Learning guitar has never been more accessible, thanks to the plethora of Online Guitar Learning Course options available today. Whether you’re a complete novice just picking up a six-string for the first time or an experienced guitarist aiming to refine advanced techniques, the digital landscape offers a learning path tailored to your needs and budget. Having personally navigated various learning methods, from traditional group lessons to personalized tutoring and even graded guitar programs, I understand the diverse needs of guitar learners. As a professional guitar product tester for GuitarPlayers.net, I’ve rigorously evaluated numerous online platforms, and this guide reflects our team’s collective expertise in identifying the very best online guitar learning courses of 2024.
Through extensive testing within the Guitar World team, we’ve discovered that the ideal online guitar learning course is out there for everyone. Whether you’re a beginner seeking foundational skills or an advanced player looking to master complex techniques, these platforms offer structured lessons and features to enhance your musical journey, often at a fraction of the cost of traditional in-person instruction.
Currently, Guitar Tricks stands out as our top recommendation overall. Its comprehensive approach caters to all skill levels with an unmatched breadth of content. For beginners, Fender Play remains our favorite entry point, offering a user-friendly and engaging experience. Recently, our team revisited both Guitar Tricks and Fender Play, exploring their updated features and interface to ensure our recommendations remain current and accurate. This guide has been updated to incorporate these latest evaluations.
The market for online guitar learning courses is continuously expanding, presenting a wealth of high-quality platforms, each with unique features and structured content. These services, typically offered via monthly or per-lesson subscriptions, provide a cost-effective alternative to traditional lessons.
The beauty of an online guitar learning course lies in its convenience. All you need is an internet connection and a device – be it a laptop, smartphone, or tablet – to begin your musical journey from the comfort of your home. Many platforms also offer dedicated apps for streamlined learning on your preferred device.
In this guide, we, the experts at guitarplayers.net, have rigorously tested a range of online guitar learning course platforms catering to diverse skill levels and budgets, including exceptional free options. Our evaluations focus on ease of use, content quality, tutor expertise, content variety, and overall value. Crucially, most platforms offer free trials, typically around 7 days, allowing you to explore different options before committing to a subscription.
For further guidance on selecting the best online guitar learning course for your specific needs, refer to our comprehensive how to choose and FAQ sections.
Top Picks for Online Guitar Learning Courses
Guitar Tricks: Best Overall Online Guitar Learning Course ★★★★★
Guitar Tricks consistently proves itself as the leading online guitar learning course platform. With over 25 years of content development, boasting over 11,000 lessons and 900+ song tutorials, it offers an unparalleled depth of resources for every skill level. Beginners will find clear, structured learning paths, while intermediate and advanced players can delve into a vast library of lessons presented by experienced professional instructors. The platform’s competitive pricing and a 60-day money-back guarantee further solidify Guitar Tricks as our top recommendation for anyone seeking a comprehensive online guitar learning course.
OFFER: Begin your journey with Guitar Tricks for just $1 for your first month via this link and receive a free gift to enhance your learning experience.
> Explore Guitar Tricks in Detail
1. Best Overall: Guitar Tricks ★★★★★
Guitar Tricks has earned its reputation as the best online guitar learning course through consistent quality and comprehensive content. Their 25-year history in online guitar education translates into a platform brimming with over 11,000 lessons and more than 900 song tutorials. This vast library caters to all proficiency levels, from absolute beginners to seasoned players. The platform excels in providing structured learning paths for beginners, extensive intermediate lessons, and a wealth of advanced content, all delivered by highly skilled, professional tutors. Guitar Tricks offers exceptional value, especially considering its competitive pricing and a 60-day money-back guarantee. Regardless of your current skill level, Guitar Tricks remains our highest-rated online guitar learning course recommendation.
OFFER: Take advantage of a special offer and get your first month of Guitar Tricks for only $1 with this link, plus receive a complimentary gift to kickstart your guitar journey.
> Learn More About Guitar Tricks
Fender Play: Best Online Guitar Learning Course for Beginners ★★★★★
For those just starting their guitar journey, Fender Play stands out as an exceptional online guitar learning course. We’ve found it to be incredibly rewarding for beginners, offering guided learning paths and structured lesson plans that ensure rapid progress. While primarily designed for novices, Fender Play also provides sufficient content to bridge the gap to intermediate levels. The platform’s dedicated app is particularly noteworthy for its intuitive design and clear navigation. Fender Play is constantly updated with new lessons, courses, and songs, ensuring a continuous stream of engaging content for learners at all stages.
OFFER: Guitar World readers can currently enjoy a significant 50% discount on Fender Play’s annual plan, reducing the price from $149.99 to just $74.99 for the entire year. Use code guitarworld50 at checkout to claim this exclusive offer on this fantastic online guitar learning course.
> Discover Fender Play’s Beginner-Friendly Approach
2. Best for beginners: Fender Play ★★★★★
2. Best for beginners: Fender Play ★★★★★
Fender Play is a top-tier online guitar learning course specifically designed for beginners. Its guided paths and lesson plans provide a structured and rewarding experience for those new to the instrument. The platform ensures learners develop proficiency in their chosen style with well-designed courses and engaging content. Fender Play offers enough content to smoothly transition beginners to intermediate levels, fostering continuous growth. The dedicated app is praised for its modern design and user-friendly layout, making learning enjoyable and accessible. With regular updates of lessons, courses, and songs, Fender Play keeps content fresh and engaging, ensuring learners always have something new to explore in their online guitar learning course.
OFFER: Fender Play is currently offering an impressive 50% off their annual plan exclusively for Guitar World readers. This reduces the annual cost to just $74.99 from $149.99, equating to just over $4 per month for exceptional beginner lessons. Simply apply the code guitarworld50 at checkout to redeem this discount and start your online guitar learning course today.
> Learn More About Fender Play for Beginners
TrueFire: Best Online Guitar Learning Course for Content Volume ★★★★½
TrueFire stands out as the online guitar learning course with the most extensive content library. Boasting over 50,000 lessons, tabs, and jam tracks, it offers a virtually limitless supply of learning material. While the sheer volume can be initially overwhelming, navigating the site becomes easier with time, especially with structured learning paths designed for beginners. TrueFire’s slow-motion and looping features are invaluable for mastering challenging passages. While its song library could be stronger and it’s among the pricier options, the sheer depth and quality of content make TrueFire a compelling choice for dedicated learners seeking a comprehensive online guitar learning course.
OFFER: Save 30% on a TrueFire All-Access subscription and individual courses with the exclusive code GWTF30.
> Explore TrueFire’s Massive Content Library
Guitareo: Best Online Guitar Learning Course for Usability ★★★★½
Guitareo is a newer online guitar learning course platform that quickly impresses with its massive collection of videos and resources presented in engaging and creative ways. With friendly presenters and a focus on making learning fun, Guitareo is particularly well-suited for complete beginners. The platform excels at providing foundational knowledge without feeling patronizing, making it an accessible and enjoyable online guitar learning course. Its well-organized layout and intuitive navigation make it one of the easiest platforms to use, offering excellent value at a pocket-friendly price.
OFFER: Guitar World readers can enjoy an extended 30-day free trial of Guitareo, the longest trial period offered among our featured platforms.
