You don't have to learn how to play the guitar using online lessons but you'll burn a hole in your pocket with private tuition so for many, it's a no brainer. Free online guitar lessons are improving all the time, but, on the surface, a lot of sites can be very confusing and loaded with adverts for something else. If you're a beginner guitar player wanting to teach yourself guitar online, do a little homework and make sure your guitar tuition is comprehensive.
Recommended: For continuity, use the same source for all your lessons, at least until you get past the beginner and intermediate stage. That's why it pays to do a little research before deciding which course to learn with. Make sure your online guitar lessons include:
- how to read guitar tablature (TAB)
- how to read sheet music (a little!)
- how to play scales and chord progressions from scratch
- different strumming patterns to learn
- plenty of video with multiple camera angles
Some resources teach you things on the assumption that you know a lot already. This means you can spend a lot of time looking through sites which turn out to be too technical and this will slow you down. You want to use something at the right level, meaning you're spending as much as possible with your guitar in your hands.
Acoustic or electric: It doesn't really matter whether you decide to learn on an acoustic guitar or an electric guitar, the principles are the same. If you were a bit concerned that you had the wrong type of guitar, there's no need to worry. In fact, that's what's totally cool, you can play the same thing on an acoustic and it will have a completely different effect on an electric guitar.
* If you look to teach yourself guitar online using lessons that cover everything, if you're a beginner guitar player, you should learn quickly and thoroughly. Otherwise, you'll not know if you've missed out on something which could end up saving you lots of time in the months and years to come.