Is it possible to teach yourself to play the guitar?
Traditionally the go to solution for most people who want to learn the guitar is to find a teacher and take guitar lessons in their local area. However the internet has introduced a more progressive model when it comes to learning guitar online. These days guitarist’s are considered very fortunate with the vast amount of educational materials and guitar lessons available.
As a guitar teacher and someone who makes their own online guitar lessons, I see many advantages in subscribing to these platforms. However theres a few things to consider before jumping in, such as your skill level, styles, genres, price point and of course the teachers themselves. I have purchased all of these these online programs and have analysed them from a teacher and a learner perspective.
With over 30 years teaching experience (My BIO) I think I have seen it all when it comes to learning materials and what works and doesn’t work for beginners, intermediate and advanced players.
Ease of Use: It’s certainly very convenient not having to leave the house and deal with traffic and weekly classes. Making that commitment can be tricky for some, so the idea of carrying a guitar teacher with you 24 -7 is an attractive scenario.
Price: This is a major advantage of learning guitar online because whatever you decide to do will have a price attached to it. One on One lessons can range anywhere from $30 to $80 per lesson depending on the teachers qualifications. If you were to say take 40 x 1 hour classes a year that could exceed $2000. This is where online learning becomes a serious option. For $20 a month you can land yourself on some extensive learning guitar websites.
We will look at the pros and cons and rate the overall winner based on my personal experience and other users ratings and reviews. All the sites I reviewed are tremendous in their own right and there is no major rating difference between any of them. However by the end of this article I’m sure you will have a better understanding and be able to make up your own mind. Many of my own students players who subscribe to 1 or 2 platforms cherry pick the best guitar lessons for their own personal goals and aspirations. That’s ok but my one bit of advice is to try and stay focused and keep a practice diary. You may save a lot of money on private lessons over the course of a year but you have to be diligent about using your practice time wisely. I also believe having an online mentor is a great idea and with zoom lessons and teh ability to record or video yourself quite easily its definetly
TrueFire is the oldest online guitar learning platform with 28yrs experience behind them. There’s a range of very talented instructors including Tommy Emmanuel and other touring professionals. I have had a personal subscription for the last 3yrs and I always am able to find inspiration. I particular like the depth of lessons and instructors if you want to delve into a particular style. For example if blues is your thing you can take classes with Robben Ford or Kid Anderson, who both have different approaches to playing blues. The same can be said for jazz, country, fingerpicking and rock. It’s a great platform, maybe theres more advanced materials from a beginners perspective but they still got you covered. If your looking for more of a jukebox/karaoke style learning – meaning find a particular song and learn in, TrueFire is not the place I would recommend.
TrueFire is an outstanding platform especially for advanced players.
BEST BLUES GUITAR PLATFORM
With this, you can decide whether they are the right online platform to go to. There are 30 days to complete access to all their materials without paying a dime. CLICK HERE
GuitarTricks was created in 1998 and has since then been regarded as one of the best online platforms for learning the guitar. So far they have accumulated 2.8 Million regis-tered users which is quite an achievement. With about 11000 lessons and 700 courses that’s a serious amount of content.
When it comes to price and packages guitar tricks is quite reasonable. There is the monthly subscription which goes for $19.95 and a yearly subscription which goes for $179,99, thereby saving you $60. I feel guitar tricks is a great way to go if you want to learn songs and still get some high quality detailed instruction.
GuitarTricks has a 14 days free trial with complete access into all their materials. With this, you can decide whether they are the right online platform to go to.
JamPlay have spent 14 years building one of the largest resources of guitar content on the planet. With more than half a million members, 450 courses and over 6,500 guitar lessons. They are right up with sites like Guitar Tricks and True Fire and art certainly are one of the big contenders when it comes to online guitar lessons.
There is even a ‘Just for Kids’ 19-lesson series taken by the easy-going instructor Steve Eulberg, which has been created specifically for youngsters learning the instrument for the very first time. However I will have to plug Kids Guitar Dojo here which is the best course for kids aged between 5-12 yrs of age. Check out my review here
JamPlay provides access to its content with some great packages on offer:
A standard Subscription is $19.95 a month or $159.96 a year which can save you 33%. There is also the Year Pro Subscription which goes for $295.95
However if you would like to get a discount to jamplay make sure you get on the LearnGuitarCafe newsletter HERE You will get the latest coupon codes as they do expire. Plus lots of other cool free stuff and offers