Learn How To Strum With 2024‘s Top 10 Best Online Guitar Lessons
If you are looking for some of the best free online guitar lessons that won’t cost you a single cent, you’re in the right place!
In this guide, I have rounded up some of the top free guitar courses and classes in 2024 that will teach you how to start strumming songs in no time.
Even if you have no experience, all of the below guitar lessons will take you through the process of playing a guitar step-by-step.
Let’s get started!
Top 10 Best Online Guitar Lessons & Classes 2024
1. Guitar Fundamentals: Learn Quick with Mike Boyd (Skillshare)
First on my list is an outstanding class that will teach you all the basics, from the shape of the guitar, frets, and some basic chords that will allow you can start playing straight away. So if you are a complete beginner and want to start strumming songs on the guitar in no time, this is a fantastic place to start!
Your teacher for this class is popular YouTube instructor Mike Boyd, who has helped over 10,000 students and is regarded as one of the top guitar teachers on the internet. His methods are also very easy to understand and follow along with.
In total, there is 1 ¼ hour of on-demand video instruction which includes beginner-level modules covering guitar anatomy, tuning your guitar, chord diagrams, chords E, D, A G, and C, strumming, and rhythm.
After you finish all these lessons, Mike will then walk you through how to strum to Sweet Home Alabama, and Wild Thing from what you have learned.
With this class, there are also downloadable links for printable chord sheets and A/V files for listening to the chords. Currently, Skillshare is offering a 1-month free trial that allows users to take this class plus all others mentioned in this list for free!
- Beginner level
- 1 ¼ hour on-demand video
- Taught by a guitar enthusiast
- Get to play an actual song
- Downloadable resources and chord sheets
- Class discussions
- Class projects encouraged
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2. Beginner Guitar Masterclass (2020 Update) (Skillshare)
Next on my list is a guitar masterclass that will teach you just about everything you need to know from start to finish. So for those that want to learn beginner lessons and move on to more advanced methods, this is a great starting point.
As for your instructor, you’ll be taught by expert instructor Henry Olsen, who is an accomplished player for 16 years and a teacher for over 6 years. His YouTube guitar channel also has over 14,000 subscribers and his classes are very highly rated.
In total, there are 111 different class modules that span over 8 hours of on-demand video lessons. Some of the highlights covered are guitar tuning, chords, strumming patterns, tabs, palm muting, blues, capo, amps, picks, slides, and tons more!
There are also dozens of lessons where Henry will teach you how to strum to some of your favorite songs step-by-step.
Again, since this course is hosted on Skillshare, new users can this guitar lesson for free with the 1-month free trial. P.S. There are also downloadable resources, class projects, class discussions, and PDF files of chords included!
- Beginner level
- Over 8 hours in 111 lessons
- Taught by expert guitar instructor
- Class projects
- Downloadable resources
- Discussion group
Activate FREE Skillshare Trial
3. Beginner Guitar Lessons (Grade 1) (Justin Guitar)
Working for both electric and acoustic guitars, this beginner course will give you a basic understanding of the guitar itself and several fun chords to play. There are also dozens of other lessons to choose from depending on your skill level.
For this lesson, you will be taught by Justin Sandercoe, who runs the popular website JustinGuitar.com, which has helped 100,000’s students learn the guitar over the past 10 years.
Through this beginner-level lesson which is 8 hours in total, Justin will cover several basic chords such as A &D, E, D Minor, C, and G which make up a large percentage of all songs. Like all JustinGuitar lessons, there is also plenty of practice time, guidance, and other learning pathways once you move on from level 1.
Surprisingly, all lessons on JustinGuitar are completely free and always will be! So if you are looking for a comprehensive introduction to the electric or acoustic guitar, you can’t go wrong!
Overall, one of the best online guitar lessons in 2024!
- Beginner level
- Over 8 hours
- Taught by an expert instructor
- Smartphone app assistant
- Left-handed playing instruction also available
- Website with lots of helpful ideas and products
4. Getting Started with Playing Guitar (Udemy)
Next on my list is another introductory free online guitar lesson that is targeted at beginners who may have just purchased their first guitar. In total, this class has been taken by over 98,000 students and has a 4.5-star rating! Not to mention it’s completely free!
Your instructor for this class is Erich Andreas, who has been playing and teaching guitar for over 30 years and has helped over 250,000 students. Erich’s YouTube channel also has over 600,000 subscribers and he is also an author of several books about learning guitar.
Some of the modules covered in this 4-hour class include the basics of the guitar, getting comfortable with playing, exercises and techniques, chords, creating your own style, strumming, and more.
Currently, this class can be taken for free on Udemy which gives access to all 25 lessons and downloadable resources. Unfortunately, if you are after a certificate of completion, this will come at a small price.
- Beginner level
- 4 hours on-demand video
- Taught by a teacher with 30 years of experience
- Over 250,000 students
- Downloadable resources
- Certificate of completion available
5. Beginner Guitar Lessons: Guitar Lesson 1 (Skillshare)
Moving onto my next pick is another free online guitar lesson that covers the absolute basics in an easy to follow way.
