Guitar Tricks went live in 1998 and may be the oldest online guitar lesson website on the net. With that being the case, they’ve absolutely loaded the site with guitar lessons (over 3000), instructors (over 45), and artists to learn (over 100). The site has instruction for beginning through advanced students with plenty of material for every skill level. Lessons are online video streaming with downloadable backing tracks to practice. Students can learn “in the style of” 25 artists like Alice Cooper, B.B. King, Blink 182, Elvis, Heart, and Rick James. Membership is free for 14 days. A full access subscription is $14.95 per month.
SCREENSHOTS:
Screenshots of Guitar Tricks guitar lessons. Click the thumbnail to expand.
Rating
4.5/5 – Guitar Tricks is up there with the best online guitar lesson programs around. It rivals the comprehensive JamPlay program in terms of content, extra tools and video quality and still manages to be slightly cheaper.
Pros:
- Detailed skill and genre lessons.
- Cheaper than JamPlay.
- High-quality lessons with multiple camera angles.
- Structured introduction to the fundamentals, but plenty of choice for intermediate players.
- Can download video lessons to view offline.
- Supportive online community with subscribers-only forum.
Cons:
- Not all lessons up to the same standard.
- Most users prefer some instructors to others.
- User interface can be overwhelming at first.
- Not as much potential for advanced players as JamPlay.
Lesson Format
The lessons are all taught through high-quality videos, but there are three quality options (and one for cell phones) in case your connection can’t support the best resolution. The main bulk of the lessons are contained within the “Core Learning System,” which teaches you the fundamentals and introduces you to blues, rock and country. After you’ve tackled the core program, you can branch off into different genres and use dedicated video lessons to learn classic songs. There are also specific lessons relating to techniques and studies of iconic artists’ styles.
Community
With a Guitar Tricks account, you can participate in lively discussions and ask for advice from your fellow learners. The forum is divided according to aspects of playing (such as music theory, guitar basics and songwriting), and there is an exclusive section where you can ask questions directly to instructors and guitar techs.
Customer Support
The help section offers advice on the most common technical issues, and there’s also a video user manual. They respond to any queries within a day – so you’ll always be able to get the help you need.
Bonus Tools
- Chord and scale finders – which plot notes onto a representation of a guitar neck.
- Jam Station software
- Reference tuner
- Metronome
Guarantee
No-questions asked money-back guarantee within 60 days.
Conclusion
The Guitar Tricks program provides everything you need to go from a fresh-faced beginner to a seasoned strummer, and in truth, choosing between it and JamPlay is extremely difficult. It might lack a little in the way of advanced-level tuition, but any beginners will have more than enough material to keep them busy. Overall, Guitar Tricks gives you very little to complain about.