> Experience Guitareo’s User-Friendly Platform
4. Best for usability: Guitareo ★★★★½
4. Best for usability: Guitareo ★★★★½
Guitareo is recognized as the best online guitar learning course for usability and navigation. As a relatively new platform, it features a vast array of videos and resources designed to teach guitar in engaging and inventive ways. The presenters are known for their friendly approach, making it particularly appealing to beginners. Guitareo excels at guiding novices through the fundamentals without condescension, ensuring a positive learning experience. In our testing, Guitareo stood out for its well-structured layout and ease of navigation compared to other platforms. It provides a user-friendly experience at a very affordable price point, making quality online guitar learning courses accessible to more players. See our price comparison chart for more details.
OFFER: Guitareo is currently offering a 30-day free trial for all Guitar World readers, providing an extended opportunity to explore this highly usable online guitar learning course platform.
> Discover Guitareo’s Ease of Use
ArtistWorks Guitar: Best Online Guitar Learning Course with Star Tutors ★★★★½
ArtistWorks Guitar distinguishes itself as the online guitar learning course that emphasizes personal interaction and feedback from renowned instructors. Featuring world-class musicians like Paul Gilbert and Andy McKee, ArtistWorks allows students to submit videos for personalized feedback. Instructors provide detailed video responses, offering specific guidance for improvement, effectively bridging the gap between online and one-on-one lessons. This personalized approach, combined with top-tier instructors, makes ArtistWorks an exceptional, albeit pricier, option for serious learners seeking an interactive online guitar learning course experience.
Try ArtistWorks Guitar for free here.
> Learn from Star Tutors with ArtistWorks Guitar
5. Best for star tutors: ArtistWorks Guitar ★★★★½
ArtistWorks Guitar is the premier online guitar learning course for those seeking instruction from celebrity guitarists. It stands out by featuring world-renowned instructors such as Paul Gilbert, Jared James Nichols, Keb’ Mo’, and Andy McKee. Beyond pre-recorded lessons, ArtistWorks offers a unique “Video Exchange” feature where students can submit videos of their playing and receive personalized feedback from their chosen instructor. This bespoke guidance, tailored to individual needs, provides an experience akin to private lessons but from the convenience of home. While this level of personalized access comes at a higher price, the opportunity to learn directly from some of the best guitarists in the world makes ArtistWorks a truly exceptional online guitar learning course.
Try ArtistWorks Guitar for free at this link.
> Discover ArtistWorks Guitar’s Star-Studded Instruction
Simply Guitar: Best Gamified Online Guitar Learning Course ★★★★½
Simply Guitar redefines online guitar learning courses by making practice fun and engaging through gamification. This user-friendly iOS/Android app guides learners from absolute beginner to fretboard mastery with a game-like approach. Its interactive and motivating system is particularly effective for younger learners, incentivizing consistent practice. While its depth for advanced players is limited, Simply Guitar is an excellent starting point for those seeking an engaging and accessible online guitar learning course, especially children and teenagers.
OFFER: Sign up for a year of Simply Guitar and save $30/20%, reducing the annual cost to $120, or just $10 per month after discount.
> Experience Gamified Learning with Simply Guitar
6. Best for gamers: Simply Guitar ½
6. Best for gamers: Simply Guitar ★★★★½
Simply Guitar is the best online guitar learning course for those who enjoy a gamified learning experience. This app-based platform transforms guitar lessons into an engaging game, making practice less of a chore and more of a fun activity. Designed for iOS and Android, Simply Guitar provides step-by-step tutorials and real-time feedback within a playful interface. It’s particularly effective for beginners and younger learners, offering a motivating approach to master the fundamentals. While it may not cater to advanced players, Simply Guitar is a fantastic entry point for anyone looking for an interactive and enjoyable online guitar learning course.
OFFER: Take advantage of a special offer and save $30 or 20% on an annual Simply Guitar subscription, bringing the price down to $120 per year, or just $10 per month. This makes it an incredibly affordable and engaging online guitar learning course option.
> Discover Simply Guitar’s Game-Style Learning
JTC Guitar: Best Online Guitar Learning Course for Advanced Lessons ★★★★½
JTC Guitar is the ideal online guitar learning course for experienced players seeking advanced techniques and in-depth instruction. Moving beyond beginner and intermediate content, JTC Guitar focuses on providing challenging lessons from top-tier instructors like Jeff Loomis and Guthrie Govan. While leaning towards heavier styles, the platform’s customization options, especially the ability to isolate guitar tracks in backing tracks, make it a powerful tool for serious guitarists aiming to push their skills to the next level with an online guitar learning course.
Sign up for a 14-day free trial to experience JTC Guitar.
> Access Advanced Lessons with JTC Guitar
7. Best advanced lessons: JTC Guitar ★★★★½
JTC Guitar is specifically tailored as the best online guitar learning course for advanced players. For guitarists who have progressed beyond beginner and intermediate stages, JTC Guitar offers content with significant depth and complexity. While it leans towards heavier genres, the platform boasts an impressive roster of tutors, including renowned players like Jeff Loomis, Gus G, and Guthrie Govan. A standout feature is the customizable video interface, allowing users to remove guitar tracks from backing tracks, facilitating focused practice and improvisation. If you’re seeking a challenging and advanced online guitar learning course, JTC Guitar is an excellent choice.
Ready to challenge yourself? Start a 14-day free trial with JTC Guitar today.
> Explore JTC Guitar’s Advanced Curriculum
JustinGuitar: Best Free Online Guitar Learning Course ★★★★½
JustinGuitar is a standout online guitar learning course for its exceptional free content. For those on a tight budget, JustinGuitar offers structured lessons from a highly respected and experienced tutor, Justin Sandercoe. As a pioneer in online guitar education, JustinGuitar provides a wealth of free resources, from beginner basics to advanced techniques and downloadable practice materials. While additional in-depth content is available for purchase, the extensive free platform is more than sufficient to keep learners engaged for a long time, making it the best free online guitar learning course available.
Sign up to JustinGuitar for free here.
> Access Free Lessons with JustinGuitar
8. Best free lessons: Justin Guitar ½
8. Best free lessons: Justin Guitar ★★★★½
JustinGuitar is widely recognized as the best free online guitar learning course. If budget is a primary concern, JustinGuitar offers an unparalleled resource for structured, high-quality lessons completely free of charge. Justin Sandercoe, a respected figure in online guitar education, provides comprehensive lessons for all skill levels. While YouTube offers a vast amount of free guitar content, JustinGuitar stands out for its structured curriculum and reliable instruction. From beginner fundamentals to advanced tutorials and downloadable practice resources, JustinGuitar provides immense value without any cost. Though premium content is available for purchase, the free platform itself is exceptionally comprehensive, making it the definitive best free online guitar learning course.
Sign up for Justin Guitar for free at this link.
> Start Learning for Free with JustinGuitar
Til: Best Bespoke Online Guitar Learning Course ★★★★½
Til offers a unique approach to online guitar learning courses, focusing on personalized, bespoke lessons with professional tutors. Unlike subscription-based platforms, Til connects learners with experienced instructors for one-on-one or group sessions, payable per lesson. This personalized approach is ideal for players seeking targeted improvement in specific areas or those desiring direct feedback from seasoned professionals. Til is best suited for intermediate to advanced players looking for tailored guidance to refine their skills through a personalized online guitar learning course experience.
OFFER: Claim $10 off your first Til lesson.
