular makes it a no-brainer to include. ArtistWorks is also worth a long look, and what’s cool about them is you can record yourself playing, and an instructor (sometimes a famous guitarist!) sends you back feedback.

Use this chart to familiarize yourself with the lay of the land, and continue reading for our full reviews and pros and cons of each.

Free or Paid?

Learning the guitar is a tricky beast. It’s too familiar for guitar players to get stuck, hit plateaus, get comfortable, or lose motivation. From personal experience, the best way to improve is to seek out a structured, planned resource of online guitar lessons. Novice guitarists tend to seek out free resources first. And while there are many free lessons on YouTube, most guitar channels lack the structure needed to get beginners on the right path. If you spend time reading forums, beginner guitarists often wish they had shelled out the $20 per month for a structured, step-by-step program taught by reputable instructors through an online service or one-on-one instruction.

Why learn guitar online from one of the services below? To put it into perspective, a one-hour lesson with a guitar teacher is anywhere from $40 to $100 per lesson, with the bill quickly increasing if there are frequent lessons. For a comparatively lower monthly fee, you get unlimited access to a site’s entire catalog of material. Not only that, but you can do the lessons from the comfort of your home - no need to drive anywhere! Also, if I need to review something again, I don’t necessarily want to wait until the next scheduled lesson; I can review it at my leisure. If you’ve got a hectic schedule, online guitar lessons will feel like a much easier option.

For more info check out our guide: How Much Do Guitar Lessons Cost?

Subscription or À La Carte?

Everybody is now offering a subscription to use their services (from streaming services to recording software to virtual amp plugins, and who knows what’s next!) The services below have subscription options that give you access to varying degrees of content, though only one (TrueFire + JamPlay) still offers courses à la carte. Subscriptions can be convenient, but they can become pricey.

Here’s what we mean. Let’s say that you want to take a course on country guitar and decide to subscribe to a service (TrueFire + JamPlay All Access, just for this example). The subscription is $29 per month. On TrueFire, that same course is maybe $40 to own and have lifetime access. Let’s say life is busy, and it takes you two months to complete the course satisfactorily. Those two months cost you $60, rather than buying the course for $40 and saving $20.

Suppose you have a lot of time to dedicate to courses and fly through them, getting in two, three, four, or more a month (and if you have that much free time, what’s your secret?!). Then, the subscription is more worth it.

Overall, how you choose to pay is entirely up to you. If you feel you’re getting value for your money, then subscriptions aren’t all bad. If you have the purchase option, maybe do a little back-of-the-napkin math, look at your calendar, and see if you can save a few bucks. Ultimately, it’s all your call for what fits your needs best.

Electric or Acoustic?

A question as old as time: which one to start with? There are certainly some advantages and disadvantages to both.

To start on acoustic means that you don’t need the added expense of an amplifier, and it’s more travel-friendly. The strings and tension tend to feel heavier, which smaller hands may need some time adjusting.

Electric guitars are, by comparison, much easier to play since the strings and tension tend to feel lighter than acoustic guitars. However, parents looking to buy their child an electric will also have to consider an amplifier and cables, which can add to the cost.

Beginners often ask if they should start out learning on an acoustic or electric guitar. The answer is both “it depends”, and “it doesn’t really matter!” Simply take a look at this list of famous guitarists and their first guitars - there’s not really much of a pattern, with all of them learning on something slightly different.

The most straightforward answer is to get the guitar that will make you want to play it. Go acoustic if you want to be the next Ed Sheeran or Andy McKee, or electric if you want to be the next Hendrix, Page, or Blackmore!

Now that we’ve covered those bases, let’s look at the best options!

Our Reviews of the Top 5 Websites for Learning Guitar

Without further ado, check out our reviews of the 5 best online resources to learn guitar!

Guitar Tricks

Guitar Tricks is likely the best site for you if you're a beginner! What makes this site stand out from others is its CORE LEARNING SYSTEM, a set of courses organized like a proper curriculum that takes you through some fundamentals on the instrument, then lets you continue your path into a specific genre (either blues, country, rock or acoustic guitar - a new path added since our previous review).

Someone who needs a bit of structure in their learning will be at home here. While TrueFire offers learning paths, the approach taken on Guitar Tricks seems more structured and logical.

If you’re just starting out, by starting with the CORE LEARNING SYSTEM you’ll be well on your way to playing chords and basic solos.

Equally helpful are the guitar tools available for paid subscribers, including a scale and chord finder, tuner, and jam station (giving you access to play-along tracks from various lessons). The practice reminders are new on their platform, allowing you to receive SMS reminders to practice and log your practice time on a calendar! This is an excellent tool if you need a nudge to get your hands on the instrument.

The videos feature speed and looping controls to help you nail the parts on the screen. Tabs are included, but don’t follow along with the performance. The instructors are also very knowledgeable and can communicate well; just don’t expect to see big names like you would on other platforms.

The lessons also cap out at the intermediate player, so this may not be the best choice if you’re already adept at the instrument.

• The CORE LEARNING SYSTEM feature is an excellent path for the novice to learn guitar - it feels more organized and linear than other online guitar training offerings.
• Every genre has a massive library of songs, with a lesson on playing the guitar parts for each one.
• There is an excellent backing track library in different styles and keys.
• Lesson videos feature quality instructors who communicate the information very well.
• The ability to download video lessons to your computer is a great feature - Guitar Tricks are the way to go if you are often not online or on slow internet connections.
• The SMS reminders to practice may be the nudge some people need to pick up the guitar daily.
• The site seems better suited for beginners and intermediates. If you’ve already reached that point, other online guitar lesson platforms might have more options.
• Some genres outside the more popular ones, like reggae and gospel, seem missing from the site's offerings.
• Guitar Tricks instructors are great, but they have fewer famous and touring pro guitarists than JamPlay and TrueFire do, if that’s important to you.

Bottom Line:

Guitar Tricks contains some of the best and most organized online guitar lessons. It’s our winner regarding the best paid sites for beginners to learn. The Core Learning System is outstanding, and the monthly membership price is fair, considering the content and quality of guitar instruction you get.

You have absolutely nothing to lose by trying the Guitar Tricks free trial, and you can read our in-depth Guitar Tricks review if you'd like to learn more.

Try Guitar Tricks Free for 14 Days

Since the last time we posted about online guitar courses, two of the biggest companies, TrueFire and JamPlay, have merged to form one primary educational resource for guitar players. One subscription gives you over 80,000 video lessons, 1,500 courses from over 400 top educators, 30,000 tabs, and 20,000 jam tracks. We’d say that it should keep you busy for a while!

Because the catalogs are combined, you can access the learning paths that were a key part of JamPlay, outlining an order of select courses to take and suggested supplemental courses to further your chops. The first beginner's course is free for everyone and is well laid out in its instruction and concepts. Things are explained in a way that beginners will understand and should have them playing in no time!

If you’re an intermediate or advanced player looking to copy your hero’s sound and style, you can search by instructor to see what courses they have available (and there are many to choose from). Be mindful that some players may be better instructors than others (which is normal). The online tools available make it helpful by letting you slow down (or speed up parts) loop sections, all with interactive tabs to follow.

If you don’t want to take a lesson, you can play along to several jam tracks available (both free and paid). All of them are high quality, include charts to see the changes, and come in various styles. There’s no shortage here!

TrueFire's lesson interface is great. It has multiple camera angles, variable playback speed, a metronome, sheet music, and tabs.

We only wish they had combined everything into a cohesive brand. Both JamPlay and TrueFire still have their respective sites and apps, which made figuring out pricing and content confusing. Your best bet to register would be here . You also have the option to purchase courses à la carte rather than subscribing.

• The amount of content is huge! There is something for everyone.
• The learning paths offer a more-or-less set curriculum with suggested extracurricular activities.
• The speed and looping tools are excellent for narrowing in on different passages, and the interactive follow-along tab is beneficial.
• You can buy individual courses if you want, though the membership fees are reasonable for the content available.
• The amount of content is huge! Beware of option paralysis, especially if you’re a beginner.
• There is no downloading option, so it’s either online or bust.
• Though combined, information on the separate brands’ respective sites confuses pricing and content information.

With the combined catalogs and tools, JamPlay + TrueFire is a juggernaut of content. Beginners may find this site quite daunting, but for intermediate or advanced players looking for specific lessons or who want to learn from their heroes, this site is a great stop. Since merging, the cost-to-value ratio has markedly improved, making this an excellent deal for those considering a subscription. The learning paths from JamPlay are also reasonably easy to locate, making it easy for beginners to jump in and give it a go.

Update (Jan 2024)

Equipboard's got you covered with some coupon codes for TrueFire guitar lessons:

TrueFire promo codes:

• EQUIP30 for 30% off!

Try TrueFire Free for 14 Days

Fender Play

Fender has made the jump into guitar education with their Fender Play service.

After you answer a few questions to determine your motivations for playing the instrument (electric or acoustic guitar, bass or ukulele), playing level, and favorite genre, the site curates content to help you get the most out of it.

Their learning paths are well organized by level, each containing different courses. These range from chords to single-note and strumming exercises to bits of songs, all done to let beginners ease into the instrument and play songs and riffs quickly.

Most lessons come with a practice mode that allows you to follow along to interactive tabs and backing tracks. Speed and looping tools are also available to help you nail the part.

There is also the very cool feedback mode, where you play into your computer’s microphone while doing the exercise, and the site will give you feedback on your performance and areas for improvement. This excellent feature will help those decide if they can move on to the next lesson.

Once you're ready to assume your rock god status, you can also learn and play an extensive catalog of songs (most with lessons)!

The videos are high-definition with multiple camera angles, including picking hand and fingering positions. Below the videos, chord charts, and tabs are clear and helpful. The ability to make the video window smaller while looking at the tablature is a nice touch, making it easier to practice, too.

Where the site surprises us, though, is in the overall price. Once a relatively inexpensive option, Fender Play costs $26.99 monthly or $209.99 annually. Considering this site is mainly geared towards beginners, this is a tough sell for intermediate and advanced players. Particularly since, for a few dollars more, you get a massive catalog of lessons and learning with JamPlay + TrueFire or free lessons online with JustinGuitar (albeit without the interactive tools).

• It is a good option for beginners, especially with the practice and feedback tools. Getting actual feedback on your progress can be a big help for most.
• Courses are well organized and tailored for various skill levels.
• High-quality video and knowledgeable instructors.
• Membership sales are sometimes available when Fender runs specific promotions (though it's inconsistent across the board).
• Advanced players will be hard-pressed to find anything of value
• Not every song includes a lesson.
• Not every lesson has a feedback mode available.
• It is pricey; considering other options.

Fender Play promo codes:

• 25% off a yearly subscription

Fender Play is an excellent way to get introduced to guitar lessons from an industry leader. The guided paths are conducive to making skills instantly useful by incorporating songs that use the techniques taught. However, considering the price and amount of content you get, you may be better served with one of the other services on this list.

Try Fender Play

ArtistWorks

ArtistWorks offers several great courses from various instructors (including well-known professionals such as Paul Gilbert and Jared James Nichols). You can select classes based on the type of guitar (acoustic, electric, dobro, etc.) and the style you wish (Rock, Blues, Bluegrass, Classical, etc.) Once you select your course, you will have access to the curriculum, PDFs of study materials, and the ability to get feedback from your instructor.

Yep - Actual feedback! Every course has a section where you can submit a question or play some of the material for feedback and receive a response from your instructor.

The courses are well presented with very knowledgeable instructors. The videos are well shot, and the lesson materials are well presented (PDFs for offline usage!) You can access slower versions of most lessons and performances (we saw no looping feature). There is no interactive tab with each video, so if you want to follow along, you’ll need to have the PDF for that lesson open or printed. The video exchanges with the instructor are also archived, meaning that if you have a question about a specific lesson, someone may have already asked it, and a response may already be up.

There are some beginner courses, but something needs to indicate a learning path. You may want to consider another service if you're just starting out. Speaking of video exchanges with instructors, we hate to say it, but there’s a catch.

Remember the pricing above that mentioned benefits? You must be an annual subscriber to access VIP content and backing tracks and submit unlimited videos. A quarterly subscriber can submit up to five videos per course (but cannot access backing tracks or VIP content). Being a monthly subscriber means no video exchanges with the instructor.

Video responses are also dependent on your instructor’s schedule. In the course we tried, the first video from the instructor was him saying that he’ll be out on tour until the end of February and would appreciate any non-urgent videos to wait until his return. This is a bit of a downer if you want quick feedback.

• The competency of the instructors is terrific! Learning from actual pros is fantastic!
• ArtistWorks’ use of slow-motion video is beneficial in ensuring that the video lessons are absorbed, especially for beginners.
• The community aspect of the site is better than others. You can interact with your teacher and fellow students, creating a fun learning environment and boosting your game. You can view other videos submitted by users on the Video Exchange tab on the specific lesson’s page, and often, your peers will add value to the lesson in a different way than the teacher.
• The course menu spelled out the skill level for each lesson (fundamental, intermediate, advanced, etc.) so you can be comfortable with what you’ve learned before moving on to more challenging lessons.
• Once you log in, figuring out where to access a course from our account takes a while.
• You can only fully utilize the site's features if you purchase an annual subscription.
• The videos are not available for download and can only be streamed, which is a bummer if you’re on the go and want to take your lessons somewhere without a reliable internet connection.
• No follow-along tab means getting the printer or dealing with multiple windows.
• Feedback from instructors varies widely based on their availability.

ArtistWorks approach combines great lessons with fantastic instructors in a more communal environment. The fact that you can get actual feedback from an instructor (including the big names) is a real draw. This may be a good option if you don’t mind paying for a year upfront, especially if the content appeals to you.

Equipboard's got you covered with some coupon codes for ArtistWorks guitar lessons:

• FOUR4THREE - get 4 months for the price of 3
• AWUP25 - 25% off any plan

Try ArtistWorks

Justin Guitar

There are YouTube guitar channels, and then there’s Justin Guitar!

Justin Sandercoe - better known as Justin Guitar - has gathered a substantial following for his online guitar lessons. He hosts two YouTube channels: - JustinSandercoe (boasting over a million subscribers) is the main lessons channel focusing on theory and technique. - JustinGuitarSongs is - you guessed it - centered around teaching you how to play songs.

If you read our Free vs Paid Lessons section, you know our thoughts about free lessons needing more structure and depth than the paid courses provide. Thankfully, Justin has cracked the code to organize material logically and concisely to guide players through his lessons on his YouTube channel and main website. For example, are you a total beginner? Head to his Beginner’s Course section. Do you want to focus on theory or technique? Head over to that section.

Speaking of his website, several practice tools are available, such as a metronome, chord library, and strumming machine (some free, some requiring a subscription). There are also sections for that. His main website is mobile-friendly, and six mini-apps are available in the Apple App Store for a few dollars each.

A Justin Guitar app is available that gives you access to his content in the same organized way as his site and YouTube channel. Much of it mirrors what he has available for free, making us wonder if using the paid app is worth it.

So, are the lessons good? In a word, yes, and being free makes them even better. Justin enjoys his craft, and his genuineness comes through in his video lessons. Seeing his friendly face as you work through video after video is always a good feeling. He keeps his lessons short and easily digestible.

• Justin Guitar’s YouTube content is 100% free.
• The content is well organized on his website and YouTube channel, with courses following logical steps.
• The fact that the content is on YouTube makes it easily accessible over many different platforms.
• Keeping lessons and songs on their respective channels makes browsing the content more accessible.
• Justin is a knowledgeable, skilled guitar player and is a pleasure to learn from.
• There is no way to get feedback on your progress, so you must decide if you’re ready for the next lesson.
• Lessons lack the depth found on some paid sites.
• Since Justin is only one person (as opposed to a team of instructors), there's not as much variety in the way of genre or style-specific lessons.

We recommend Justin Guitar mainly because it’s free (primarily if you use anything other than his official app); it’ll only cost you time (there are a few advertisements here and there - hey, it’s YouTube, but nothing excessive). But because your time is precious, here’s what we recommend: If you’re a beginner, jump on the Beginner’s Course and see how you like it. Stick with it for a few days, and determine if the loose structure & organization work with your learning style. Even if you opt for paid lessons, know that you can always come back to JustinGuitar anytime since it’s completely free and everything is on YouTube.

Check out Justin Guitar

Honorable Mentions

These resources are also great, but didn't quite make the cut for our top five guitar lessons.

Yousician offers a versatile platform for aspiring guitarists, providing a blend of structured lessons and interactive features. Its user-friendly interface caters to beginners and intermediate players alike, making it accessible to a wide audience. The app's extensive library of songs spanning many genres offers ample opportunities for practice. Additionally, Yousician's feedback system, which utilizes audio recognition technology, provides instant guidance on playing accuracy and timing.

One of Yousician's strengths lies in its gamified approach to learning, incorporating elements of progress tracking and achievement rewards. This gamification aspect can motivate you to practice regularly and strive for improvement. The app's ability to adapt difficulty levels based on user performance gives you a personalized learning experience.

However, some users may find Yousician's model to be a drawback, as access to premium features such as unlimited lesson time and additional songs requires a paid subscription. While the free version offers limited content, it may be sufficient for casual learners or those on a tight budget. Additionally, while Yousician's feedback system is generally accurate, it may occasionally struggle to recognize nuances in playing technique, leading to occasional frustrations for users seeking precise feedback.

While Yousician provides a structured learning path, some users may find the lessons lacking in depth compared to other guitar instructional methods. Supplementing Yousician with other resources may be necessary for those seeking more comprehensive learning experiences.

Overall, Yousician serves as a decent tool for beginners and intermediate guitarists seeking a convenient and engaging way to learn and practice. Its gamified approach, adaptive learning system, and extensive song library make it a compelling option for those looking for a gamified system to learn guitar.

Another Option - One-on-One Online Lessons

While the sites mentioned above work great for those who work best independently, some may need the immediate feedback that only a private teacher can provide.

Thanks to the Internet (and possibly some due to the COVID-19 pandemic), there are several online options for private instruction. Geography is no longer a hindrance in finding someone; you don’t need to settle for the one or two people in your town who give lessons if you feel they’re not a good fit for your level and ambitions.

If you want one-on-one instruction, various “marketplace” sites, such as SuperProf, TakeLessons.com, and Preply, help you find a teacher. Payment plans, options, and rates vary widely from teacher to teacher (though some sites do let teachers offer a free first lesson to see if it will be a fit). If you need one-on-one interaction but don’t want to leave your house, the option is there, and it may be the best one for you.

What To Look For in a Guitar Teacher

Whether you’re taking a course on a paid service, through videos on YouTube, or privately via videoconferencing, finding the right teacher is just as important as finding the correct method that works for you.

When looking for any teacher, some factors you need to consider are:

• Is this person presenting material in a way that is logical and organized;
• Is this person communicating the material in a way that I understand;
• Is this person taking my skill level into account when presenting the material (i.e., if an online course is geared toward beginners, is the instructor keeping * terms and concepts simple for the beginner) and
• (With one-on-one instruction) Is this person giving me proper feedback that is helping me improve?

If you can say yes to these factors, you know you’ve found the right teacher.

