PAYING FOR GUITAR LESSONS ONLINE: IS IT WORTH IT?

By Rishma Dhaliwal • On Cool Tips

Online gui­tar les­sons are a rel­at­ively new, third option in gui­tar edu­ca­tion that bridge the gap between being self-taught and tak­ing les­sons in-per­son.

And while there are many won­der­ful free resources avail­able on the inter­net, the com­mon mis­con­cep­tion among exist­ent play­ers is this: free is always super­i­or and pay­ing for online les­sons is silly.

Ulti­mately, this “hot take” may be doing more harm than good.

Even the most expert musi­cians believe in tak­ing les­sons in addi­tion to per­son­al explor­a­tion and dis­cip­line. For example, the late-great Neil Peart took drum les­sons until his retire­ment before his recent untimely death. This is because, when it comes to play­ing instru­ments, there is always so much more to learn and do.

Let us con­sider now that online gui­tar les­sons are the future of gui­tar edu­ca­tion!

  1. Money talks — Online lessons are almost always cheaper than in-person lessons. $20 on average will get you an entire month of lessons online compared to only a single lesson in-person. With sites such as Guitar Tricks, Fender Play, and Truefire offering free-trials for users, it’s never been more affordable to find at your leisure lessons that are right for you and your wallet.
  2. There are infinite possibilities — When users pay for lessons online, they are expecting to pay for a service that offers a higher-caliber of learning. There are potentially thousands of lessons at your immediate disposal depending on which service you decide is best for you, and they range from covering the most basic guitar techniques for the absolute beginner to providing an extensive database of over 900,000 voicings in the chord database for the nerds in the corner to drool over. And the best part: you can work at your own pace.
  1. Choose your fighter – There are many horror stories about in-person teachers and perhaps you are not so willing to risk paying for a lesson with some stoned bozo who flies by the seat of their pants. Online lessons are peer-reviewed and thus have a general structure, and they offer multiple instructors to choose from. Whether you don’t like an instructor for their playing style, their mannerisms, or you just want to learn from as many folks as possible to maximize your perspective, online lesson providers want to provide users with options. Even more exclusively, JamPlay offers users lessons from some of the biggest names in guitar conjuring — including Steve Vai, Lita Ford, and Joe Satriani, while ArtistWorks has at its disposal lessons from virtuosos in jazz guitar such as Martin Taylor and Chuck Loeb. This should make happy some of the more serious players who can’t help but dream of one day standing in the shoes of their heroes.
  1. Need face time? – Some people prefer in-person lessons because they provide immediate feedback and can offer motivation for the learner. Depending on which service you use, some sites including Guitar Tricks, JamPlay, Truefire and Artistworks allow for that level of communication, variably offering face-to-face features such as live tutoring, video exchanges, and Q&A sessions at all hours of the day or night. This can be especially important depending on your learning style.
In conclusion, free resources will always have their place in a guitarist’s journey. For someone who is seeking to expand their breadth of knowledge, an online guitar education offers groundbreaking possibilities. Shop around and succeed!

 

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Rishma Dhaliwal

Edit­or / PR Con­sult­ant at No Bounds
Rishma Dhali­w­al has extens­ive exper­i­ence study­ing and work­ing in the music and media industry. Hav­ing writ­ten a thes­is on how Hip Hop acts as a social move­ment, she has spent years research­ing and con­nect­ing with artists who use the art form as a tool for bring­ing a voice to the voice­less. Cur­rently work­ing in TV, Rishma brings her PR and media know­ledge to I am Hip Hop and oth­er pro­jects by No Bounds.

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About Rishma Dhaliwal

Rishma Dhaliwal
Rishma Dhaliwal has extensive experience studying and working in the music and media industry. Having written a thesis on how Hip Hop acts as a social movement, she has spent years researching and connecting with artists who use the art form as a tool for bringing a voice to the voiceless. Currently working in TV, Rishma brings her PR and media knowledge to I am Hip Hop and other projects by No Bounds.