> Get Bespoke Lessons with Til
Til guitar lessons displayed on a laptop and smartphone
9. Best bespoke lessons: Til ★★★★½
Til presents a distinctive approach to online guitar learning courses by offering bespoke, personalized lessons. This platform deviates from the typical subscription model, instead connecting students with professional guitar tutors for individualized instruction. Til is designed for players who are further along in their guitar journey and seek focused improvement in specific areas. Lessons are available in one-on-one or group settings, allowing for tailored learning experiences. The strength of Til lies in its roster of experienced tutors, many of whom are seasoned stage and studio musicians. This online guitar learning course is perfect for those seeking personalized guidance and direct feedback to refine their playing skills. You pay per lesson, providing flexibility and targeted learning.
OFFER: Get started with Til and claim $10 off your first lesson.
> Explore Til’s Personalized Lesson Approach
Best overall
The BEST Way To Learn ALL Guitar Chords – YouTube 
The BEST Way To Learn ALL Guitar Chords – YouTube
1. Guitar Tricks
The best online guitar learning course platform online right now
Our expert review:
Specifications
Price: $19.99 monthly, $179.99 yearly
Free trial: 14 days
Dedicated app: Yes
Key features: 11,000 lessons; extensive core studies; song lessons; artist and genre studies; chord and scale charts; maintenance tips; tone advice; with amp guitar settings
Reasons to buy
+Comprehensive learning path in this online guitar learning course
+Large roster of professional instructors
+Beginner modules taught with maturity
+Sizeable library of content for intermediate to advanced players
+Eclectic style songs and tutorials, covering genres like surf and classical
+Excellent resources, including a video feedback service and live lessons
+60-day moneyback guarantee
Reasons to avoid
-User interface isn’t as contemporary as some competitor sites
-Heavy rock and blues bias, but at least other genres are represented
Who is this for?
🫵 Everyone! There’s so much content available on Guitar Tricks – and it’s always growing – that you should have no problem finding something to learn every time you sit down with your guitar, regardless of your level. It’s affordable, too, making it a top online guitar learning course.
At a glance
✅ Buy if you’re an intermediate player: Got the basics down? Guitar Tricks has loads of great beginner content, but for us it’s the logical choice to introduce you to more advanced theory and techniques in an online guitar learning course format.
❌ Don’t buy if 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 from this online guitar learning course.
Ratings
Layout/design ★★★★★ Usability ★★★★★ Features ★★★★★ Songs ★★★★☆ Overall ★★★★★
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, and it continues to improve and grow as a leading online guitar learning course.
With over 11,000 lessons and more than 900 song tutorials, Guitar Tricks has a lot more to offer beginner through to pro players – with a heavier lean towards beginners and intermediates – than many of its counterparts, probably because they simply have more content than most of them in their online guitar learning course.
They certainly nail the beginner material. They offer an extensive core plan that takes you from learning how to hold a guitar to playing barre chords, all presented clearly and without rushing key concepts within their online guitar learning course. They’ve recently re-filmed their Core Learning System and Guitar Fundamentals Courses and re-calibrated their entire beginner offering, so if you’ve never picked up a guitar before, you’ll get up to speed via excellent 4k videos in this online guitar learning course.
We found the song lessons and genre studies in particular to be impressive within this online guitar learning course, offering not only bite-sized, easy-to-follow tutorials, but also full songs note-for-note from start to finish. You also get 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 in their online guitar learning course.
Our only reservation is that the biggest chunk of lessons falls into rock, metal and blues, with much less focus on contemporary artists in genres like pop. 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 within their online guitar learning course.
One of the big things we love about Guitar Tricks is the fact they don’t try and move you through the gears too quickly in their online guitar learning course. Lessons are sequential, with each lesson following the previous one in a sensible and progressive way, designed to build on what you’ve already learned. Some other platforms we’ve tested don’t follow this approach, meaning we can be watching a lesson that includes a technique we’d not been shown yet. This can be jarring, particularly for new players using an online guitar learning course.
Guitar Tricks’ additional features mean it really is a one-stop-shop for your guitar learning experience and is the truest alternative to face-to-face lessons we’ve tried as an online guitar learning course. On-site and within the app you’ll also find a chord chart, metronome and tuner. Custom Lesson Plans and 1-on-1 lessons are also available to Guitar Tricks users for an additional cost, helping tailor your tuition to an even deeper level within this online guitar learning course. And if you’re guilty of forgetting to practice, you can set up email or text message reminders. If you’re ready to get serious about your playing, Guitar Tricks is the one to beat as an online guitar learning course.
Finally, for the budget-conscious, Guitar Tricks’ offers a 60-day money back guarantee for their online guitar learning course. So, if you find you don’t gel 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 to choose between Guitar Tricks or Fender Play? Read our Fender Play vs Guitar Tricks comparison feature to help decide on the best online guitar learning course for you.
> Get one month of Guitar Tricks for just $1, plus a free gift
EXPERT VERDICT: GUITAR TRICKS
EXPERT VERDICT: GUITAR TRICKS
Chris Schwarten
“If you’re serious about learning guitar, then it doesn’t come much better than this online guitar learning course. There’s so much here for beginners, intermediate and advanced players across a range of genres.”
Read more: Guitar Tricks review
Best for beginners
Top 5 MUST-KNOW Practice Tips for Beginners | Fender Play – YouTube Top 5 MUST-KNOW Practice Tips for Beginners | Fender Play – YouTube
2. Fender Play
The best platform for beginners from the biggest name in guitar, offering a great online guitar learning course
Our expert review:
Specifications
Price: $19.99/£19.49 per month or $149.99/£144.99 per year
Free trial: 7 days
Dedicated app: Yes
Key features: Bespoke paths for learning, quick lessons, loads of popular songs, a breeze to navigate and use in this online guitar learning course
Reasons to buy
+Intuitive user experience with broad appeal as an online guitar learning course
+In-depth lessons for novices and intermediates
+Step-by-step tuition keeps engagement high
+Professional production values, including multi-cam video
+Diverse song library to suit most tastes
Reasons to avoid
-Little here for advanced players in this online guitar learning course
-Some repetition in tuition content
Who is this for?
🫵 Beginner players who want affordable lessons from a trusted name in guitar, all presented in a fresh, contemporary way that’s easy to use as an online guitar learning course.
At a glance
✅ Buy if 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 with their online guitar learning course.
❌ Don’t buy if you’re intermediate or above: Once you move beyond the beginner zone, Fender Play is fairly light on more advanced content in their online guitar learning course.
Ratings
Layout/design ★★★★★ Usability ★★★★★ Features ★★★★☆ Songs ★★★★★ Overall ★★★★★
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 learning course 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 right now. Videos are excellently presented with fantastic production value, including multiple camera angles within their online guitar learning course.
Primarily it’s most suited to total beginners, with guided paths and lesson plans holding your hand and ensuring you’ll become proficient in what you want to learn via this online guitar learning course.
There’s plenty for the more experienced players to sink their teeth into, too – and that content area is ever-growing – but if you fit into the early-intermediate to advanced category we would suggest looking elsewhere for a truly comprehensive and exhaustive mix of content. Our #1 pick overall is Guitar Tricks as a more rounded online guitar learning course.
A lot of Fender Play’s lessons are bitesize – 3-5 minutes each – which some would say is not long enough for an online guitar learning course. But we found this approach was enough to on-board the guidance we needed on each topic. Considering the target demographic, attention span is going to be limited – and possibly overwhelmed by too much information, jargon or chatter – so delivering the information, clearly, concisely and quickly is a winning strategy for an online guitar learning course. Lessons can also be viewed in Practice mode which slows them to 75 or 50% of the original speed to help you master the part. We found this to be extra helpful on trickier parts or more technical riffs within this online guitar learning course.
