Is it possible at all to learn playing the guitar without hiring an expensive private teacher for guitar lessons? The answer is YES, but there are few things that one should be aware of.

We have reviewed and analyzed the best online guitar lesson and instruction methods available worldwide, and while some packages are amazingly effective, others may be ineffective or even just a scam.

We are presenting to you a definitive guide to the best learn-to-play-the-guitar products. No matter what your age, skill level or income is, we give you the options so you can decide on the best solution for your own needs.

Of course we do understand, that the very best way to learn any music instrument would be lesson from a private music instructor but we also recognize that this is simply not possible for everyone.  For that reason, we felt it would be helpful to test several of the most popular home training courses online and share our results with those of you who are trying to learn on your own.

Our tests of the best online teaching courses on how to play the guitar, guitar learning software and similar websites displayed a very clear picture of the market. We have found some extremely effective methods to learn the guitar; however, there were still some that were useless products and scams.

There are some excellent courses that exist which enable you to master the guitar playing basics very quickly and then lead you to advanced or even professional levels.

Whether you are a complete beginner or a professional – there are few courses out there that can really help you to learn the guitar fast.

Here is a quick summary of our findings.  We've also condensed everything into a course comparison chart to help simplify things even further. We also provide you a convenient comparison table, followed by our conclusions and final buying tips.

These Effective products will:

• Teach you to play your favorite songs within couple of days or even few hours
• Continue to improve your guitar playing skills towards more advanced or professional levels?
• Train your hearing so that you can "play by ear"
• Teach you how to read tabs and sheet music?
• Offer tips & tricks for various playing situations (solo, lead guitar, in a band, etc.)?
• Teach you to learn with joy
• Will offer a “bullet-proof” money back guarantee

However, Bad products often will:

• Misguide you, confuse or teach you some bad playing habits
• Leave you playing like a novice, repeating only a few chords?
• Be difficult to use and boring due to mediocre quality
• Waste your money and time, leaving you feeling like a fool

Although we have tested wide range of courses and software that teach how to learn the guitar, we have listed here only the 5 top-rated ones. This means that all online guitar lessons software listed above are profound and provide effective results. In addition, none of them is a scam, and you can feel secure obtaining any of them. Nevertheless, most guitar-playing students usually prefer to buy merely one or two products. Hence, you certainly want to spend your dollars only on the course that is efficient in teaching you how to learn the guitar.

This is why we have to pick our winners:

Wondering whether our reviews are biased?… Read our disclosure.

As we already mentioned above, the best online course known to us that will really guide you to learn the guitar is called Learn and Master Guitar. Its price is more than other programs, but you definitely get more than you pay for and we still consider it the best deal in terms of improvement-per-dollar. However, if you cannot or don't want to spend around $200 for a course, Jamorama and Jamorama Acoustic Guitar make an excellent 2nd-best deal (Especially with Jamorama Lead Guitar option added).

Learn and Master Guitar – one can say – is the “Ferrari” of all the nowadays guitar lessons courses known worldwide. This guitar lessons course has two versions: The Original Edition (10 DVDs) and the Extended Edition with 20 DVDs, 5 jam-along CDs along with a 108-page book.  Yes, it's a little bit costly; however, if you're really serious about learning the guitar, we guarantee that you will not find a better online course anywhere. This program is excellent: the website, the video production, and the professional musicians that are invited for the Jam-Along CDs are outstanding.

This course on how to learn the guitar will lead you through the path of being a beginner to becoming a pro. Moreover, it will teach you step by step how to improve your playing skills and will bring you up to artistic insights. It is the most expensive and top-rated program, and is so high qualified that no other guitar-learning course comes close to its depth and breadth. If you are really serious about playing the guitar, then you should order this premium product. Period.

The great thing of this program is that it provides preparation in almost all musical genres and it guides students all the way from the beginning through the advanced level.  The instructions are very clear, easy to follow and the instructor has a wonderful communication style, which makes the learning process fun. 

Also, we really liked the Jam-Along CDs.  It is very useful to have a CD to play with while learning your songs. There is no other course that offers this.

We were pleased to find out that the Learn and Master Guitar offers free support after the product is sold. Once you buy this course you will get access to a members-only page where you’ll be able to discuss your progress, post different questions, and chat with other students. Steve Krenz, the author of the course, answers most of the questions himself and it seems that he’s on the discussion area on daily basis.  This, of course, is extremely helpful!

Note: You can also break down the full amount of the cost into 4 payments, and the solid money back guarantee assures that there’s simply nothing to lose.

Buying Tips:

1. Insider Tip: Once in every 3 – 4 months the Learn and Master Guitar offers a special promotion – $100-off the original price – usually for two or three days. If the price is important, you may check their website frequently or sign up for their free newsletter so that you will be notified about the upcoming sale.

