The guitar is one of the most popular and versatile instruments that has made an indelible mark on the music scene for years, played in many genres, such as blues, rock and roll, country, folk, metal, and even classical music. Its legacy is shaped by legends such as Elvis Presley with his acoustic guitar and Jimi Hendrix with his electric guitar.
Today, where to learn guitar online has never been easier. Be it learning to play the electric guitar, guitar tricks, Fender Play, or writing your own music, learning online gives you the flexibility to learn at your own pace and have access to a wealth of resources.
To effectively learn how to play the guitar online, begin by selecting a structured website to learn guitar suited to your skill level, utilise interactive tools for practice, and engage with online communities for support and motivation. Read this comprehensive guide to select the best platforms, guitar tricks and tips to master the guitar from scratch.
| Resource | Free/Paid | Best For | Key Features | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Guitar | Free + Paid | Beginners to Intermediate | Structured courses; songs; technique lessons; practice schedules | Web; Mobile |
| Fender Play | Paid (Free Trial) | Beginners | Step-by-step lessons; song library; progress tracking | Web; Mobile |
| Yousician | Free (Limited) + Premium | Beginners to Advanced | Real-time feedback; interactive exercises; gamified learning | Web; Mobile |
| Ultimate Guitar | Free + Pro | All Skill Levels | Guitar tabs; chords; backing tracks; chord library; tuner | Web; Mobile |
| Songsterr | Free + Paid | Learning Songs | Interactive tabs; playback control; loop sections; speed adjustment | Web; Mobile |
| TrueFire | Paid | Intermediate to Advanced | Extensive instructor-led courses; multiple genres; downloadable lessons | Web; Mobile |
| Guitar Tricks | Paid | Beginners to Intermediate | Core Learning System; genre-based lessons; song tutorials | Web |
| Coursera | Free Audit + Paid Certificate | Academic Learners | University guitar/music courses; certificates; flexible schedule | Web; Mobile |
| Udemy | Paid (Frequent Discounts) | All Skill Levels | One-time purchase; lifetime access; instructor variety | Web; Mobile |
| YouTube | Free | All Skill Levels | Thousands of tutorials; performances; song lessons; community content | Web; Mobile |
Top Online Guitar Learning Platforms
YouTube is a popular platform for learning to play the guitar online. The best websites to learn guitar on YouTube teach you basic chords, advanced strumming techniques, and a wide range of songs. But it won’t help much if you aimlessly watch the videos on this platform.
Instead, you need to know exactly what lessons you are looking for and look for channels that specifically help you choose your first guitar. Well-structured channels created by experienced guitarists can help you learn guitar in the right manner and make good progress.1
JustinGuitar
The channel teaches you how to play the chords on the guitar while helping you with the correct posture and exercises to help you play the guitar better. He also covers essential topics such as changing the strings on your guitar to fingerstyle. The clear teaching approach makes it one of the best channels to learn guitar.
Andy Guitar
If you are wondering where to learn guitar online, then look no further than Andy Guitar. Andy Guitar is one of the best websites to learn guitar and teaches you how to learn guitar online. The channel features a clear and well-organised list of videos and has over 27 million views with over 2 million subscribers. The channel also has videos that teach you to play the guitar within ten days.
Steve Stine Guitar lessons
Steve Stine is a professional guitar instructor with over 30 years of experience teaching learners how to learn the guitar online. Stine, unlike most other guitarists on the platform, holds an impressive qualification in music.
In addition to his educational qualifications, he has acquired extensive experience as a professional guitarist by touring with various bands throughout the UK and the USA. His YouTube channel offers free beginner guitar courses, which will be valuable for those looking to master this beautiful musical instrument.
Guitar Tricks
Guitar Tricks is one of the best channels for absolute beginners in guitar. With a full access membership, you get access to a vast library of over 11,000 video lessons and 700+ songs. The Core Learning System has a step-by-step program tailored to various skill levels.
Each course has 2 levels. Level 1 explores the basics, simple songs and common techniques used in playing the guitar. Level 2 teaches you how to play quintessential guitar styles like rock, blues, acoustic and country. In this level, you are taught techniques specific to each genre, soloing techniques, song forms, gear and tones.
If you are stuck, instructors are there to guide you. You can also use the Progress Tracker to track your progress.