A Final Word About Practice

While these resources will undoubtedly give you the knowledge you need to grow as a player, you must also put the time to work that knowledge into results. We know that life today is busy, and the reality of putting in hours of practice a day may not be in the cards for you. However, like the apple that keeps the doctor away, daily practice is key regardless of the amount of time that you have. You only have five minutes? Then, practice for those five minutes. A half an hour the next day? Go for it! Practicing is a lot like studying for an exam; it’s better to work a bit every day than to try and cram everything in one go. So, find those loose minutes daily and use them to develop your rock god skills!

So go forth! Learn! Explore! A world of guitar is just waiting for you to discover!

• Guitar Tricks vs. JamPlay
• Guitar Tricks vs. Fender Play
• Fender Play vs. Yousician

A heartwarming story, Brian May actually built his first electric guitar (which he would go on to use with Queen) with his dad. It was intentionally designed to allow feedback after May was inspired by the playing of Jeff Beck. He also received a Spanish style acoustic guitar as a birthday present, though he quickly wanted to move on to an instrument more suited towards the type of music he wanted to play.

• First Guitar: Spanish-style guitar of unknown origin.
• First Band: 1984
• How He Learned: Self taught, though he did take formal music lessons in his youth.
• First Song: Unknown

Click here to see the rest of the list!

About the authors.

Michael bought his first guitar, a Fender California Series Stratocaster in Candy Apple Red, in 1998. He likes rock of all types, from classic to punk to metal. Michael co-founded Equipboard to satisfy his curiosity around what gear his guitar heroes use. Read more

Giulio co-founded Equipboard with his friend Michael. He plays the piano, guitar, drums, and had a brief stint signed to a label as an electronic music producer. Read more

Kevin Daoust is a guitarist, guitar educator and writer based in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. When not tracking guitars for artists around the world, or writing music-related articles around the internet, he can be seen on stage with Accordion-Funk legends Hey, Wow, the acoustic duo Chanté et Kev, as well as a hired gun guitarist around Quebec and Ontario. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Guitar Performance from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Read more

Comments 19

Artistworks is the best. Rock Guitar school with Paul Gilbert 20/mo with video exchanges with paul himself.

How about ultimate-guitar - Tab pro?

I signed up for JamPlay after I saw it here and while it says they have beginner to advanced lessons I would say it basically all beginner to medium, but it is a great site for those starting or for those who don't know too much music theory or playing in other genres. If you know enough that you could probably teach guitar than this site isn't for you.

My favorite free guitar lessons set is AndyGuitar dot co dot uk Something about this guy just seems comfortable and directly to the point. I was not impressed with Justin. I think I felt he was too random in many of his comments. Andy Crowley is like the next door teenager who is super jazzed about guitar and is happy to share with you so you can become as good as he is, except he is actually a well accomplished musician and teacher. He is definitely geared toward the beginner guitarist -> intermediate guitarist. Very pleasant to learn with. I would love to hear your review.

For years and years I'd followed Andrew Wasson on his Creative Guitar Studio YouTube channel. Andrew is a G.I.T. graduate, very competent at explaining guitar concepts & guitar /music theory, (plus he's a masterful guitarist). I feel that he's one of (if not the), best guitar teachers online. In summer 2016, I joined his membership website and have been studying his online courses, (Intermediate & Advanced). He also does Skype too. If you want a solid guitar course with a lot of intermediate and advanced content, (based /taught on the premise of the actual G.I.T. curriculum - from a real graduate), then Andrew's THE guy - above anyone else I've ever seen. Watch him on YouTube for awhile like I did, and you'll see what I mean.

Nate Savages Guitarlessons.com and Truefire.com are also great sites to learn from. They both have great reputations in the online guitar community. Guitartricks is great for beginners too.

Pretty short list, I think there are more good sites. The ones I used most are theguitarlesson dot com (as a beginner) and guitartricks dot com (later to learn blues), the prior isn't even on your list :-D Someone mentioned Andrew Wasson, I think he's a bit boring. Andyguitar is ok as a very beginner, but I just didn't click with the guy.

You have a nice tight list of very affordable guitar courses here. Kudos.

Just ... how is the Music Institute Online online[dot]mi[dot]edu not on this list? They have Scott Henderson and Oz Noy, each teaching separate courses that totally rock!

I mean OK, they are not the cheapo type courses you have up on this page. But the course quality of each is simply terrific. A friend of mine took the Oz Noy course and in very little time, she was able to do a crazy Dueling Guitar thing with me. It definitely improved her skills.

It's really great list, no doubt. To me, particularly, I get use two websites that helps me a lot and have excellent resources besides videos. E-Chords and Guitar Camera guitarcamera dot com.

Truefire must be in this list.

Whaaat?!?!?

1) TrueFire 2) JamTrackCentral (JTC) 3) Lick Library

In my opinion, those are the real deal...

Fender play has intermediate and advanced lessons. You just have to look for them. They have entire songs, note for note, so it's not all targeted at beginners as you say. You just need to spend more time there.

If you want to play... 1 read notation. 2 listen. 3 pkay consistantly... play along with the tv. 3 be good at it. You will know if you're good at it in a year. If you dedicate yourself you'll be good in a year and keep getting better. If you apply yourself and still suck? Try a different instrument. It's easy to learn but hard to mastrr.

Pickup Music looks interesting, a lot more modern players and styles. I tried TrueFire but it was very blues rock based with little else.

No mention to PickupMusic?

Another one to check out on Youtube is Steve Stine Guitar Lessons(also has a paid site Guitar Zoom). He has a series of videos for beginners, but there's something for everybody. Lots of useful and easy to understand info. Hacks for improving solos, etc.

My Personal favorite app/ site to use for tabs is Songsterr, And my god do y'all need to check this site out. Free tabs that you can play along to, look at different parts/ instruments etc. I use it to learn everything, it's best on windows and android, try it trust me. it is like a whole different app on ipad it's a lot more restricted, only letting you view previews. not sure about lunix etc. But please give it a try, it's free, and whoever made it is a legend.

Jake Lizzio Youtube?

pickupmusic is excellent, you should add it!

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The 5 Best Online Guitar Lessons Websites of 2021

Guitar instruction has come a long way in recent years. Not too long ago, beginning guitarists had two options: be completely self-taught with the help of printouts or seek out a local guitar teacher for in-person lessons. No longer!

Video streaming has proven to be an excellent platform for virtual guitar tutorials. With the pandemic-related push to online learning, full multimedia guitar lesson websites have really come into their own.

Most of the online guitar lessons listed here offer short, free videos with the option of expanding into different pay options (usually between $10-$25/month) for full access. Keep reading to see which is the best for your guitar goals.

1. Fender Play

One of the giants of the guitar world (Fender, ever heard of them?) has recently entered the arena of online guitar tutorials. Fender Play is an intuitive platform providing lessons tailored to your preferred genre and whether you’re playing an acoustic or electric guitar . 

Most of Fender Play’s lessons are beginner courses so they may seem basic for intermediate players. However, more advanced players have the option of searching specific tab/video song tutorials. Unlike most learning platforms on this list, Fender Play does not have free YouTube videos but they do offer a 7-day trial.

2. ArtistWorks Online Music Lessons

If you prefer to focus on your overall command of the instrument, ArtistWorks is one of the best guitar courses. You can find instruction for about any type of instrument. Although, guitar and bass have special focus on this website with numerous styles and skill levels taught. You can find courses specific to electric and acoustic guitar too .

ArtistWorks’ masterclass instructors are some of the best players and educators in the business. Paul Gilbert teaches rock guitar, Martin Taylor teaches jazz, and John Patitucci teaches bass . Complete beginners won’t feel overwhelmed by the step-by-step videos that follow their own pace. More advanced players wanting to challenge themselves can choose “certificate courses” which include evaluations at the end of the course. 

3. Justin Guitar

Take a quick look through Justin Guitar’s website and you’ll see it looks a lot like other multimedia guitar lessons websites on this list. Although, one thing stands out: you can go further with Justin’s free lessons than from any other online guitar teacher. 

Suited most for beginners and intermediates, Justin’s site provides a solid amount of content. You can move through a steady course of strumming, picking, and fingering techniques with fun tricks that will keep new guitar players engaged. Moving more into the intermediate and advanced realm, you’ll get solid musical theory and the additional purchase of DVDs and apps will help. Check out both his website and his YouTube videos.

4. Jam Track Central Guitar

You may have come across JTC Guitar’s huge YouTube page that mostly features clips of guitar masters shredding through jaw-dropping riffs. Check out JTC Guitar’s website to really be awed at the ways you can “raise your game,” in their own words.

JTC Guitar provides online “bootcamp” tutorials for every type of guitar genre there is. Their interactive app (available as a standalone purchase or as part of your subscription) includes tabs with visual fretboard layouts. JTC “Tones” offers digital downloads that reproduce iconic guitar sounds. Of course there’s the famous namesake “jamtracks” — backing tracks for you to practice and rock out to your heart’s content.

5. Yousician

If you’re hooked on the fast-paced interface of video games, don’t mourn the end of Guitar Hero and instead  check out Yousician . This phone/tablet app features real-time scrolling notation and tablature that increases in difficulty as you progress. It then automatically critiques and scores your guitar skills. For beginners and younger players, this is a fresh new approach to guitar instruction. However, for advanced lessons like technique and music theory, you’ll want to branch out eventually.

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Best Online Guitar Lessons: Our Top 10 Essential Resources

The best online guitar lessons teach you quickly and effectively, but are also fun and inspiring. Here’s a list of our 10 favourites.

In this free lesson you will learn:

• Our Top 10 best online guitar lessons (websites & personalities)
• 3 easy ways you can learn guitar online for free
• 4 pro tips for improving quickly as a guitarist

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Looking For The Best Online Guitar Lessons?

When we’re searching online, we want to find the best online guitar lessons that will help us achieve our individual goals.

• A big part of learning how to play guitar is building the right habits.
• Poor guitar instruction can lead to bad habits, which can lead to a hefty amount of wrist and hand pain if not handled properly.

Let’s take a look at some of the best online resources available for guitarists right now:

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Best Online Guitar Lessons #1 – YouTube

Before we start diving into different online schools of guitar and subscription-based programs, let’s look at the world’s most popular video content website: YouTube

Some of the best online guitar lessons can be found for free on YouTube.

There are hundreds of different channels to choose from, many of which offer some incredible online guitar lessons for a variety of skill levels.

Where Youtube is concerned, we don’t necessarily need to jump straight to the “guitar school’ channels to find inspiration and education.

A lot of musicians who aren’t teachers also post some pretty incredible and inspirational content to YouTube. There are some pretty hilarious musical Youtubers as well!

Check out Rob Scallon playing the theme to “Dr. Mario” on a guitar made out of an old Nintendo console here

No matter what kind of guitar education or inspiration you may be looking for, Youtube is always a good place to start your search.

It wouldn’t be fair if we didn’t give you a solid place to start for finding the best online guitar lessons on Youtube, so head on over to our

Youtube channel for more free guitar tuition!

Best Online Guitar Lessons #2 – Marty Music

Marty Schwartz started out as a Youtube guitar instructor in 2005. 

• He uploaded his first video because a student of his came in for the third straight week, unable to play the song he had been studying.
• Marty uploaded this video in the hope that it would help his student learn the song more efficiently. Luckily, he was right!

He went on to make his mark on the internet as a solid and reliable resource for some of the best online guitar resources on YouTube.

This seasoned guitar teacher continued his journey on YouTube and has since launched his website, Marty Music

Due to the volume of content he produces, it can be difficult to know where to start if you’re an absolute beginner. To begin with, check out a few of Marty’s videos to find a video that works for you.

• Marty Music offers HD streamable (and downloadable) guitar education content for musicians of any skill level and many have benefitted from his wisdom over the years.
• Marty’s website offers a collection of both free and paid guitar instructional videos and downloadable content to help you along your guitar journey.
• Marty Schwartz is a great resource for some of the best online guitar lessons because of his wide-spread collection of instructional videos available on his Youtube channel.

He also has great taste in hats, so check him out!

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• Andy’s pleasant demeanor and encouraging teaching methods make him a valuable resource for some of the best online guitar lessons.
• He also has an app that you can download (for both Android and iOS), so you can take your guitar education on the go with you!

Andy Guitar offers a free 10-day starter course to get you set on the right track with your guitar education and has plenty more resources available for premium members as well.

From pop and rock to blues and fingerstyle guitar, Andy Guitar provides some of the best online guitar lessons around.

As an added bonus, Andy also has a section on his website where you can purchase guitar books, DVDs and premium online courses as well as a “recommended guitars and accessories” section where you can find affordable and reliable gear recommendations.

Best Online Guitar Lessons #4 – Justin Guitar

Justin Sandercoe launched his brand ‘Justin Guitar’ in 2003. Today, his website boasts over 1,000 of some of the best online guitar lessons – and they’re free!

Justin has been on YouTube as a guitar instructor for many years and prides himself on providing free guitar instruction to budding musicians of all skill levels.

Justin Guitar also hosts a guitar community where users can interact and ask questions. This alone makes it a great place to check out some of the best online guitar lessons that a curious mind can find.

This website also features some great tools to help you along your journey (such as an ear training system and a tempo calculator).

• As an added bonus, Justin Guitar does not charge a membership fee.  Instead, Justin keeps his business going through the purchase of apps and products that he creates to help musicians.
• Justin has music books, t-shirts, videos and apps all available for purchase through the ‘Products’ section of his website.

One thing we like about Justin Guitar is his Sofa Showcase segment, where he showcases the talents of his fellow musicians and students (old and new). This gives new students of the guitar the chance to see where their talent and patience can take them.

Best Online Guitar Lessons #5 – JamPlay

Offering paid membership-based guitar tuition, JamPlay is a great resource for the guitarist that has more specific goals in mind. 

hosts a revolving door of different guitarists who develop lessons specifically for JamPlay’s audience.

• This makes them a great site for the guitarist who wants to learn specialized guitar techniques from well-known musicians, rather than hire a guitar teacher.
• Each course offers a mountain of education in tailored subject matter such as 3-note chord voicings, finger tapping, slide guitar, shredding and more.

A membership will give you access to a library of some of the best online guitar lessons to help push your playing in the right direction.

Having said that, we always recommend taking advantage of as many free resources as you can before shelling out a membership fee.

This will help you get a better feel of the resources available before making a financial commitment.

Best Online Guitar Lessons #6 – Artistworks

Artistworks offers lessons to musicians of varying skill levels, hosted by well-known musicians within the industry.

• Their guitar section boasts lessons from famous players such as Paul Gilbert and Martin Taylor
• These lessons are packed with content for guitarists looking to take their playing to new heights.

Artistworks members get access to resources such as backing tracks and music theory workshops starting at $22/month.

An interesting part of Artistworks is their video submission program where students can submit videos of their playing directly to their course instructor.

Students can then access a library of video submissions from other students as well, so they can learn from one another!

Artistworks also has a monthly broadcast that members can tune into for more musical tips to accelerate their skillsets.

Best Online Guitar Lessons #7- Jamorama

This website offers a unique spin on the guitar education process, providing a video-game-like interface for users to learn from in their browser.

• As an added bonus, Jamorama offers a social network community so that users can interact with and learn from one another.
• Unlike some of the other sites on the list, this website offers both free and membership-accessed content.
• This is a great plus for new guitarists who want to spend time learning on their own before committing to a membership.

You don’t need to purchase anything in order to sign up for access to their social network.

This means you can still engage with the community without having to spend a dime.

• You can usually find some of the best online guitar lessons by simply interacting with other musicians.
• The great part about a membership with Jamorama is that you only pay for it once, which means no expiry dates and no monthly/yearly renewals to keep track of – awesome!

Jamorama’s distinct approach to guitar tuition is what makes them an excellent candidate for our list of the best online guitar lessons.

Best Online Guitar Lessons #8 – Yousician

Yousician brings some pretty neat technology to the table with their online guitar lesson platform.

• With their downloadable app and software (available on iOS and PC), Yousician turns the process of learning guitar into a video game experience.
• On the surface, Yousician and Jamorama can seem a bit similar… but what separates them is Yousician’s app!

With no need for cables or adapters, the Yousician app uses your microphone to track your progress and scores how well you play.

With a large library of popular and well-known songs (as well as a few originals by their house parody band ‘The Yousicians’), this platform has found a fun way of offering some of the best online guitar lessons to its users.

• If you play other instruments as well as guitar, Yousician offers versions of its software for bass, ukulele, piano and voice as well.
• This platform is great for the visual learner who wants a refreshing take on modern guitar instruction.

Note: Yousician currently has an app available for Android as well, however it only supports piano at this time.

The National Guitar Academy

We’re passionate about empowering the next wave of guitarists. It’s what drives us every day.

We’re obviously biased here at National Guitar Academy, but we like to think we provide some of the best online guitar lessons on the internet.

With a huge library of FREE guitar lessons and articles, we’ve got you covered no matter what you want to learn.

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Just one more thing before you go….

We’ve talked at length about websites and content to help you find the best online guitar lessons, but don’t underestimate the power of a good teacher.

• Getting a real offline guitar teacher is the most tailored way to learn in a way that is completely suited to your needs and interests in music.
• While a Youtube video can teach you how to play a scale or song, a good teacher can show you the right path to follow with YOUR strengths and weaknesses in mind.

A great teacher can be difficult to find, but it has gotten a lot easier through social media and the internet. Expect to try 5-6 teachers before you find one that feels like the right fit.

Check your local ads, classifieds and nearest music store for different options.

Don’t be afraid to chat with a few different teachers before making a decision.

If you live in a small town, don’t feel like you’re out of luck. Many guitarists that you find on the internet offer online lessons as well and some of the best online guitar lessons come from the guitarists we admire most. The internet holds some amazing lessons for guitarists.

Want to keep going?

Here are a few more ways you can help advance your knowledge of the guitar:

• Go to a concert. Watch the guitarists! Look at their hands and effects pedals…
• Jam at an open mic and talk to other musicians (another great way to find a teacher!)
• Check out the book selection at your local music store
• Find another lesson with us that you enjoy

Recommended resources

• Guitar Keys: An Essential Guide
• 5 Songs For Beginners
• Blues Guitar Lessons For Beginners – 4 Ways To Sound Awesome Quickly
• How To Play Electric Guitar: A Beginner’s Guide
• Beginning Guitar Lessons: An Essential Guide

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7 Best Online Guitar Lessons of 2024

by Nick Stockton August 1, 2023, 8:10 pm

When you buy through our links we may earn an affiliate commission.

It's a tale as old as time. You've picked up a brand-new guitar , eager to learn some of your favorite songs or perhaps even compose your own.

But you're struggling.

Maybe the tabs you're finding online just don't seem right (or you don't even get how to read them in the first place).

Maybe you just can't seem to mash down the strings for that open C chord without something always getting in the way. Or maybe you have some basics down, but you yearn to dive deeper. And finding a good guitar teacher is harder than finding a good therapist these days.

No matter the issue, online guitar lessons can be a fantastic way to overcome the learning curve and quickly start playing with confidence.

There are a ton of really useful platforms for online lessons, so we've rounded up a few of our favorites so you can more quickly get down to the business of learning guitar.

