Can you learn to play guitar online and not bother with formal lessons? That’s what many websites claim, when they offer to teach guitar proficiency in just a few sessions. The prospect is certainly attractive if you aren’t sure you want to commit to the expense and time of real life guitar lessons. But it might be wise to stop and think about whether you would be learning properly, or whether you might miss something important by not studying with a real live person.

In the past, you might have avoided taking lessons by studying on your own from guitar lesson books similar to those used in a teaching studio. But now you can learn guitar online as well, in two formats often used in combination. Written web pages provide diagrams showing where to position your fingers and what combinations of positioning will create which chords.

But as online video technology has increased in power, written descriptions are often supplemented by videos showing you how it’s done. And sometimes the written material is eliminated altogether, with the video and its commentary constituting the entire lesson.

It’s possible, up to a point, to learn guitar chords and basic technique from watching a video of someone else. What’s missing from the online method, though, is a professional teacher with a trained eye, watching you and catching small flaws in technique. If you don’t quite “get it,” then there’s just nothing like having a teacher right there to place your fingers properly or move your hand, or change the angle of their own demonstration so you can see it differently. Online guitar lessons unfortunately won’t offer any of that.

The personal oversight and training in formal guitar lessons may not be necessary if you just want to learn casually, and don’t plan to go much farther than your own entertainment. If, on the other hand, you are learning guitar with some professional goal in mind, then you simply can’t do without the one-on-one lessons taught by those with advanced training. Even for casual playing, you may still hope to benefit by learning professional techniques right from the start. It all depends how dedicated you are and where you want to go with your music.

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