Fender recently added Feedback mode, which adds more of an interactive element to your learning, providing feedback and scores on your performance, using your device’s internal mic in their online guitar learning course. It reminded us of the more gamified approach of platforms like our #6 pick Simply Guitar. It’s still in beta, but works pretty well as a feature within their online guitar learning course.
Song lessons are another of Fender Play’s strong suits within their online guitar learning course, with an expanding collection of contemporary tracks to learn, with a range of difficulties, from the usual rock and metal icons, to modern guitar inspirations such as Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift. Lessons are “simplified and shortened” versions of songs, ranging from basic chord progressions to full riffs. If you’re there to learn a full song from start to finish, then you may need to look elsewhere, but for getting started with playing famous riffs, it’s excellent for an online guitar learning course.
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 about their lessons within their online guitar learning course. It’s simply the best online guitar learning tool for beginners right now – and that’s saying something in the face of some very stiff competition in the online guitar learning course market.
> Get 50% off an annual Fender Play subscription with code ‘guitarworld50’
EXPERT VERDICT: FENDER PLAY
EXPERT VERDICT: FENDER PLAY
Chris Schwarten
“With its stylish, contemporary vibe, Fender Play is a joy to use for novices and early intermediate players as an online guitar learning course. Refreshingly, its library of lessons and songs reach far beyond the somewhat hackneyed blues and rock classics favored by most of its competitors.”
Read more: Fender Play review
Best for content volume
🎸 Sol Philcox-Littlefield Guitar Lessons – The Session Guitarists’ Playbook – TrueFire – YouTube 🎸 Sol Philcox-Littlefield Guitar Lessons – The Session Guitarists’ Playbook – TrueFire – YouTube
3. TrueFire
Best for content volume as an online guitar learning course
Our expert review:
Specifications
Price: $29/£21 per month, $249/£178 per year or $2,499/£1,800 for a lifetime
Free trial: 30 days
Dedicated app: Yes
Key features: 40,000 lessons, 30,000 tabs, 20,000 jam tracks and new courses uploaded weekly in their online guitar learning course
Reasons to buy
+Huge spectrum of courses in their online guitar learning course
+Impressive variety of genres
+Tuition standard is very high
+Celeb educators
Reasons to avoid
-Overwhelming at first as an online guitar learning course
-Premium content costs extra
-Song library is weak
Who is this for?
🫵 Players with time on their hands. There is so much content available through TrueFire that you will never be short of lessons to learn and content to absorb – as long as you have the time to find what you’re looking for in this online guitar learning course.
At a glance
✅ Buy if 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 in their online guitar learning course. 80,000 and counting…
❌ Don’t buy if you want a cheap option: Although not extortionate, TrueFire is costlier than our other recommendations; in some cases it’s double the price for their online guitar learning course. We’d suggest taking the 30 day trial before you commit to this one.
Ratings
Layout/design ★★★★★ Usability ★★★★★ Features ★★★★★ Songs ★★★★☆ Overall ★★★★★
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 guitar learning course platforms in this guide. And we would certainly recommend going down the structured route rather than cherry-picking lessons from different tutors online. You may miss out on learning critical skills, especially if you’re a beginner using an online guitar learning course.
TrueFire is a great option, with more lessons, tabs and jam tracks than you’ll ever realistically need – the highest volume of content out of all our recommendations – along with a selection of well-respected teachers and star tutors to learn from in their online guitar learning course.
Beginners may be overwhelmed by the amount of content as the site isn’t laid out in the most easy-to-navigate way and finding what you need can take time on this online guitar learning course. But once you locate and access the right course for you we found the content itself to be first-rate. We’d recommend starting with the Learning Paths, which are a structured route into learning provided by this online guitar learning course. They’re very beginner-friendly, going right back to basics. If you’re more advanced, the search bar is your oyster on this online guitar learning course!
We particularly like the slow-mo and looping features within the videos, where you can single out a tricky passage and have it repeated slowly until you nail it in this online guitar learning course. It’s a simple trick, and not exclusive to TrueFire, but one that we use a lot and will work wonders on your playing when using an online guitar learning course.
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 with their online guitar learning course.
> Save 30% off an All-Access TrueFire with code GWTF30
EXPERT VERDICT: TRUFIRE
EXPERT VERDICT: TRUFIRE
Simon Fellows
“TrueFire offers a smorgasbord of online guitar learning course tuition that’s suitable for beginners and lifelong learners alike. From blues to flamenco, there’s lots for everyone. We have questions about the lacklustre song library, but there’s plenty elsewhere on the site to keep most players busy.”
Read our full TrueFire review
Best for usability and navigation
Acoustic Guitar Classics – The Joker By The Steve Miller Band – YouTube Acoustic Guitar Classics – The Joker By The Steve Miller Band – YouTube
4. Guitareo
Best for usability, navigation and fun! as an online guitar learning course
Our expert review:
Specifications
Price: $15 per month, $120 per year
Free trial: 7 days
Dedicated app: Yes
Key features: Loads of videos, great presenters, different sections for guitar method, lessons and courses, teaches you 500 songs in 5 days, live videos as part of their online guitar learning course
Reasons to buy
+Comprehensive online guitar learning course
+Multiple likeable presenters
+Teaches in a fun way
+Well laid out
+Updated regularly
Reasons to avoid
-Some may be overwhelmed by all the choice at first in this online guitar learning course
Who is this for?
🫵 Players who like to supplement their core lessons with unique, interesting content to help them think outside the box and become a more well-rounded player using this online guitar learning course.
At a glance
✅ Buy if you’re on a budget: Guitareo is one of the most affordable platforms out there as an online guitar learning course.
❌ Don’t buy if 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 with this online guitar learning course.
Ratings
Layout/design ★★★★★ Usability ★★★★☆ Features ★★★★☆ Songs ★★★★★ Overall ★★★★½
Newcomer Guitareo contains a massive selection of mostly bite-sized videos and other resources that teach you how to play guitar as part of their online guitar learning course. If you’re a complete beginner, they’ll take you right from the start, covering all the basic information you need, without it ever seeming patronizing in this online guitar learning course. The aim is to get you playing straight away – regardless of your age – and from our experience using the platform they’ve done a good job of making it both fun and easy to understand as an online guitar learning course.
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 within their online guitar learning course. The more you search through what Guitareo has to offer, the more you realize how much information is in there in this online guitar learning course.
There are separate sections on the website that help you in different areas; there are courses in particular genres, key guitar method lessons, a section for learning 500 songs in 5 days, cool features like how to prepare for a recording session and more in their online guitar learning course. And this is something we really love about Guitareo – they don’t just go for the tried and tested lessons, they inject plenty of thought, creativity and fun into their content, presenting budding players with exciting challenges and interesting concepts to explore via their online guitar learning course.
Of course, if you just want to be taught how to start playing the guitar, then you can simply go through the step-by-step lessons in their online guitar learning course.
One the most striking things for us was that it was well laid out and easy to navigate as an online guitar learning course. It’s possible to feel a little overwhelmed by everything at first, but we quickly settled into how the site worked and found it to be really intuitive and simple as an online guitar learning course.
> Trial Guitareo for 30-days, exclusive to Guitar World readers
EXPERT VERDICT: GUITAREO
EXPERT VERDICT: GUITAREO
Richard Blenkinsop
“Guitareo is jam packed full of videos containing a wealth of information that will get you playing guitar quickly, regardless of what genre you want to play, or whether you prefer electric or acoustic using their online guitar learning course.”
