6 Best Online Guitar Lesson Websites & Apps in 2026

Guitar Tricks is likely the best site for you if you're a beginner! What makes this site stand out from others is its CORE LEARNING SYSTEM, a set of courses organized like a proper curriculum that takes you through some fundamentals on the instrument, then lets you continue your path into a specific genre (either blues, country, rock or acoustic guitar - a new path added since our previous review).

Someone who needs a bit of structure in their learning will be at home here. While TrueFire offers learning paths, the approach taken on Guitar Tricks seems more structured and logical.

If you’re just starting out, by starting with the CORE LEARNING SYSTEM you’ll be well on your way to playing chords and basic solos.

Equally helpful are the guitar tools available for paid subscribers, including a scale and chord finder, tuner, and jam station (giving you access to play-along tracks from various lessons). The practice reminders are new on their platform, allowing you to receive SMS reminders to practice and log your practice time on a calendar! This is an excellent tool if you need a nudge to get your hands on the instrument.

The videos feature speed and looping controls to help you nail the parts on the screen. Tabs are included, but don’t follow along with the performance. The instructors are also very knowledgeable and can communicate well; just don’t expect to see big names like you would on other platforms.

The lessons also cap out at the intermediate player, so this may not be the best choice if you’re already adept at the instrument.

Bottom Line:

Guitar Tricks contains some of the best and most organized online guitar lessons. It’s our winner regarding the best paid sites for beginners to learn. The Core Learning System is outstanding, and the monthly membership price is fair, considering the content and quality of guitar instruction you get.

You have absolutely nothing to lose by trying the Guitar Tricks free trial, and you can read our in-depth Guitar Tricks review if you'd like to learn more.

Not content to sit back and let Fender lap up beginner guitarists (and future customers), Gibson threw their hat in the ring with the Gibson App. Luckily Gibson didn’t just copy the straight video lesson format that has already been done dozens of times, and instead blended it with a well-executed Guitar Hero type game. This app is superb for beginners, with some features that might appeal to intermediate players as well...

It’s priced very similarly to Guitar Tricks and Fender Play, and a 7-day free trial lets you dive in before you have to fork over any cash. There is no website experience in the browser, it’s app-only. Gibson offers iOS and Android apps, though we strongly recommend you use it on a tablet if you can, where the extra screen real estate makes a big difference.

The Gibson app is organized much like all the apps - there are guided learning paths, and a song library.

The learning paths are split between RHYTHM and LEAD guitar - pretty intuitive. The progression is very thoughtfully done. If you’re a total beginner, you should actually see meaningful progress as you go through the learning pathways. It goes from plucking your first string to eventually nailing more complex riffs and licks.

There are courses, and those are divided into levels and interactive lessons. Typically there’s a video which is an overview of the subject, and then you get to actually playing.

This is where the Gibson App REALLY shines. They went with a Guitar Hero/Rock Band/Yousician video-game style experience, and they pulled it off really well! The mic on your phone or tablet listens to you play, and guitar tabs scroll along a fretboard and the app tells you what to play and when to play it - you just need to keep up!

The whole thing looks and feels beautiful. It’s satisfying racking up points and stars as you get better and better. This approach is highly engaging and can be particularly motivating for beginners who thrive on instant feedback and a sense of accomplishment.

As good as everything is for beginner guitarists, the app does show some limitations for intermediate and advanced players. The rhythm and lead pathways don’t venture far beyond the basics. There’s a “Guides” section of the app where the more advanced content is hiding, but the value there is only so-so given the cost of the app.

We should mention the song library - it’s nice but somewhat limited, catering mostly to classic and hard rock (think AC/DC, Nirvana, Metallica). The songs are broken up nicely into chunks and some are even split up into difficulty grades, but it feels like there’s a bit of a “skill level gap” between the main learning paths and these songs. We can see beginner guitarists getting a bit frustrated at the jump in difficulty level.

We’ll quickly mention some tools that are handy but non-essential; a tuner, metronome, and a training calendar. The more interesting thing is the digital amp, which is WAY more fun than we were expecting.

