The best way to learn to play guitar is through one-on-one sessions with a professional guitar teacher. However, this method can be quite expensive and you need to schedule a specific time of day for this activity.
The second best alternative is to watch online videos from guitar experts and learn by following them. This method is mostly free and unlimited in time.
So we’ve compiled a list of some of the best YouTube channels that can help you learn guitar.
This is probably one of the best channels for aspiring guitarists. Your teacher on this channel is Justin Sandercoe, who offers classes for all levels, from beginner to advanced.
On his channel’s homepage, Justin has categorized his videos for different beginner levels by rating the tutorials from one to seven. You can also view video lessons based on artists, styles, and skills.
In addition, you can search for specific lessons for different levels, songs or styles. You will find a lot to learn as Justin has almost 750 videos available.
If you enjoy his work, you can check out his website justinguitar.com for more content. He even has an app called Justin Guitar Lessons & Songs for Android and iOS.
Andy Crowley runs a hugely popular YouTube channel with nearly 1,500 video lessons. Andy has different categories on his homepage, such as lessons for absolute beginners and lessons for children.
Although he has also created some advanced lessons, his main focus is teaching beginners. Check out his channel for lessons on strumming, fingerpicking, embellishments, and more. In fact, Andy will teach you pretty much any basics you might want to learn.
If you are interested in learning more about playing the guitar and ukulele, visit his website andyguitar.co.uk.
Marty Schwartz is another great guitar teacher with over 2,000 videos on his YouTube channel. On his homepage you will find lessons for beginners, lessons for electric guitar players, top pop and rock songs and more.
Due to the large number of videos, the best way to find suitable lessons is to search for them manually. The easiest way to separate the videos based on your level is to do a search for “Beginner”, “Intermediate” or “Advanced”.
Marty not only shares his guitar playing knowledge but also tells you about different types of guitars and accessories. And if you are interested in websites that can help you learn guitar, you can also visit his website martymusic.com for more paid lessons.
You can learn almost anything online, including how to tune your guitar using Google search. But if you want to learn how to play popular songs and original songs you’ve never heard of, For3v3rfaithful is the right place for you.
On this channel of almost 400 videos, Ellen Chang does a great job teaching you the basics no matter your skill level. Their homepage has many categories for beginners, intermediate and experts.
Ellen has many videos sharing guitar tips and tricks. These videos can help you improve and learn more effectively and efficiently. And aside from teaching popular songs, Ellen also shares her amazing original songs for you to learn. She also uploads some vlogs which are fun and informative.
Like other channels on this list, Kurt Berg has a great teaching methodology with clear on-screen diagrams. He has almost 200 lessons on his channel, which doesn’t sound like a lot compared to others, but that’s 200 quality lessons.
Kurt doesn’t have many videos for absolute beginners though. However, his teaching style is beginner-friendly, and with a little effort you might be able to play along with some of his more advanced lessons.
If you enjoy his videos, you can access his premium content through his website 5minuteguitar.com.
This channel has almost 350 lessons which are quite lengthy. The average lesson lasts 30 minutes. So you need concentration and time to learn from this channel.
Let’s play guitar! mostly has tutorials on how to play songs. So if you’re looking for full basics video lessons for absolute beginners, this may not be the channel for you.
Most of the lessons this channel offers are for finger picking style and moderately beginner friendly called “Easy Lessons”.
This is another channel with over a thousand video lessons. The categorization on the homepage is not very good. So you have to browse the videos or do a quick search to find what you are looking for.
You won’t find much guitar basics content as the channel focuses on teaching songs. However, you can search for either “Beginner” or “Easy” to find some great beginner-friendly lessons. After mastering a few songs, you might even want to record your acoustic or electro-acoustic guitar and share your progress with your friends.
This channel, run by Adrian, offers almost 375 video lessons. If you search “Beginner’s Course” you will find a collection of videos by Adrian that will teach you the absolute basics of playing guitar.
Aside from this course, the lessons on the channel are mostly for intermediate and advanced players. This is a great channel to master your guitar playing skills through advanced lessons.
Marco has over 750 video lessons on his channel and the categories on his homepage are mostly for intermediate and advanced players. However, you will find some useful beginner-friendly content if you search “beginner”.
However, we would not recommend Marco to absolute beginners. But if you know your basics, this channel can surely take your guitar playing skills to the next level.
Michelle, aka Guitar Goddess, has over 425 video lessons on her YouTube channel. It has a beginner’s section where you can learn the basics.
Michelle also shares an area where she unpacks guitars. It’s fun to watch and can help you find the best guitar for beginners.
If you’re an intermediate guitarist looking to learn some new songs, you’ll find many lessons suitable for intermediate players as well. This channel will be helpful to you throughout your guitar playing journey.
Learn your favorite music
The channels we have listed are some of the best online resources for learning to play the guitar, whether you are a beginner or an intermediate player.
Some channels offer tutorials covering the full basics, while others cater to intermediate and advanced players. You are sure to find what you are looking for on at least one of these YouTube channels. But remember that playing along is best to maximize your learning. Just watching videos won’t get you very far, especially if you’re a beginner.