Our top pick for best overall online guitar lessons has to go to Fender Play . We think this program's combination of great user experience with incredible-quality video makes for the best all-around guitar lessons available online today.

But whether you're looking for the best lessons on a budget or the best program for intermediate and advanced players, whatever your needs, they're all here on our list of the best online guitar lessons.

Read on to find the best online lessons for you!

Quick Summary of the Best Online Guitar Lessons

• Guitar Tricks (Best Overall)
• Fender Play (Best Production Value)
• Guitareo (Best for Beginners)
• Simply Guitar (Best Budget)
• Truefire (Most Comprehensive)
• Yousician (Best App)
• Artistworks (Best for Advanced Guitar Players)

Best Online Guitar Lessons

1. best overall – guitar tricks.

• Price: $19.95/month or $179 annually, limited free content
• Features: 11,000 lessons, high-quality videos with slo-mo and looping, wide range of genres, printable tabs, free content

Guitar Tricks is another longstanding online guitar lesson platform that offers a massive library of lessons, videos, scale and chord charts, and much, much more. What sets it apart for us, however, is its 24 free lessons that are sure to set any player on a course to guitar-playing success.

And once you're hooked, Guitar Tricks has a huge array of high-quality content to cater to your musical preferences and goals. The platform boasts over 11,000 lessons, covering a wide range of musical styles, techniques, and music theory.

Guitar Tricks also features a user-friendly interface as well as some highly advanced learning tools. The platform offers an impressive set of interactive features, including slow-motion and looping functionalities, backing tracks, metronome tools, and printable tabs.

If you're looking for a platform that offers some great free content that you can take advantage of whether or not you are willing to hand over your credit card details, Guitar Tricks is the one for you. But we also suspect that once you've exhausted the free content, you're going to stick around for full access.

And if you're not satisfied with just the limited free content, you can sign up for a 14-day all-access free trial with an additional 25% off if you stick around for the annual membership. Sounds pretty good to us! Click over to Guitar Tricks to take advantage of this amazing offer!

1. Best Production Value – Fender Play

• Price: $19.99/month or $149.99 annually
• Features: Custom learning paths, digestible short lessons, wide array of songs, simple, intuitive UX

Heading up our list of the best online guitar lessons is Fender Play, the wonderful platform from the good folks at Fender.

This platform delivers the quality you would expect from one of the top names in guitar and amplifier manufacturing. Fender took a big swing on Play, and it's no surprise that they've knocked it out of the park.

From the start, this app applies an intuitive and simple method to help you get going. Select your instrument, experience level, and preferred genres, and Play will set a five-level path consisting of bite-sized video lessons, tabs, theory, and technique tips. Getting started playing guitar has never been easier.

The production value of the video lessons is a big part of what sets Fender Play apart. The videos use multiple camera angles, including over-the-shoulder, that you would never get from a real-life teacher (okay, maybe if you were really good friends). The instructions are clear and thorough without being repetitive.

As a self-paced system, it is ultimately up to the player to get the most out of Fender Play. But with the easily digestible content and fun, simple interface, beginners won't have any trouble getting hooked. Plus, at $19.99/month or $149.99 annually, you also won't have any trouble getting your money's worth.

Annual subscriptions include a 14-day free trial that you can cancel at any time. Head on over to Fender Play and give them a try!

3. Best Online Guitar Lessons for Beginners – Guitareo

• Price: $30/month or $240 annually

Something of a newcomer on the scene, the upstart online lessons platform Guitareo is definitely making waves and holding its own alongside titans like Fender.

Guitareo is designed to be especially beginner-friendly, with a focus on playing songs and having fun with the guitar rather than rudiments and scales.

That's not to say there isn't a trove of valuable resources, however—Guitareo is actually loaded with content centered primarily around fun and well-produced video lessons.

There are over 1,000 individual song lessons with synced tablature, plus tons of instructional videos covering guitar fundamentals, chord and scale charts, and more.

Set off on a goal-oriented plan with your own 10-level learning path. Each level contains 8 video lessons and is designed to build your skills from one video to the next.

Or simply browse around and hone your skills based on whatever catches your eye—there's a ton of really engaging content based around cool ideas.

While Guitareo is priced at a premium, it definitely has a premium feel to it. The instructors are likable and engaging, the interface is attractive and easy to use, and while it's tailored to beginners, there's a lot there for intermediate and advanced players as well. If you've got the budget, we highly recommend Guitareo.

Guitareo offers an incredible one-month free trial, so we suggest signing up today to start your guitar-learning journey!

4. Best Budget Guitar Lessons – Simply Guitar

• Price: $9.99/month or $119 annually
• Features: iOS and Android app, step-by-step tutorials, direct feedback, song lessons

For the beginner on a budget, Simply Guitar is here to save the day. This app-based platform uses a gamified approach to offer step-by-step lessons and teach essential skills, basic chords, and strumming patterns to help learners start playing songs quickly.

With a focus on simplicity and ease of use, Simply Guitar offers learners an opportunity to practice at their own pace.

The app's interactive features include real-time feedback, a really useful and innovative tool that guides you on finger placement as well as strumming techniques as you go along, helping build good habits from the start.

Simply Guitar uses bright graphics and animations to make the learning experience fun and easy. Video lessons are accompanied by clear visual cues, demonstrating finger placement, strumming patterns, and more.

While the gamey aspect may not be for everyone, it is sure to be a hit with kids and young beginners.

Plus, this fun and easy-to-use guitar instruction app comes at a great price. For just under $10 a month, you can learn guitar online with Simply Guitar's iOS or Android app at your own pace and have a ton of fun doing it.

But don't take our word for it—simply head to Simply Guitar and give their 14-day free trial a shot!

5. Most Comprehensive Online Guitar Lessons – Truefire

• Price: $29/month or $149 annually
• Features: Thousands upon thousands of lessons, jam tracks, and tabs; interactive learning experience with real instructors

Truefire has been in the game since 1991, so it's no surprise that they have assembled an incredibly comprehensive library of online guitar resources.

This online learning platform is ideal for players of all styles and experience levels, especially intermediate and advanced learners and those with more niche interests.

Truefire guitar lessons are based around their massive assemblage of high-quality video lessons, which cover a wide range of topics, including technique, theory, improvisation, song tutorials, and more.

What's really cool is that the courses are presented by some of the top names in guitar, so you're truly learning to play like a pro.

One standout feature of TrueFire is its focus on interactive learning experiences. All Access members can use the interactive video exchange lessons feature, where students can submit videos of their playing to receive personalized feedback from the instructor.

If you're looking to simulate the experience of real guitar lessons online, Truefire is a great option. Their combination of top-notch video lessons with interactive lessons and a user forum creates a real sense of community among users that's ideal for serious players looking to expand their skill set.

And what better way to find out for yourself than a 14-day all-access free trial? Head over to Truefire and become a member of their expansive online guitar community today!

6. Best App for Online Guitar Lessons – Yousician

• Price: Starts at $7.49/month or $89.99 annually
• Features: One-of-a-kind game approach featuring audio recognition and thousands of songs and lessons

Yousician is an app-based guitar lesson platform that brings a welcome approach to online guitar lessons: in lieu of the standard video lessons with a virtual instructor, it applies a game-like approach—very similar to guitar hero—that allows learners to play through their lessons in real-time and with instant feedback.

Building on the gaming aspect of the lessons themselves, the learning journey is motivated by challenges, achievements, and a level-up system, allowing learners to engage in a way that is very fun and stimulating, even borderline addictive. (If you're going to get addicted to something, why not make it learning guitar?)

There's definitely a learning curve here as far as getting the hang of how the "game" works, and this program is not necessarily recommended to older players without gaming experience. But we can't think of a better way to get younger beginners hooked on learning and playing guitar.

If you (or your kids) are of a certain generation, Yousician is sure to be a hit. It's like Duolingo for guitar lessons. If you're already addicted to the bright colors and flashing lights on your phone, you may as well harness that addiction and channel it into something productive, like learning guitar!

Yousician offers a premium 7-day free trial. It's shorter than most, but due to the addictive nature of their groundbreaking guitar program, they can get away with it.

7. Best for Advanced Guitar Players – Artistworks

• Price: $23.25/month for 12 months
• Features: Video exchange library, 50k+ videos, celebrity instructors

For intermediate and advanced players who want to take their guitar skills to an even higher level, there's ArtistWorks.

ArtistWorks presents an opportunity to receive personalized, one-on-one instruction from world-renowned guitar masters, as well as over 50,000 video lessons featuring some top names in guitar.

At the core of ArtistWorks lies its groundbreaking Video Exchange Learning system, a revolutionary feature that sets it apart from conventional online courses.

Through this interactive platform, learners can submit videos of their playing directly to their chosen instructor, receiving tailor-made feedback, guidance, and encouragement in return.

And those instructors? Paul Gilbert. Martin Taylor. Guthrie Trapp. Keb' Mo'! Come on now. The list goes on from there. If you want access to some of the best guitar lessons available online, taught by some of the biggest names in guitar of all time, it's got to be Artistworks for you.

This platform is definitely geared more toward intermediate players and above and is accordingly priced at a premium.

But if you're a relatively experienced player and you want to hone your chops in a diverse variety of genres at the hands of some truly legendary guitar players, we highly recommend ArtistWorks.

Best Online Guitar Lessons Buyer's Guide

We understand that such a wide range of choices can be overwhelming. All these great online guitar courses seem to offer the same promise—to teach you to play guitar—so how is one to choose?

In seeking to answer this question, we've compiled a handy buyer's guide to walk you through some of the factors you might want to consider when shopping for online lessons.

We've also included an FAQ section to help you further understand this process and make the best possible decision for your unique needs.

Course Content and Curriculum

Before committing to an online guitar lessons course, you should make sure the materials cover your interests and ambitions.

Are you really interested in heavy metal and want to fast-track your electric guitar skills? Better be sure not to pick an acoustic guitar-focused course.

Many of today's online guitar lesson sites are heavily focused on song-based lessons, so be sure to pick a course that features a wide variety of the types of songs you want to learn.

Likewise, in addition to genre, you should ensure that your guitar course is going to teach the types of techniques you want to learn. And don't forget to choose one that's suitable for your experience level.

Whether your interest is rhythm guitar, soloing and improvisation, jazz guitar playing, or fingerstyle guitar, you get it—there are a lot of playing styles out there, and you should pick a course that covers the style you aspire to learn.

Teaching Style and Approach

There are a wide variety of different teaching styles available through these different courses discussed here. Some courses, like Simply Guitar , will ask you outright if you are a visual or auditory learner in order to customize the experience to your learning style.

Different courses will use an array of videos and software to help you set your own learning path, and it's important to choose one that jibes with your existing skills and playing style.

We recommend trying out as many free trial versions as you can in order to determine which teaching style works best for you.

Some platforms like Artistworks go so far as to have real instructors you can interface with in order to get personalized feedback on your playing. And many of these platforms allow you to pick which instructor suits your tastes and style, so you can be sure to get a teacher that's going to work for you.

Video Quality and Production

In this day and age of constant consumption of video content, we can all pretty much instantly determine whether or not we've got something on our hands that we want to watch. There always seems to be something better a click away.

Our feeble attention spans demand the highest quality and entertainment value to keep us engaged, so make sure you pick a course with videos you can stand or, better yet, love. Fender Play and Guitareo have really fun, engaging video lessons for beginners that we highly recommend.

High-quality video lessons with clear audio and multiple camera angles make learning more enjoyable and effective. Look for courses with professional production values, engaging instructors, great sound quality, and other factors that will help keep you interested, engaged, and having fun on your guitar journey.

Interactive Learning Tools

There are some really exciting new learning tools available on some of these online guitar courses. If just plain videos aren't enough to motivate you, it's definitely worth checking out a platform with some interactive learning tools to help you on your way.

From scrolling synced tabs and notation to backing tracks, progress tracking, and even a full-on guitar instruction game , there's no shortage of interactive tools to help you learn guitar faster and more effectively.

These tools can not only enhance your learning experience and help you stay motivated, but they can be really fun to work with, and fun is ultimately why we are here, isn't it?

Budget/Price Range

There's a pretty wide discrepancy in the prices for online courses, ranging anywhere from free (trials, anyway) to considerably more commanding sums.

It is our opinion that any of our picks above will get you your money's worth; simply choose the course that appeals most to you, and you're sure not to regret it.

That being said, there are more affordable options, like Simply Guitar , as well as sliding scales like Yousician 's, where the more you pay, the more content you have access to.

On the other end of the spectrum are the more premium services that are geared toward serious, experienced players, like Artistworks and Truefire .

While these are considerably more pricey, they also feature a lot of really useful features and are designed more to simulate real-world lessons—which would set you back A LOT more.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Are online guitar lessons as effective as in-person lessons.

In-person lessons can be a risky prospect. Depending on the instructor, you could have a great experience—or a terrible one.

Plus, in-person lessons are REALLY pricey and can often leave you scratching your head once you've gone home with your notes. (Teaching guitar is arguably harder than learning it, please be kind to your local guitar instructor).

An online guitar course, in contrast, can really get you your money's worth, as you're often paying a flat rate for as much practice time as you want.

Videos can be replayed, slowed down, looped, and more. Plus, synced tabs are always going to be more useful than a sheet of paper like we had in the old days.

And with today's technology and features, you can even get feedback on your playing in real-time, just like with a real teacher.

Online guitar lessons can be at least as effective as in-person lessons, if not more so. Plus, the convenience and flexibility of online lessons just make a lot more sense these days.

Can I learn to play the guitar online as a complete beginner?

You sure can! Many online guitar lesson platforms offer courses specifically designed for beginners. These courses provide step-by-step guidance, making it possible for anyone to start learning the guitar from scratch.

Check out Guitareo , Fender Play , and Simply Guitar if you're a brand-new player. These platforms are designed with beginners in mind and therefore offer great beginner guitar lessons to help brand-new students learn to play guitar online.

How do I know which online guitar lessons are right for me?

You don't have to tell us: the choices can be pretty overwhelming. There are so many great online guitar lesson platforms to choose from, so how do you pick the one that's best for you?

Easy. Try them all! Nearly every online lessons platform provides some form of free trial or other free content that you can use to determine whether that platform is right for you.

Things to be on the lookout for include course content (genre, songs, techniques, styles), instructor qualifications and personalities, teaching style, and, of course, user reviews.

You'll have no problem determining which course is best for you once you give it a try. Remember, learning guitar should be fun!

Of all the ways to learn guitar, online lessons are easily one of the fastest and most effective methods available today. There are tons of great courses to choose from, so whether you're a beginner or advanced, learning guitar online has never been easier.

The best online guitar lessons for our money come from Fender Play . We think that the overall experience, from the song tutorials to the riff and chord exercises, not to mention the incredible production quality of the videos, set this service a notch above the competition.

Don't take our word for it, though—please take the time to find the online guitar lesson course that works the best for your needs.

You're sure to find a course on this list that's going to fast-track your growth as a guitarist. Besides, if you just add up all the free trials, you'll be practically halfway to virtuosity already!

Curious about more top-notch guitar learning strategies? Browse our selection of the Best Way to Learn Guitar to hone your skills and become a skilled player.

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The 6 Best Online Guitar Lessons Websites in 2023

Choosing the best online guitar lessons is not an easy task. That's why we used a mixed approach, which combines the traditional method (testing online courses with guitar in hand) with checking lessons and measuring feedback from a dual points of view. So, in order to cover as much of the details as possible and to give you a complete picture of all the online guitar lesson platforms presented, we hired a couple of guitarists for each of them. Each pair was made up of an absolutely beginner guitarist, who did not play guitar at all, and an intermediate player, who has some basic guitar techniques, knows a few songs of medium complexity, but still needs learning to become a good guitarist.

Each online guitar lesson site was tested from a dual perspective: by a beginner (who never got his hands on a guitar until our test) and by an intermediate guitarist.

When we looked at the online guitar courses, we examined a lot of different things. The main things we looked at were how the courses were taught, how they were set up, how valuable the content was, and, last but not least, how much they cost. We also looked at the trial periods for each course, as they allow you to reconsider if you are not happy with the guitar lessons.

The Top 6 guitar lessons websites that remained in the race after testing the 10 best online guitar lessons are all amazing online guitar lessons taught by some of the best guitar teachers, who will bring out the best in you and get you on the right path to learning guitar, but we have also highlighted the main differences between them, so by the end of this article, you will have all the information you need to choose the best online guitar course for you.

In the table below, you can find our top-rated online guitar lessons, followed by a quick overview; each of them has a link to its own page with a full, in-depth review. Guitar Tricks and Jamplay are disputing the first place in the world of online guitar, as the difference is minimal because both of them offer a great range of features, suitable for all different levels of experience at a variety of different price points.

Guitar Tricks: Editor's Choice for Best Online Guitar Lessons Website in 2023

Guitar Tricks has been in this industry for over 20 years, becoming one of the best online paid lesson platforms along with JamPlay. The two sites form a top-tier rivalry in which guitar enthusiasts have only one option: win. It's difficult to choose the best online guitar from these two platforms because the difference is so small.

For those who are interested in Guitar Tricks and would like to know more details about it, you can read our Full Review of Guitar Tricks .

The refence point of Guitar Tricks is the well-developed system for beginners called Core Learning System.

The Guitar Tricks instructors, even if they are not big names in the music scene, are experimented instructors with an extended know-how and with well-defined guitar teaching methods over many years of experience.

Guitar Tricks has a different approach in how they supply their beginner lessons, having a step-by-step Core Learning System that leads through the entire process of learning basic guitar. It has a linear learning path that is easy for a beginner to understand compared to other online training platforms. It starts with two courses for people who have never played guitar before and then moves on to two more courses that cover blues, country, rock, and acoustic guitar.

As a complete beginner, I had some trouble in the first few lessons, but the teacher was clear and to the point, so I made much progress in just a few weeks. (Kevin Williams)

The library of online guitar lessons for advanced players is not very well represented (this being the biggest minus compared to Jam Play), but the courses for intermediaries are a welcome extension and fully cover the aspects necessary to deepen the techniques learned so far (guitar styles - acoustic, classical, country, rock, metal, blues, etc. or techniques such as Alternate Picking, Bending, Hammer-On and Pull-Off, Strumming, Palm Muting and so on).

The part where Guitar Tricks excels and surpasses Jam Play is the one represented by the collection of song tutorials. All lessons, thanks to the vast experience of the instructors, are clear, comprehensible, and easy to follow, helping you to be able to play your favorite songs.

The huge Guitar Tricks song library includes over 6,900 pieces (it's a lot of guitar songs here and the largest collection from all platforms) that you can sort by artist, genre, or difficulty.

Guitar Tricks offers a variety of other features to help you progress. You can get extra things like jam tracks and backing tracks, as well as advice and tips from experienced guitarists. You can also take part in the community and connect with other guitarists around the world. The Guitar Tricks community is very large, and anyone can ask questions that get a lot of informed answers. The topics are very varied, ranging from guitar basics, technique, and style, music theory, recording, songwriting, and gear discussion.

