Learning guitar has changed a lot over the years; back when I started out, just about the only way to learn guitar would be visiting a tutor in person to go through particular techniques, scales, or songs. The alternative would be using DVDs or books, but these would be limited and could never be updated, so they always felt like more of an accompaniment than something you could comprehensively learn from. There absolutely is a place for all of these methods of learning still, but in our continually more “on-demand” world, the best online guitar lessons can be more convenient and equally as insightful.
And it isn’t just new guitarists that online guitar lessons are for, they can also be appealing to seasoned players, who may have long-since ended formal guitar lessons, but want to brush up, refine, or learn new techniques. Rather than committing to full-time lessons, online courses allow you to dip in and out as you please and focus on specifics, which is likely to cost less too.
For me, the best overall provider is Guitar Tricks, which has enough content that will satisfy the vast majority of users, from beginner players through to those with a few more years under their belt. If you’re a complete beginner, however, I would recommend starting with Fender Play, which offers a slick and well-directed experience perfect for younger players and those just starting out.
So whether you are looking for the best lessons for a new player, are intermediate or even professional but looking to expand your knowledge, or simply shake off a few cobwebs, my list will help you discover the best online guitar lessons available right now. And if you’re still not sure whether online guitar lessons are right for you, visit the FAQ section, where many of the big questions people have about them are answered.
My top picks
Of all the platforms available for learning guitar, I found that Guitar Tricks is the most rounded, offering something for players at every level, whether that is specific techniques, artist studies, or learning to play songs, of which they have over 1,000. You can also bag your first month for just $1 with this exclusive offer for GP readers.
For total newbies – don’t worry, we’ve all been there! – Fender Play is a great option, with simply structured lessons using great tutors. The high quality video almost makes you feel as though you’re having a lesson in person and I love the ability to track your progress because it’s a great way to maintain motivation and keep pushing on in your guitar journey. Beginners, this is the one for you.
If you want a huge amount of choice, it doesn’t come much bigger than the offering from TrueFire. Featuring an enormous offering of 80,000+ lessons, if there’s a guitar subject worth covering, chances are it’s been done here. I particularly love the looping and slow motion features available, too.
Best overall
✅ Buy if
You want a platform that provides lessons from beginner, all the way to pro, so you can keep consistency throughout your playing journey.
❌ Avoid if
You want to become super-knowledgeable about music theory, you will likely need additional resources on top of Guitar Tricks.
Overview: First launched in 1998, Guitar Tricks is one of the legacy picks when it comes to online guitar lessons – but that is no bad thing. Across this extensive period of providing guitar lessons, they have built a library of over 11,000 video lessons.
Platform: With so much experience in online guitar lessons, it’s probably not surprising that Guitar Tricks has managed to refine its platform to be really strong and simple to use, offering lessons in a sensible, topical order, mapped out with a clear progression route. There are currently 44 professional instructors for you to choose from, who cover the majority of genres and styles.
Lessons: Guitar Tricks has also placed itself particularly well to appeal to players of all levels, so beginners can hit the ground running with a structured series of lessons covering the fundamentals, while intermediate players can find specific skills to work on easily, and there are even activities for high-level players to practice to continue stretching their ability. I love that one platform can take you all the way from beginner to pro-level, with a consistent, organized approach throughout.
Highlight: A standout area for Guitar Tricks is its huge bank of licensed songs to choose from, including classics from Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Beatles, B.B. King, Steely Dan, and Bob Dylan, though it is known that some songs can be removed due to licensing issues without much warning. In general, your favorites are likely to be there, though. If you’re not sure if they’ll have either the song or the lesson you’re looking for, why not try your first month for just $1 with this exclusive offer for Guitar Player readers.
Best for beginners
✅ Buy if
You’re a beginner looking for the highest quality video content.
❌ Avoid if
You’re intermediate-level or above, you’ll be left wanting more with the basics prioritized.
Overview: Fender is probably the most infamous name in guitar, crafting some of the most exceptional noise-making equipment the world has ever seen… so why did it take them so long to figure out that people need to learn how to play those instruments too? I’m not sure, but I’m glad they finally came to the conclusion in 2017 that bringing out their very own online guitar lessons was a smart idea.
Platform: Not content with just providing electric guitar lessons, your start on the platform is choosing whether you want to learn electric, acoustic, bass, or even ukulele, and then choosing a genre to base your lessons around: blues, rock, folk, country, or pop. This might seem a little rigid from the outset, but I think this is a great way to start your journey, with five different levels and song-based lessons that keep things really engaging.
