Honestly, every single person in their life has at least once thought of learning a guitar, however, many can’t just commit to keeping learning. So, you have also thought of learning a guitar like everyone else? And if you are then what is stopping you to learn? Do you want to know how to learn a guitar or maybe wondering if you can learn one online?
Well, if you are wondering all that then you have come to the right place because, in this handy article, you will find answers to frequently asked questions by guitar learners.
You can definitely learn to play guitar online, however, even online you can either pay to learn guitar or you can learn it for free. Moreover, there are also several websites, applications, and games that will help you achieve your goal. However, we will talk about it in full detail below in the article. With that being said let’s start with the most important question in this piece.
Can I learn guitar online?
As mentioned above, you certainly can learn how to play guitar online. There are millions of people who were able to. What you need to do is learn all the basic chords from A-G, then you will get the hang of it.
There are many tutorial videos on the internet to learn these basic chords. Moreover, there are many legendary musicians who taught guitar themselves for example Eric Clapton who is one of the greatest guitarists of all time. He learned to play guitar himself by listening to various blues albums on a loop.
If he and other several musicians could teach themselves to play guitar just by hearing records then how can you not learn guitar online? furthermore, after you can play the basic chords properly, with more practice you will also be able to play complex chords in no time. However, you will not be able to play all the chords overnight, you have to keep trying and have patience.
How can I learn guitar online?
If you don’t plan on paying to learn guitar then YouTube is your pal. There are plenty of YouTube channels where you can get simple and easy-to-understand videos.
Even if you don’t have a single clue about guitar, you don’t need to worry a bit because with YouTube by your side, you can learn to play guitar from scratch because there are plenty of videos on YouTube from how to hold a guitar to finger exercises and basic opening chords, and certainly, all these videos will help you know, understand, and play guitar.
And if you don’t know which YouTube channel you should check out then you can go check Andy Guitar or Justin Guitar. If you don’t like their videos then you can always search for other people’s tutorial videos, YouTube is a sea and there are plenty of edible fishes, just find one and help yourself.
Can I teach myself guitar?
Well, pretty sure I’ve already answered this question but again, yes, you can teach or learn guitar by yourself. When Eric Clapton could learn guitar by listening to blues albums what makes you think you can’t? You have more advantages and tools than he had, you have the internet where you can easily find what guitar chords are and their diagrams.
It’s certainly hard than being taught by someone or by watching tutorial videos but if you give your all then definitely you can learn to play guitar by yourself. However, why would anyone want to learn guitar by themselves when they have easy access to various sites and platforms where you will find unlimited guitar tutorial videos?
How long will it take to learn guitar online?
It varies from person to person if you are a teenager then you might learn basic chords and strumming patterns in just a month or two whereas if you are in your 40s or 50s then obviously it will take you more, maybe around five months. And if you are in your 40s or more then we’d recommend you join a guitar class that will certainly be more beneficial and you’ll learn to play guitar in a short period of time.
Another thing depends on your guitar goal, what are you learning guitar for? if you want to play in a band then certainly you will have to become a professional and it will take you around a year or more depending on your learning capacity. However, if you just want to be an intermediate guitar player then six months should be enough to be able to play most of the songs.
However, the amount of time you devote to practicing guitar is the most important factor in determining how long it will take you to learn. If you want to learn to play the guitar faster than it is obvious, you need to spend more time practicing. Furthermore, it is highly dependent on your learning capacity.
Is 30, too old to learn guitar?
No, age does not have anything to do with you wanting to learn to play guitar. There is a famous saying that goes, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” And if you really want to learn guitar, then your age should not decide that for you, however, as mentioned above, your will and commitment are the keys.
There have been several guitar teachers who have taught people in their 60s and even 70s to play the guitar. However, if you are concerned about your age then we’d recommend you take a guitar class with a teacher, it will be much more convenient for you.
Advantages of learning guitar online
There are several advantages and comforts to learning guitar online and below we will discuss them all in point one by one.
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Comfortable
First of all, the most comfortable thing is you don’t have to go to your teacher or anywhere, you can just sit in your home and learn. Moreover, it is obvious that whether you are a teenager or an adult, you must have your own busy schedule with college, a job, or whatever other reasons.
And since you can learn at your own home and at any time you want, you don’t have to worry a thing about managing time, you can learn whenever you are free.