Whether you've never played guitar before (and don't know where to begin) or you've tried to play guitar before (but are unhappy with your level and guitar-playing skills), Guitar Tricks is designed to provide you with a solid foundation, develop your skills in the best way possible, and learn how to play the songs of your favorite artists in a very well organized online lesson guide.

JamPlay: Runner-Up - Top online guitar lessons for intermediate players

JamPlay is, among the best guitar lessons sites, the winner of this contest and our top recommendation

Our time with JamPlay was a success because it helped everyone on our team improve their guitar-playing style, no matter how good they were before. Gavin Young had never taken a guitar lesson before, so he went to the video lessons for beginners. He had no trouble finding the best instructors to teach him the basics. As an average-level guitarist, Lucas Mills could quickly find the lessons and exercises that helped him improve the parts of his guitar skills that were still weak.

So, after months of research, both of them came to a clear conclusion: JamPlay is the best online guitar lesson program available on the internet, from beginner to advanced. JamPlay is introducing you to the guitar world with style. Their guitar lessons are not only useful, but they actually make you learn better and faster, developing helpful guitar-playing habits for both hands and preventing bad ones.

JamPlay is a high-quality platform that offers an impressive collection of courses, lessons, and tutorials for all categories of guitar enthusiasts, and also excellent online lessons for bass guitar. There is also a huge section with archived live lessons that can be accessed at any time.

With JamPlay you will never run out of work material. In addition to the staggering amount of content, they continue to refresh their collection, adding new online guitar lessons every week (you can subscribe to any favorite genre or skill to be emailed when new lessons are added).

For the ones who want to become familiar with the learning process at JamPlay, Jamplay have an Youtube Channel where you are able to see some of their lessons, updated every week (JamPlay post a video lesson per week). This YouTube Channel, the free trial and the 30 day money back guarantee offered by JamPlay offers you a plenty of time (and you need that, especially if you are a beginner) to see if their online guitar lessons suits you and then to take an informed decision.

Because I never played guitar, I started classes for beginners. In a short time I managed to develop the basic skills that made me move forward. (Gavin Young)

JamPlay is also absolutely suitable for a beginner who wants to learn a variety of different styles of playing. There's great flexibility, as you can create your own learning path. For beginners, there are no less than 17 instructors (both acoustic guitar and electric guitar), each guitar instructor having its teaching style, so you can choose the one that suits you better.

Apart from their wide variety of lessons, the learning content found at JamPlay is also exceptional. The way they record all the lessons with several video cameras from various angles helps you to see exactly the best position to hold the guitar , the guitar pick, and how to strum the strings.

There are big names such as Lita Ford, Robb Flynn (Machine Head), Steve Stevens (Billy Idol), and many more, who organize unique masterclasses based on their vast experience over the years.

In addition to the high quality and very well organized learning content, the big names available in Jam Play are the ones that stand out from the other competitors in our ranking. Not often do you have the opportunity to learn from guitar legends who show you in detail everything you need to know about guitar fundamentals, including personal tips and tricks. Learning from some of the greatest guitarists in the world is an awesome and rare opportunity.

For me, as an intermediate player, besides the courses that developed technical skills or that presented musical theory and advanced techniques related to them, the Masterclasses organized by famous artists were also very interesting and useful. (Lucas Mills)

Few guitar course websites can compete with JamPlay in terms of volume and quality of resources, lessons, and tutorials provided to students. If you are willing to take the time to develop and improve your guitar playing skills, JamPlay is definitely the best choice.

If you want to know more about JamPlay, we have prepared for you a full JamPlay Review , in which we have explained, step by step, everything you need to know about this online guitar lessons platform.

TrueFire: The oldest and biggest platform with online guitar courses

When it comes to learning guitar, we can't make a ranking of the best online guitar lessons without TrueFire. TrueFire is the largest and oldest of the online guitar sites that are available today. With a huge library of over 45,000 lessons and very high-level instructors, including some Grammy Award winners, True Fire is a very strong competitor, fighting on a par with the top two, Jam Play and Guitar Tricks.

The intermediate and advanced guitarists have enough study material and a great structured learning system to significantly improve their skills.

As we said before, the big plus of True Fire is the enormous online library of guitar lessons, tabs and songs tutorials - over 45,000, and the number is growing. But having such a massive catalog can also be a minus, because it is very easy to be overwhelmed by the plenty of information and give up. That's why True Fire introduced Learning Paths, an extremely efficient way of organizing the various styles taught, such as blues, jazz, rock, acoustic, country, etc. 

At first, I was overwhelmed by the huge number of lessons, but I soon got used to the structure of the True Fire platform, which, especially with the Learning Paths, was a perfect guide for me as an intermediate guitarist. (Alan Sanders)

The courses are taught by a group of well-trained coaches who have a good system for teaching guitar . Also among the trainers are some very famous touring pros like Steve Vai, Andy Timmons, and Robben Ford (named one of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of the 20th Century"), which is a very big plus if we take into account that they share with guitar students their huge experience gained over the years on the stage.

The structure of the True Fire lesson is divided as follows:

• Courses (each containing between 15 and 60 lessons)
• Learning Paths (each is a module of individual lessons from different courses, grouped by music styles: blues, jazz, rock, country etc.)
• Private lessons (which are not live, you have to upload a video with you playing the guitar and receive a video feedback from the instructor)
• In the Jam (a nice and useful way to play along with various artists - paid separately, not included in the membership)

True Fire excels at teaching how to play the guitar with slow motion video and looping functions, allowing us to choose a difficult passage and repeat it at our own pace until we believe we have mastered it. It's a simple trick, but it takes learning guitar to another level.

At True Fire, there is the possibility that each course can be purchased individually, so you can choose exactly your favorite guitar lessons. But if the True Fire teaching style suits you and you plan to take more lessons, definitely go for the "All Access" plan, which gives you full access to all the lessons and resources on the site.

TrueFire lesson library is impressive, and it is a platform that provides you with a well-developed system that, if you are determined enough, can lead you to a playing level not yet reached. If you're an intermediate or advanced guitar player and wish to develop and expand your skills to a higher level, TrueFire is the perfect tool for you.

ArtistWorks: Music lessons to learn guitar online from master musicians

Artist Works is a newer and fresher platform, established in 2008. They have a different approach than the other sites in our rankings. They have a different approach than the other sites in our rankings.

Instead of joining a platform with hundreds of courses and instructors, here you can choose your favorite style or a specific coach.

If you are interested in rock guitar , you can choose Paul Gilbert's class. If your favorite genre is jazz, it is straightforward: you will sign up for Dave Stryker's program (or Martin Taylor, who is responsible for the "Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar " module). For blues, you have nothing better to do than choose Keith Wyatt. You also have other styles, like bluegrass, or electric country guitar . Each class goes through all the stages, starting with the fundamentals, passing through the medium level, and ending with the advanced lessons.

The teacher provide constant feedback to his student via the Video Exchange module.

After you have started your lessons, this feature allows you to send a video of yourself playing the guitar and then receive personal feedback from your instructor. Thus, any incorrect technique will be corrected immediately. This personal feedback feature used to be unique, but now all the platforms ranked before Artist Works in our ranking have it in their portfolio.

Let's say you want to learn guitar without choosing your learning path from hundreds of lessons and instead want a well-known coach with a lot of experience who will give you constant feedback as you improve as a guitarist. In that case, Artist Works is the right choice for you.

Justin Guitar: The best free online guitar lessons (Youtube video lessons with guitar training)

A pretty well organized guitar course for beginners, presenting various basic techniques (basic chords and rhythms, fingerstyle, scales, blues patters, etc.).

ustin Guitar is a very good free course at a slightly higher level than the competition in this niche (see our article with the best free guitar lessons on Youtube). The simple and well-organized structure, the pleasant and quite well-detailed presentation of Justin Sandercoe, as well as the library of over 600 song tutorials are the reasons why this course is part of our ranking, although it is not at the same level as the big three online guitar learning platforms (Jam Play, Guitar Tricks, and True Fire).

The lessons are presented in two major modules: “by level” (divided into three chapters: a very well-represented one for beginners, one essential for average players, and one in an incipient state for advanced players) and “by skills” (scales & modes, chords, theory, amps & effects, arpeggios, ear training).

After the period of adaptation and learning of basic techniques, the limitations became obvious when I tried to deepen a greater variety of techniques or styles. (Kevin Williams)

Being free and not having a paid membership system, it seems to be the best place for most people to start learning the guitar. But in the long run, this can be a disadvantage. Why? First of all, the quality of the lessons and videos made on the membership-based sites listed above in our ranking are much better (produced in professional conditions, in a music studio, from several angles, in HD and 4K quality) and are presented by a lot of very high-quality and experienced instructors, as well as by famous artists.

Updates and new materials come quite rarely, and musical styles are limited due to a single teacher.

Also, the title of "free lessons" can be misleading. If you're not careful enough, you can spend on Justin Guitar more than a full-year membership of any site listed above in the rankings. How so? Well, there are also Premium courses (between $ 9 and $ 99, but, a good thing, they are lifetime), and all free courses lead to the purchase of e-books (tabs are $ 49.99 USD per year or $ 7.99 USD per month, each e- book with Jam Tracks is $ 9.99, and each Songsbook is about $ 25). Quite overpriced, in our opinion.

If you are a beginner, do not want to spend a dime and are not very worried about quality, variety of styles, instructors and teaching techniques, as well as up-to-date content, then Justin Guitar is the way to go. But if you are interested in high quality lessons and you are willing to pay for it, then the other options are much more useful.

Jamorama: Basic level lessons for electric and acoustic guitar

Jamorama, a site founded in 2014, is the work of the one-man show Mark McKenzie, Jamorama’s pleasant Head Guitar Instructor, who runs all the guitar classes of this platform.

You don't know anything about the guitar? You never got your hands on a guitar? Then Jamorama is for you. The courses are specially created for those who, in principle, have never had to deal with a guitar. Although it cannot compare to the giants Jam Play and Guitar Tricks, which are a tough competition even for the other competitors, Jamorama is a breeding environment for a beginner guitarist.

Jamorama learning path is straight and simple, starting with a five-week introductory course.

The courses cover basic knowledge, such as how to hold guitars, musical theory, how to play recognizable riffs, strumming patterns, and basic chords. Then, as the student gets better, more advanced techniques like the 12 Bar Blues, fingerstyle techniques, and more advanced theories like chord theory, scale theory, and rhythm theory are taught.

The advantage of this platform, besides the clear learning path for a beginner player, is the extended 60-day guarantee, so you have two full months to try the lessons risk free.

Bottom line, if you are a complete beginner or at an early stage and looking to develop your skills at a relaxed pace in a socially interactive environment, then Jamorama could be what you are looking for to move to a higher level. However, for comprehensive learning, the other platforms are the next step.

Final Conclusions

After all the presentations made to each online guitar learning platform, it's time to draw the line and present you the final conclusions. And the question "Why should I choose..." is the one to which we will give the answers.

Why should I choose Jam Play?

Because Jam Play it's the best option for you: it's the most balanced platform, which offers both beginner and advanced players a lot of specific and perfectly organized courses. Also many courses are taught by famous musicians who share their invaluable stage experience.

Why should I choose Guitar Tricks?

Because Guitar Tricks is specially created for beginners, who benefit from a powerful learning system, intermediate players can also develop their techniques in several musical genres, such as blues, jazz, or rock. It also has the largest library of song lessons. Although the 30-day free trial for Guitar Tricks is no longer available, there is a 14-day free trial that will allow you to test the platform and see if it meets your needs.

Why should I choose True Fire?

Because the oldest and largest online guitar lessons platform is very suitable for the development of guitar techniques for intermediate and advanced players, having 50,000+ guitar lessons to offer.

Why should I choose Artist Works?

Because Artist Works it's a suitable system for those who want to perfect themselves in a certain musical style, with the help and feedback of acclaimed musicians.

Why should I choose Justin Guitar?

Because this course is a place for beginners who want to improve their guitar skills at a slower pace, without being conditioned by a membership period.

Why should I choose Jamorama?

You can choose Jamorama because if you want to learn playing guitar from scratch with the help of a pretty well-developed system, with a lifetime membership.

The Best Websites and Apps for Learning Guitar

• May 20, 2022
• July-August 2019

Editor’s note:  This article originally appeared in the July/August 2019 issue of  Acoustic Guitar magazine . Author  Kate Koenig updated it for accuracy in 2021 (and wrote  a follow-up installment  which covers YouTube channels, plus even more websites and apps you may wish to try.)

There are several reasons why traditional music lessons aren’t for everyone. In a practical sense, you may not be able to afford them. Or maybe you just don’t have the time to fit a regular lesson into your week and devote additional hours to practicing. Or perhaps, for whatever reason, taking lessons is just not how you want to learn.

Being a self-taught guitarist (or musician in general) is as well-accommodated as it ever has been, mostly because of the wide variety of apps, software, and websites to choose from. “It’s changed the way we think about the self-taught musician,” says Dr. Bryan Powell, founding co-editor of the Journal of Popular Music Education and chair-elect of the National Association for Music Education. “Now the ‘self-taught musician’ has a lot of teachers. Keeping our goals in mind while we survey resources will help us find the right ones that are going to work for us.”

Aside from the resources that can be found on YouTube, and apart from the many apps that can make the process easier, there is a bounty of pre-structured, all-in-one courses that are customizable enough to suit beginning, intermediate, and even advanced players. They fall under two main categories: immersive software programs and online lesson databases. Of course, having so many options can be fatiguing when it comes to making the right choice. Here are some of the most popular and renowned programs to help you get started.

Options for Learning Guitar Online

Best for beginners, Yousician is an immersive software package that engages users in a new way. Founded in 2011 by Chris Thür and Mikko Kaipainen, the company’s first program, WildChords , was designed as a video game for children. A few years later, they produced Yousician, which offers lessons on guitar, bass, ukulele, piano, and as of 2018, voice. It’s available for Mac and PC, as well as in an app version for Android and Apple devices.

For guitar, Yousician offers a series of lessons with three initial paths to choose from: Lead, Rhythm, and Knowledge. Each offers slightly different customized study, but the basic structure is the same for most lessons: You watch a video of an instructor explaining a technique, and then you play an exercise that allows you to practice it.

The exercises are what make the program unique. A backing track plays as tab-style notation scrolls past on a fretboard—to earn points and pass the exercise, students have to play the notes accurately and on rhythm. The coolest thing about Yousician is that you don’t need anything more than a guitar and a working microphone on your device or computer—the program processes the sound of your guitar and can tell if you’re playing the notes correctly, even when the music gets more fast-paced and complex. Through the help of this audio signal-processing tech, you get valuable feedback on note and rhythmic accuracy.

Yousician teaches through songs, and structures the course based on your skill level. You also can’t progress to the next lesson until you’ve completed the previous one. One interesting feature is that if you’re in a rush, you can enter the amount of time you have to practice, and the program will offer you a lesson that fits. The program also comes with a musical toolkit, which includes exercises for learning and practicing chords, standard notation, scales, and arpeggios, as well as collections of songs to practice fingerpicking styles, barre chords, and songs that belong to certain genres.

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While the program is effectively structured and a fun, engaging tool, one drawback is that the songs are limited. Other learning methods include access to almost any popular song you’re interested in learning how to play; when using Yousician, you’re limited to covers of popular songs and traditional, public-domain folk songs.

Another commercially popular immersive software system for learning guitar is Rocksmith —a program that essentially allows you to play the popular video game Guitar Hero on a real guitar, available on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows. In comparison to Yousician, Rocksmith doesn’t offer as much educational value or rudimentary exercises. It can, however, act as a fun practice tool for intermediate to advanced players.

Six of the Best Websites for Learning Guitar

Aside from some smart and helpful apps—which we’ll touch on a bit later—immersive software is where you’ll find the most benefits that come in the way of what modern technology has to offer. More than gimmicks, those features are useful—but in other ways, there’s nothing better than the basic instructional tools that can be found in our other main category: online databases.

One of the most highly recommended online databases for learning to play guitar is GuitarTricks.com . Founded in 1998, Guitar Tricks offers 11,000 standard video lessons, delivered by their staff of instructors. In addition to their database, a key benefit is that on request, you’re able to book a private video lesson with an instructor, or a spot in a group session. The site, whose resources can also be accessed via its Android app, boasts a collection of 600-plus songs subdivided into categories including bluegrass, jazz, blues, metal, rock, surf, country, classical, and funk & soul. Each song comes with its own instructional video, and some come with their own scores.

One aspect unique to Guitar Tricks is the Core Learning System. Designed especially for beginning students and those returning to the guitar after a long break, the system allows you to structure a series of courses based on specifically what you choose to learn on the instrument. Like most all-in-one services, you also have access to tools including a scale finder, metronome, chord finder, and tuner, along with a few other customized exercise programs.

Guitar Tricks is one of many online databases; other popular sites include:

JamPlay offers 6,500 lessons from over 90 instructors, which include celebrity artists like Bumblefoot (Guns N’ Roses), Steve Stevens (Billy Idol), and Mike Keneally (Steve Vai, Joe Satriani), as well as live video lessons in which site members can interact with the instructor.

Though they have fewer lessons to choose from, ArtistWorks offers instruction on a variety of instruments in addition to the guitar, from seasoned teachers including Paul Gilbert, Keith Wyatt, Tony Trischka, and classical guitarist Jason Vieaux. The site’s best feature is its video exchange, in which students can submit videos of themselves playing, and receive instructor feedback based on their technique.

Acoustic Guitar Plus , an online subscription learning platform from Stringletter Media, the company that publishes Acoustic Guitar magazine , offers hundreds of instructional videos from master teachers at AG , Hal Leonard, Homespun, and others, and caters to acoustic and electric players of all levels and styles.

With the largest database online, TrueFire has 40,000 lessons with 140 plus instructors, including Muriel Anderson, Tommy Emmanuel, Laurence Juber, and Adam Levy.

An entirely free service, JustinGuitar offers over 1,000 lessons and appears on several “best online guitar resources” lists.

The Best Multi-Tool Guitar Apps

Outside of all-inclusive software programs and lesson databases, there are several incredibly useful apps that are available to the self-taught musician.

Offering a very basic yet timeless function is Roni Music’s Amazing Slow Downer —which does just what it says: it slows down recorded music without affecting the pitch. It’s available as software on both Macs and PCs, and now there’s an ASD app for Android and Apple devices that can connect to tracks on Spotify (with a Spotify Premium account).

Available on Apple, PC, and Android devices, EarMaster 7 Pro includes 2,500 exercises for ear training and sight-singing, along with fundamental music theory and rhythm study. The range of exercises is interactive and designed for all skill levels.

With a database of 2,000 songs, FourChords is an app for Android and Apple devices that breaks down songs into four simple guitar chords to make them easy to follow for beginners. It also includes lesson tutorials from JustinGuitar, as well as the ability to adjust the key and tempo, track progress, and get feedback via audio signal processing tech (the same used in Yousician).

Chordify is a unique app that uses audio signal processing in a different way: It analyzes an uploaded song (from anywhere online, or your own hard drive) and outputs a measure-by-measure chord chart. It then allows you to play back, edit, and transpose the results. It’s available as an app for both Android and Apple devices.

