Looking for guitar lessons? You are in luck because there are many options when trying to learn the guitar. Depending on your interests, budget, and location, some options may be a better fit for you. This article describes each option for guitar lessons in detail and explains the pros and cons for each.
Moosiko, we’re biased of course 😉
Moosiko provides simple online guitar lessons that are designed to teach your favorite song in just 3 days. You’ll learn basic chords, chord changes, and common chord progressions all from the comfort of your own home. First song is free because we know everyone likes to try before they buy. Subsequent songs start at $0.99 per song lesson.
Pros
- Simple and highly visual step-by-step instructions designed for beginners
- Customized lessons so you are always learning a specific song
- Available online on your desktop and mobile phone so you can practice in the comfort of your own home
Cons
- Designed specifically for beginners, not ideal for intermediate or experienced guitarists.
- Focuses on guitar chords, chords changes, chord progressions, and strumming. Does not teach guitar solos
- Not ideal for those interested in classical guitar
Private Instruction
You’ll find private instructors for guitar lessons in almost every city in the world. Guitar instructors teach publicly in schools, provide private lessons, and can also teach virtual lessons via Skype or other video tools.
Pros
- Complete one-on-one attention with guitar lesson specialist
- Customized, direct feedback as you play
- Private instructors can teach your preferred style
Cons
- Expensive ($40/hr – $60/hr). Even a handful of lessons adds up to hundreds of dollars.
- Inconvenient to travel. You must go to their studio or they come to your house
- Instructors focus on lots of theory and talking meaning less time is spent playing songs
YouTube
There are hundreds of thousands of videos related to guitar lessons on YouTube. Videos range from people explaining music theory to describing how guitars work to people just rocking out. Just like a dictionary can aid in learning a language, YouTube can be a great resource but isn’t great for teaching guitar lessons.
Pros
- Free
- Lots and lots of videos
- Find videos related to your preferred type of music
Cons
- Doesn’t teach lessons making it hard to know where to start
- Overwhelming and really confusing, especially for beginners
- Lots of low quality, incorrect content
- Lots of annoying ads
Guitar Lesson Bouncy Ball Apps
There are a number of smartphone and video game guitar lesson apps on the market. These are often called ‘bouncy ball’ apps because many have a ball that bounces around the fretboard. Many of these apps are just fun smartphone games to play and don’t actually teach guitar.
Pros
- Entertaining for children and toddlers
- Gameified and can be fun to play
- You can compete with others for the top score
Cons
- Not effective at teaching how to play the actual guitar
- Expensive monthly fees ($19.99/month – $59.99/month)
- Don’t teach chords, just individual notes using the bouncy ball
Many people stress out about learning guitar but with the right guitar lessons, learning should be fun and easy.
Our mission here at Moosiko is to spread the joy of making music by making guitar lessons simple and accessible to everyone. While we’d love you to learn using Moosiko, we hope you have fun no matter what type of guitar lessons you choose.
Happy playing!