Read more: Guitareo review
Best for big-name tutors
Guitar Lesson: Alternate Chord Voicings with Dave Isaacs || ArtistWorks – YouTube Guitar Lesson: Alternate Chord Voicings with Dave Isaacs || ArtistWorks – YouTube
5. ArtistWorks Guitar
Best for big-name tutors offering an online guitar learning course
Our expert review:
Specifications
Price: Three-month plan $35/£25 per month, six-month plan $30/£21 per month, or annual plan $23.25/£16.50 per month
Free trial: Sample lessons available
Dedicated app: No
Key features: Over 50k video lessons in their online guitar learning course
Reasons to buy
+Video Exchange feedback is remarkable in their online guitar learning course
+Top quality tuition
+Big-name teachers
Reasons to avoid
-Not cheap as an online guitar learning course
-Subscription limited to one ‘school’ at a time
Who is this for?
🫵 Guitarists who like a bit of star power with their lessons and who enjoy getting feedback on their playing when using an online guitar learning course.
At a glance
✅ Buy if 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 via their online guitar learning course.
❌ Don’t buy if you’re on a budget: While personalized feedback from pro players is super cool, you will pay more than standard for the privilege of this online guitar learning course. It’s up to you if you think the extra outlay is worth it.
Ratings
Layout/design ★★★★☆ Usability ★★★★☆ Features ★★★★★ Songs ★★★★★ Overall ★★★★½
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 when using an online guitar learning course.
ArtistWorks goes big on this personal touch in their online guitar learning course. Not only do they harness the expertise of renowned instructors – including Paul Gilbert, Andy McKee and Jared James Nichols – users can also submit their own videos for assessment. Your allocated instructor will review your playing and respond with a full and detailed video, pointing out places you can improve. This level of feedback is invaluable and in the past has only been available through face-to-face lessons, but ArtistWorks brings it to their online guitar learning course.
To top it off, there’s also a community of students and teachers that you can reach out to with your questions when using this online guitar learning course.
Star tutors are not exclusive to ArtistWorks, but it is at the core of what they do, and there is still something we find very exciting about getting insight from the players we idolize via their online guitar learning course.
The courses themselves are comprehensive, extensive and go deep on key topics within their online guitar learning course. They’ve clearly left no stone unturned and certainly require commitment to see them through. So, if you’re typically more of a bite-sized lessons consumer, this may not be the platform for you as an online guitar learning course. We would have preferred more camera angles in the videos we watched, but other features such as being able to slow sections down are welcome in their online guitar learning course.
EXPERT VERDICT: ARTISTWORKS
EXPERT VERDICT: ARTISTWORKS
Simon Fellows
“The personalised feedback video feature marks ArtistWorks.com out as something special as an online guitar learning course. It’s as close as it gets to having a one-to-one lesson with a big-name teacher.”
Read more: ArtistWorks review
Best game-style learning
Start learning with Simply Guitar! – YouTube Start learning with Simply Guitar! – YouTube
6. Simply Guitar
Best for game-style learning as an online guitar learning course
Our expert review:
Specifications
Price: $/£9.99 per month or $119.99/£109.99 per year (currently 20% off)
Free trial: 7 days
Dedicated app: Yes
Key features: For iOS and Android devices, step-by-step tutorials, direct app feedback, contemporary song lessons in their online guitar learning course
Reasons to buy
+Truly engaging for beginners using this online guitar learning course
+Lively user experience
+Strong, contemporary song library
+Real-time feedback
Reasons to avoid
-Not much for intermediate or advanced players in this online guitar learning course
-Bold, modern design not for traditionalists
Who is this for?
🫵 Younger guitarists and beginners who spend most of their days with a video game controller in their hands. This app-based tool delivers game-style functionality to make learning more engaging, fun and challenging as an online guitar learning course.
At a glance
✅ Buy if you’re a gamer who wants to learn the guitar: The animated fretboard is really engaging, adds a competitive element and makes learning fun with this online guitar learning course.
❌ Don’t buy if you’re not a beginner: If you’re intermediate or above you won’t find much to help you here in this online guitar learning course. This is very much a beginner-focussed platform.
Ratings
Layout/design ★★★★☆ Usability ★★★★★ Features ★★★★★ Songs ★★★★★ Overall ★★★★½
Simply Guitar proves that learning guitar doesn’t have to be complicated, and practice time need not be dull with their online guitar learning course. 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 as part of their online guitar learning course.
At its core is a fun gamified approach that relies on an animated fretboard within their online guitar learning course. 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, which is very competitive in this online guitar learning course space).
Instant feedback lets you know when you mess up, and the app will return you to tricky passages that need more work in their online guitar learning course. It’s clever stuff and we had a lot of fun putting it through its paces. One of the drawbacks of online learning is the lack of feedback you’d usually receive from in-person lessons, so we found this approach really gratifying and inspired us to keep working through the lessons in their online guitar learning course.
Each level is introduced by an often-quirky explanatory video that’s delivered with good humor, bad jokes and a great deal of professionalism as part of their online guitar learning course. The rest of the content is predominantly animated but we found it engaging to the point of being addictive as an online guitar learning course.
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) as an online guitar learning course. If you’re an advanced player we’d suggest you look elsewhere – to either our #1 pick Guitar Tricks, or our pro choice #8 JTC Guitar – for more depth than you will find in this online guitar learning course.
If you’re looking to learn songs, there’s plenty to delve into with Simply Guitar as an online guitar learning course. And it’s not just the tired old rock and blues artists, either. SG knows its demographic and there’s plenty for fans of pop and other contemporary genres too, with artists including Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber, Harry Styles and Billie Eilish all represented in their online guitar learning course. It’s great to see the diversity of artists that are now deemed a gateway to new players and we had fun learning some more modern tracks using their online guitar learning course.
It’s an app-only platform, so you’ll need to make sure you have a compatible device to use this online guitar learning course.
> Save 20% off an annual Simply Guitar subscription
EXPERT VERDICT: SIMPLY GUITAR
EXPERT VERDICT: SIMPLY GUITAR
Simon Fellows
“Simply Guitar’s joyful take on guitar tuition is fun to the point of being addictive as an online guitar learning course. Its extensive song library and real-time feedback should keep even the most jaded player enthused.”
Read our full Simply Guitar review
Best advanced lessons
Chromatic Spice in 15 Steps! – YouTube Chromatic Spice in 15 Steps! – YouTube
7. JTC Guitar
Best for advanced players offering an online guitar learning course
Our expert review:
Specifications
Price: Subscription prices are displayed in £ on-site, wherever you’re subscribing from. A monthly subscription is £19.99 (approx $25), annual is £179.99 (approx $224) and a 6-monthly sub is £99.99 (approx $124)
Free trial?: 14 days
Dedicated app: No
Key features: Personalised coaching, masterclasses, jam tracks, videos and interactive tabs as part of their online guitar learning course
Reasons to buy
+Tons of quality material in their online guitar learning course
+Amazing line-up of players
+Lots of different styles represented
+Video interface is excellent
+Can improve your playing relatively quickly
Reasons to avoid
-Website isn’t the easiest to navigate for this online guitar learning course
-Some of the non-rock stuff gets a bit lost
Who is this for?
🫵 Guitarists who are deep into their playing journey and are looking for more challenging online content to sink their teeth into. If you’re a fan of metal then even better and JTC is a great online guitar learning course for you!
At a glance
✅ Buy if you want more pro content: JamTrackCentral offers a high volume of lessons packages created by pro players, aimed at intermediate to higher-level guitarists using their online guitar learning course.