You can find tablature and chord charts for nearly any song you’re interested in learning with Ultimate Guitar Tab , Songsterr , and GuitarTapp PRO . iReal Pro , and Guitar Jam Tracks are three examples of play-along apps that provide you with the backing tracks you need to play along with the songs you’re working on. There are a number of tuner apps available, but Guitar Tuna (from the makers of Yousician) is especially handy for its simplicity.

What Guitar Teachers Think of Online Learning

A former New York City public school teacher, the aforementioned Dr. Powell also teaches at several universities in the NYC metropolitan area. (He assigns homework to his master’s level education students, to whom he’s teaching basic guitar for use in their own classrooms, on FourChords.)

“I think it’s a really exciting time for people who want to learn guitar,” he says. Especially in the realm of popular music education, Powell emphasizes the importance of applying your individual goals to your self-education. “Choosing the different resources that work for you, playing the songs that you want to play, and learning in the way you want to, is a better approach for engaging students to stay with playing the guitar throughout their lifespan.

“It starts with what you want to do. The people who are going to stick with learning a new instrument, whatever it is—it’s based on attraction to their interest. Because, if you’re really into it, when your fingers start hurting because you’re playing guitar chords and you haven’t built up calluses, that passion is what’s going to keep you coming back.”

Christopher Sampson—founding director of the popular music program and songwriting professor at USC Thornton School of Music—has had a multifaceted performing career on the guitar. He uses EarMaster Pro every morning as part of his daily routine. “It’s my equivalent of going to the gym,” he says.

“At the beginning level, I think these resources and these apps can be great entry points,” he continues. “They can offer really good starting points to get somebody on fire and interested, and there’s a lot to be said for that. Enthusiasm goes a long way.” When choosing the right educational app or program, Sampson says, “It has to work very intuitively so that I’m not working harder at learning the software than I am at learning the skills that I need.

“Ultimately, all music is self-taught,” Sampson adds. “For somebody to really achieve something interesting in music, they’re going to have to take all the concepts they gather, whether that’s via technology, influences, peers, and they’re going to have to figure out how to create their own style and sound.

“They have to teach themselves what this means to them. That’s a big step—but the self-initiative part of things, of students sparking their own learning process, is a great sign that they might be ready for that down the road.”

Kate Koenig

Kate Koenig is a singer-songwriter, music teacher, and music journalist based in Brooklyn, New York. They have been a regular contributor to Acoustic Guitar since 2017.

Many of the teachers who contribute lessons to Acoustic Guitar also offer private or group instruction, in-person or virtually. Check out our Acoustic Guitar Teacher Directory to learn more !

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Kate, Thanks for an informative article. I may suggest to add a new software platform for the future, called emuso/PracticeSuite PRO from MusicIncite, Ltd., it focuses on interval and natural learning for musicians. I would be happy to send over a trial copy for your to take a look at. Or just send your system requirements (Win 10+ or osMac 11+) to [email protected] and we will provide a trial copy of our pre-release Version 3.0. Thank you for your time and support. Thomas

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12 Best Online Guitar Lessons In 2022 (Get Started for Free)

Written by: Cody

Buyer's guides, 0 comments(s), updated: jun 15, 2023.

You’ve probably seen countless ads from guitar teaching companies while browsing YouTube, so it’s only natural that you’ve at least once thought about enrolling. While you’ve been proverbially bombarded by websites that have probably spent more money on social media campaigns than on actual content and staff, some of them may actually be pretty good.

However, the fact remains that among the thousands of emerging online guitar lesson companies, only a few dozen are reputable, trustworthy services. Today, I plan to dive deep into the best online guitar lessons in 2022, so if you’ve been wondering where to put your money, let’s dissect these platforms so you can make an educated decision.

Want to jump straight to my top picks? Here are my top 3 favorite online guitar lesson websites below:

Guitar Tricks

Learn how to play guitar with the best free online guitar lessons available. For both beginner guitar and advanced, our 11,000 video lessons will have you playing easy guitar songs in no time!

Read review

Online guitar lessons from pro instructors. Learn guitar online with JamPlay and join this community of 500k+ guitarists and aspiring musicians.

Learn how to play guitar with free online guitar lessons and interactive video guitar courses at TrueFire, the world’s most comprehensive library of guitar instruction.

Disclosure: I may earn a commission for certain products in this article. All recommendations are genuine and verified by myself!

What Are the Best Online Guitar Lessons In 2022?

Here is my list of the 12 best online guitar lessons to help you become a better guitarist in 2022.

1. Guitar Tricks

Verdict: Best Overall

Guitar Tricks is a multi-award-winning platform offering premium online guitar lessons for players at all skill levels. Some of the reasons why Guitar Tricks is counted among the best online guitar lesson platforms include a massive library of jam tracks and song tutorials, a comprehensive song library and database of music theory and well over 11,000 online guitar lessons, and an abundance of learning material recorded by top-tier professionals.

Another distinctive advantage of engaging Guitar Tricks online lessons is the comprehensive core learning system dedicated to all beginner to advanced level players. Guitar Tricks’ Guitar Fundamentals program was specifically designed to teach new learners the very basics or to help intermediates remember some of the most important concepts of music theory.

Guitar Tricks also provides its students with an opportunity to specialize in a style of their choosing, whether it be blues, country, jazz, rock, or acoustic. These learning paths are split across levels, helping students progress at a steady pace while providing comprehensive education regarding the chosen style.

Additionally, Guitar Tricks is accessible via iOS and Android smartphones; the app can be downloaded on Google Play and Apple App Store for free, although students still need an account to use it. The Guitar Tricks account is free to make, and the basic account provides access to 24 free lessons. It also stands out among companies that offer free trials, providing its students with two weeks of free content and free sample lessons during this time.

Guitar Tricks video review

Key Features

• A comprehensive song library consisting of more than 11,000 songs, song tutorials, guitar courses, jam tracks, and online guitar lessons
• World-class instructors, including Geoff Earley, Jinx Jones, Joel Van Dijk, Anders Mouridsen, Barrett Tagliarino, Christopher Schlegel, Hunter Perrin, and more
• 14-day free trial
• Suitable for all skill levels, from beginners to intermediate and advanced players
• A well-designed core learning system split into levels of Guitar Fundamentals
• A variety of personalized features, including bookmarking, history, and more
• Community features, such as personalized avatars, profiles, direct messages, and the ability to upload personal content to Guitar Tricks blogs
• A Toolbox comprised of scale finder, jam station, chord finger, reference tuner, fretboard trainer, chord charts , guitar glossary, tabs, and fretboard diagram tools
• iOS Android-compatible app

Guitar Tricks is a paid online guitar lessons service, although new learners and beginners can still use the platform to learn the ropes for free. Making a Guitar Tricks account is also free, which can also be used to access the 14-day free trial, which unlocks all online guitar lessons, video tutorials, tools, and provides access to the community blogs.

To use Guitar Tricks after the free trial period expires, the user needs to subscribe to the platform, which costs $19.95 per month (which amounts to $239.40 annually). Alternatively, students can choose the yearly subscription package, which costs $179.99. This essentially saves $59.41 on a yearly basis, although it is conditioned by the annual commitment.

Who Is This For?

Guitar Tricks is great for practically anyone. Learning the guitar fundamentals is easy, as this online guitar lessons platform offers thousands of guitar courses suitable for guitar players of all skill levels and ages.

It can be argued that Guitar Tricks is the best online guitar lessons platform for beginners while still being remarkably valuable for intermediate and advanced guitarists. The majority of tools and guitar courses are geared towards teaching new learners what playing guitar is supposed to be like.

The bottom line is, the comprehensive online learning experience offered by Guitar Tricks caters well to the needs of advanced players as well, as there are over ten thousand guitar courses and learning resources for those that want to learn guitar’s biggest mysteries.

Get started with Guitar Tricks .

Read my full  Guitar Tricks review .

Verdict: Runner-up

Whether you’re a blues country beginner, or a skilled multi-instrumentalist wanting to play the guitar a bit better, JamPlay may be the best guitar lesson platform for you.

Guitar Tricks and JamPlay have a lot in common – both are world-class online guitar lessons platforms that boast hundreds of video lessons, thousands of online lessons, and learning material for beginners, intermediate, and advanced players, and they both make learning guitar a breeze.

One of the most impressive feats JamPlay was able to accomplish was building a well-rounded roster of professional teachers that offer 6,152 years of combined teaching and playing experience. JamPlay is home to 137 professional guitar players and teachers that have taught thousands how to play guitar in record time.

With custom learning toolkits, JamPlay offers new students an opportunity to cherry-pick the fragments of guitar lessons they want to learn; each toolkit features different guitar courses, online lessons, video lessons, jam tracks, and each toolkit is versatile, but leaning toward a particular style of music. For instance, for guitar players wishing to master blues guitar online, the Blues Essentials Kit has everything needed for beginners to learn guitar techniques and tricks of this particular genre.

JamPlay video review

• Enormous song library that includes over 7,000 online lessons, video lessons, electric guitar online courses, acoustic guitar tutorials, and live lessons
• Well-suited for rookie guitar players , beginner intermediates, as well as intermediate or advanced players
• Learning guitar online with JamPlay is a breeze, as the brand offers 137 instructors with over 6,000 years of combined experience
• Fully tailored content designed to cater to the needs of beginner to intermediate level players
• Dozens of music styles and genres are covered, including blues country, acoustic guitar, rock, metal, classical, and everything in between
• Comprehensive free and paid toolkits featuring additional learning content
• 7-day free trial, as well as numerous free toolboxes that can be picked up at checkout
• Money-back guarantee

Flexible membership is a pretty interesting feature of JamPlay, as it allows the beginner to intermediate learners an opportunity to pick a plan that fits their particular needs and budgets, as opposed to many online guitar lessons platforms that have a strict pricing plan.

The main subscription for JamPlay’s guitar lessons online costs $19.95 per month, the yearly plan costs $13.33 per month, and the yearly Pro plan costs $24.99 per month.

JamPlay also offers a 7-day free trial, as well as a money-back guarantee during the first week on all purchases. It can be argued that JamPlay is one of the best online guitar lessons platforms for greenhorns, beginner intermediates on a tight cash-strapped budget looking for quality guitar lessons online, mainly due to JamPlay’s versatile pricing options.

JamPlay is among the best online guitar lessons platforms for immediate beginners, intermediate and advanced players, but it’s mainly designed to help new learners tackle the basics and intermediates refine their guitar skills.

With special courses and toolboxes dedicated to blues country, acoustic guitar, rock bundles, and folk essentials, it can be safely said that this is among the most versatile, if not the best guitar lessons online services for anyone into playing the guitar.

Read my full  Jamplay review .

3. Truefire

Verdict: Largest Selection of Guitar Lessons

The database of Truefire’s online guitar lessons is widely acclaimed among the most voluminous ones, encompassing tens of thousands of tutorials and video lessons, excluding the personalized one-on-one sessions and private lessons that subscribers are privy to.

What separates Truefire from its contemporaries is the fact that this platform is expanding at a rapid pace. Merely a few years ago, their database featured roughly 40,000 jam tracks, lessons, and video tutorials; fast-forward to today, Truefire’s database numbers more than 51,770 lessons and is consistently updating its song library on a daily basis.

Helmed by professional instructors and guitar players, Truefire offers a comfortable learning experience. Students get to decide whether they want to specialize in a particular genre or style or follow a versatile, all-encompassing learning path revolving around the fundamental aspects of the country, jazz, blues, rock, and country.

Some of the most reputable high-profile instructors teaching at Truefire include the infamous Joe Bonamassa, Tommy Emmanuel, Greg Koch, Josh Smith, Tim Pierce, Jeff McErlain, Andy Wood, and the world-famous Steve Vai.

Truefire video review

• Over 51,770 guitar lessons, tutorials, explainers, and songs are contained in a well-organized library
• 1-on-1 video lessons and live courses
• Helmed by dozens of world-famous guitarists, such as Steve Vai, Joe Bonamassa, and Tommy Emmanuel
• Numerous instructional books available for purchase on the Truefire site
• iOS and Android integrations
• 30-day free trial and free membership with limited features available

Among all the online guitar lesson services covered so far, Truefire offers the most generous free trial period – students can use the Truefire app for free over the course of 30 days. Unlimited free membership is also an option, although some of the features will be locked for non-subscribers.

The monthly subscription costs $19 while the annual plan costs $149, which comes to a savings of $79 per year.

Truefire guitar lessons are perfect for guitar learners that want the best training money can afford. Aside from the fact that this platform is fairly approachable price-wise, the staggering amount of learning material presented by world-class musicians speaks volumes about its quality and worth.

Everyone from beginners to the most seasoned veterans can find value in engaging Truefire’s online lesson services.

4. Fender Play

Verdict: Best If You’re on a Budget

Learning guitar online can be a daunting experience for some beginners. Lacking the guitar skills and knowledge about the basic terms and techniques is something that prevents many people from ever approaching certain online guitar lessons and platforms, and that’s precisely what Fender Play was aware of before its official app was launched.

Heavily acclaimed by Guitar World and dozens of professionals, Fender Play is easily one of the best online guitar lessons platforms that offer a myriad of song lessons and video lessons, a thoroughly enjoyable experience for its students learning guitar, and an enviable library of online guitar lessons.

The Fender Play guitar community is one of its most distinctive features, as students can seamlessly connect and share their progress between one another and their instructors, but also participate in weekly giveaways, and dive deep into more challenging online guitar lessons with their new friends.

Fender Play boasts over 3,000 online lessons, tutorials, song lessons, backing tracks, video lessons, and pre-recorded tunes, which allows its students to jam along to their favorite tunes, explore deep cuts of their top artists, and find playthroughs of the most popular songs.

Fender Play video review

• More than 3,000 tutorials, electric guitar playthroughs, online guitar lessons, and explainer videos
• Heavily acclaimed by Guitar World and numerous professional guitar players
• Excellent suitability for intermediate and advanced players while being one of the best online guitar lessons platforms for beginners
• Numerous app-based tools and engaging events (weekly giveaways, chord challenges, and such)
• An eclectic collection of songs and albums from world-class and up-and-coming artists
• A rapidly-growing Fender Play guitar community
• 7-day free trial and fairly low monthly subscription fees
• App compatible with both iOS and Android devices

Although Fender Play doesn’t offer pricing plan options that are as flexible as those of Jamplay or Guitar Tricks, the fact that it’s both cheap and remarkably versatile service makes it one of the best online guitar lessons platforms available on the market.

Fender Play offers a monthly plan subscription, which costs $19.99 per month, and the annual plan subscription which costs $150 in total ($12.50 per month).

Although intermediate and advanced players can efficiently use Fender Play’s services, their online guitar lessons are mainly suited for beginners and beginner intermediates. Fender Play is very intuitive and easy to use, and it’s jam-packed with a variety of unique features that can be previewed for free.

The bottom line is, Fender Play’s online lessons are comprehensive and exceptionally educational, capable of catering to the needs of beginners of all ages while still being more than useful for more skilled players.

5. Artist Works Online Guitar Lessons

Verdict: Best for One-On-One Feedback

The opportunity to learn from some of the best guitarists in the world is something not many guitar lesson companies can boast about. Having none other than Paul Gilbert, Guthrie Trapp, Keith Wyatt, and Chris Eldridge in its roster of teachers, Artist Works is easily among the most prestigious online guitar lesson websites on the market.

Offering comprehensive guitar courses, diversified learning paths, as well as specialized training material, jam tracks, and tens of thousands of online lessons, Artist Works presents an all-in-one guitar learning opportunity for players of all skill levels.

In addition to teaching guitar, Artist Works professionals are also experts in Banjo, Mandolin, Bass, Piano, Cello, Fiddle, Ukulele , and Violin , as well as numerous percussion, woodwind, and brass instruments.

• Thousands of guitar lessons, jam tracks, live tutorials, and learning material
• Integrated learning tools, such as looper, slow-motion, tuners, and more
• Some of the most reputable guitar players and instructors are leading the main programs
• Narrowly specialized training courses and broad learning paths for students of all skill levels
• Multiple genres spanning both electric and acoustic guitar training

Although it’s a paid online service, ArtistWorks offers a free trial on-demand, meaning that students need to fill out the provided form to receive free sample lessons. This service offers three subscription plans, including 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month plans.

The 3-month plan costs $35per month ($105 in total). It offers the same features as the other two bundles, with the exception of VIP bonus content and backing tracks.

The 6-month plan costs $30 per month ($179 in total), meaning that students can save up to 14% by choosing this option. This package also contains 25 backing tracks, but like the 3-month plan, it doesn’t feature VIP bonus content.

The 12-month plan is the ArtistWorks’ value package, costing $23.25 per month ($279 in total), saving up to 33%, and providing students with exclusive VIP content.

ArtistWorks is an excellent choice for guitar students with at least some experience. Immediate newcomers can find just as much value, but given that ArtistWorks is a paid subscription platform, greenhorns may find more luck with a free guitar learning app.

Top-tier instructors and professionals that have spent more time on stage than on their feet are helming this company, and they are more than experienced enough to teach their students all of their secrets.

6. Simply Guitar

Simply Guitar is an app-based online guitar lesson service that has streamlined the learning process so that immediate beginners can feel comfortable learning the ropes. It’s a paid software with two subscription options, although students can preview its features and use them during the free trial period.

The gamified nature of Simply Guitar makes it exceptionally attractive to young students and beginners. Nearly all of its tools and courses feature cartoon-like graphics and animations, especially the automated feedback, which makes learning to play guitar feel like a game in itself.

Dozens of courses and songs are available while the library is consistently being updated by professionals. Although its library isn’t as eclectic and versatile as Jamplay’s or Guitar Tricks’ database, there are still tons of songs and engaging content to enjoy.

• Wide range of video tutorials, explainers, and song lessons pre-recorded by top-tier professional guitar players
• Engaging and highly interactive user interface
• Completely app-based online guitar lesson service
• Several built-in tools, such as chord learner and scale finder
• Comprehensive courses for guitar learning beginners
• Automated feedback from the application when the student makes mistakes

Simply Guitar offers a free plan (which teaches you a few basics) and three subscription plans. The 3-month subscription costs $33.33/month, the 6-month subscription costs $24.99/month and the yearly subscription costs $16.66/month. If you choose the yearly subscription you get a 7-day free trial.

Simply Guitar is very deserving of its name, as it made the learning process as simple as it could possibly be. However, the lack of ’professional’ features makes it somewhat less valuable for professionals and advanced players. The bottom line is, greenhorn guitar players will reap the biggest advantages by using this app.

7. Guitar Gate

Guitar Gate was founded by Michael Palmisano, an award-winning graduate of GIT with over 15 years of experience. Michael has taught more than 90,000 students so far, which speaks volumes about his educational skills and guitar proficiency.

This guitar lesson service is highly affordable and fragmentized into bite-sized pieces; Guitar Gate can be dubbed a comprehensive ’crash course’ for guitar learners that want to advance fast reliably and consistently.

Although the fact that its learning library consists of some 200 lessons and courses, they were all specifically designed to address multiple core elements, aiming to help the students become self-sufficient and self-reliant in record time.