Lessons: The Fender Play platform is home to some of the best video content in online guitar lessons that I’ve ever seen, which not only looks good (shot in 4K, no less) but also makes the lessons very clear, with multiple camera angles and well-directed close-ups of hands on the fretboard when necessary. It also features over 1,000 songs to learn, which you can access via the sidebar at any given moment. The collection of songs is impressively diverse and features artists ranging from Rory Gallagher to Dolly Parton, all with tablature to play along to in real time.
Highlight: The formulaic layout is perfect for beginners, and it’s sure to get you playing quickly. Sure, it can be a bit frustrating for more advanced players who are looking for something more flexible to fit their specific needs, but if you’re a new player, I’d highly recommend checking out Fender Play.
Best for choice
✅ Buy if
You never want to run out of new lesson content as long as you live.
❌ Avoid if
You are a beginner who wants a clearly set out path to get you started.
Overview: TrueFire is an online guitar lesson platform with one big ace up its sleeve – it has a seemingly never-ending amount of content to choose from. Their video library is host to over 80,000 lessons, which is just astonishing – you’ll likely never run out of new content to learn, especially as that number continues to grow.
Platform: The TrueFire platform is well designed, if lacking some of the glitz and glamour of competitors. Fundamentally, it is easy to navigate, and courses are divided up by genre and level, with clear naming to make sure you can find exactly what you’re looking for.
Lessons: While the sheer quantity of lessons seems like a big positive, that is only the case if the quality of those lessons is high, and I’m pleased to say there are some fantastic lessons available. You have over 400 award-winning instructors to choose from, including household names, such as Steve Vai, Greg Koch, and plenty of others, plus 20,000+ jam tracks on hand to play along to. When quantity and quality meet, you’re in for a good experience!
I found their lessons to be straightforward to navigate, and I particularly enjoyed the additional tools, like synced tablature and a slo-mo/looping feature, which can help you nail any tricky riffs. Like the rest of their library, the tab section is equally massive, with over 30,000 available to play along to.
Highlight: Although TrueFire offers beginner-targeted learning paths that allow you to track your progress, I think their content is better suited to intermediate and advanced players. There is more freedom to pick and choose what lessons or courses to complet,e and the platform operates in a flexible, free-flowing manner, which is ideal for topping up on specific skills. In my experience, something that is more structured with a clear path to progression is generally better for beginners.
Best for feedback
✅ Buy if
You want personalized feedback from a human instructor
❌ Avoid if
You’re on a budget and aren’t interested in the feedback feature.
Overview: From the outset with ArtistWorks, you’ll be able to feel that this is marketed as a premium online guitar lesson product. They pride themselves on their list of instructors – many of whom are world-renowned, and that is reflected in their higher-than-average price point for their premium membership.
Platform: On their platform, you can choose from Andy McKee, Keb’ Mo’, and Paul Gilbert, to name just a few, as your instructor, with their courses generally listed by the genres they are best known for, making it easy to navigate. If they don’t take your fancy, there are a number of other instructors, again who have a specific genre focus, making it ideal if you want to excel at a particular style of playing, often with one instructor taking you through the whole lesson set in that genre, to maintain consistency from an expert in that field.
Lessons: The really exciting feature of ArtistWorks is the ability to have personalized feedback from your chosen instructor following lessons. Just record yourself playing on their Video Exchange Learning platform and connect directly to your instructor, who can look at where you might be going wrong or areas you can improve. This is a massive benefit of ArtistWorks and fixes one of the potential issues of online guitar lessons, so I am a big fan of this feature, though you only get full access with a premium subscription, and it can take a little while to receive your feedback.
Highlight: ArtistWorks is a little different from some other online lesson platforms, so it may take some getting used to, but the ‘one-to-one’ feedback does make it feel like you’re getting real value and the kind of bespoke feedback you’d expect from in-person lessons. There is a drawback that there currently isn’t an offline mode for the lessons, so you have to have an internet connection, but for learning at home, it’s a really unique option.
Best budget
✅ Buy if
You’re on a budget, but still want to have access to in-depth lessons with a great learning structure
❌ Avoid if
You want a variety of teachers over a plethora of genres – Justin is a one-mad band.
Overview: If you’ve spent any time talking to people about online guitar lessons or scouring YouTube for some free lessons, JustinGuitar is likely to have come up. Founder Justin Sandercoe has been imparting guitar wisdom to the masses since 2003. With over 1 million subscribers and 1,300 free video guitar lessons available, JustinGuitar is pretty much unavoidable in the world of online guitar lessons – and that’s no bad thing.
Platform: JustinGuitar isn’t aimed at a specific sector of the market, with lessons aimed at beginners all the way up to advanced players. Courses are laid out in an organized structure that is really great for advancing in a steady manner. These courses are split out into ‘Grades’, which are then split into around 10 different modules, with each module comprising multiple lessons, which makes it easy to tackle the courses in bite-sized chunks, rather than committing to hours of practice, which can be daunting – even for advanced players!