❌ Don’t buy if 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 this online guitar learning course.
Ratings
Layout/design ★★★★☆ Usability ★★★★★ Features ★★★★★ Songs ★★★★☆ Overall ★★★★½
Not everyone who looks for an online guitar learning course 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 with their online guitar learning course.
You will find beginner content here, but there’s less hand-holding for new players and it’s easy to be blinded by content you’re not ready for yet on this online guitar learning course.
We found there was a heavy weighting towards rock, metal, fusion and more progressive styles, which is ideal if this is your bag, bit we found the acoustic, country and blues content to be on the light side within their online guitar learning course.
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 when using this online guitar learning course.
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 using their online guitar learning course. What’s more, you can remove the guitar from the backing track leaving you to play over it yourself, unhindered in this online guitar learning course.
EXPERT VERDICT: JTC GUITAR
EXPERT VERDICT: JTC GUITAR
Richard Blenkinsop
“JTC Guitar has a lot of top-quality content, presented by some incredible players that will help guitarists, particularly more advanced players, improve their skills, particularly within the rock, metal and progressive worlds using their online guitar learning course.”
Read more: JTC Guitar review
Best free lessons
How to Mix Lead & Rhythm in a Blues – YouTube How to Mix Lead & Rhythm in a Blues – YouTube
8. JustinGuitar
Best for free content offering an online guitar learning course
Our expert review:
Specifications
Price: Mostly free. Packages from $9.99/£7 per month for a six-month plan
Free trial: A lot of content is free anyway!
Dedicated app: Yes
Key features: Grade system, downloadable resources, huge variety of courses for all ability levels as part of their online guitar learning course
Reasons to buy
+Free online guitar learning course
+Beginner through advanced lessons
+Superb teaching
+High-quality production
+In-depth paid-for content if you need it
+Did we mention it’s free?
Reasons to avoid
-Justin’s quiescent style not for everyone in this online guitar learning course
-Some old content sprinkled throughout
Who is this for?
🫵 Players with zero budget who want to learn from an expert, trustworthy source who has structured content appropriately in a free online guitar learning course.
At a glance
✅ Buy if you want free content that’s actually good: A large proportion of JustinGuitar content is free, but we can 100% vouch for the quality of this online guitar learning course.
❌ Don’t buy if you want a range of tutors: Justin Sandercoe has a mellow presenting style and is tutor you will see the most on the site for this online guitar learning course. You’ll need to look elsewhere for livelier presentation.
Ratings
Layout/design ★★★★★ Usability ★★★★★ Features ★★★★☆ Songs ★★★★☆ Overall ★★★★½
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 as the best free online guitar learning course. He is by far the best purveyor of genuinely free online guitar lessons, so if you’re short on cash but still want access to quality, well structured lessons, Justin is your man and JustinGuitar is your online guitar learning course.
For total beginners, Justin offers one of the best introductory experiences going, and it’s all free as an online guitar learning course. For more advanced players, there’s loads in the way of tutorials and downloadable practice resources, meaning there’s something for everyone in this online guitar learning course.
The quality of teaching second to none – Justin has been around for years and is well known in tuition circles – while the presentation is first-rate and the quality of videos is impressive in his online guitar learning course. You will still find the odd video that’s looking dated by now, but in recent years Justin has re-organized, and re-shot, much of his content, bringing with it more logic for younger players and a brilliant sheen to his online guitar learning course. Did we mention this is all free as an online guitar learning course?
There’s a healthy batch of songs to learn – approaching 700 – and the lessons are great, but there are more abundant song libraries on other platforms offering online guitar learning courses.
YouTube gave Justin the platform to spread his good word to the masses, but his premium lessons are well worth the extra outlay too if you decide to upgrade your free online guitar learning course.
EXPERT VERDICT: JUSTINGUITAR
EXPERT VERDICT: JUSTINGUITAR
Simon Fellows
“Proof that the best things in life really can be free, like this online guitar learning course. A recent ‘spit ‘n polish’ adds a pro sheen to the site, which now comfortably competes with its paid-for competition.”
Read more: JustinGuitar review
Best bespoke lessons
Til guitar lessons displayed on a laptop and smartphone
(Image credit: Til)
9. Til
A platform that does things the old way for a new generation with their online guitar learning course
Our expert review:
Specifications
Price: $30 to $120 per lesson
Free trial: Teacher dependent
Dedicated app: No
Key features: Professional guitar tutors, group lessons, sort by genre offering a unique online guitar learning course
Reasons to buy
+Top quality tutors in their online guitar learning course
+Personalized lessons
+Learn in a group
Reasons to avoid
-Lesson costs add up quick when using this online guitar learning course
Who is this for?
🫵 If you already have some years of playing under your belt, Til is your route to fine-tuning elements of your playing through one-to-one and group lessons with professional musicians using their online guitar learning course.
At a glance
✅ Buy if you’re looking for bespoke lessons: Til will match you with an expert tutor who can identify and help you develop weak areas in your playing with their online guitar learning course.
❌ Don’t buy if you’re new to playing the guitar: This is definitely more focused on established guitar players. There’s no dedicated learning path or songs to learn here in this online guitar learning course.
Ratings
Layout/design ★★★★☆ Usability ★★★★½ Features ★★★★½ Songs N/A Overall ★★★★½
Til is a little different from the majority of online guitar learning courses out there, in that it’s more like the traditional way of learning guitar when you are paired with an actual teacher. It takes this approach by bringing your learning online, giving you the option for personalized lessons from professional guitarists as an online guitar learning course.
Til’s major strength is in the quality of its tutors, all of whom are working in the industry in one form or another for their online guitar learning course. This means you’re getting lived in experience in real-time, completely adaptable to your needs as a guitarist. Whether you want to learn the CAGED system, improve your jazz licks, or just identify and tune up those weak points in your playing, Til gives you pinpoint lessons on technique as an online guitar learning course.
You can sort lesson content by skill level, style of music, or date and time which gives you plenty of options to find a teacher who is perfect for you using their online guitar learning course. There’s also the option for group classes, whereby you and your peers learn together, sharing tips, and showing your playing for feedback as part of this online guitar learning course. It’s probably not the best for beginner guitar players but if you’ve got some playing under your belt and want to improve, we’d highly recommend Til as an online guitar learning course.
> Get $10 off your first Til lesson
EXPERT VERDICT: TIL
EXPERT VERDICT: TIL
Matt McCracken
“Perfect for players who want pinpoint improvements in their guitar technique, Til’s major strength lies in its assembly of top-tier guitar tutors for their online guitar learning course. It’s a clever take on the way that guitar was taught before the internet age, utilizing technology to connect students and teachers across the globe.”
Read more: Til review
Price comparison
Want to see how our top choices compare for price and value as online guitar learning courses? We’ve compiled this comparison chart for an easy visual. All $ prices are correct at the time of writing. Some £ prices have been converted from $ as they aren’t explicitly available on the platform’s site.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
| Service | Free trial | Monthly | Yearly | Lifetime |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guitar Tricks | 14-days | $19.99/£15.99 | $179.99/£141.99 | N/A |
| Fender Play | 7-days | $19.99/£19.49 | $149.99/£144.99 | N/A |
| TrueFire | 30-days | $29/£21 | $249/£178 | $2,499/£1,800 |
| Guitareo | 30-days (with GW promo) | $15/$12 | $120/£95 | $1,200/£945 |
| ArtistWorks | Sample lessons | $35/£25 (3-month plan), $30/£21 (6-month plan) | $279/£198 | N/A |
| Simply Guitar | 7-days | $9.99/£9.99 | $119.99/£109.99 | N/A |
| JTC Guitar | 14-days | $25/£19.99 | $224/£179.99 | N/A |
| Justin Guitar | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Til | N/A | $30 to $120 per lesson | N/A | N/A |
Also tested
So those are our top picks for online guitar learning courses, 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 and worth your consideration as online guitar learning courses.