• 195 guitar lessons grouped in 10 comprehensive learning courses
• Helmed by Michael Palmisano, an award-winning professional guitarist
• Weekly live broadcasts, direct feedback from the instructor, and open Q&A sessions
• Unique learning paths
• Perfectly suited for immediate beginners and beginner intermediates
• 3-day free trial

Guitar Gate offers a 3-day free trial, which should be enough for beginners to get comfortable with the platform. The core subscription package costs $14.99 per month.

Unlike some guitar lesson platforms covered so far, Guitar Gate does not revolve around thousands of lessons and courses that could potentially drown an immediate new learner with content and potentially dissuade them from moving forward.

Guitar Gate is for all beginner-level players, as well as more experienced guitarists that are still struggling to find their voice on their instrument of choice.

8. Justin Guitar

Founded by Justin Sandercoe, Justin Guitar is an online guitar lesson service designed to provide guitar enthusiasts and beginners with hours’ worth of free content, hundreds of free songs, all the while enabling intermediate and advanced level players to polish their skills with premium content and packages.

Justin Guitar currently offers 1,283 free lessons and 683 songs. Numerous genre-specific jam tracks,  songbooks, and e-books can be purchased from the official Justin Guitar website and can be used as tools to complement the guitar learning experience of all individual students.

• Founded by Justin Sandercoe, an Australian-based professional guitarist, performer, educator, and songwriter
• 1,283 free lessons and 683 free songs
• A community of over 607,000 users
• iOS and Android-compatible app
• Numerous on-site tools, including a tempo calculator, blank papers, an interval ear trainer, and a metronome

A free trial is not a necessary feature for a service that offers indefinitely free content, to begin with. Thousands of lessons and hundreds of songs can be accessed for free on Justin Guitar after making an account.

The website doesn’t require a paid subscription, although certain features are locked and can be purchased from the on-site store. Jam tracks, songbooks, e-books, and premium courses, as well as various music theory lessons and comprehensive beginner guides, can be bought on Justin Guitar’s official website.

As a free guitar lesson website, Justin Guitar is ideal for immediate beginners and people with minimal guitar skills. The platform offers a variety of tools and thousands of free lessons, but Justin Guitar also offers master classes and premium courses, as well as books and additional products more suited for intermediates.

9. Guitareo

Guitareo is an affordable online guitar learning platform that offers beginners and intermediate-level students an opportunity to learn more about their instrument with hundreds of hours of pre-recorded lessons and video footage, as well as live sessions and tutorials.

Instead of simply crowding its platform with a lifetime’s worth of content, Guitareo is more concerned about motivating and educating its students, catering to the individual needs of each member.

However, its database of songs, tutorials, jam packs, and lessons is still formidable, complemented by new coaches that are arriving each month.

Thousands of lessons and courses, as well as additional on-demand content to subscribed users

• 90-day money back guarantee on subscriptions
• Fragemtnized, step-by-step video lessons, and tutorials
• Professional coaches and seasonal guests keep content fresh
• Available on iOS and Android devices
• Various built-in tools to keep students more inspired

The subscription to Guitareo online guitar service is $10.58 per month (billed annually). A 30-day free trial is also available for students that want to get a feel for the on-site tools and lessons, unlocking the entirety of content as if the user’s subscription was paid for.

Beginners and at least remotely experienced guitar players that have hit a plateau can benefit the most by engaging Guitareo’s services. This platform is versatile, open-minded, and promotes free-thinking in its students by enabling them to specialize in genres or diversify their skills by drinking from the pools of rock, pop, blues, jazz, country, and other established music genres.

10. Yousician

Yousician is a beginner-friendly guitar learning service that offers an enormous library of songs, video tutorials, live sessions, and songs. Both pre-recorded content and live videos are organized by a team of professional, highly experienced music teachers and guitar pros.

This platform is among the few that are compatible with both PC and Mac while offering an iOS and Android-compatible app that students can use to access the songs, lessons, and courses.

• A comprehensive database of over 10,000 lessons and popular songs
• Various progress tracking features and tools
• Premium plan subscriptions gain access to lessons on other instruments as well
• Gamified experience with app-based chord and scale applications
• Multiple people can be linked on a single Yousician account

Yousician is a paid online guitar service that offers a 7-day free trial for students that have already made a basic account (or logged in via Facebook or Apple). The monthly subscription costs vary by region and by billing method.

If monthly billing is selected, Yousician Premium costs $19.99 per month; Premium + Personal costs $29.99 per month while Premium + Family pack subscription costs $44.99 per month.

As one of the best guitar education platforms for beginners, Yousician is ideal for individuals, couples, and families that wish to learn how to play an instrument. There’s an abundance of engaging content to be enjoyed, which makes it an excellent opportunity for adult learners, as well as children to spend some quality time together.

11. Active Melody

Much like Justin Guitar, Active Melody is an online guitar lesson website helmed by a single teacher, Brian Sherrill.

Another similarity between the two platforms is that the bulk of the content is completely free while students that want to expand their knowledge can purchase additional content. What sets them apart is the fact that Active Melody offers a premium bundle at a remarkably low fee of $12 a month.

This website offers enough content to keep beginners entertained for days while the premium membership further expands the list of possibilities and opportunities to learn.

• Hundreds of explainer videos, chord tutorials, songs, and lessons
• Additional content is being added each Friday
• Blues-focused online guitar learning website
• Remarkably affordable premium membership subscription
• Downloadable jam tracks
• Highly interactive features and tablature readers
• Brian Sherrill is recording and teaching all courses

Active Melody is one of the most affordable online guitar lesson platforms, as a subscription to their website costs a mere $12 per month or $89 if you pay annually. Although the brand doesn’t offer a free trial, multiple lessons can be accessed for free after making an account.

Active Melody is primarily for blues-oriented beginners, although the fundamental courses are mainly concerned with teaching the basics of music theory, chords, and scales. Active Melody is an excellent choice for beginners on a cash-strapped budget while intermediate-level players can find it useful as well.

12. Pickup Music

Pickup Music is an online guitar learning platform that focuses on turning intermediate guitarists into advanced players. With a diverse roster of instructors made up of leading professional guitarists & PhD-level educators, Pickup’s guiding light is to take the guesswork out of learning guitar.

With 15,000 members worldwide, they’re a market leader for intermediate and advanced guitarists, but they have lessons for players of any skill level. In addition to courses covering traditional styles like rock, blues, jazz, country, etc, Pickup prides itself on exploring modern guitar sounds at the cutting edge of the instrument, ranging from neo soul and prog to pop and beyond.

Their membership platform focuses on guided Learning Pathways that are designed to take you from beginner to advanced in all major guitar styles. Their Learning Pathways feature guided playalong exercises, interactive quizzes, and performance pieces where players can record themselves jamming with a live-band backing track and get personalized feedback on their playing.

• Ultra-guided learning with interactive practice exercises
• Unlimited personalized learning support
• Weekly live Zoom lessons & monthly community events
• Lessons from leading contemporary guitarists (Melanie Faye, Manuel G. Fernandes, Cecil Alexander, Isaiah Sharkey, Ichika Mo, Jude Smith, etc)

Pickup Music offers an all-inclusive membership model for $14.99/month or $149.99/year. Both memberships include unlimited access to all of Pickup’s lessons, custom learning support, and community events. New members can try out the membership with a 14-day free trial.

Pickup Music’s bread and butter lies in helping advanced beginners and intermediate guitarists break through to the advanced level. That said, they have a Learning Pathway prep program designed to get complete beginners up to speed with the fundamental skills that their guided courses are based on. Advanced players love Pickup Music’s intensive Master Classes, which dive into complex topics and provide a glimpse at the playing style of some of the world’s best guitarists.

Best Online Guitar Lessons FAQ

What’s the best place to learn guitar online.

There are a lot of different ways to learn guitar these days. You can find lessons in bookstores, online, or even through apps on your phone. But when it comes to finding the best place to learn guitar online, there’s only one clear answer: Guitar Tricks . At Guitar Tricks, you’ll find high-quality video lessons taught by professional guitarists. There’s a wide range of courses to choose from, so you can always find something that’s tailored to your level and interests. Plus, with a membership, you’ll get access to all of the lessons, so you can learn at your own pace and revisit lessons as often as you need. If you’re serious about learning guitar, then Guitar Tricks is the answer.

Do online guitar lessons really work?

There’s no doubt that online guitar lessons have become increasingly popular in recent years. With the advance of technology, it’s now possible to learn to play the guitar without even leaving your home. But the question remains: do online guitar lessons really work? The answer, of course, depends on the individual. For some people, online guitar lessons may be the perfect solution. They’re flexible and convenient, and they can be a great way to fit learning into a busy schedule. On the other hand, others may find that they need the structure and discipline of a traditional classroom setting in order to progress. Ultimately, the best way to find out if online guitar lessons work is to try them for yourself.

Can I learn guitar in 6 months?

A common question that guitarists get asked is how long will it take me to learn guitar? The answer to this question is not simple. It depends on a number of factors, such as how much time you are willing to dedicate to practice, how quickly you pick up new concepts, and whether you have any prior experience with other musical instruments. With that said, it is possible to make significant progress in a relatively short period of time. In general, most people who devote at least an hour of practice each day can expect to see noticeable improvement within a few months. However, the amount of time required to become proficient can vary greatly from person to person.

Are Udemy guitar courses worth it?

The answer is yes, but they are especially beneficial for beginners. Udemy offers a wide range of courses, however, they aren’t a dedicated guitar leaning platform like Guitar Tricks or Jamplay. The courses are also very affordable, and you can work at your own pace but if you want to learn more than just the basic to intermediate guitar concepts, I recommend trying one of the online guitar courses listed in this post.

Can I learn guitar online for free?

The simple answer to this question is yes, you can learn guitar online for free. However, the quality of your instruction will vary depending on the source. There are a number of websites that offer free guitar lessons, and many of them provide a decent level of instruction – one of which is Justin Guitar. However, there are also a number of sites that simply provide a few basic lessons and then try to sell you an expensive membership. In addition, there are a number of YouTube channels that offer free guitar lessons. Overall, if you are willing to put in the time and effort, you can learn guitar online for free. However, you may need to sift through a lot of videos to find what you want.

Which app is best for learning guitar?

If you’re looking solely for a mobile-based app to learn guitar in a fun and gamified way, I believe that Simply Guitar is the best option out there. What sets this app apart from the others is its ability to provide high-quality instruction without being too overwhelming or complicated. The lessons are well-organized and progress at a reasonable pace, so you never feel like you’re in over your head. And even though it’s focused on teaching the basics, there are still plenty of features to keep things interesting.

The reason why all of the aforementioned eleven platforms are the ’best’ is unique to each one. Some are more affordable, some have an extensive catalog of courses and lessons while some are equipped with better tools or staffed by better teachers.

The bottom line is that all eleven websites can be labeled as the ’best online guitar lesson service’ in their own right. I leave it to you to make the final call and hope that I’ve supplied you with the necessary information to make the right decision.

P.S if you liked this review check out my other reviews such as the  best online singing lessons and best online piano lessons.

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Best Online Guitar Lessons for Beginners

As a beginner guitar player, I’ve spent a lot of time over the past few months scouring the web for the best online guitar lessons for beginners. This page is a running list of the best guitar-teaching websites and apps that I come across.

Because of their interactive and visual format, modern guitar-teaching apps and websites are probably the most efficient way to learn guitar if you’re teaching yourself. Some people also find that supplementing online lessons with a guitar method book can be helpful, especially if they have a background in reading music or want to learn how to do so.

I have found the Hal Leonard method to be super easy to follow, and I’ve also compiled a list of the best guitar books for beginners based on user reviews. If you prefer video lessons, there are also DVD guitar methods available for beginners.

Coming up in this post (click on one of the links below to jump to that section):

How much do online guitar lessons cost?

• 6 best websites for online guitar lessons

What is the best website for online guitar lessons?

What is the best website to learn guitar for free, can you learn guitar online as a beginner, what are the benefits of online lessons.

Most guitar lesson websites and apps cost $20-$30 per month (about $250-$300 per year for an annual subscription). In-person private guitar lessons, on the other hand, often cost $30-$60 for a lesson of 30 to 60 minutes (about $120-$240 per month).

Online private guitar lessons – via Zoom or Skype, for example – are comparable in price to in-person private guitar lessons.

YouTube guitar lessons are obviously free, and some of them are excellent. However, they lack the structure, interactive technology, support, and progress reporting features that are built into modern guitar-teaching apps and websites.

The best websites for online guitar lessons

Below are six of the top websites and apps for online guitar lessons. There are other websites online that teach guitar; however, I shortlisted these websites based on the following criteria:

• An established user base (many thousands of users in most cases)
• Positive feedback from users on sites like TrustPilot and Reddit
• Quality and diversity of guitar lessons and instructors
• Affordability (one of the sites is free, and most of the others offer a generous free trial period and/or reasonable refund policy)

According to the above, here are the best online guitar lessons for beginners.

Guitar Tricks: Best guitar lesson website for song tutorials

https://www.guitartricks.com/trial_splash.php

Styles/genres: Acoustic, rock, jazz, blues, country, classical, funk, soul, bluegrass, metal, rockabilly, surf, world, Celtic, and more.

Skill level: Complete beginner to advanced.

Does Guitar Tricks offer online bass guitar lessons?

No. A company rep has stated, “We primarily focus on six-string electric/acoustic guitar, but many of the theoretical concepts we teach can also be applied to bass guitar.”

(If you’re a bass guitarist, check out TrueFire, JamPlay, or ArtistWorks, reviewed below!)

How much does Guitar Tricks cost?

A full-access membership to Guitar Tricks costs $19.95 per month. Compare pricing plans here .

Does Guitar Tricks offer a free trial?

Yes. Go here to try Guitar Tricks free for 14 days .

About Guitar Tricks

With over three million users, Guitar Tricks is one of the most popular websites for beginner online guitar lessons. The site was started in 1998 with the goal of giving guitarists of all ages and skill levels an easy, fast, and fun way to learn guitar online.

Guitar Tricks offers over 11,000 easy step-by-step video lessons taught by top-notch instructors. The award-winning curriculum is designed to be accessible to beginners, with video lessons showing the instructor playing the guitar from multiple angles. Guitar tab and notation are included to aid with instruction.

In addition to the video lessons, Guitar Tricks has a huge library of over 1,000 song tutorials spanning a wide range of genres. Each song is taught slowly in step-by-step detail. After you’ve learned a song, you can jam along with a professional backing track. Easy versions of songs are available for beginners, and all songs include accurate guitar tabs and music notation.

One of the site’s top features is its Core Learning System, a comprehensive guitar course for beginners. Through a step-by-step series of video lessons, you’ll master the fundamentals of guitar, including how to hold your guitar and pick, play simple chords, strum properly, play scales, and read

standard music notation. The Core Learning System will have you playing songs right from the beginning to reinforce the concepts you’re learning.

Once you’ve completed Guitar Fundamentals 1 and 2 of the Core Learning System, you’ll have the skills needed to progress to Levels 1 and 2 of specific styles, including Blues, Country, Rock, and Acoustic. This is where you’ll gain comprehensive training in the musical style of your choice. (In addition to these four musical styles, Guitar Tricks offers instruction in many other styles and genres.)

Other highlights of the site include the Guitar Tricks Forum (network with other students and get help from site instructors), the Jam Station (play along with your favorite songs), and the Technique Reference Library (learn specific guitar techniques). As a member, you’ll also get access to tools like a metronome and guitar tuner, as well as the Chord Finder tool, where you can learn how to play any chord on the guitar.

In short, a full membership to Guitar Tricks gives you access to:

• The Core Learning System, a complete step-by-step guitar course for absolute beginners
• All 11,000+ guitar lessons, with more lessons added daily
• 1,000+ step-by-step song tutorials, with new ones added weekly (including accurate guitar tabs and music notation)

Sign up here for an all-access 14-day trial of Guitar Tricks .

TrueFire: Tons of guitar genres and techniques to choose from

https://truefire.com/online-guitar-lessons/

Styles/genres: Blues, Americana, bluegrass, classical, country, fingerstyle, folk, funk, rock, hip hop, jazz, pop, R&B, songwriting, soul, world, flamenco/Latin, Celtic, and more.

Does TrueFire offer online bass guitar lessons?

How much does TrueFire cost?

TrueFire gives you the option of purchasing a subscription membership or buying courses separately. Compare pricing plans here .

The subscription membership gives you the most bang for your buck, as it gives you streaming access to all the courses on the site. It costs $29 per month, or $249 for an annual plan (save $99).

If you purchase courses separately, you can either stream or download the course. Most courses cost between $29.99 and $49.99.

Does TrueFire offer a free trial?

Yes. Sign up here for an all-access 14-day free trial .

About TrueFire

TrueFire is another popular website offering some of the best online guitar lessons for beginners. They have millions of users, over 40,000 interactive video guitar lessons, and 1,000+ complete guitar courses on their site. Their roster of over 300 guitar instructors and course creators include Grammy award winners and other top artists and educators; for example, Steve Vai, Andy McKee, Stu Hamm, and the late Pat Martino. Guitar Player Magazine has called TrueFire “the planet’s most comprehensive selection of guitar instruction.”

Video lessons on TrueFire are shot from multiple angles and feature interactive synced tablature and an animated fretboard. You can slow down and loop specific sections of the audio to make it easier to practice along with. Guitar tab and notation files for the lessons are available.

When I was exploring the site, what stood out most was the huge diversity of course offerings and the ability to filter them all by topic or technique, instrument (acoustic, electric, or bass), skill level, style or genre, and educator.

For example, you can easily filter by keywords like Bass Grooves, Fingerstyle, Flatpicking, Improvisation, Jazz Scales, Picking, Soloing, Songwriting, and Strumming. Additionally, you can filter by courses that have the highest ratings or most reviews from other students.

TrueFire’s Learning Paths are study plans designed to take you from your current skill level to advanced in an accelerated way. The Learning Path system assesses your current skill level, so whether you’re a complete beginner, an advanced guitarist, or somewhere in between, you can jump right into lessons that match your playing ability and challenge you to improve.

Learning Paths are available for multiple guitar genres and styles, including jazz, country, acoustic, rock, blues, and bass guitar. Concepts and techniques are taught step-by-step with easy lessons. First you’ll play along with the instructor, and then by yourself to a jam track. Progress tracking is included to motivate you to keep practicing.

If you’re a complete beginner, you’ll start playing chords from the first lesson, no reading music or theory required.

To sum up, membership to TrueFire gives you access to:

• All 1,000+ courses, with new courses added every week
• 30,000+ tabs, standard notation, and Guitar Pro files
• 20,000+ jam tracks

Go here for an all-access 14-day free trial of TrueFire .

JamPlay: Weekly live instruction and good student support

https://enroll.jamplay.com/signup

Styles/genres: Blues, bluegrass, country, flamenco, Brazilian, rock, jazz, folk, gospel, Celtic, surf, R&B, pop, classical, funk, reggae, acoustic rock, metal, flamenco, songwriting, and more.

Does JamPlay offer online bass guitar lessons?

How much does JamPlay cost?