Lessons: While other platforms have multiple instructors, JustinGuitar is a one-man show, and, naturally, an instructor will tend to focus on their own strengths and interests, as that is what they are most comfortable teaching. With just one instructor, that narrows the scope of knowledge somewhat – I like having a bit of variety of perspectives from multiple tutors, particularly if they are genre-specialists. That said, if you are looking to learn electric blues, rock, or acoustic fingerstyle, you will feel right at home here as Justin teaches those styles very well.
Highlight: A big bonus of JustinGuitar is the reasonable starting price, coming in at as little as $9.99 per month, and providing access to pretty much everything you need to get learning. If you’re looking for more specific courses, they can be purchased individually without commitment to an ongoing subscription fee, which I like – the ‘Practical Music Theory’ course is one I’ve got my eye on. If you’re just testing the waters, there are plenty of free lessons available, which I’d recommend as a good place to start – you might find that Justin is the perfect instructor for you!
Best for kids
✅ Buy if
You prefer lessons in bite-sized chunks that keep you engaged without committing to long practice sessions.
❌ Avoid if
You’re looking for super advanced content, Guitareo is better at beginner-intermediate lessons.
Overview: The sibling of the viral sensation, ‘Drumeo’, known for getting drummers to play along to drumless tracks they’ve never heard before on their YouTube channel, Guitareo feels like a thoroughly modern take on the classic online guitar lessons, pitched at a younger audience.
Platform: I am a big fan of the Drumeo platform, which feels modern and genuinely engaging. One of their big selling points is the 10-minute ‘workouts’ available on the site, which promise to help develop your skills without having to commit to long practice sessions. In a world where attention spans are dwindling – and I include myself in that – this feels like a reasonable way of ensuring that players maintain progress.
Lessons: You may think that having bite-sized lessons may mean that it’s difficult to cover an entire topic and have a clear route to progression, but Guitareo has thought of this, with lessons broken into different sections on the website and all following a progressive, step-by-step layout. Rudiments like guitar anatomy, string theory, notes on the fingerboard, and practice tips are covered in sleek, high-definition videos, and if you start from the beginning and discover you already know the talking points, Guitareo has designed their video player so you can easily skip ahead.
Highlight: Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the viral status of their drum counterpart, Guitareo utilizes YouTube guitar royalty for their lessons, including Rob Scallon and Pete Thorn, which helps give their catalog credibility, which teamed with courses such as ‘Guitar Quest’ provides intrigue and excitement. Having these names does come at a significant price (to you), with lessons starting from $30/month, but I think this is a platform that will see new guitarists sticking it out, so it certainly won’t be a waste of money.
Also consider
How to choose
There are plenty of online guitar lessons to choose from and from first look, you might think there isn’t a lot that separates one from another, but there are a few questions you can ask yourself to narrow your search and make sure that the online lessons you go for are suited to you.
Are you a total novice or looking for some top-up lessons?
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First up, what level are you, and what are you looking to learn? If you’re a total novice, then most online guitar lessons will have something tailored for you with a specifically designed path to take you from beginner to budding guitarist.
But it isn’t just beginners who have guitar lessons; everybody from intermediate players to professionals undertakes lessons to brush up on skills or learn some new techniques. Many of the best online guitar lessons will have lessons for more advanced players, but they might not all have exactly what you’re looking for, so look at what they specialize in first.
Do you want to learn songs or techniques?
Some lesson platforms will have a huge bank of songs to learn, with the corresponding tablature to play along to. Others might be more focused on specific skills or techniques, but may not have such a big archive of tracks to learn. Make sure your lessons are going to get you to your end goals. I find that a nice mix of both is best, if possible.
Is a monthly subscription or up-front cost better for you?
If you’re trying out online guitar lessons for the first time, you may want to go for a platform where monthly pricing isn’t too expensive, so if you find the lessons aren’t right for you, it’s easy enough to cancel. If you are in a position where you know you want to commit to a longer-term lesson plan, then I’d recommend looking at one of the sites that offers significant discounts on yearly memberships.
This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to pay in one go, but just commit to paying monthly for a whole year. Alternatively, you can find platforms where you can pay up-front and unlock all features for an entire year, which may be better if you are buying lessons as a gift.
FAQs
Is one-to-one tuition better than learning from videos?
1It’s true that one-to-one tuition is going to be more tailored to your specific needs; however, videos, particularly those that are part of a series, will be developed to address the most common challenges that guitarists encounter and provide a clear pathway to
There are, of course, countless brilliant one-to-one tutors who will be perfect for you to work with, but that isn’t always the case – we all had those teachers at school we didn’t love, right? So finding a tutor that suits you might not be the easiest thing in the world.
