Do you want to learn to play guitar online, but aren’t sure where to start? It’s true that the variety of sites offering guitar instruction can seem a little overwhelming, and in fact many of them are excellent. And since different people have different preferences when it comes to how they like to learn, there’s no one site that is absolutely the best for everyone. But you’ll still need to narrow down the choice somewhat, so this article gives some information about things that you should consider before opting to invest your time, and maybe your money too, in online guitar lessons.
Free or Paid?
The first thing to consider is whether you should opt for free internet guitar lessons, or sign up for one of the paid courses. It is true to some extent that you get what you pay for, as there is a lot of free material out there that simply isn’t much good. On the other hand, some of it is excellent, and just because a person is charging for their material, does not guarantee that it is of good quality. The most important thing (particularly for a beginner), is that the course should be structured in a logical way, so you learn and progress in the most effective manner. The best of the paid courses meet this criterion, but a lot of the free material doesn’t – rather, you learn a bit of this and a bit of that (often depending on the personal biases and interests of the person providing the material), but you might miss out on important material that is vital to developing a solid technique. This isn’t true of all free online guitar lessons by any means – but if it true of a lot of it, so be wary of trying to put together your own learning program by just surfing the net for free material – you’ll really benefit a lot more by finding and applying yourself to a very solid, structured program that covers all the necessary elements in the right order.
However, with some exceptions, the paid courses tend to be more professionally presented, and more complete in terms of the ground they cover and the resources offered. They will typically cover all of the basics in depth, as well as more advanced techniques, and the website, video and audio material will be professionally produced. Still, if you want to learn to play guitar online, it’s best to check out several options (whether free or paid), before committing yourself to any one of them.
Experience Level of the Teacher
Regardless of whether you opt for free or paid lessons, it’s vital to ensure that the teacher is a skilled guitarist – you don’t want to be learning from somebody who has only been playing for a year themselves! One of the great things about the internet is that anyone can create content and post it for the world to see – but this also means that the stuff you find online varies enormously in quality, and anyone can pretend to be someone or something that they’re not.
So, before signing up for anyone’s guitar course, check out their experience and credentials (bearing in mind though that many excellent guitarists don’t have formal musical qualifications), and see what others are saying about the material too.
Teaching / Communication Skills
Not everyone who has great skills has the ability to teach them to others. So don’t assume that because a person knows their stuff when it comes to the guitar, that they’ll be able to pass it on to others in a clear and effective manner. If you’re going to get the most from your online lessons, they must be enjoyable to work through, and you must actually be learning what you need. So only consider those who are presented by a teacher who can communicate their knowledge effectively.
Quality of the Materials
If you’re going to successfully learn to play the guitar online, your success is going to depend in some measure on the quality of the materials you’re learning from. This refers to both the quality of the content (i.e. – does it adequately explain what you need to know at each stage?), and the quality of the presentation (do the videos and audio have good sound quality? Is the text laid out in a clear and readable manner? Does the software work as it should without bugs or crashes? Are the videos clearly showing what you need to see?). A course can have the best content in the world, but if it looks or sounds horrible you’re less likely to stick with it. Conversely, flashy production values don’t compensate for lack of great content. So make sure that you only give your time and attention to those that fulfil both requirements.
Site Usability
Related to the previous point, is the issue of the usability of the site which is presenting the guitar lessons. The teacher can be offering the best content in the world, but if the site is slow to load, or not available a lot of the time, or so poorly laid out that it’s hard to navigate effectively, then your learning process will be affected. So look for a cleanly designed, professional looking site that works well and is easy to find your way around.
Your Experience Level
Another factor to consider is your on experience level. You may be looking for beginner guitar lessons online, but if you already have guitar playing experience you may not want a course that is tailored to absolute beginners (though on the other hand, it can be a good a idea to revisit the basics, especially if you’re self-taught). Most online guitar lessons assume that you’re starting from scratch, but there is material available that is aimed at more advanced guitarists who wish to learn or improve specific aspects of their playing (such as the Jamorama Lead course for example, is for those with intermediate-level skills, and is tailored to those wanting to learn lead guitar skills).
Format of the Materials
Online guitar instruction is generally presented in the form of text, video, audio recordings and software (usually a combination of these). This choice of media makes it ideal for a wide audience, as different people have varied ways of learning. 
