Best Online Guitar Lessons 2020

With everything from video tutorials to track isolation controls available on various websites and software, learning guitar seems to be easier than ever. You can watch bona fide teachers take you through a song step-by-step. You can dig up sheet music and tabs or check chord dictionaries. You can even jam with other users over live community chat, if that’s your speed. All that’s left to do is pick the site that jives best with your learning style.

Thousands upon thousands of websites in your search results will tell you that that’s easier said than done. To give you a place to start, we’ve compiled the best sites and software for learning guitar online. Check them out below, and get those fingers strumming today!

CompanyRankingRatingPriceLesson FormatLevels OfferedDescription
JamPlay1st9.8 out of 10$8.33 Per MonthVideos, Live WebcamBeginner to Advanced

JamPlay Review

A highly recommended guitar learning program for students of any skill level, where tons of lessons and professional teachers await.Full JamPlay Review »
Rocksmith2nd9.8 out of 10$59.99 One TimeGame, Videos, Play-Along SongsBeginner to Advanced

Rocksmith Review

Who says learning can't be all fun and games? You literally play levels and matches as the magic of guitar playing is instilled into your mind.Full Rocksmith Review »
eMedia Guitar Method3rd9.6 out of 10$59.95 One TimeVideos, Play-Along SongsBeginner

eMedia Guitar Method Review

This program is designed for first-time holders of the guitar, and can also teach note-reading skills and musical charts.Full eMedia Guitar Method Review »
eMedia My Guitar4th9.6 out of 10$63.96 One TimeAnimated Lessons, GamesBeginner

eMedia My Guitar Review

Teach them early, teach them young, and with this complete guitar package, your kid can learn and enjoy playing his or her own very first instrument!Full eMedia My Guitar Review »

Yousician

5th9.5 out of 10$19.99 Per MonthPlay-Along SongsBeginner to Advanced

Yousician Review

With a real-time guide and assessment on your screen as you strum and play on the guitar, you'll be a musician in no time!Full Yousician Review »

Guitar Tricks

6th8.6 out of 10$19.95 Per MonthVideos, Play-Along SongsBeginner to Advanced

Guitar Tricks Review

With great instructors comes great learning, and you get to be tutored by more than 30 guitar experts, each specializing in a different genre.Full Guitar Tricks Review »

Jamorama

7th8.4 out of 10$99.95 One TimeVideosBeginner to Intermediate

Jamorama Review

With a friendly community, friendly tutor, and a friendly price tag, you and other guitar-learning Jamorama members can rock out in no time.Full Jamorama Review »

ActionTab

8th8.2 out of 10$9.99 Per MonthAnimated FretboardBeginner to Intermediate

ActionTab Review

There's not much to expect from ActionTab's simple, if dry, animated fretboards, though you might like the updated song selections in its library.Full ActionTab Review »

Guitar SightReader Toolbox

9th7.8 out of 10$79.99 One TimeModule, Video, Skype (Optional)Intermediate to Advanced

Guitar SightReader Toolbox Review

Guitar SightReader Toolbox aims to equip you with a solid foundation in musical notation and theory so you can confidently work towards guitar masteryFull Guitar SightReader Toolbox Review »

Gitarrero Beginner

10th7 out of 10$25.90 One TimeMultimedia, Play-Along SongsBeginner

Gitarrero Beginner Review

An outdated program with a very traditional approach to guitar learning. You are better off with more modern and interactive alternatives.Full Gitarrero Beginner Review »
Also, here are some important things we looked at for our rankings.

Lesson Coverage

You can certainly improve by learning increasingly difficult songs. If you want to build a more solid arsenal of skills, though, you'll need a site that can take you through a variety of skill-specific lessons at different skill levels. Look for a site that teaches you as much about the ins and outs of guitar-playing as possible -- after all, you don't want to have to cobble lessons together from a mess of sources. From scales and rhythm to a variety of playing styles and genres, not to mention related essentials like tuning your guitar, make sure your chosen site or software covers as much ground as possible.

Lesson Format

Some sites offer straight-up video tutorials, while others will provide extras like animated chord diagrams and guitar track isolation tools to help you get a better handle on the material. Other sites will feature a range of teachers covering the same material, so you can click around and see which teacher presents lessons in the way that works best for you. Many of the sites on our list offer similarly high-quality instruction, so once you've narrowed down your options, it's all a matter of seeing which one clicks best.

Additional Resources

Some sites or software give you the option to purchase additional materials that you can use outside of the site or program. These can be anything from lesson books to DVDs -- extras beyond the resources that you get with the main site or software. While these aren't as important as the other factors covered, the option to get more resources that aren't dependent on your continued subscription or even Internet access is always a good thing.

Pricing

As with many things on the Web, when it comes to guitar lessons, you often get what you pay for. Sites tend to charge for access to their learning resources, either through regular subscriptions or one-time fees. We've noted how each entry on our list compares to the others in terms of price. Ultimately, though, it's up to you to decide whether or not a particular site delivers enough bang for your buck.

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