Yousician★★★½ $9.99/£7 per month or $119.99/£86 per year | 7-day free trial | Feature: Audio-recognition technology, 9k lessons, 1,800 songs
Proving there’s more to online guitar learning courses than a bank of videos, Yousician aims to introduce a sort of gamification into the mix, similar to Simply Guitar. If you’ve played Guitar Hero and Rock Band, you’ll be familiar with the concept. 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 with their online guitar learning course. 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 when using this online guitar learning course.
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 more: Yousician review
Yousician★★★½
$9.99/£7 per month or $119.99/£86 per year | 7-day free trial | Feature: Audio-recognition technology, 9k lessons, 1,800 songs
Proving there’s more to online guitar learning courses than a bank of videos, Yousician aims to introduce a sort of gamification into the mix, similar to Simply Guitar. If you’ve played Guitar Hero and Rock Band, you’ll be familiar with the concept. 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 within their online guitar learning course. 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 with this online guitar learning course.
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 more: Yousician review
Pickup MusicPickup Music ★★★★½
$29.99 per month or $179.99 per year | 14-day free trial | Key features: Graded learning pathways, daily exercises, personalised feedback, master classes, 5 minute lessons, artist lessons, downloadable exercises as part of their online guitar learning course****
There’s no denying that online guitar learning courses 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 within their online guitar learning course. The lessons aimed at beginners are great. They explain things clearly and concisely and, even in the first couple of lessons, you’re playing straight away using their online guitar learning course. New features include 1 to 1 video feedback, weekly live lessons, and more Learning Pathways and Masterclasses in their online guitar learning course.
Read more: Pickup Music review
Gibson: Learn & Play Guitar★★★★½
$19.99 monthly, $119.99 yearly | 7-day free trial | Key features: In-depth learning path for novice to intermediate level players. Gamified, animated fretboard. Video tutorials with world-class teachers. Augmented reality amp feature as part of their online guitar learning course****
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 guitar learning course 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 using this online guitar learning course. Not just yet anyway. 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 in their online guitar learning course. 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 in their online guitar learning course.
Read more: Gibson: Learn & Play Guitar review
Orange Learn ★★★★ Monthly/annual costs charged according to desired grade level | Free to join with various paid for courses once you’re signed up | Key features: Accredited course for learners of all levels as an online guitar learning course****
While all the big guitar brands now offer some form of learning aid, Orange was one of the first with its Orange Learn tool, offering an online guitar learning course. And where others focus on providing a vast barrage of content, Orange has instead gone for credibility with their online guitar learning course. Here, you work through official courses with the goal of receiving an actual, graded qualification at the end through their online guitar learning course. Lessons range from total beginner through to Grade 8, and there are even tutors online to help you whenever you get stuck on something when using their online guitar learning course.
Read more: Orange Learn review
Orange Learn ★★★★
Monthly/annual costs charged according to desired grade level | Free to join with various paid for courses once you’re signed up | Key features: Accredited course for learners of all levels as an online guitar learning course****
While all the big guitar brands now offer some form of learning aid, Orange was one of the first with its Orange Learn tool, offering an online guitar learning course. And where others focus on providing a vast barrage of content, Orange has instead gone for credibility with their online guitar learning course. Here, you work through official courses with the goal of receiving an actual, graded qualification at the end through their online guitar learning course. Lessons range from total beginner through to Grade 8, and there are even tutors online to help you whenever you get stuck on something when using their online guitar learning course.
Read more: Orange Learn review
How to choose the best online guitar lessons for you
Best online guitar lessons: Lady playing guitar at laptop
(Image credit: Getty/Westend61)
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. Whatever your preference for learning, there will be an online guitar learning course provider to suit your needs.
You might have had a scan around at some of the best online guitar learning course 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 within their online guitar learning course.
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 when using an online guitar learning course. Let’s take a look at the key things you should take into consideration when choosing an online guitar learning course. These are also things we assess during our tests:
- Structure: Does the structure of each lesson and course make sense from a user standpoint within their online guitar learning course? Is it clear, sequential and easy to navigate? And the same applies to the site/app as a whole; can you find the content you need quickly and easily within their online guitar learning course?
- Quality of lessons: Are the lessons filmed in high quality and from multiple camera angles in their online guitar learning course? If they’re shot from a single angle is it clear what the tutor is doing with both their hands? And as a general note, are lessons presented well and in a friendly manner, without being patronizing or condescending within their online guitar learning course? Are key theories and techniques explained and demonstrated clearly, or do they leave you scratching your head when using their online guitar learning course?
- Useful tools: By this we mean the sort of features you can utilize to improve your ability to learn using an online guitar learning course. Some sites offer things like a native metronome or tuner – although we would argue those are things you should already have in physical form. For us, the most helpful tools an online guitar learning course platform can provide is the ability to slow down and loop key parts of a lesson, and on-screen TAB.
- Pacing: The pacing of the lessons is very important in an online guitar learning course. 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 using an online guitar learning course. Make sure your chosen platform delivers the approach that suits you best as an online guitar learning course.
- Price: You probably already have plenty of monthly outgoings from your bank account, so how easily can you justify another one for an online guitar learning course? Does the monthly cost of your chosen guitar lessons represent good value, and what does value mean to you when it comes to an online guitar learning course? Using free trials is a great way to gauge how you might use a regular subscription to an online guitar learning course.
Whichever way you want to do it, learning the guitar is not an easy task and requires plenty of effort on your part. By making the decision to learn using an online guitar learning course, 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 when using an online guitar learning course!
How we test online guitar lessons services
Man holding an acoustic guitar sits in front of his laptop
(Image credit: Getty/Westend61)
The Guitar World online guitar learning course 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 to their online guitar learning course.
We test every platform for at least a couple of weeks to get a true feel for how they work and the impact they are having on our playing when using their online guitar learning course.
These services are ever-evolving, so we never just review an online guitar learning course, never to return. We aim to re-evaluate and re-test online guitar learning course services whenever there has been a major update and we update our reviews and star ratings accordingly. This guide is also updated on a regular cadence to keep pace with the latest changes and improvements to our favourite online guitar learning course platforms.
We have reviewed every online guitar learning course service featured in this guide in detail. But our testing doesn’t stop there. We get hands-on with every new service that hits the market, but not all are included if they don’t meet our criteria for an online guitar learning course. We have no interest in flooding this page with so many options that it’s hard to see which is the right one for you as an online guitar learning course user. We have deliberately kept our list to the point, highlighting our top recommendations for each application – best for beginners, best free etc – only for online guitar learning courses.
We take screen shots of the platforms we use during our tests and include those in our full reviews. Reviews are linked at the end of each product entry in this guide about online guitar learning courses.
We test each service on multiple devices and explore content at every ability level, approaching each lesson from the perspective of a real user of an online guitar learning course. Our testing team evaluates each platform in the following categories for online guitar learning courses:
- Ease of registration/setup
- Quality of content/tutors
- Range of content
- Song library
- Other useful features
This enables us to produce accurate, well-balanced and real-life reviews to help you easily figure out whether the service you’re interested in really is the best choice for you as an online guitar learning course.