The app picks up your playing via the mic on your iPad/iPhone, OR for a better setup you can connect your guitar using an interface (think like an iRig). The app then functions like a virtual amp and effects pedals, and you can hear all of that through a wired set of headphones. It works surprisingly well with no lag, and it’s surprisingly super fun, especially when you get to use the amp and effects while jamming on your lessons.

Bottom Line:

Overall, the Gibson Guitar Lessons app is fantastic for A) beginners, and B) people who love a game-like experience. The rhythm and lead guitar paths make a lot of sense, and we wager you’ll actually learn and improve (and have loads of fun doing so) if you stick with it. The app is very polished and well-designed, and there are some cool touches like famous artists themselves teaching how to play some of their own songs.

Unfortunately after you get through the beginner paths, it drops off a bit of a cliff. The material for intermediate and advanced players is not quite worth the price of admission. It’s clear that Gibson’s primary focus is on those at the beginning of their musical journey, which makes sense since they’re a premier manufacturer of acoustic and electric guitars, and they want to get players in their ecosystem.

If you’re just starting out, the Gibson app is 100% worth trying out during the 7-day free trial.

Since our last post about online guitar lessons, two big companies, TrueFire and JamPlay, have merged. They now provide one main resource for guitar players. One subscription gives you over 80,000 video lessons, 1,500 courses from over 400 top educators, 30,000 tabs, and 20,000 jam tracks. We’d say that it should keep you busy for a while!

Since the catalogs are combined, you can access the learning paths from JamPlay. These paths show the order of online guitar lessons to take. They also suggest extra lessons to improve your skills.

The first beginner's course is free for everyone and is well laid out in its instruction and concepts. Things are explained in a way that beginners will understand and should have them playing in no time!

If you are an intermediate or advanced player, you can copy your hero’s sound and style. You can search by instructor to see the courses they offer. There are many options to choose from.

Be mindful that some players may be better instructors than others (which is normal). The online tools available make it helpful by letting you slow down (or speed up parts) loop sections, all with interactive tabs to follow.

If you don’t want to take a lesson, you can play along to several jam tracks available (both free and paid). All of them are high quality, include charts to see the changes, and come in various styles. There’s no shortage here!

TrueFire's lesson interface is great. It has multiple camera angles, variable playback speed, a metronome, sheet music, and tabs.

We only wish they had combined everything into a cohesive brand. Both JamPlay and TrueFire still have their respective sites and apps, which made figuring out pricing and content confusing. Your best bet to register would be here. You also have the option to purchase courses à la carte rather than subscribing.

Bottom Line:

With the combined catalogs and tools, JamPlay + TrueFire is a juggernaut of content. Beginners might find this site a bit overwhelming. However, for intermediate or advanced players, it is a great choice. Those looking for specific online guitar lessons or wanting to learn from their heroes will enjoy this site.

Since merging, the cost-to-value ratio has improved a lot. This makes it a great deal for anyone thinking about a subscription. The learning paths from JamPlay are also reasonably easy to locate, making it easy for beginners to jump in and give it a go.

Fender has made the jump into guitar education with their Fender Play service.

After you answer some questions about why you want to play an instrument, the site helps you. You will share if you want to play electric, acoustic guitar, bass, or ukulele. You will also tell your playing level and favorite music genre. The site will then suggest content to help you enjoy playing more.

Their learning paths are well organized by level, each containing different courses. These include chords, single-note exercises, strumming exercises, and parts of songs. They help beginners get comfortable with the instrument and play songs and riffs quickly.

Most lessons come with a practice mode that allows you to follow along to interactive tabs and backing tracks. Speed and looping tools are also available to help you nail the part.

There is a cool feedback mode. You play into your computer’s microphone while doing the exercise. The site gives you feedback on your performance and areas to improve. This excellent feature will help those decide if they can move on to the next lesson.

Once you're ready to assume your rock god status, you can also learn and play an extensive catalog of songs (most with lessons)!

The videos are high-definition with multiple camera angles, including picking hand and fingering positions. Below the videos, chord charts, and tabs are clear and helpful. You can make the video window smaller while looking at the tablature. This is a nice feature that makes practice easier.