A subscription to JamPlay costs $19.95 per month. They also offer two different annual plans for $13.33 per month ($159.96 per year) and $24.99 per month ($299.88 per year). The annual plans include some additional features, like one or more Guitarist Toolkits, which give you in-depth instruction on different genres and aspects of guitar playing. Compare JamPlay’s pricing plans here .

Does JamPlay offer a free trial?

Yes. JamPlay is currently offering a 30-day free trial – sign up for the trial here .

About JamPlay

JamPlay’s online guitar lesson library includes over 7,000 lessons and 700 complete courses taught by over 120 instructors. New courses are added every week, in addition to weekly live sessions.

Each interactive JamPlay lesson is filmed from multiple camera angles. The video is synced with the tablature and fretboard layouts, and there are plenty of options for slowing down or looping the video to make practice easier. You can also bookmark parts of the video for later reference. The progress tracking feature keeps you motivated and focused on your lessons, and practice suggestions and jam tracks help you practice more effectively.

The tabs and music notation for each lesson are available as downloadable Guitar Pro and PDF files.

JamPlay has both genre-focused and skills-focused courses that you can filter by your ability level. You can learn about topics like lead guitar concepts and techniques, singing with guitar, ear training, speed and technique, theory and improvisation, recording and mic’ing, 12-string guitar, instrument care and maintenance, reading music and rhythms, and rhythm guitar.

If you’re a complete beginner, you can choose from structured beginner lessons, or filter the genre- and skills-based lessons for beginner lessons and songs.

JamPlay also offers hundreds of step-by-step song lessons that teach entire songs, including the intro and solo parts. The JamTracks library has hundreds of backing tracks you can practice to.

As a subscriber to JamPlay’s Year Pro plan, you get access to the exclusive Guitarist Toolkits, which provide in-depth instruction on specific guitar topics. The Beginner Practice Plan toolkit is a complete course for beginners that teaches fundamentals like chords and scales, strumming and singing, melodies and lead, and how to practice effectively. Other toolkits include comprehensive instruction on rhythm guitar, lead guitar, singing and studio essentials, blues, rock, country, fingerstyle and folk, and bass guitar.

Besides offering some of the best online guitar lessons for beginners, a couple of JamPlay’s main selling points are its live instruction and excellent student support. JamPlay’s teachers offer weekly live workshops about designated guitar topics. There are also daily live Q&A sessions where you can interact with instructors – and, if you have a question about any of your lessons, you can contact a teacher and get a response. You can also chat with other students in the JamPlay Forums.

In short, a Year Pro membership to JamPlay gives you access to:

• All 7,000+ lessons and 700+ complete courses
• Weekly live workshops
• All nine Guitarist Toolkits, including the Beginner Practice Plan
• Three one-on-one consultations
• 300 JamPlay ownership credits (these let you download and own courses without requiring a subscription)

Click here to sign up for a 30-day free trial of JamPlay .

JustinGuitar.com: Best free guitar lessons online

https://www.justinguitar.com/

Styles/genres: Pop, rock, blues, jazz, folk, fingerstyle.

Does JustinGuitar offer online bass guitar lessons?

No. If you’re a bass guitarist, I recommend checking out TrueFire, JamPlay, or ArtistWorks, reviewed in this post.

How much does JustinGuitar cost?

Most of the content on the site is free, including the online beginner guitar lessons. Justin asks that you donate if you find the lessons useful.

The JustinGuitar Lessons & Songs App, which has hundreds of backing tracks you can practice along with, is currently $86.99 for a year. Justin also offers a few premium courses on the site, including his music theory course.

About JustinGuitar.com

JustinGuitar.com is a popular website offering some of the best online guitar lessons for beginners – and they’re free! (There are also some beginner ukulele lessons available on the site.) Created by Australian guitarist and performer Justin Sandercoe, the website has over 1,800 video guitar lessons and song tutorials and a user base of over 400,000 students.

The main body of lessons on the site is organized into nine grades: grades 1-3 (beginner), grades 4-6 (intermediate), and grade 7 (advanced – grades 8 and 9 are coming soon). Each of these grades contains several modules that are further broken down into several video lessons.

If you don’t want to work through the courses in order, you can also sort them by style or type of skill.

Justin’s popular Beginner Guitar Course (grades 1-3) teaches the fundamentals of playing guitar. In Grade 1 of the course, you’ll learn eight essential open chords and easy strumming patterns, and you’ll start playing easy songs. In grades 2 and 3, you’ll learn about more types of chords and get a sample of fingerstyle, blues, and rock styles.

Justin has over 35 years of teaching experience, and his teaching style is friendly and relaxed. For the first few modules, he gives you a practice schedule with suggestions of what to work on so you don’t have to think about it too hard.

In addition to the main video lessons, there are over 600 step-by-step song tutorials on the website, which you can filter by instrument (guitar or ukulele), difficulty level, chords, genre, or tag. The site also includes a forum.

Another top feature of JustinGuitar.com is the JustinGuitar Lessons & Songs App, which has backing tracks for over 600 songs. These are the same songs that Justin teaches on his website, so you can learn your favorite songs and then practice along with the backing track. The app is available for $86.99 per year.

The lessons emphasize contemporary genres of music without the need to read standard notation. (If you want to learn how to play classical, traditional, or world styles of music, check out TrueFire , JamPlay , or ArtistWorks .)

Overall, JustinGuitar.com is a well-structured learning resource and one of the best free websites for online beginner guitar lessons.

MasterClass: Learn guitar secrets from Carlos Santana and Tom Morello

https://www.masterclass.com/categories#music-entertainment

MasterClass offers online classes taught by masters of their craft. Each masterclass has an average of 20 video lessons, with an average of 10 minutes per lesson. There’s a downloadable workbook included with each class. You also get access to the community of other MasterClass members.

Currently MasterClass has two guitar classes:

Carlos Santana Teaches the Art and Soul of Guitar . In his first-ever online class, 10-time Grammy winner and Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Carlos Santana breaks down his process and approach to artistic expression. He discusses genres like the blues, jazz, guajira, merengue, and rock, as well as topics like showmanship and stage presence, bending and vibrato, and effective practice.

Tom Morello Teaches Electric Guitar . Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine states about his masterclass, “In this class, you will be able to write a song and play a guitar solo, even if you’ve never touched a guitar before.” Advanced players will learn tips for playing like Morello. The masterclass covers things like songwriting, rhythm playing, improvisation, solos, and performing live. Morello also discusses his arsenal of guitars, amps, and effects pedals.

How much does MasterClass cost?

A yearly membership to MasterClass costs $180. With your membership, you get access to the entire catalog of 100+ classes, as well as any new classes that launch during your subscription.

Besides offering some of the best online guitar lessons for beginners, MasterClass has a variety of other music classes as well – for example, songwriting, piano, drumming, violin, ukulele, singing, film scoring, beat making, DJing, and music production.

ArtistWorks: Get video feedback from your instructor

https://artistworks.com/

Styles/genres: Rock, blues, bluegrass, country, jazz, fingerstyle, classical, dobro and lap steel, jazz improv. For bass guitar they offer multi-style and jazz courses. ArtistWorks is also one of the few websites to offer double bass lessons online (bluegrass and jazz).

Does ArtistWorks offer online bass guitar lessons?

How much does ArtistWorks cost?

ArtistWorks costs $105 for a three-month plan, $179 for a six-month plan, and $279 for an annual plan.

Does ArtistWorks offer a free trial?

ArtistWorks offers free sample guitar lessons here .

About ArtistWorks

ArtistWorks is an online music education platform with 35+ self-paced online music courses that teach a variety of instruments, including guitar, ukulele, mandolin, dobro, banjo, voice, piano, drums, and many others. Each instrument has its own massive library of video lessons covering the fundamentals of playing that instrument, as well as advanced techniques. The lessons are created by masters of their craft, including Grammy award winners and other top artists.

ArtistWorks takes a different approach to training than the other online guitar lessons in this list, called the Video Exchange Learning® system. As with many websites for learning guitar, lessons are delivered in video format, and you can slow them down or loop them to help you practice difficult passages.

What sets ArtistWorks apart, however, is that when you have a question, you can upload a video of yourself practicing and submit it directly to your instructor. Then, within a day or two, you’ll receive a video recording with their feedback. These recordings are also added to the site archive so other students in your area of study can view and learn from them.

As an ArtistWorks student, you’ll also get access to an online community of peers where you can share your music for critique and collaborate with other musicians.

There are currently 12 acoustic/electric guitar courses and two electric bass guitar courses on ArtistWorks. The Acoustic Guitar: Adult Beginner course teaches you the most important beginner guitar chords, strumming patterns, and picking techniques through playing songs. Each course on ArtistWorks contains hundreds of video lessons that are accessible via any device.

They also offer comprehensive 12-week online music certification programs in blues guitar and ukulele.

To sum up, an annual subscription to ArtistWorks will give you access to:

• All courses and lessons on the site
• Unlimited access to the Video Exchange Library
• Unlimited video submissions to your teacher(s)
• Music theory workshop
• All backing tracks across all instruments

Try out some free online guitar lessons from ArtistWorks here .

We’ve just covered some of the best online guitar lessons for beginners – in quite a bit of detail! If you’re still not sure where to start, here are a few suggestions to help you narrow down your options:

• If you mainly want to learn new songs, Guitar Tricks is the clear winner in this category. They have a ridiculous number of song tutorials covering a huge variety of styles. Sign up for a free trial .
• If you’re on a budget, JustinGuitar.com is a great place to start learning guitar for free. The lessons are high quality and well organized, although the scope of genres taught is narrower than some of the other websites on this list.
• If you’re interested in learning to play classical, flamenco, traditional, or world music on guitar, browse the courses on Guitar Tricks , TrueFire , JamPlay , and ArtistWorks to see if they have what you’re after.
• If you want feedback on your playing from a guitar teacher, then ArtistWorks is your best option.
• If you’re looking for online bass guitar lessons for beginners, your options are TrueFire , JamPlay , and ArtistWorks .

If you don’t have any money to spend on guitar lessons, you’re in luck: JustinGuitar.com has a great free beginner guitar course for students interested in learning to play contemporary styles of music.

There’s never been a better time to learn guitar online. Back in the day, you had to pick up a method book or follow along with an audiotape. Nowadays, the best online guitar lessons for beginners are much more sophisticated, with interactive video and artificial intelligence, progress tracking features to keep you motivated, and even the opportunity to learn one-on-one with some of the world’s top guitar players.

Plus, no matter what kind of music you want to play, there’s probably an online guitar course for it.

Modern guitar-learning apps have become such effective and motivational teaching tools that many music teachers use them to supplement private lessons. If you’re already taking private lessons, online guitar-teaching software can help you achieve your musical goals even faster.

Many talented guitarists – Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and Prince, for example – learned their craft through self instruction, having never taken a guitar lesson. These guitarists didn’t have access to the kind of educational tools and technology that today’s beginner guitarists have. They just had a desire to play and committed to regular practice.

Studying guitar online has several major advantages:

• Affordability. Taking guitar lessons online through a membership site is multiple times cheaper than paying for private tuition. Most guitar-teaching websites and apps cost $20-$30 per month, or roughly $250-$300 a year for an annual subscription. This gives you unlimited access to all of the lessons on the site. Typical rates for private guitar lessons are $30-$60 per lesson of 30 to 60 minutes (roughly $120-$240 per month).
• Flexibility. Online guitar lessons offer flexibility of time and location. You can study from the comfort of home or anywhere in the world, whenever you feel like it – you can take 10 lessons in a day if you want, or none for weeks, depending on your schedule.
• Diversity. The best guitar lesson websites have a large roster of skilled instructors teaching a wide variety of genres and techniques. This means you can take classical guitar lessons one day and jazz guitar lessons the next.
• Access to top artists. Since the start of the pandemic and its negative impact on touring artists, many celeb guitarists have started giving online guitar lessons. There’s never been a better opportunity to learn from your favorite players.

Your turn: What are the best online guitar lessons for beginners?

Which website do you think offers the best beginner guitar lessons? What has your experience been with the sites listed above? Leave a comment!

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25 Best Guitar Websites

I would estimate that there are literally hundreds of thousands of guitar-related websites on the Internet, with a few hundred popping up every month. While many of these sites will have something valuable to add, I tried to collect the best guitar websites , the ones that I think will be most useful to my guitar students .

Now, this is nowhere a definitive list or guitar directory, but it's a good start.

If you find a site that you think is innovative and worthy of being called one of the best guitar-related sites on the net, then please leave a comment and if I agree, I'll add it to this list. Oh, and don't just spam comment links. If you don't explain why you think your proposed guitar site is awesome, I'll just delete your comment.

Instead of just presenting an insanely long list, I've separated the sites into categories to make everything easier to digest and find. Click on a category and you'll magically be taken to that part of the page.

Paid lessons

Higher quality guitar lesson sites  will offer some free lessons, but  charge a recurring fee for access  to all tutorials and content. The Internet has evolved from simply providing video lessons. The best sites will offer added value stuff, like interactive guitar learning games and guitar tools, so stuff that makes a guitar student's life easier.

But I think the main benefit of paid guitar lesson sites is that they have lots of well outlined courses . YouTube and free sites don't have structured courses, so guitar students end up jumping from one lesson to the next and not learning much.

I have a separate lengthy post on the top sites offering online guitar lessons , but here is an abridged list of the best paid-for guitar lesson websites:

GuitarTricks

GuitarTricks.com is a video guitar lesson website with literally thousands of lessons. They have lots of teachers teaching guitar lessons in all genres and difficulty levels. They also have several online guitar tools that guitarists will find useful.

Presently, they cost $14.95 per month, or if you pay for a year in advance, the monthly rate goes down to $10.75 per month. They also have a 2 week free trial offer . 

They cost $19.95 per month, or if you pay a year in advance, the membership comes out to $11.66 per month. Chump change for the amount of content you get from the site, in my opinion, the same goes for GuitarTricks.com.

TrueFire.com is another massive guitar lesson site, catering to guitarists of all levels. You can stream their material online for a flat monthly or yearly fee, and also order their courses on DVD. TrueFire really shines in the number of very specialized courses it offers. It's also worth noting that Steve Vai and Tommy Emmanuel are among their teachers. They also have a neat jam play software package called In The Jam, which allows you to play with a "real" band and control each band member individually.

Here is a 25% coupon for purchasing anything on Truefire .

LickLibrary

LickLibrary.com is another video guitar lesson site, but their material is more advanced than the previous. They have lots of DVDs as well, which can be purchased online or in music stores.

Their lessons can also be viewed online for GBP10 per month, which is around $15 right now.

TheGuitarLesson.com

And last but not least, TheGuitarLesson.com , a video tutorial website focusing on beginner guitarists. The video lessons are very easy to follow, since each tutorial has on screen animated tablature and chord diagrams, so it's great for beginners.

There are several pricing plans starting at the $1 three day trial, $9 monthly membership, or the 9 month membership which comes out to $6 per month.

Free lessons

Remember the saying, "You get what you pay for!" Well, it's not always true.

There are some guitar lesson sites out there that offer quality, relevant tutorials without asking for money . Of course, everyone's got to make a living, so these sites generate income by asking for donations, selling products, or recommending other sites for a commission.

But either way, the main product of the following sites is totally free, so here are some of the best free guitar learning websites:

JustinGuitar

The video lessons you'll find on justinguitar.com are not just useful, but structured as well. He has courses covering different genres and in various difficulties as well. Of course, the production value isn't as high as with the paid sites, but the educational value is on par.

You can also purchase DVDs and books from Justin if you wish.

GuitarLessons.com

GuitarLesson.com is a good free website for anyone looking for video guitar lessons, the only downside is that their tutorials aren't structured as well as Justin's. But the material is still valuable, so another tool in your arsenal. They also offer paid lessons, but if you're going to pay, I would recommend GuitarTricks over them.

Song tablature

Of course, when you learn the guitar, you'll want to play your favorite songs as well. Why else would you bother? (Other than looking cool of course...) So anyhow, there are many tabs websites out there. The free tablature sites are community based , meaning any given song is tabbed and uploaded by a member of the community, so any regular person. This will mean that a lot of the tabs will be bad, but thankfully, the best tablature sites have rating systems, where other people can vote on how accurate and useful the given tablature is. This saves you from looking over 89 versions of a song's tablature.

So without further ado, here are the best guitar tablature websites:

Ultimate Guitar

Ultimate-guitar.com is the biggest tablature website on the internet. If the song's been written, you'll find the tabs for it on Ultimate Guitar. In fact, you'll probably find several tablature version on the site to any give song.

The cool thing about 911tabs.com is that it scrapes the tablature pages of every tablature website, and returns all of them for you. So let's say the version of Smells Like Teen Spirit you find on UltimateGuitar is not to your liking, hit up 911tabs, and a search will reveal the relevant page on every tablature website there is. It can be overwhelming, but it beats going to each site one by one.

Guitar Pro tabs

This Guitar Pro tabs site offers what it says, free tabs for the Guitar Pro software. You can also purchase their entire database of tabs for $9, giving you an endless supply of tabs, enough for several lifetimes.

Online guitar tools

Awesome online guitar tools can be created thanks to the modern web technology of today. There are tools to replace not just the software you would otherwise have to download, but also physical hardware. Not to mention guitar teachers...

All right, so here are the most useful guitar tools you'll find online:

The interactive guitar chord and scale generator & finder on chordbook.com is unmatched in user experience. It used to be a Flash based website, but they recently converted it to HTML5, which means it'll work perfectly on mobile devices as well. Way to keep up with technology!

Music Theory

MusicTheory.net is similar to the above site, but this one includes some guitar related exercises as well, such as tests to help you learn the fretboard, etc. This site is not made with Flash, so it should run perfectly on all mobile devices, which is great! If you want to learn even more theoretical things, make sure you visit out music theory for guitar lessons .

Drum machine

If you don't feel like downloading drum tracks, or want to create something of your own, you'll definitely want to have a look at Drumbit . It's a free online drum machine (mobile friendly), you can easily add all kinds of drum sounds and create a custom, looping drum track to play along with.

Acousterr.com is one of those really simple, yet really useful sites that make your life easier. Its tab maker lets you create perfect monospace tablature very easily, since all of the formatting is done for you. If you ever set out to create monospace tabs, you'll know that formatting would be the hardest part of it. It also plays your tabs, an added bonus.

And my favorite part, the line-break. If you've ever tried to create monospace tabs, you know that the worst part is having to put the tabs in a new line. With acousterr's tab maker, you just press enter and all the tabs from that point will enter into a new section of tabs.

ChordChord.com is a nifty little site, it generates great sounding chord progression for you at random. You can tweak a few settings, and even improvise along with your newly created "backing track". It's also interesting to see the large combination of chord progressions that sound great, which is especially important for beginners stuck in the I-IV-V scene.

WikiLoops.com is a site where you can download all sorts of backing tracks and loops created by other people. Unlike GuitarBackingTrack.com, these backing tracks are not song specific. You have a great search form, where you can pick your genre, time signature, tempo, key, and be presented with free backing tracks you can use as you see fit.