For this class, you will be taught by Chris Rupp of GuitArmy, who has a degree in music studies and has taught over 35,000 students during the past 20 years of being a guitar instructor. So you’ll be in great hands!
In 8 on-demand video lessons over an hour, you will learn the parts of the guitar, tuning the guitar, names of the strings, how to read notes, how to correctly hold a guitar, posture, and learning some fun and popular chords.
Also included with this class are downloadable resources, class projects, class discussions, and the ability to view on iPhone/ Android devices. Oh yeah, this class is also completely free!
- Beginner level
- 1 hour on-demand video
- Taught by degreed music teacher
- Downloadable resources
- Class projects
- Class discussion
Activate FREE Skillshare Trial
6. Andy Guitar Beginner Course (Andy Guitar)
Next on my list is a collection of free beginner-level guitar lessons that take students with zero experience and get them playing songs in no time!
As for your teacher, you will be guided by Andy Crowley, who runs his own website (AndyGuitar.com) that has 1,000s of lessons for guitar novices. During the last 5 years, Andy has helped millions of students learn the basics of playing the guitar.
Some of the many lessons included in his lessons cover guitar basics, tuning, easy chords with 10 songs, advanced chords, Blues techniques, strumming, reading sheet music, and tons more!
- Beginner level
- 7 lessons
- Taught by prolific expert guitar teacher
- Andy Guitar app for easy learning
- 1000s of play-along songs and other lessons on the website
- Interactive online app
7. Learn Guitar in 21 Days (Udemy)
As the name suggests, this online guitar course will get you playing your favorite songs in just 21 days! Broken down into bite-sized daily lessons, this is perfect for those who want a simple and laid out plan for learning the guitar.
Your instructors for this course will be from the video education company Trust Fire, which has made over 25,000 interactive guitar lessons and have taught over 1 million students and counting!
Some of the many lessons included in this 21 day course include modules on holding the guitar, tuning the first time, simple chords, strumming, 3 chord songs, repetition techniques, and tons more!
Taken by over 50,000 students, this free online guitar lesson includes all downloadable resources, class projects, and also lifetime access to all lessons!
- Beginner level
- 21 days of short subjects
- Taught by instructors from the online education company Trust Fire
- Practice time allowed for in the 21 days
- Class projects
- Certificate of completion
8. Beginner Guitar Lessons – Get Started the Right Way (Fret Jam)
Taught by Mike, the owner of the website Fret Jam and a long time player and teacher of guitar methods, students will be taught how to play the guitar in an exact step-by-step process.
Some of the many course modules include holding the guitar, tuning, learning the fretboard, basic chords, strumming, progressions, and how to read tabs.
With Fret Jam, there are lots of downloadable resources including an online version of a metronome to assist you in keeping time for the various chords and progressions. While this lessons are a bit more dated than my above picks, it still brings some value to the table for being free.
- Beginner level
- Multiple self-paced lessons
- Expert music instructor as a teacher
- YouTube channel
- Email newsletter
- Downloadable resources
9. The Total Beginner’s Guitar Course (Udemy)
If you are just starting your guitar learning journey and want a course that will guide you through the most basic concepts of buying a guitar to identifying the parts of a guitar, this free lesson series might be for you!
As for your instructor, you will be taught by award-winning GIT grad, Guitargate CEO, and 15yr working professional guitar player Michael Palmisano. With his years of experience, Michael’s love of music definitely comes through in all of his lessons, while still keeping them simple for beginners.
Included in the 1.5-hour video lessons are modules on how to buy your first guitar, tuning, finger exercises, chords, strumming, transitions, power chords, distortion, and tons more!
Currently, students can pick up this guitar course for free from Udemy which gives students lifetime access, all class materials, and downloadable music sheets.
- Beginner level
- 1 ½ hour on-demand video
- Taught by professional guitar player
- Instructor question and answer available
- Downloadable resources
- Certificate of completion
10. Acoustic Guitar Basics (Udemy)
If you dream of playing an acoustic guitar at a party that will sure to wow onlookers, this beginner free guitar lesson that has been taken by over 24,000 students might be the course for you!
Classical guitarist Francis Long is the instructor for this course who holds several degrees in music theory and has years of professional performance experience that students can benefit from.
Course modules covered in this 2-hour class include how to choose a guitar, basic parts and tuning, simple chords, and some more advanced chords that can let you play current and classic popular songs.
Also included are downloadable resources, a certificate of completion (at a price), class projects, and discussions! Overall, this is one of the best free online guitar lessons of 2024!
If you are looking to learn more about performing arts, you can also see my other posts on acting and singing classes. Or start with something smaller like ukulele lessons or a harmonica course.
- Beginner level
- 2 hours on-demand video
- Taught by working classical guitarist
- Downloadable resources
- Class projects
- Certificate of completion available