Our testing criteria in detail for online guitar learning courses**:
- 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 using their online guitar learning course. 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 as well as look good in their online guitar learning course? Just as important are the tutors, so we look closely at the delivery of the content in their online guitar learning course. Are the lessons easy to follow and understand, do the tutors play well and do they communicate the information in a friendly, engaging manner when using their online guitar learning course? If the platform offers playalong songs or downloadable PDFs, are they easy to use with their online guitar learning course?
- Range of content: Some platforms offer content for all abilities while others are more focused in a particular area within their online guitar learning course. 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 seeking an online guitar learning course.
- Songs: How many tracks are available to learn and do the lessons cover a breadth of genres in their online guitar learning course? Are the lessons thorough, or bite-size, or a mix when using their online guitar learning course?
- Other features: How easy is the content to navigate in general within their online guitar learning course? 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 for their online guitar learning course? Are there any other useful features on offer such as the ability to slow down or loop video when using their online guitar learning course? Is the content available on multiple platforms (ie. web and mobile) as part of their online guitar learning course? Is the content available to use offline for their online guitar learning course?
Read more about Guitar World’s rating system, how we choose the gear we feature, and exactly how we test products.
Why trust us
☑️ 20+ online lessons services reviewed for this guide, by real players and students of the guitar seeking the best online guitar learning course
☑️ Over 40,000 reviews on GuitarWorld.com for online guitar learning courses and gear
☑️ 30+ years of product testing at Guitar World for guitars and online guitar learning courses
The Guitar World brand has existed since July 1980, when the print magazine was launched and quickly became the ultimate resource for guitar players. GW’s online home, GuitarWorld.com, was launched in 1994 and now reaches a global audience 3.8 million guitarists ever month, reporting on the latest guitar news and helping players find the right gear via reviews and buyer’s guides including those for online guitar learning courses.
There are currently over 40,000 reviews on GuitarWorld.com and that number is growing each month, including reviews of online guitar learning courses.
Our testing team includes:
- Expert reviewers with decades of hands-on experience testing and owning a wide range of guitar products and services, including online guitar learning courses
- Industry professionals who have worked in the guitar/music industry for decades and are experts in online guitar learning courses
- Writers who have held positions at guitar companies and worked roles at leading guitar magazines and websites, specializing in online guitar learning courses
- Guitar tutors have have run successful tuition businesses in addition to creating lesson content for both magazine and sites like Guitar World, and have expertise in online guitar learning courses
Chris Schwarten
I’ve been playing since I was 10 years old, enjoying many of the highs and lows that come with being a guitarist. I started out with group lessons for the first year, before moving to private one-on-one lessons for the next five years, specializing in blues playing. After getting serious about the grades, my ability to play became severely hindered after I developed trigger thumb in both hands, requiring surgery and rehab. Despite this bump in the road, guitar continues to be a big part of my life and I’ve been able to work on a number of different live and recording projects since. I’m currently playing in a London-based independently-signed alternative rock band that’s just about to release its debut album. Outside of playing, since 2020 I’ve also been fortunate enough to thoroughly research, test, and review dozens of products for esteemed publications including Guitar World, from recording software and accessories, to the online guitar learning course platforms featured in this guide.
FAQs
Man wearing headphones and holding an acoustic guitar takes a lesson via his laptop
(Image credit: Getty/Francesco Carta fotografo)
What are online guitar lessons within an online guitar learning course?
Exactly as the name suggests, online guitar learning course 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 within an online guitar learning course. For the purposes of this guide we are mostly looking at online guitar learning courses 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 within their online guitar learning course.
Not all online guitar learning courses are created equal, however. A lot of content that’s available for free online is subpar, lacks the structure of proper lessons and in some cases is just plain inaccurate – YouTube is a perfect example of this compared to a structured online guitar learning course.
Do I need an internet connection for an online guitar learning course?
This is sort of a trick question as, of course, to access your online guitar learning course 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 to download 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 when using an online guitar learning course.
How much do online guitar learning courses cost?
Costs can vary wildly, depending on the subscription level and platform you sign up for an online guitar learning course. Monthly prices start from around $/£9.99, with annual subscriptions also commonly available – these will usually save you a little cash over a monthly sub in the long run for an online guitar learning course. 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 as an online guitar learning course. It works out cheaper in the long-run, but you need to be committed for a number of years to truly see the payoff from your online guitar learning course.
A monthly or annual subscription can feel like quite a commitment when it’s a service you’ve not used before for an online guitar learning course. This is why many online guitar learning course 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 and are using an online guitar learning course. Other sites are free to join, but you pay to open up more content within their online guitar learning course.
Other platforms, like Til, don’t have a subscription at all for their online guitar learning course – you pay per lesson.
Don’t forget, most online guitar learning course 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 with your online guitar learning course.
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 guitar learning course plan quickly pulls into focus.
Is it worth paying for an online guitar learning course?
100%. Yes, there are plenty of free resources available online but, particularly if you’re a beginner, how do you know where to start with free resources compared to a structured online guitar learning course, 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 without a structured online guitar learning course? This is something that only a real teacher or a carefully constructed online guitar learning course lesson plan can deliver.
And what about direct feedback on your development, or a community of like-minded learners when using an online guitar learning course? Most online guitar learning courses deliver these sorts of community features.
As we’ve already said, with free trials available from most providers of online guitar learning courses, you can try before you buy. This ensures that, once you do start paying for an online guitar learning course, you can be confident you’re getting exactly what you need.
Are online guitar learning courses better than face-to-face?
There are pros and cons to both face-to-face and online guitar learning courses. There’s no match for the instant feedback you get with an actual tutor, but physical lessons can be cost and time-prohibitive compared to online guitar learning courses. What’s more, some online guitar learning course 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 when using an online guitar learning course.
If the content in your online guitar learning course 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 after using your online guitar learning course. In our opinion, these are the best ways to develop your talent and forge your own voice on the guitar after using an online guitar learning course. You could always choose the hybrid approach which is to support your online guitar learning course 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 to help you decide on the best approach alongside an online guitar learning course.
Latest updates
Recent updates
11/08/24: We’ve added a new recommendation to this guide for online guitar learning courses. Til has been included because it represents a different way of learning to the other services in the guide. There’s no subscription model, rather it focuses on interactive one-to-one or group lessons, and you pay per lesson for their online guitar learning course. Our reviewer had a really positive experience when he tried one of these lessons for himself from this online guitar learning course provider. We’ve also added a dedicated verdict section to the end of each guide entry for online guitar learning courses.
08/06/24: We’ve completed a large update to this guide on online guitar learning courses. Key changes include: after re-reviewing Guitar Tricks, we have promoted it to the ‘best overall’ position in this guide; added new star ratings boxes for each product, giving individual ratings for each of the areas we test, as well as an overall score for online guitar learning courses; added a price comparison table to make it easier to weigh up the value of each service offering online guitar learning courses; added a ‘who is this for’ boxout to each product to make it clear the type of player each service is for in terms of online guitar learning courses; updated our FAQs, how to buy and how we test sections related to online guitar learning courses.
04/19/24: We updated the JTC Guitar entry to reflect the new name and also to add more depth to the entry about their online guitar learning course. This coincided with us publishing our full JTC Guitar review of their online guitar learning course.
02/16/24: We’ve added clearer labels to each of our top product picks to make it obvious which online guitar learning course 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 online guitar learning course 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 as an online guitar learning course.
