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So, you’re looking to learn guitar from internet sources and you’re wondering about which one is the best. Well, fortunately for you, there is a wide range of different resources available, each with its own methodology.
Guitar Tricks and Simply Guitar By JoyTunes are some popular choices for beginner guitarists. But, which of these is better than the other?
In this article, we will explore what each of these resources has to offer. In the end, you should have a good idea which is more suitable for your learning style.
Table of Contents
What Does Guitar Tricks Offer?
Guitar Tricks is a very well-established guitar lessons resource that offers lessons by means of video lessons. Whether you're a complete beginner or more advanced, you’ll likely find something of use here.
For absolute beginners, Guitar Tricks has 2 dedicated courses to teach you fundamental knowledge in a linear fashion. This will get you equipped with the basics in a relatively short period of time.
After completing the fundamentals courses, you can choose which roadmap of lessons you’d like to follow. These are categorized by genre and include:
- Country
- Blues
- Rock
- Acoustic
Each of these lessons has 2 courses that continue imparting knowledge in a linear fashion. If you already know the basics, you can opt to start from here if you so choose.
Guitar Tricks really has an advantage in the fact that over 35 different instructors contribute to the resource. This allows the guitarist to learn from a wide range of different experiences and expertise.
Aside from these main courses, Guitar Tricks has a wide range of other courses that teach specific techniques. Each instructor’s expertise is really allowed to shine here, and guitarists can learn some excellent material.
If you wanted to learn techniques of specific styles, Guitar Tricks has you covered. You can learn techniques relating to:
- Jazz
- Blues
- Rock
- Metal
- Bluegrass
- Classical
- Rockabilly
- Acoustic
- Surf
- Country
- Funk
- World
Furthermore, Guitar Tricks also offers a very large range of song-based lessons in every genre. These lessons allow the guitarist to utilize their learned knowledge and are often taught by a member of the band.
How Good Are The Video Lessons On Guitar Tricks?
When it comes to the actual video lessons themselves, Guitar Tricks is one of the best in the game. Each lesson is shot in high definition, often incorporating multiple camera angles.
These angles allow you to see both of the instructor’s hands during play. You can also affect the video’s speed by either slowing it down or speeding it up.
Should you happen to come across a troublesome area, you can also create a loop within the video lesson. This will allow you to really digest what is being presented to you.
Each lesson also comes with supplementary material that you can download and print off. This is a great feature as it means you can practice the lesson material away from the computer or mobile device.
How Easy Is It To Use Guitar Tricks?
Guitar Tricks is extremely easy to use and you shouldn’t have any issues navigating the site. Every facet of the resource is easy to find and located in a logical area on the website.
For Whom Is Guitar Tricks The Best For Learning Guitar?
Guitar Tricks is appropriate for absolute beginners as well as intermediate players. The website does an excellent job of catering to beginners without becoming a waste of time for advanced students.
In fact, compared to other resources, Guitar Tricks offers exactly what you need to know without any frills. This linear approach is especially ideal for beginners who aren’t exactly sure what they should be learning.
Another excellent thing about Guitar Tricks is that it prepares the guitarist for other platforms. Advanced platforms tend to operate in an a la carte fashion, allowing the guitarist to choose their path.
Guitar Tricks offers a taste of that, allowing the guitarist to choose the styles they are most interested in. This resource is especially great at conveying the fundamental aspects of every genre offered.
If you’ve never touched a guitar before, Guitar Tricks does offer a course on how to practice the instrument. You won’t be left in the deep end trying to learn how to swim without a little guidance.
Is Guitar Tricks Worth It?
For everything that Guitar Tricks offers, and considering its cost, it is certainly worth it. You can have access to a very large resource of knowledge for what 1 in-person lesson might cost you.
Plus, the website continually adds new material so you will never run out of things to be able to learn.
Whether you can learn much of the same material for free could likely be up for debate. However, if you don’t mind spending some money and aren’t looking to search for a free platform, Guitar Tricks works.
If you take the time to learn and practice all of the material, you’ll become a highly competent guitarist. For those who have semi-professional aspirations, Guitar Tricks is definitely worth checking out.
Plus, Guitar Tricks can be used on either a computer or a mobile device. This is especially beneficial because it ensures that you can learn no matter where you might be.
What Does Simply Guitar By JoyTunes Offer?
If you’re looking for a completely different approach to learning guitar, Simply Guitar By JoyTunes may be a good fit. This is especially true if you’ve ever had experience with video games such as Guitar Hero or Rock Band.
JoyTunes has gone through the painstaking process of creating a product that blends this game aspect with video lessons. The result is an app that approaches learning the guitar in a fun manner.
When you download the app, you’ll create an account to associate with yourself. This will automatically track your progress so you can always see how far you’ve come.
Simply Guitar will guide you through the basics of guitar, offering lessons on chords and melodies. Each new concept is presented with a video, with exercises to follow.
Because Simply Guitar is a mobile app, it uses your phone’s microphone to track your playing. When you are in an exercise, you’ll see a rolling fretboard with the notes and chords you are to play.
An important thing to note here is that these exercises are often rooted in famous songs. You’ll essentially play a stripped-down version of a song’s passage, just as you might on Rock Band or Guitar Hero.