2. If you feel uncomfortable with paying the whole amount at once, note that Learn and Master Guitar offers an easy payment plan that will split the price into 4 separate payments for as low as $49 per month.

3. The program is made of two versions – the Original Edition and the Extended Edition (with a little slightly different price). We prefer the Extended Edition and highly recommend it to you.

Attention: Learn and Master Guitar has started a Three-Day Sale – $100 OFF

the original price!

For additional details Click Here, in their site.

If you can't or don't want to pay over $200 for Learn and Master Guitar, Jamorama or Jamorama Acoustic Guitar are the second-best course on how to learn the guitar that is being offered currently on market. Among the low-costing instruction programs, Jamorama is the best one worldwide and is only based on a software (no DVDs or CDs).  This is the reason why you will have to practice your lessons in front of the computer. Nonetheless, the instruction is quite extensive and the computer lessons are, in fact, very easy and fun to follow.

Along with 2 excellent eBooks, Jamorama offers multiple software programs and a selection of games, around 150 video lesson files, 26 exclusive Jam-Tracks, plentiful audio files, and additional bonus eBooks. They are very accommodating and exciting to use for one who made a commitment to learn the guitar.

These products make it possible for you to start playing incredibly quickly; moreover, they lead you on your way from beginner to advanced, and even professional level. The software's flexibility embodies a range of distinct practice sessions, whereas the excellent eBooks and audio files provide perfect guidance. The students, both children and adults, love Jamorama and Jamorama Acoustic Guitar, while professionals find them very inspirational and grant them their respect.

Probably the best measure of success is that after so many hours practicing with all online guitar lessons courses and sites, our testers constantly kept returning to Learn and Master Guitar and beside it only to Jamorama/Jamorama Lead Guitar or Jamorama Acoustic Guitar for further practice, leaving the other programs behind.

Buying Tips:

1. If the cost is an issue although you don't mind taking lessons from a computer, Jamorama is a smart way to go with.  It is the best one among the guitar learning software teaching courses.

2. Insider Tip: If you are buying Jamorama or Jamorama Acoustic Guitar – act soon – as the Limited time offer of $39.95 is expected to end soon, raising the price to $99.95.

3. Don't Miss This if you want to learn electric and lead guitar: when ordering Jamorama – after you clicked the "Order Jamorama Instant Download Version" button – you will be offered to order Jamorama Lead Guitar alongside Jamorama for a total combined price of as little as $74.95. If you are really serious about playing electric guitar then choosing this program is a must. Whereas, Jamorama is a very valuable course for teaching both electric and acoustic guitar, Jamorama Lead Guitar is a more advanced, thorough course for instructing lead guitar. Its comprehensive eBook, 43 additional video lessons, and 29 Jam Tracks suggest great ideas and amazing insights on playing electric and lead guitar which you won't in any other program. 

4. IMPORTANT: Jamorama's team also offers one of the best online courses on Singing Lessons called Singorama. Whether you know the guitar basics and play for you friends as a hobby or you approach playing the guitar professionally, we consider it particularly important for guitarists to know how to sing well. Moreover, according to statistics, those among professional guitarists who sing well benefit significantly more compared to those who do not. We highly recommend that you improve your singing skills along with learning how to play the guitar. Jamorama Acoustic Guitar's order forms allow you to order Singorama at 61% discount, i.e. only for $19.95, and thus if you decide to order Jamorama Acoustic Guitar we encourage you that you order Singorama as well.

Guitar Scale Mastery is a very decent beginner to somewhat advanced guitar-playing lessons course that does not go on to more advanced levels. It has a unique way of teaching guitar basics by embedding the vocabulary (terminology) of guitar scales in your mind. It is very comprehensive and well produced. It also includes a pentatonics eBook to improve and strengthen the main guitar scales system. It is obviously less comprehensive than the top two courses and does not include any videos and costs slightly more than #2 finisher Jamorama, so, it only gains our 3rd spot. However, if you feel odd about, the top 2 courses for any reason – this would certainly be a safe buy.

Learn Guitar Quick is another proficient course to learn the guitar from the beginning, i.e. learn the guitar basics. Don't be fooled by its low price and confusing website. The program is an excellent course for beginners. If you are not able to (or don’t feel comfortable buying) buy one of the courses that came up on top of our tests, we recommend that you use this advantageous "price leader". It will prove its usefulness (i.e. efficiency) in teaching you beginner guitar (basics) and has exceptional low price – only $24.95. It won our "Editor's Choice – For Tight Budget" title. Be sure that the money will be well spent smart.

Guitar Lessons Pro is effective for all levels. It provides solid training for beginner to advanced guitarists. The course is straightforward, undemanding, and teaching you the do's and don'ts. This program has a certain "no-frills" feel but you do get your money's worth. Here’s why it fairly succeeded its top-five rating in our online “learn the guitar” lessons reviews.