Utilising YouTube for Guitar Lessons
JustinGuitar YouTube Channel
JustinGuitar YouTube Channel is one of the oldest and most popular guitar learning channels in the world. Founded by Justin Sandercoe in 2003, it has grown to a platform attracting nearly two million visits per month.
The channel is particularly suited for beginners, but it also offers resources for intermediate and advanced players. Its vast library of lessons includes various genres and techniques with structured courses and a large collection of song tutorials.
Courses on the channel are organised by levels, starting from Beginner all the way to Advanced levels, with each course made up of Modules.
Sandercoe's teaching style is clear and engaging, combining both practical examples and instructional content to help learners understand concepts better.
Guitarraviva
Guitarraviva is an online Spanish-language YouTube channel led by musician Carlos Asensio, known for its easy-to-follow guitar lessons. The channel is known for its accessible teaching style and detailed explanation of instruments.
The platform offers two learning options:
Free YouTube channel: An excellent option for learners on a budget, offering hundreds of free learning resources.
Official website: For students who want advanced courses, the Guitarraviva website offers premium lesson plans with structured courses, a digital songbook (Cancionero) featuring over 400 songs to choose from, and a variety of free tools.
The Premium plan also allows learners to interact with teachers in live classes. Courses are recorded in 4K with interactive tabs that allow students to adjust playback speed to their learning rhythm.
Best Websites to Learn Guitar Songs
Ultimate Guitar
This website offers a variety of courses, not only for acoustic guitar and electric guitar but also for bass guitar, ukulele, and piano. You also get to choose your level. They have absolute beginners up to Rockstars. This website will help you with reading music sheets. On top of having a vast collection of songs you can learn, they also offer courses, articles, and forums for their users. Overall, it is an excellent website to teach yourself how to play the guitar.
Udemy
Udemy is a popular online platform that has a lot of guitar courses designed for all skill levels. The best part about Udemy is that it offers paid and free courses to help you learn the guitar.
The free guitar course option includes:
- Basic guitar techniques
- Essential chords
- Strumming patterns
- Beginner-friendly lessons
If you’re looking for more comprehensive courses on guitar playing, Udemy offers a range of paid courses worth checking out.
The paid courses include:
- In-depth, step-by-step instruction
- More advanced techniques
- Structured learning paths
- A wide range of topics for continued skill development
In addition to the comprehensive content, Udemy’s rating system based on real user reviews and feedback makes it a reliable resource. As for the price, it varies depending on the course you choose.
Songsterr
The Songsterr app is one of the most popular guitar tab apps, offering a wide variety of tabs. It has an intuitive interface and comes with clearly labelled sections, making it easy to navigate. Songsterr also displays difficulty levels, helping users choose levels they want to go with.
In the free version, learners can use the MIDI playback feature to play along with the songs they’re learning. It allows them to quickly identify challenging sections and stay in sync with the music.
An interesting feature of the Songsterr app is its offline support, ensuring any tracks you had opened online can be played even when you are offline.
For those looking for advanced features, there is a paid version available. Opt for it only if you want more advanced tools. These include Print, Half Speed playback, Chromatic Tuner, built-in Metronome, Focus Mode, Backing Tracks, Fullscreen, and a Loop.
Apps to Learn to Play Guitar
In this day and age of technology, it should not be surprising that many apps can help us learn the guitar, be it an electric or acoustic guitar.
What sets these apps apart from the usual websites is the fact that these apps are ever-ready on the go with us on our phones. You will not need to lug a laptop around. Instead, your phone will be sufficient for learning and mastering the guitar. Let us look at some apps that can help you on your journey.
Guitar Zoom
Guitar Zoom is an app by Steve Stine, one of the most sought-after guitar instructors in the world. Steve Stine is a guitarist in the metal band Avian. He is known for making his lessons easy to understand and fun when learning the guitar. This app has courses ranging from $99 to $690, depending on the course you choose. They also have a membership pass that starts at $39 per month. This app automatically tracks your progress, making it easier for early beginners just learning this instrument.
The GuitarZoom community is very important to me, because it has a lot of different range of players from real beginners to advanced players. What I liked most about it is that everybody is positive. Everybody is supportive. Everybody helps everybody. Encourage every one of us to find the musician inside.
Elias S., GuitarZoom community member
Guitar: Play & Learn Chords
This app is suitable and tailored specifically for those just learning the guitar. It has an enjoyable learning system that helps beginners learn the guitar faster. This app also has a vast collection of songs from multiple genres, so you can rest assured you will not be bored with their collection. Its interface is known for its user-friendliness and interactiveness, which makes guitar lessons fun and caters to many learning styles.