You also have the added benefit of total flexibility, which you won’t have with one-to-one tuition. When I had guitar lessons at school with a tutor, my lessons were throughout the day and during my other classes. Some – usually parents – may have problems with the normal school curriculum being missed for guitar lessons. In my case, the issue was that I regularly forgot I had a guitar lesson and missed it entirely. Tutors will usually have strict hours that you must have your lessons between, whereas video tuition is totally flexible. You learn when you have time.
What gear do I need to do online guitar lessons effectively?
Any good online guitar lesson shouldn’t require any specific gear to get going other than the basics – a guitar (definitely in tune!) and, ideally, an amplifier. Fender Play has a really great feature that teaches you how to shape your amplified tone to best suit specific songs, which I believe is incredibly valuable. That said, it is worth making sure you have decent speakers or headphones for your computer, or phone/tablet if using an app, so you can clearly hear what is being played and any instructions. The downside of using headphones is that they may mean you can’t hear yourself playing as well.
How do I stay motivated using online guitar lessons?
If, like me, you struggle to hold your attention to one thing for a long time, then challenge yourself to only do some short sessions regularly, rather than committing to long hour-plus practices. Little and often can be just as effective as doing lessons long and irregularly.
The best online guitar lessons will have recommended lessons that will be divided into digestible sessions, and some will even have specific ‘short’ lessons available, if you just want something quick and easy.
I find one of the best ways to stay motivated is to set a target that you want to achieve by a certain point, be that learning a specific song by the end of the month or being able to freestyle jam with some friends. Get a goal in mind and work towards that – it’ll feel great when you achieve it, then you can set your next aim.
Most of the best guitar lessons will have internal goals for you to meet and almost gamify the learning experience, which is a great way to stay motivated… and if you do find yourself falling behind, use the integrated reminders from your lessons – push notifications if App-based – or set your own reminders to get back to it.
What are the limitations of online guitar lessons?
Online guitar lessons may lack that personal touch of working with a human instructor and if you are making consistent mistakes that may be holding you back, these might be a little more difficult for you to understand and pick up on.
You may also not have access to particularly niche guitar lessons for very specific skills or a particularly obscure song. Online guitar lessons are brilliant for the basics though, so it may be that these are the most (financially and time) efficient way of getting up to speed from a total novice level.
Is using online guitar lessons better than learning from YouTube?
YouTube is a super tool for helping with learning specific songs or scales, and you may even find that some of your favorite guitarists will run through their songs in videos, so I would absolutely recommend using it. The downside of YouTube is that you are unlikely to have any kind of consistent, progression-based, structured lessons available to you, which specific online guitar lesson packages will do. I would treat YouTube as a type of top-up lesson, rather than your main source of lessons.
What changes can I make to combat hand or wrist pain?
There are specific hand training tools for guitarists that can help strengthen your hands while you’re relaxing, doing something else. If you are finding that your hands are struggling to keep up for a long time, one of these hand/finger trainers might be a good investment.
Generally, what will be happening is your hands and wrists are moving in a way they rarely have before, and certainly not for any significant length of time and, like any part of your body, it will probably take a bit of time to build up the muscles you need to do that on a regular basis. So don’t push yourself too hard, take breaks and rest regularly, but try to be positive, that this is just a natural part of learning, and in time your hands will get used to it and won’t hurt anymore.
A good guitar setup can help make playing easier, with fresh strings being easier to play, and the action on your instrument set right so that you don’t need to apply so much pressure with your fretting hand. Your local guitar store should be able to help get a good setup sorted (or point you in the right direction for one).
If, after a lot of practice and a visit to your local guitar tech to get you set up, you are still struggling, a more drastic solution may be that you need to explore a more comfortable guitar neck, for exampl,e something smaller if you have small hands and are playing with a larger neck. This is the extreme option, but if your guitar’s neck is really hindering your playing, it may be better for the long term to swap to a new neck or guitar.
How much should I be paying for online guitar lessons?
The unfortunate reality is that guitar lessons – online or digital – have become pretty expensive, and you can expect to pay around $20/month for online guitar lessons, with more expansive packages coming in even more than that. Many of these packages will mean you have access as often as you like, so you really can get your money’s worth out of them. You can often save money with annual subscriptions, though this means you have to make a longer-term commitment.
How we test
Here at Guitar Player, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything guitar related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience when selecting the products for our guides.
When choosing what we believe to be the best online guitar lessons available right now, we combine our hands-on experience, user reviews and testimonies and engage in lengthy discussions with our editorial colleagues to reach a consensus about the top products and services in any given category.
First and foremost, we are guitarists, and we want other players to find the right product for them. So we take into careful consideration everything from budget to features, ease of use and learning path to come up with a list of what we can safely say are the best online guitar lessons on the market right now.
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