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Guitar Lessons - Offline VS Online

Trying to figure out what the best way to learn guitar is? Not sure if online lessons will really help you? This article breaks down the key differences between online guitar lessons and offline guitar lessons. iPlayMusic makes this decision easy for you by breaking down the main differences between price, convenience, personalization and overall value.

Offline VS Online: Price

For most of us price is a huge factor when learning to play guitar. Most of us also believe in the motto "you get what you pay for". Well let me start by telling you that learning guitar does not apply to this motto. Let's look at the overall cost of offline lessons. Most offline lessons last 30 minutes. The average cost for a 30 minute lesson can run you $40 dollars a session. iPlayMusic has done extensive research on how many 30 minute offline sessions you need to have before you can be playing songs and having fun. After interviewing over 100 people who have taken offline guitar lessons, we have found it can take as many as 7 lessons before you can play a single song. This breaks down to $280 dollars just to learn enough to play a song. Now you can see why guitar instructors make so much money right.

Online guitar lessons offer way more bang for the buck. Most online guitar lessons that you get come in packages. These packages normally include the same amount of material that would be learned in 4 offline lessons. The average cost of these packages is about $15 dollars. So if you buy two packages you would get 8 lessons worth of material for only $30. As you can see, thanks to the internet and technology it has become much easier to deliver quality lessons at a lower cost.

Offline 8 lessons Cost = $280
Online 8 lessons Cost = $30

Offline VS Online: Convenience

Convenience is a huge factor to consider when learning guitar. The difference in convenience is HUGE when comparing offline VS online lessons. Let's start by looking at everything you need to do for an offline lesson. The first thing you need to do is schedule an appointment. This involves not only working around your schedule but also working around the instructors schedule. The next thing you need to do is drive to the instructor. This involves packing up your gear, loading it into your car and driving through traffic to get to your lesson.

Now let's look at how convenient online guitar lessons are. The cool thing about online lessons is that you can learn when you want and where you want. One of the biggest advantages to learning online is convenience. You can learn at 8 in the morning or at midnight. You can learn in your bedroom, family room, garage or even your bathroom if you wish. Not only can you learn when you want and where you want, but with online lessons you can play back and watch the instructor over and over and over again until you really have nailed what you are learning.

Offline VS Online: Personalization

Personalization is another aspect to consider when deciding between offline VS online guitar lessons. In our eyes, personalization is fairly equal when comparing offline VS online. Most instructors whether they are offline or online, have a teaching method that they use. What's important here is that you learn about the method they use and figure out which method fits best with what your learning goals are. For example. If you just want to learn songs and have fun then choose a teaching method that focuses on this. If your goal is to learn notes, theory and scales, then choose a method that fits this.

Offline VS Online: Who is the winner?

The winner really depends on what factors you consider the most important. If learning music theory, music notation and scales is your goal and you don't mind spending a ton of money to learn then offline lessons is the best route for you to take. If having fun, learning songs and learning guitar as a hobby fits more with what you are looking for then online lessons is by far the best choice for you.