Fender Play
This app was introduced by Fender in 2017 and is one of the best apps out there. It has since received consistent upgrades, which makes this app an excellent digital learning app to this day. This app was impressively created with consultation from the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, which makes it even more impressive.
When users visit the app, they are asked about their instrument and playing level. Based on that, the app designs a personalised learning plan tailored to their needs. The app offers thousands of easy-to-follow lessons along with a large library of songs that you can use to practice along.
How do you want to learn guitar?
Engaging with Online Guitar Communities
Engaging with online guitar communities is an excellent way to learn guitar, stay motivated, and connect with fellow musicians. These communities act as good sounding boards and provide you with opportunities to ask questions, receive feedback, and share achievements with people with similar interests.
Reddit's r/GuitarLessons
Reddit's r/GuitarLessons is one of the most popular forums focused on guitar education. It is a collaborative forum where beginners and advanced learners come together to share guitar playing tips and resources.
JustinGuitar Community
The JustinGuitar Community is the official forum for students enrolled in JustinGuitar courses. It complements the lessons available on the JustinGuitar website and offers a space for students to discuss their doubts and exchange ideas.
Ultimate Guitar Community
On the Ultimate Guitar community, users exchange advice on guitar techniques, chord charts, music tips and practice strategies. Any member can submit tabs which other members can review.
Are you confused about which guitar to choose? A little research can help you find the right guitar for yourself. In the process, you will also get introduced to some of the best online guitar communities out there.
Developing Effective Practice Routines
No matter your experience level with the guitar, you should always stay in touch with guitar practice. Just like your fitness routine, you need to stick to your routine if you want to be a good guitar player. Developing effective practice routines will help you stay on track with your practice.
Here is how you can build an effective guitar practice routine.
Begin by identifying your goals. Perhaps you want to improve a particular technique or learn a specific song in fingerstyle. Clear and measurable goals will help you maintain your focus and track your progress over time.
Don’t spend all your time on guitar websites learning songs. Instead, balance your practice by combining technique exercises (finger exercises, chord transition, etc.) with playing actual songs. This approach will keep practice engaging and keep you motivated.
Set aside a fixed time every day to practice your guitar skills and learn how to play the guitar online. Even 15 to 60 minutes of daily practice can work wonders as you browse through the best channel to learn guitar or a free guitar learning app.
Practising with a metronome will strengthen your rhythm and improve your timing. Start by playing songs at a slow tempo and then use a metronome to increase your speed gradually. This will help you master difficult steps easily.
Overcoming Common Challenges in Online Learning
No doubt, YouTube and other websites offer you the flexibility to learn how to play the guitar online at your own pace and time, but this kind of learning comes with certain challenges.
To be successful in where to learn guitar online, you will have to put in extra effort and use effective strategies to make the guitar learning experience more rewarding.
- Maintaining Motivation: Since there are no fixed classes going on, it can be easy to lose focus. Maintain your focus by setting clear goals and tracking your progress to stay motivated and consistent.
- No In-Person Feedback: Learning to play the guitar online is difficult without the direct guidance of a tutor. A tutor will provide you with personalised attention, give feedback and help you improve your technique.
- Finding High-Quality Resources: The internet is chock-a-block with information, but not all of it is worth following. If you want to opt for online resources, you first need to know where to learn guitar online. Ensure you derive knowledge from trusted platforms and learn from qualified instructors for effective learning.
Superprof is an excellent platform for finding a qualified and experienced guitar tutor. You can explore tutor profiles and their music education background, teaching experience, guitar specialisation, and skill levels.2 Most tutors also offer free classes for the first hour, and many provide one-on-one or small group lessons either in person or online. It’s a convenient solution to find the perfect guitar teacher. They can also help you choose the best guitar for beginners.
References
- Ruismäki, H., Juvonen, A., & Lehtonen, K. (2012). The internet as a learning environment in guitar playing: Rane’s search for information and expertise. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 45, 381–390. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.06.574
- Can, A. A., & Yungul, O. (2018). The Application of Web-Based Distance Learning to the Instrument (Guitar) Education in Undergraduate Program: The sample of Kastamonu University. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 6(10), 39. https://doi.org/10.11114/jets.v6i10.3102
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