Having video especially, really helps to speed up the learning process, as you can see exactly what you should be doing in real time, rather than trying to piece a technique together from photos and written instructions, as in traditional tutor books – it really is the next best thing to having a teacher there in the room with you showing you what to do – and is better in some ways as you can repeat any segment you like over and over! Audio is great for hearing how tunes and exercises should sound, and is also excellent for jamming along with (improvisation and playing with others are very important skills). And software can help you with various aspects of learning to play the guitar, such as tuning and reading music and TAB. Also, is the material presented online only, or can you download the guitar lessons to your computer? Downloads are more flexible, since you don’t need an internet connection to use them, but online materials can be accessed from anywhere. Some courses give you access to a member’s area, where you can view the materials online, and download them as well, so you get the best of both worlds. So when deciding which internet lessons to go for, choose those that are in the format that you prefer, and which ideally use a variety of media to present the lessons.
Course Contents
The actual contents of the course is another thing to think about. If you’re a total beginner, you’ll want lessons that cover all of the fundamental aspects of playing the guitar, including playing position, chords, individual notes, scales and technical exercises, reading TAB and preferably notation too, strumming, finger picking, playing songs and other music, playing with others, improvisation, ear training, guitar maintenance, and so on. When you gain skills and become more advanced, you might look for a course that offers more specialised instruction in one or more particular areas that interest you, such as blues guitar or lead guitar. So ensure that any course you’re considering actually teaches what you want and need to know at this stage of your development as a guitarist.
Cost
Obviously if you opt for a free online guitar lesson course, the cost won’t be an issue, at least not in terms of money (the cost to your development as a guitarist could be significant however, if you choose the wrong ones). But if you choose a course of paid lessons, the cost can vary quite considerably. Is the most expensive always the best? Not necessarily! Some of the pricier courses provide the material in physical form as well as (or instead of) downloads, which is an option that many people appreciate. But if you’re on a budget, you’ll probably want to opt for a course that is presented entirely in digital format. Remember that even the most expensive online guitar lessons are a whole lot cheaper than private lessons with a teacher.
Payment Options
Most internet guitar lessons that you pay for just have a one-off fee, and once you’ve paid, you have access to the materials (and usually to future updates too) for life. This is a fantastic deal when you think of how much you’d pay for private lessons – most online courses can be purchased for less than $200 (most are less than $100), which would only buy you a few weeks worth of personal tuition in most places. However, there are some online lessons that are offered on a membership model, where you pay a monthly fee for access to the site. This can be a pricier option (although again, it’s generally much cheaper than private lessons), but it can give you extra incentive to keep going, so you’re making the most of your membership. Regardless of the model they choose, most providers accept payment by Paypal and/or credit and debit cards, and sometime other methods too.
Guarantee
You can learn how to play the guitar online with peace of mind if you go for a reputable course that offers a money back guarantee if you’re not satisfied. You’ll find that the best programs are fully guaranteed, usually for a period of at least a month, and often more. This should give you plenty of time to check out the materials and start putting them to use, and to see if they’re what you’re looking for or not. Bear in mind though, that even the best lessons won’t do the work for you – you must make a commitment to regular practice (even when you don’t feel like it) if you want to make the progress that the course promises.
Free Trial
You should always check to see if the online guitar lessons that you’re considering offer a free trial. Most reputable providers of paid lessons will have at least some material available for free, so you can get a taste of what their material and teaching style is like. If free lessons are available, check them out before parting with any money – you’ll learn something for nothing too!
Support
An important consideration when it comes to learning guitar online is the amount and type of support offered by the site you’re getting the lessons from. It can really help to have someone to turn to when you’re having difficulties with some aspect of the lessons, although it isn’t really reasonable to expect extended hand holding, especially if the course if free or cheap. But the site should make it clear what you can expect in terms of support – for paid courses, there should at very least be an email address or contact form where you can get help if there are problems with the material itself. Some courses also offer more extended help with the actual learning process, and some online teachers even provide one on one mentoring, although you can expect to pay a premium for this. Whatever your requirements in terms of support, be sure you know what’s on offer before signing up.
Community
Related to the above point is the aspect of community. Some guitar lesson sites provide members with a discussion forum, or a social networking facility, or other types of platform where you can connect with other people who are also following the course. Needless to say this can be a great thing to have – you no longer need to rely on the course provider for help on every issue, as other members could well have the answers that you’re looking for. They can also provide a great source of moral support and inspiration when you feel discouraged. A community isn’t an essential thing to have when learning to play the guitar online, but it certainly is a nice bonus.
Bonuses
Speaking of bonuses, some online guitar lessons include a variety of bonus material in addition to the core elements of the course. These can include things like software that helps you learn to read music, or to tune your guitar, or to help with ear training. Bonus materials of this type can be really useful, and although you shouldn’t choose a course based solely on the bonuses you get, they are certainly worth taking into account.
So, as you can see, there are quite a lot of things to think about when it comes to choosing the best online guitar lessons. It might feel a little overwhelming, but it’s worth taking the time to find the right course for you if you want to learn to play guitar online successfully – your musical development is just too important to entrust to just anyone.
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