Like the aforementioned games, your skill level will determine the difficulty of the exercises. Absolute beginners will be playing very basic things but it does help to integrate the knowledge presented.
After each successful milestone, Simply Guitar will award you with a passing medal. This can make you feel as if you’ve accomplished something, which is vital to making progress on the instrument.
The app does seem to follow a linear progression, teaching basic chords and melodies. As the guitarist gets better, more chords are introduced, and melodies are played across multiple strings.
How Good Are The Video Lessons On Simply Guitar By JoyTunes?
The video lessons on Simply Guitar are fairly decent overall. Each video is shot in high definition and has the presentation of being filmed in a film studio.
Each video lesson seems to go into great detail about the topic being covered. When specific strings are being used, the video will highlight the strings and their finger placements.
The fact that JoyTunes offers videos like this can be really helpful, especially for beginners. It leaves the guesswork out of having to read chord charts to find finger placements.
Other than that, this is about all there is to say about the video lessons on Simply Guitar. The lessons are pretty straightforward and designed to get you moving along by means of exercises.
How Easy Is It To Use Simply Guitar By JoyTunes?
Simply Guitar has the benefit of having a very simple user interface. Everything is relatively easy to find within the app, so you won’t waste time getting to your lessons.
The app lets you view and monitor your progress and see what lessons are coming up.
Each section of the app is also designated by its own icon. This makes it great for kids who might be using the app to learn.
For Whom Is Simply Guitar The Best For Learning Guitar?
Simply Guitar is marketed with the message that it can teach anyone the guitar. And, they might actually have a worthwhile claim here.
However, Simply Guitar is likely best left for absolute beginners. Many of the lessons are extremely simple and basic, and intermediate players won’t find much of use here.
Even the exercises are extremely basic, often requiring 1 chord strum per measure. Any melodic passage is often on one string, though this does adapt with the skill level.
If you are a beginner, Simply Guitar can succeed in getting you familiar with navigating certain aspects of the guitar. It will also teach you something and allow you to implement it immediately so that the knowledge sticks.
Is Simply Guitar Worth It?
Considering the cost of Simply Guitar, you will really have to judge for yourself whether it is worth it. Some people might find that this app is perfect for their specific learning styles.
Others might feel that the app is too slow in conveying the material being presented. Your opinion will require some testing of your own.
With that being said, Simply Guitar can be fairly expensive, especially compared to other resources. But, if you’re looking for a unique way to get started on the guitar, this might be worth checking out.
Kids especially might find Simply Guitar to be a great starting point.
Which Is Better, Guitar Tricks Or Simply Guitar?
As mentioned throughout this article, you might find that a certain service is better for your style of learning. It must be stated that you are encouraged to try each of these services out for yourself.
While these are, indeed, premium services with a monthly cost, you can often try these for free. This will allow you to go through the platform, take some lessons, and get a feel for its offerings.
Comparing these two services is a bit like comparing apples and oranges in terms of their approach to teaching. But, if you want to know which is better, be sure to read on.
The Pros Of Each Compared
Guitar Tricks has the benefit of having a large number of certified instructors offering video lessons. This will undoubtedly teach you more than you could ever learn from one singular person.
On the other hand, Simply Guitar is much more interactive, and at times feels a bit like a video game. You’ll be able to receive feedback on your playing as your microphone monitors your sessions.
Guitar Tricks offers an extremely large number of different lessons. Not only will you learn the basics, but you can learn the playing habits of your idols.
Plus, Guitar Tricks allows you to learn different styles of music, in the form of actual courses and song-based lessons. You’ll even be able to print out supplementary material with each lesson.
Guitar Tricks has a superior video lesson model, offering multiple camera angles, looping, and speed options.
Simply Guitar has an excellent interface in its app, whereas Guitar Tricks is primarily web-based.
The Cons Of Each Compared
Simply Guitar can only be accessed by mobile device. This can be fine for some, but if you have an outdated operating system, you’re out of luck.
Another con of Simply Guitar is that it seems like it takes forever to learn something of substance. Guitar Tricks presents its material much differently, offering much larger chunks of knowledge per lesson.
While excellent in concept, Simply Guitar is not immune to its fair share of bugs and technical errors. It might not always register when you play a note, which can be frustrating.
The sliding fretboard in Simply Guitar also does not have any rhythmic dictation on when you should play the notes. Plus, you’ll have to rely on the app for practicing, which is not convenient at all.
Guitar Tricks can seem a little impersonal compared to the interactive nature of Simply Guitar.
And The Winner Is….
Guitar Tricks, without a doubt, comes on top in this contest. It keeps the traditional model of in-person lessons alive but offers much more material.
In-person lessons are often thought of to be the fastest way to learn the guitar. Guitar Tricks makes this process of learning the guitar super convenient.
Guitar Tricks Vs Simply Guitar, Final Thoughts
If you’re wanting to learn in the quickest way, Guitar Tricks will offer a faster process. However, if you’re looking for lessons suitable for a young child, Simply Guitar has its merits.
You’ll need to go with which service offers you what you need to reach your goals. Guitar Tricks is more serious, while Simply Guitar takes a more fun and casual approach.
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