Best Online Guitar Lessons

The internet is a fantastic resource for guitarists. The best online guitar lessons offer high quality video, interactive software and armies of world class tutors. Many beginners solely use the internet to learn guitar, due to its interactive nature and being part of a truly global community of guitarists.

On this page I will provide you with a definitive list of the best online lessons, and not just based on my humble opinion! The aim is to help you narrow down your options in what can feel like an overwhelming sea of information.

Best free online guitar lessons

When searching for free lessons at the search engines, you're usually faced with thousands, if not millions of results for a given keyword. The top 10 pages may not necessarily be the best (as sites are not ranked by humans) and as a result you're left jumping between sites trying to piece together the "big picture".

So it's useful to know the truly comprehensive, all encompassing sites that mean you can stay focussed on as few resources as possible. GreenAsJade's independent guitar lesson guide is a comprehensive, unbiased review of the best online guitar lessons. According to GAJ, the best comprehensive free video lesson sites are...

markweinguitarlessons.com

freeguitarvideos.com

justinguitar.com

And the best comprehensive free text/audio lesson sites (which tend to offer more detailed diagrams and theory based content)...

fretmeup.com

i-love-guitar.com

fretjam.com

I'm glad I was able to put fretjam on that list!

In reality, these 6 sites have more than enough quality content between them to guide you through the basics of learning guitar. Some beginners find the free sites alone are enough to help them progress. But for those who need something a bit more structured and professional, see below.

Best online guitar lessons with paid membership

Paid sites offer higher quality video (HD in some cases), software/tools, genre/style specific lessons, specialist tutors and generally a more personalised service. They can be seen as a fairly good compromise between paying for private lessons and using free sites.

As they're commercial sites, they have the capital to invest in the best teaching methods and technologies. When it comes to picking the best online guitar lessons, it's pretty obvious which two stand above the crowd, partly because they've been online longer than most...

JamPlay.com

JamPlay boasts over 540 hours of video lessons and 47 pro instructors teaching several genres and styles (from bluegrass to metal). There are regular live webcam sessions. They also have a great library of popular songs to learn, to help you put your skills into practise.

You can sample their free lessons here.

How much do you pay? $19.95 per month with a "no questions asked" money back guarantee.

GuitarTricks.com

Similar to Jamplay, but $5 per month cheaper and minus some of Jamplay's features such as the live web sessions.

Sample their free lessons here.

Just like JamPlay, GT provides a number of experienced pro tutors, thousands of video lessons across several styles, backing tracks and a song lesson library. They also have a unique section studying influencial artists so you can learn their "secrets" and apply them to your own playing.

Stay focussed...

Whichever method you choose to learn guitar, it's important to keep an eye on your progress. If you're happy with the progress you're making with the free sites, great! You'll save some money. However, if you are constantly hitting brick walls or are just unsure where to go next, try the paid sites for a month and see how your playing improves.

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