However, that does not mean you don’t have to practice every day or just practice when you are free, but if you have a tight schedule, at least try practicing four days a week.
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Cost Efficient
Aside from your comfort, you will save money by not spending it unnecessarily. I’ve already mentioned before that if you learn to play guitar online, you don’t even have to pay a single penny, as there are plenty of free and helpful resources on the internet.
You can also find several paid resources where you will get more guitar knowledge and techniques. For example, you can take Ultimate Guitar where you will have to pay $59.99 yearly but you will be given seven days trial period and if you don’t like their lessons you can find other ones.
On the other hand, private guitar sessions are really expensive, even if you decide to do it on Zoom they charge you at least $40-$45 hourly.
Comparing the yearly $59.99 and $45 hourly, even a moron can see that learning guitar online is the best option if they are committed enough.
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More guitar knowledge
Would you rather have one teacher or multiple ones who can help you learn more about the guitar and its techniques? exactly, if you are paying for private guitar lessons then clearly, you will have one teacher who will only teach you what he knows but online you will find multiple professional guitar teachers who have shared everything they know. With multiple teachers, you can get more knowledge than you will get from your private sessions.
Furthermore, the important thing is what genre you want to be in. If you are into rock and your teacher is a master in classical guitar then you will also be given classical knowledge however, you can find different teachers for each genre online.
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Unlimited lessons
No matter how busy our schedule might be, there are times when we get plenty of free time, and what if you want to learn more guitar techniques or even theories? Your private guitar teacher will only give you an hour of his time, but with access to unlimited guitar lessons from professional guitarists, you can learn and utilize all your free time.
You don’t have to wait for anybody; if you feel like you are ready for the next lesson, you can go right to it because, unlike your teacher, who has a specific time for you, online lessons will be available every hour.
We have been talking about how great and beneficial learning guitar online can be but are there no flaws? Of course, there are, as as great online guitar learning can be, there are also several disadvantages. What are some disadvantages of learning guitar online? let’s find out.
Disadvantages of learning guitar online
There are people who in excitement try to learn guitar online and ignore all the flaws. Here are some of the mines points you need to know before you decide to learn guitar online.
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You won’t have anyone corrected you
Online guitar learning has its own fun and thrill until you realize that there is no one to correct your mistake. In fact, there is a big possibility that you will even realize your mistake. Since you are trying to learn, you will not be able to distinguish if you have made a mistake or not. Obviously, if it’s a big mistake then you will realize it.
However, even a slight mistake can also make a huge difference. On the other hand, if you have a personal guitar session then your guitar teacher will be there to point out your mistake and how to avoid it.
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You can’t ask questions
Since you will only get pre-recorded videos online it’s pretty obvious that if you are curious or don’t understand something you are learning then you can’t ask the questions. So, the one thing you can do is watch the video again and hope you will understand but if that does not work for you then your only hope is that someone has answered your questions in one of the videos however, you will still have a really hard time finding it.
However, there are many Facebook groups where you can ask the question you want to know or you can even search it on Google, you might even find the answer on Google who knows?
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Lack of motivation
When you are learning guitar online, you are basically self-learning by watching videos, so there is a high chance that you will not commit to learning. You can’t get motivated because it’s just you, but if you are learning with a teacher, he will motivate you, and more than that, you will want to impress your teacher, and that will keep fueling the guitar learning fire you have.
However, even though online guitar learning has these disadvantages, there are millions of people who have already learned to play the guitar. In fact, many have become guitar masters by learning online, and just like them, you can too learn to play guitar online.
What is the best way to learn guitar online?
You’ve decided to learn guitar online and want to know how and where you can do so. There are various platforms where you can learn guitar online. Let’s talk about a few of these platforms one by one.
Paid online guitar lessons
This is probably the most effective and best way for you to learn guitar online. You can find various services on the internet, like Simply Guitar and TrueFire Lessons, that will provide you with paid online guitar lessons. You will get access to a few thousand guitar lesson videos from different professional guitar teachers.
You will not only get practical knowledge but there you will find many guitar theories as well. Furthermore, if you practice enough then online lessons will definitely help you sharpen your guitar techniques.