$299
($249 Original Edition)
Easy payment plans available.

Jamorama

Jamorama Acourstic Guitar

$39.95
(soon $99.95)

$67.00

$24.95

$34.95

- 108-Page Workbook

- 20 Full-Length DVDs, organized as 20 sessions with numerous files.

- 5 CDs with 110 "active" jam tracks

- Big collection supplemental files online (songs, music, guitar tabs, tips and tricks)

- Private Forum
(Members Only)

- Live support line

Each Version Contains:

- 2 eBooks, for Beginners and Advanced

- 150 Video Lessons

- 26 "Active" Jam Tracks

- Great number of audio files

- 1000s of lines of guitar tablature

- GuitearIt  software

- Jayde Musica Pro software

- Guitar Tuner Pro software

- Jamorama Metronome software

- "Advanced Learning Techniques for Guitar" eBook

- "How to Tune your Guitar" eBook

- Lifetime Access To Online Updates

Jamorama Lead Guitar option additions:

- "Lead Guitar" eBook

- 43 Lead Guitar Video Lessons

- 29 Lead Guitar Jam Tracks

3-Year Membership to Website Includes:

- Guitar Scale Mastery System

- Guitar Scale Activators

- Pentatonic Guitar Success eBook

- 3-Year Membership To Online Updates

- Learn Guitar Quick eBook

- 23 Audio Files

- Guitar Buying Guide eBook included

- Beginner And Intermediate eBooks

- Sound Clips

- "Guitar Chord Dictionary" eBook

- "Licks and Tricks" eBook

- "Playing the Blues, Basics And Beyond" eBook

Secure Ordering and Money Back Guarantee

Two Thumbs UP!

No Risk, Full Money
Back Guarantee:

60 Days
No Questions Asked.

Two Thumbs UP!

No Risk, Full Money
Back Guarantee:

60 Days
No Questions Asked.

Two Thumbs UP!

No Risk, Full Money
Back Guarantee:

8 Weeks
No Questions Asked.

Two Thumbs UP!

No Risk, Full Money
Back Guarantee:

8 Weeks
No Questions Asked.

Two Thumbs UP!

No Risk, Full Money
Back Guarantee:

1-Year 
No Questions Asked,
And You Get To Keep
The eBooks.

A great course. Excellent book by itself may be considered best book or eBook course we tried. Amazing DVDs teach just about any subject thinkable that is related to guitar playing.

Active Jam Tracks are fun, and allow practicing with real professionals.

Awesome online content measures up to some other courses' full material.

Members Only Forum provides help from Pros and fellow students.

This course can be considered the best in the world.

Not cheap, but this online guitar lessons course is worth every penny.

Jamorama teaches both electric and acoustic guitar lessons, Jamorama Acoustic Guitar lessons specifically tailored for Acoustic guitar.

Both are great packages composed of extremely effective eBooks, video files, audio files, active jam tracks and software.

Very comprehensive. Extremely useful, for all levels – beginner to pro. Learning and practice are enjoyable and fun. Software is very flexible. Jamorama Lead Guitar option extremely powerful for electric and lead guitar.

Undoubtedly the best online guitar lessons we know under $100.

A refreshingly different approach to teaching guitar: Teaching performed mostly by embedding knowledge of scales.

Admittedly Less comprehensive than top two guitar courses, and contains no videos at all, but all-in-all provides very effective, high quality teaching.

A Very good online guitar lessons course for beginners. Based on an eBook covering beginner guitar basics in 10 lessons.

Not nearly as effective and comprehensive as Learn and Master Guitar, Jamorama or even Guitar Scale Mastery, and of course no videos here either, but an excellent course at its price level.

Good online guitar lessons course for beginners to advanced.

Not as fully featured and comprehensive as Jamorama, but does teach well how to play the guitar, chords and tabs, and provides good insights for guitarists.

10 out of 10

Best Guitar Lessons
Worldwide!

9.6 out of 10

Best Lower-Priced  Guitar Lessons

9.1 out of 10

Good Music Theory

8.4 out of 10

Best Guitar Lessons on a Tight Budget

8 out of 10

For Beginners
and Advanced

In addition to testing many online guitar lessons courses, our team also checked the sites of free online lessons how to play the guitar. The test results were disappointing: a number of free guitar lessons sites we tested were designed to trick and intended to entice you into buying online guitar lessons usually nondescript or of bad quality. Others were honest sites but mostly offering unqualified instruction. NONE of the free sites that we tested had something to offer nearly as effective as the best “for-pay” online guitar lessons courses do and some of the sites contained even some semi-professional mistakes that should not be taught to guitar beginners. Weather you purchase any of our top-rated ones or some other course, take in consideration that our long-term experience of trying to use free online guitar lessons courses has mostly been a waste of time.