Jamplay

Jamplay is one of the newer websites that provide online guitar lessons and it's something that they do very well. Members get full access to all the website's lesson content, which is very comprehensive, plus many other bonuses. They haven't been around as long as Guitar Tricks, but in a few short years they have built up a slightly larger database of video guitar lessons (over 400 hours) and a very loyal following. This database doesn't remain stagnant though - they're adding new lessons daily. From nearly 40 different instructors students can learn virtually all the major styles, genres, and techniques used in guitar playing. Jamplay also offers about 25 free lessons, which are definitely worth taking advantage of.

Lesson Content

Jamplay has organized their lesson content well so that you don't have to waste time trying to put together an efficient learning regimen. They're grouped into 3 separate phases:

• Phase 1 teaches basic guitar fundamentals through a series of ordered video lessons. This basics course doesn't just teach you how to play the guitar, it also teaches you important information about the instrument itself.
• Phase 2 is composed of genre lessons and advanced seminar lessons. After completing the basic course students will be ready to progress into one or more of the many guitar genres (blues, jazz, rock, etc.). There are also advanced seminar lessons, which contain instruction on the many different specialized techniques used by accomplished guitarists.
• Phase 3 is centered on specific song lessons. Currently they have 145 different songs, spanning all major guitar genres, with more being added regularly. Jamplay also welcomes suggestions for songs lessons to add to their database. As long as there are no licensing restrictions on the song, they will do their best to have an instructor put together a lesson for it.

The video lessons are in flash format and range from 15-60 minutes in length. The video quality is excellent - each is available in HD and boasts multiple camera angles to give you a complete view of what the instructor is doing. These are features that most Guitar Tricks lessons don't offer. There is also the option to view the the lessons in lower resolution for users with slow internet connections. One drawback, however, is that Jamplay's videos cannot be downloaded while Guitar Tricks videos can. All of the lessons also have supplemental content in the form of tablature, written lesson writeups, diagrams, exercises, chord charts, and music notation (all of which is printable).

In addition to the prerecorded video lessons, Jamplay instructors host random lessons via live webcam for about 12 hours each day.

Bonuses

Jamplay offers quite a few useful bonuses that come free with membership.

• A very large and well organized chord library.
• A scale library featuring many video demonstrations.
• A lick & riff library.
• An online metronome and tuner.
• A collection of backing tracks for you to play along with.
• Progress Reports give you the ability to track your progress and keep up with your lesson history.
• Numerous games to assist you with learning the fretboard, music notation, and pitch recognition.
• An active and lively member forum is one of the best features of Jamplay. They also host a weekly video Q&A session where the instructors post videos that answer specific questions from members. Currently there are around 500 of these type of video lessons.

Price and Guarantee

Jamplay has three membership options: monthly ($19.95), quaterly ($49.95), and yearly ($139.95). They release coupon deals and specials quite frequently, so check the right side of this page to see if any are currently available. Jamplay also comes with a 7 day 100% money back guarantee. If you aren't happy with Jamplay within that period they'll give you a full refund without any hassles. Jamplay also has exceptional customer support via phone, email, the forums, and their chat console. If you have any problems using the service they're quick to offer assistance.

Final Analysis

Jamplay is definitely for you if you're interested in the online guitar lesson format. For a reasonable monthly rate you get more lessons than you'll know what to do with and become a member of a vibrant community of guitarists. Yet it won't end there because new content is added all the time, making your membership an ongoing learning process. However, it is important for you to be serious about learning guitar, otherwise you can easily end up forgetting about your membership and paying for nothing.

We rate Jamplay slightly better than Guitar Tricks due to their larger volume of guitar lessons and the superior video quality and options. They're both good options, but if price is your determining factor Jamplay is a little (but not much) more expensive than Guitar Tricks. Whatever your decision, be sure to take advantage of Jamplay's free lessons.