As a guitar teacher, my students frequently ask about online resources for learning the guitar (especially free online guitar lessons, youtube guitar lessons, and so forth).
It’s funny though…
A lot of my students seem to think I’ll be mad if they stray from what we work on in our lessons.
Definitely not.
If anything… I’m super excited to see them so interested that they’re willing to take additional time to learn.
So…
Here are the best free guitar lessons if you want to learn to play guitar online…
1. Marty Schwartz (from guitarjamz.com)
Here’s why I love Marty’s guitar lessons… they are super easy to follow.
He takes his time. It’s clear he knows what he’s talking about.
He can make even complicated concepts/theory (mixolydian mode…. ugh), easy to understand.
His lessons range from super basic beginner guitar lessons all the way to advanced theory and skill.
Con: My biggest beef with Marty’s videos is the lack of tablature for various songs. It’s not a huge deal… and given the amount of extra work that would involved… I really can’t complain.
Bonus: Marty frequently has other guitar teachers, guest lessons. Really really cool.
2. Justin Sandercoe (from justinguitar.com)
Equally as awesome as Marty.
Justin’s guitar lessons also vary in complexity and style.
The bonus of Justin’s free guitar lesson website is simply HOW MANY different songs and guitar theory lessons there actually are.
It’s easy to go down the rabbit hole of guitar theory (and hurt your brain a little… in a good way).
3. Ultimate-Guitar.com
Seriously, if you don’t know about Ultimate-Guitar.com… I don’t even know… seriously?
Pretty much any time you google “guitar chords for XXXXX song” the first hit will be a link to ultimate-guitar.com.
All of the tabs and chords are uploaded by users (like you and me) and they’re all free.
Another cool feature… for most songs with chords, you can alter the key the song is in. This means that if the song utilizes chords that are too difficult for you, you can change them to easier chords.
This also means that you can take guitar chords for beginners, and apply them to your favorite song!
So convenient.
Cons: Because they’re uploaded by people like you and me… we run the risk of inaccurate information (happens a lot).
The best thing to do is use your best judgement: if you’re trying to learn a song.. and the chords don’t seem right… maybe they’re not right. Again… just keep that in mind.
(also… I absolutely HATE their guitar app, their website layout, and automatically playing videos on their site… ugh).
4. Rob Hampton (from heartwoodguitar.com)
I have a soft spot for Rob’s work.
He focuses primarily on acoustic songs (though not exclusively) and EXTENSIVELY on strumming patterns and techniques.
He gives away so much for free (including an awesome free Christmas songbook).
If you haven’t seen his stuff…. check it out.
And lastly… if you still need some help…
Check out my awesome FREE Guitar Hacks
(which is really helpful if you HATE practicing like me).
Click the book below and I’ll e-mail you some sweet guitar hacks…