Moreover, there is no need to worry if the lessons you are given are genuine because as mentioned, those lessons are given by very skilled and professional guitar educators. However, if you don’t want to pay, you can switch to YouTube where you will find many guitar tutorials and lesson videos, all for free.
Guitar learning websites
You can find many guitar learning websites that provide you with guitar chord diagrams or charts. And by learning to read the guitar diagrams, you can actually implement it after you learn about it.
But if you already have basic guitar knowledge and can play basic-level guitar, then these websites will come in handy because, once you learn guitar chords, you can pick a song you want to play and learn it using a website that will provide you with the song chords and lyrics.
Guitar tabs for various songs are also available on these websites. So you can pick a song and learn it by playing or watching guitar tabs.
Guitar apps
There are numerous guitar-learning apps you can find that are really useful. While an app like Guitartuna is focused on tuning the guitar, it also has various other features for your ear training, games, and exercises that will help you with practicing guitar chords.
However, there are several other apps that solely focus on your guitar training. You can check out the Yousician app, it is very easy to follow and its amazing feature is that It also provides fast feedback after listening to your play with its award-winning technology.
Android Click Here / iOS Click Here
Games
Games are always fun to play and if it helps you master the arts of the guitar then wouldn’t you play the game? Of course, you will. Well, there is this game called Rocksmith that is produced by Ubisoft.
This game is similar to Guitar Hero but the difference is you have to connect your own guitar to play Rocksmith+ and hit the notes while Guitar Hero does not even use a real guitar.
However, this game is not for people who are just learning guitar, you have to be able to play at least basic guitar notes and you can help yourself sharpen your guitar skill and have some fun with this game.
Are online guitar courses worth it?
Of course, they are, what? Do you think all the millions of people who paid for online guitar courses are fools? I have already addressed the fact that online guitar courses or lessons only have one problem, and that is, you will find no one to push you to learn, you have to keep pushing yourself to learn.
But on the bright side, the guitar knowledge and lessons you will get with online guitar courses are immeasurable. You will find simple and understandable videos so if you don’t hold yourself back and keep pushing yourself to learn then there is no better way for you to learn guitar at an affordable price.
What we recommend,
As much as great online guitar lessons are, complete beginners always find it boring and can’t commit to learning, if that is not the issue with you then you should already stop reading and find online guitar lessons to practice however, what we would like to recommend is if you are a complete beginner then at least learn basic guitar chords with a guitar tutor and after that, you can proceed with online guitar lessons.
Since you will be able to play all the basic chords it will be much easier for you to learn guitar online and the probability of you getting demotivated will reduce to maybe forty percent. Furthermore, there are some tips we would like to recommend.
1. Prepare your guitar learning schedule
Commitment and consistency is the key to learning guitar. You have to be patient and practice every day, this way not only your mind but your fingers will start to develop muscle memory. Furthermore, over time your hands and fingers will start to move faster than your mind.
So how can you consistently practice learning guitar? You have to create a regular routine and schedule. However, you have to remember not to mess up your schedule.
As important as creating or managing a practice schedule is, you will also have to set a goal. Maybe try giving your shot at the 10,000 hours rule. This is a well-known rule that was developed by Malcolm Gladwell, most of the experts you have seen have invested around ten thousand hours or more to develop their skills.
Likewise, you can try doing the same although there is no guarantee that you will become an expert or master yourself you will definitely be able to even the toughest guitar notes.
2. Learn guitar theory
I know that many of us don’t want to learn theory but music or guitar theory is something that will help you understand and improve your knowledge of various scales, strumming patterns, notes, and more. After you can understand what you are doing and how it works you can even create notes yourself without watching more tutorial videos.
And if you want to write down or create your own music then learning guitar and music theory is really important because your playing ability only won’t be helping you to write one. Well, it depends on you whether you want to learn theory or not however, we think it’s best if you have at least a bit of knowledge of music theory.
3. Motivate Yourself
In conclusion, we would like to clear things up again, you can not only learn guitar online but become an expert. Online guitar learning platforms give you the opportunity to fulfill your long-awaited wish. Many people grabbed this opportunity during the covid outbreak and within a few months, they progressed really fine.
Moreover, rather than just signing up for paid guitar courses, first, try and learn the chords from YouTube, especially if your main goal is to be able to play a few songs. However, if you want to sharpen your skill and become an expert then you might want to consider choosing paid online guitar courses.
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