Where the site surprises us, though, is in the overall price. Fender Play costs $19.99 monthly or $150 annually. Considering this site is mainly geared towards beginners, this is a tough sell for intermediate and advanced players.

For just a few more dollars, you can access a huge catalog of lessons with JamPlay + TrueFire. You can also find free lessons online with JustinGuitar, but they lack interactive tools.

Bottom Line:

Fender Play is an excellent way to get introduced to guitar lessons from an industry leader. The guided paths are conducive to making skills instantly useful by incorporating songs that use the techniques taught. However, considering the price and amount of content you get, you may be better served with one of the other services on this list.

ArtistWorks has many great courses from different instructors. This includes famous professionals like Paul Gilbert and Jared James Nichols.

You can choose classes based on the type of guitar you want, like acoustic or electric. You can also pick a style, such as Rock, Blues, Bluegrass, or Classical. After you select your course, you will see the curriculum. You will also get PDFs of study materials and feedback from your instructor.

Yep - Actual feedback! Each course has a section for you to ask questions. You can also play some material for feedback. Your instructor will respond to you. The courses are well presented with very knowledgeable instructors. The videos are well shot, and the lesson materials are well presented (PDFs for offline usage!) You can access slower versions of most lessons and performances (we saw no looping feature).

There is no interactive tab for each video. If you want to follow along, open or print the PDF for that lesson.

The video chats with the instructor are saved. This means if you have a question about a lesson, someone else may have already asked it. You might find a response already posted.

There are some beginner courses, but something needs to indicate a learning path. You may want to consider another service if you're just starting out. Speaking of video exchanges with instructors, we hate to say it, but there’s a catch.

Remember the pricing above that mentioned benefits? You must be an annual subscriber to access VIP content and backing tracks and submit unlimited videos. A quarterly subscriber can submit up to five videos per course (but cannot access backing tracks or VIP content). Being a monthly subscriber means no video exchanges with the instructor.

Bottom Line:

ArtistWorks approach combines great lessons with fantastic instructors in a more communal environment. The fact that you can get actual feedback from an instructor (including the big names) is a real draw. This may be a good option if you don’t mind paying for a year upfront, especially if the content appeals to you.

There are YouTube guitar channels, and then there’s Justin Guitar!

Justin Sandercoe - better known as Justin Guitar - has gathered a substantial following for his online guitar lessons. He hosts two YouTube channels:

• JustinSandercoe is his main channel. It has over a million subscribers. This channel focuses on lessons about theory and technique.
• JustinGuitarSongs is - you guessed it - centered around teaching you how to play songs.

If you read our Free vs Paid Lessons section, you know we think free lessons need more structure and depth than paid courses. Justin has figured out how to organize his material clearly. This helps guide players through his lessons on YouTube and his main website.

For example, are you a total beginner? Head to his Beginner’s Course section.

Do you want to focus on theory or technique? Head over to that section.

His website has several practice tools. These include a metronome, a chord library, and a strumming machine.

Some tools are free, while others need a subscription. There are also sections for that. His main website is mobile-friendly, and six mini-apps are available in the Apple App Store for a few dollars each.

A Justin Guitar app is available that gives you access to his content in the same organized way as his site and YouTube channel. Much of it mirrors what he has available for free, making us wonder if using the paid app is worth it.

So, are the lessons good? In a word, yes, and being free makes them even better.

Justin enjoys his craft, and his genuineness comes through in his video lessons. Seeing his friendly face as you work through video after video is always a good feeling. He keeps his lessons short and easily digestible.

Bottom Line:

We recommend Justin Guitar mainly because it’s free, especially if you don’t use his official app. It will only cost you time. There are a few ads, but they are not too much. After all, it’s YouTube. But because your time is precious, here’s what we recommend:

If you’re a beginner, jump on the Beginner’s Course and see how you like it. Stick with it for a few days, and determine if the loose structure & organization work with your learning style. Even if you choose paid lessons, remember you can always return to JustinGuitar. It is completely free and available on YouTube.