If you're craving some news on your favorite bands, guitar brands, interviews , or anything from the guitar world, there are several guitar sites that will suit your appetite for guitar news. I can't really too many specific things about these sites, since they all post guitar related news stories, so this is a simple list of the best guitar news sites on the web:

Guitar World News

Guitar World news , a site on guitar news.

Music Radar News

Music Radar also has a section dedicated to guitar related news stories.

Ultimate Guitar News

The same goes for Ultimate Guitar news .

There are many technical aspects of the guitar , which guitarists of intermediate-advanced levels will be interested in. These range from custom rigs, guitar wiring, changing pickups, all the way to building your own amps and guitars. As you would expect, the Internet has info on this as well, you just need to know where to find it.

BuildYourGuitar

Have you ever thought how cool it would be to build your own guitar? Or maybe modify a few things on your existing guitar? Well, if you have, than BuildYourGuitar.com should be your first stop. You'll also find an exhaustive list of guitar building links, books, videos, sites on this website.

If you ever wonder what kind of guitars, amplifiers, effect pedals your favorite guitarists use, have a look at  equipboard.com/role/guitarists . It is a community driven site, where people can upload the gear that guitarists use, as well as proof of it being used (YouTube video, image). You'll find pretty much every famous guitarist you can think of, and even not so famous ones. Being a community site, there are some incorrect things though, which are usually marked by members of the community.

Software/Apps

Not everything is in the Cloud (yet), there are a couple of really useful guitar software that you need to download, install, and use on your computer. I'm guessing these will be in the Cloud in 10 years time as well, but for now, here are my picks on the best guitar software:

GuitarPro is hands down the best guitar tablature editing/playback software available. The possibilities you have at your fingertips is just huge, not just for composing, but also for learning your favorite songs. Guitar Pro also has built in tools, such as a metronome, tuner, scale/chord finder. Check out this tutorial on getting started with Guitar Pro to see why this is such a useful tool.

eMedia Guitar Method

The eMedia guitar method is an interactive guitar instruction program aimed at total beginner guitarists. The program is pretty old, it could use a facelift, but the material in it will be really useful to people just picking up the guitar, who don't want to learn from online lessons or a guitar teacher. eMedia also made other guitar method software, one for intermediate guitar, the other for blues, but they weren't nearly as good as their beginner program.

If you are interested in this program, you can buy it cheaper on Amazon.com, than on the eMedia website. Just so you know 😉

General coolness

If something is just plain cool, you gotta let people know about it, right? Yes! These sites don't really, or more precisely, don't completely fall into any of the set categories, but you need to see them.

Guitar backing track

Playing along to your favorite songs is much funner than playing just your guitar, that's why GuitarBackingTrack.com was created. You'll be able to download the guitar backing tracks to thousands of really famous songs. Some backing tracks are better, some are worse, as this is a community-based site as well, where people can send in their backing tracks.

All right, that's my time, not it's your turn. Which sites did I miss? If you think there are any other guitar-related websites that are TRULY great, leave them in the comments below. Make sure you leave at least a 2 paragraph long description of why you think your proposed site should be on this list.

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16 Comments

Ok thanks. I was looking for such sites. I just started learning to play guitar

I only knew about Ultimate Guitar and 911tabs. Gotta check the other websites. Thanks for the list!

For the Software/Apps section, would it be ok if I mention my software: GuitarSharp. It started off as something which was just of use to my guitar learning/practice, but since then more and more features have been added by request. Classical and tablature use is supported, plus playback training, VST and MIDI. Ease of use is the key aim though with drag n’ drop editing and auto formatting supported. We would really appreciate people’s thoughts and suggestion so that more features can be added. A free trial version for Windows is available from http://www.GuitarSharp.com . Thanks!

Hi there, I had a look at the demo video of your software. The drag and drop feature looks interesting, but overall, is still far from being able to compete with Guitar Pro. The 15 GBP you are charging seems a bit rich for it’s limited use. Consider making it free and ad supported perhaps? Just a thought.

Hi Tom, Thank you very much for taking the time to check out the demo video. Yes, the drag and drop functionality is a great feature and makes editing really easy, but that video was only concentrating on that element of the software for composing. The software is also aimed at players so supports some pretty unique features like speech recognition playback training, VST Effects and video tutorial hosting. The comparisons with GuitarPro are inevitable, and its recognised file format is a key reason GuitarSharp allows those files to be imported and edited. But at around a quarter of the price of GuitarPro we think it makes good value. Your suggestion of making it free and ad based is something we are currently exploring as an alternative to the 30 day trial version so keep tuned. Thanks again very much for your reply, and if you want to download the free 30 day trial version and give it a whirl we would really appreciate your feedback. Regards. Phil

Thanks for curating this list, very helpful. I’d like to shamelessly offer up https://www.essyguitartab.com as a candidate, it’s a recently launched website that I’ve helped develop.

There’s a free, no-ad tool for viewing and finding chords that also allows you to create chord charts to print or export to PDF (essyguitartab.com/chords).

There’s another for learning scales (essyguitartab.com/scales).

And finally there’s a tab app where you can save, print, play, and share tabs that you create. This has a free version and also a paid subscription with some extra features.

We’re still working on full mobile compatibility but I think it’s a great product as it stands. I appreciate your consideration.

Hi, the site looks pretty good and useful. Let me know once you get the mobile optimized version running, without that it can’t make the list, most people are browsing on their phone nowadays.

For the Online Guitar Tools section, would you mind if I mention my website? It provides some online tools that I originally developed as a study support for my guitar students, in order to help them learn better scales, chords and fretboard; now they are available, for free, to the guitar lovers worldwide community: https://www.fachords.com/guitar-learning-software/

Fot tablature creation I would recommend Acousterr , they have a really good tab maker application with nice sounds and great design. Google acousterr tab maker and you should be able to find it. I personally started using it recently for my compositions and found it pretty powerful and easier to use than guitartabcreator

Thanks for the recommendation, yes, it does seem to be better than guitartabcreator. I’ll update the list to reflect this soon.

Great to see this post up and offering a diverse amount of guitar websites. Guitar is now under pressure and we all need to keep working together to maintain the guitars popularity and appeal.

Hey, As the founder of wikiloops.com, I have to admit I am quite flattered to see the ‘loops made it to this exquisite list, thank you very much for that! I just wanted to let you know that we have taken your observation serious and added the previously missing “filter by musical key” to the latest search engine upgrade on wikiloops.com 🙂 Again, thank you very much for mentioning the project here, as a free service without a promotion budget we really benefit from such recommendations.

It’s great to see that you are actively developing your site Richard, keep up the good work, it’s really useful to a lot of people.

Awesome post!

I can know many kind of effective tips from here. This is an interesting article. i still do ALL of this tricks. Thanks

Thank you a lot for sharing this with all of us you actually know what you are talking approximately! Bookmarked. Kindly additionally discuss with my website =).

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The Best Free Guitar Lessons Online (For Any Style or Skill Level)

Table of Contents

Can You Really Learn Guitar Online for Free?

Free guitar lessons for beginners , free guitar lessons for intermediate players, free bass guitar lessons online, conclusion .

When I first started playing guitar two decades ago, there wasn’t a lot of quality info online. 

So like a lot of people, I learned out of a good old fashioned book.

Times have changed!

Now, there are almost too many online options, which can make finding the best free online guitar lessons potentially overwhelming.

Today I’ll show you some of the best places to learn guitar online for free, so you don’t have to sift through all the search results yourself.

Regardless of your skill level or playing style, I think you can find some useful options here.

Let’s get started. 

You sure can. 🙂

All that’s required is a good internet connection and a little discipline. 

It’s nearly impossible to find an in-person teacher for free. You might get lucky and have a talented family member or friend who has the time and inclination to teach you.  But that’s not the norm.   

That makes the internet the best resource for thousands of aspiring guitarists! 

It’s perfectly possible to learn guitar online. Take your pick of acoustic, electric, or bass, and there’ll be lessons for beginners, intermediates, and advanced players. 

As for having to pay, there’s so much content out there for free that all you’ll need to pay is some of your time and effort ! 

Here are some pros and cons of learning guitar online:

Advantages of Learning Guitar Online

• Stay in the comfort of your house 
• A huge variety of lessons and tutors at your disposal 
• Learn at your own pace 
• Learn from anywhere, as long as you have internet access 
• Variety of learning techniques for you to try 
• You can work on one thing repetitively for as long as you need 

Disadvantages of Learning Guitar Online

• It can be hard to stay disciplined 
• No teacher to ask questions if you don’t understand something 
• It may be hard to find a teacher you particularly like
• Subject to the quality of your internet connection 

If you’re just starting out, the internet can be a good way to learn with no rush and no pressure . You can take it at your own pace, and find an online tutor you like. 

But it’s important to understand that when learning online, you need to stay disciplined ! 

I recommend setting aside a small amount of time (like 15 minutes) every day to practice, plus a couple longer sessions (around 1 hour) each week. 

Alright, enough on that.

Without further ado, here’s my list of free guitar lessons for beginners, including acoustic as well as electric guitar lessons. 

JustinGuitar  

JustinGuitar is one of the most popular websites for learning guitar. His beginner lessons are appropriate for both electric guitar and acoustic guitar. 

Justin Sandercoe created it back in 2003, and in 17 years it has amassed a stash of over 1000 lessons, all completely free ! 

The Beginner’s Course is packed with more than 100 lessons (over 8 hours of video) to give you the best start possible.  It includes:

• Basic chords 
• Sustained (“sus”) chords 
• 7th chords 
• Power chords 
• How to create practice routines 
• Exploring chords in depth 

JustinGuitar has some other useful functions that get a big thumbs-up. A smartphone app assistant, a shop with helpful products, and left-handed instructions are all available! 

All in all, JustinGuitar may be the most complete collection of high quality free guitar lessons available anywhere online.

Andy Guitar 

Andy Crowley’s website is another one that’s loaded with valuable content to help you learn guitar quickly and enjoyably. 

Here’s his very first beginner lesson:

When you sign up for a free account on the website, you’ll have access to his beginner course. You’ll find lessons on: 

• Tuning your guitar 
• Understanding chord diagrams 
• Reading chord sheets 
• Major and minor chords 
• Strumming patterns 
• Easy-to-play songs 

From there, you can choose if you’d like to branch into rock, fingerstyle, or a more general electric and acoustic pathway. 

In addition to a bunch of great lessons (in a very satisfying accent), you’ll have access to almost 700 song tutorials . 

Once you’ve got some chords down, learning these songs is a fun way to expand your skills, and gives you something to play with your friends. 

Guitar Lessons 

Here you’ll find some super guitar lessons for both acoustic and electric guitar. Their lessons start from the very basics, so they’d be good for first-time guitarists . 

Their beginner guitar lesson series includes things like: 

• The names of the strings 
• The different parts of the guitar 
• Guitar chords 
• How to strum the guitar 

There’s also a stash of standalone lessons for the beginner guitarist. Here you can learn how to tune your guitar when you don’t have a tuner, how to improve your timing, writing songs on the guitar, and how to deal with pain and stiffness when learning to play. 

Once you’ve been through the basics, go through their Campfire Guitarist series to start playing real songs quickly and easily!  

Here’s an example:   

Guitar Tricks 

Guitar Tricks’ Core Learning System is super easy to navigate and helps you see your progress easily , which is essential for beginners. 

The downside of this site is that you’ll get one chapter free for every module, and then you’ll need to upgrade to carry on. The few free lessons you get in each chapter are worth going through, though! 

You’ll begin with Level One Guitar Fundamentals . In these few free lessons, you’ll get a good grip on the very basics, like how a guitar works, and learning your first chords. 

In the Level Two Guitar Fundamentals course, the free lessons will teach you power chords and bar chords. 

From here, it’s up to you which style you gravitate towards. Choose from Level One Blues, Rock, Country, or Acoustic. Each one offers two or three free lessons before you’ll be asked to upgrade. 

Along with these Core lessons, there are 24 free random lessons that you can go through at your own pace. 

You’ll also have access to tools like a metronome, fretboard trainer, chord charts, and a guide to guitar tabs. 

Like most of these sites, Guitar Tricks also has a YouTube channel. Here’s a recent video they published, on tuning a guitar by ear:

FretJam 

FretJam‘s beginner lessons cover all the basics. They’re great for guitarists who are starting from scratch . 

Once you’ve been through this course, you’ll know:

• The parts of the guitar and their functions 
• How to hold your guitar properly 
• How the fretboard works 
• Where to press the strings when holding chords 
• Tuning the guitar 
• How to read guitar tabs 

They also give you some useful finger stretching exercises, a metronome to improve your timing, and help with interpreting chord diagrams. 

Free Guitar Lessons on YouTube 

Don’t underestimate YouTube guitar lessons! There’s some fantastic stuff, and obviously it’s free since it’s on YouTube.  

There’s just one catch:  

It can be hard to find the really good stuff because there are so many videos to sort through!

To make it easier, I’ll share a few of my favorite YouTube channels to learn beginner guitar.

There are many more YouTube channels that teach guitar, but this should at least give you a good starting point. 

Marty Music 

Marty Schwartz presents his videos in a fun, upbeat way that’s motivating and interesting. His YouTube channel is chock-full of stuff for guitarists of every level. 

For starters, Marty has a beginner series for electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and bass guitar (not to mention ukulele!). 

Here’s his 1st beginner video for electric guitar:

You can find all the beginner videos mixed together in a beginner’s playlist . Each is packed with good, practical info. 

Marty also covers other useful stuff like how to sing and play guitar at the same time, different strumming patterns, and a ton of song tutorials. 

JamPlay 

JamPlay’s beginner course covers things like posture , left and right hand techniques, guitar vocab, and chords and chord changing.

Their free beginner course on YouTube is a useful way to start. It’s part of a more comprehensive course on their website, which does cost money. 

Beginners aren’t the only ones who can learn something online! 

If you’re an intermediate guitarist looking for a challenge or to improve something specific , the internet has something for you too. 

Here’s our list of the best free guitar lessons online for intermediate guitarists. 

Justin Guitar 

Justin Guitar isn’t only great for beginners. He offers a ton of content for more advanced players as well, teaching things like bar chords, scales, and in-depth style modules. 

One of the things I love about Justin Guitar’s intermediate lessons is its variety of styles. 

I’ve always been a rock and blues guitarist, but I learned a bunch from Justin’s jazz and fingerstyle style modules. 

You’ll also find modules on arpeggios, scales and modes, ear training, and a useful section on songwriting.

Once you’ve mastered their Beginner and Campfire Guitarist courses, these guys have some great lessons to get you up to intermediate level fast. 

I like the fact that they’re split into sections for rhythm and lead guitar. 

If you’re a rhythm guitarist , you can work on things like: 

• Using power chords 
• Dynamic strumming 
• Major and minor bar chord shapes 
• Open chords 
• Timing and feel 

Those interested in becoming a lead guitarist can learn how to: 

• Play the most common scales 
• Perfect the hammer-on and pull-off 
• Bend guitar strings 
• Use vibrato properly 
• Play a solo 

There’s so much more than just these lessons, though. Things like ear training, fretboard exercises, and guitar maintenance also make an appearance. 

Basically, you’ll learn everything you need to know on this site! 

Guitar Tricks

We’ve already discussed Guitar Tricks up above for beginners, but they’re also really good for taking it that extra step. 

The free lessons offered by Guitar Tricks cover intermediate to advanced things like sweep picking, riffs in different genres, working with effects and pedals, and pinch harmonics, among other things. 

If you do choose to buy a membership – blues , country , acoustic, or rock – you’ll find a comprehensive lesson base in your selected genre. 

The best thing is that you can go back and learn the others too!

For more advanced guitarists, FretJam offers comprehensive lessons on guitar scales in theory and practice, lead guitar tricks and techniques, turning chords into songs, and an abundance of theory lessons. 

YouTube Lessons for Intermediate or Advanced Players

In addition to beginner lessons, there are some great YouTubers out there who teach valuable intermediate to advanced lessons as well.

And of course, it’s all free. 🙂 

I recommend checking out: 

Shred Academy 

Shred Academy is for those guitarists who want to play amazing solos . 

Their channel is packed with content that’s centered around being a great and speedy soloist . 

You’ll find stuff like: 

• Sweep picking 
• Tapping 
• Learning licks 
• Unique picking techniques 
• Arpeggios 

You’ll need a good grip on guitar theory and terminology before delving into this stuff, but if you’re looking for a challenge, it’s worth checking out! 

BobbyCrispy 

If learning new songs is your thing, BobbyCrispy covers a ton of them. This is also a great channel if you’re practicing reading tabs. 

There’s nothing too fancy about Bobby’s lessons, but they’re superb for picking up songs quickly and easily. 

There’s some stuff that’s suitable for beginners, but plenty of his songs are slightly more advanced and require a decent understanding of tabs. 

He also covers things like tips and tricks for becoming a great guitarist, the most common mistakes on guitar, playing slide guitar, and informational stuff like the history of rock ‘n roll. 

Bassists, if you happen to be reading this, here are three great sites where you can learn to play bass for free. 

Scott’s Bass Lessons 

Scott’s lessons are comprehensive and packed with actionable tips and tricks . 

Be aware that a lot of the content on his site is found in a paid subscription, but he does have a value-packed free toolkit which is great for intermediate bassists. 

Beginners bassist will get the most value out of his YouTube channel . There’s a lot of more advanced stuff there too, so you may need to sift through to find what you need. 

Scott covers things like:

• The one bassline every bassist should know 
• A 3-step fingerboard formula 
• Secrets to a great bass tone 
• Common bass guitar fails 
• Learning slap bass  

StudyBass 

StudyBass offers a free course if you sign up for a free account. 

Your tutor, Andrew Pouska, has over two decades of bass teaching experience, and has been running the site for almost 20 years . 

The lessons are well-structured and cover all the ins and outs of playing bass. 

It’s split into Fundamentals One, Two, and Three. You’ll learn things like: 

• The bass’s role in music 
• How to read bass tabs 
• Bass rhythm skills 
• Major and minor keys 
• Memorizing notes on the fretboard 

You’ll also find interesting stuff like their own music dictionary , online metronome, online tuner, and fretboard diagrams. 

TalkingBass 

TalkingBass is all about being progressive. They offer a bunch of free, basic videos that you can access even if you aren’t signed up as a member. 

If you want more value, sign up for a free account and you’ll get access to a lot more great stuff. 

For example, by signing up you can access the member’s area, where you’ll find downloadable ebooks and a “practice room” (where you can play along to backing tracks). 

Finding some of the best free guitar lessons online may be a great option, especially for beginner guitarists.

If I’d had access to such a variety of online lessons when I started, I’m pretty sure I would have learned much faster and had more fun doing it! 

Whether you’re still contemplating learning, you’ve just got your first guitar , or you’re an experienced guitarist looking for something new to learn, the internet has something for you. 

You don’t have to pay for many of these awesome resources. But remember, in order for them to be effective, you need to put in the time and effort! 

If you’re going to be using these free lessons to learn, make sure you set aside regular time to practice. Be consistent, work hard, and you’ll see results! 

Thanks for reading, and happy learning!

Shanna grew up playing in bands with family members and friends. She still enjoys jamming on the guitar, and hopes to share her enthusiasm for music with others by writing, from her home in South Africa.

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