Disclosure: I get compensation from the companies whose online guitar lessons I review on this site. However all reviews are based on my own, hands-on experience with each product.
The last few years have seen an explosion in online guitar lessons. What started out as people just sharing ways to play their favorite song on YouTube has spawned into a group of different monthly-subscription websites offering more comprehensive lessons and song instructions.
One of these sites is GuitarTricks.com, which has turned into is one of the most popular online guitar lesson sites on the net. But is it worth the money? Read on to read my full Guitar Tricks review.
First of all, however, it’s important to remember the major advantages and disadvantages of online guitar lessons in general. In the pro column, they’re incredibly cheap compared to in-person lessons, which a month’s subscription costing less than a single half-hour sessions with a good teacher.
On the other hand, however, they are somewhat limited. A good teacher can help you identify your weaknesses and feeds you songs and drills aimed specifically at improving those areas of your playing. With online guitar lessons, you don’t have that direct feedback. You have to be able to figure out your own weaknesses and design your own curriculum. Still there’s a lot of value to be gained from them and if you are really motivated to learn guitar on your own, a site like Guitar Tricks can be a major help to you.
GuitarTricks.com does a lot of things right. They have a large stable of teachers, making it likely that you’ll find one you like. They put a ton of effort into production value as well, using multiple camera angles and off-camera microphones for a more thorough experience. Plus, they’ve added some proprietary gimmicks to their video players, too, such as adding a looping feature to make it easier to focus in on a single part of a lesson. Most lessons also include tabs.
That being said, there is some room for improvement. The organization is a little messy and could use a bit more organization. If you’re approaching it as an intermediate student, you may find yourself jumping around a lot to find the lessons that interest you.
The lesson quality in general is quite good. Lisa McCormick’s lesson on “Closer to Fine” is, for example, absolutely fantastic. She explains the song (including some subtle embellishments) clearly and succinctly, and even provided useful information of aspects of performance.
Anders Mouridsen’s explanation of the opening lick of “Jessica” is top notch, the sort of thing all teachers should strive for, because he helps you understand the lick by relating it to chord shapes. (His explanation was so lucid that it instantly helped me improve how I write my own licks).
There were a few lessons though that I felt could be improved. Joe Delia’s intro to Hendrix-style playing, for example, felt flat and rushed-together. He introduces an idea, but doesn’t actually push you through many ideas using it. The lesson begs for more thoroughness – it could be twice as long and still be wanting for more detail.
Still, I really enjoyed what Guitar Tricks has to offer. While you might not like all the instructors on the site, it’s easy to find some favorite instructors to learn from. If you like the idea of learning guitar on your own, then Guitar Tricks is one of the best places to find high quality online guitar lessons. If you are still on the fence, don’t hesitate to try out their free basic subscription and try out some of their free lessons.
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