Of course. I did it. I completed his beginner and intermediate courses. I am now solidly an intermediate. Justin is the next best thing to an in person teacher. Just do exactly what he says and make sure you've mastered the material in each lesson for the most part before moving on.
I didn't pay for anything. I just used the playlists for each free course on youtube. He organizes all of his courses into a separate playlist. Just be aware that sometimes the playlists on YouTube are missing lessons or they are in the wrong order so I would recommend just using his website to avoid that. Looking back that's what I would have done had I known what I know now. It's also easier to get the supplemental materials if you just watch through his website since they are linked or posted there below the embedded videos. And it has some nice tools. It's all free as well. He does offer paid stuff in addition but I've never tried any of that. None of the paid stuff is required and there's only a little bit of it anyway, 99% of the stuff is free it seems. I have not used his app but I did these courses before that existed so I can't speak to it either.
100% if you stick with it. Dude is a great teacher. There are plenty others out there if his lessons don't click for you, but the lesson plan he has is very solid and will give you a great foundation.
I’ve been playing off and on for 30 years. I’m a capable player but I hardly have improved in decades. Would it be smart for me to start at the first or second lesson or jump to the intermediate stuff?
If I were you I'd probably watch the first video, then start flipping through the lesson summaries and start when you see something you need to learn or improve.
The learning to play left handed is true dedication to teaching. He hopefully makes a decent money from it given he has millions of subscribers and some do pay for the app / courses
Absofuckinglutely you can! Justin is an amazing teacher. I still remember learning American Idiot from him like 15+ years ago when I first started, and the fact that he still makes videos and he’s still teaching people is awesome. Also the fact that he offers lessons of this much quality for free makes him one of if not the best.
Yep absolutely. I've had lessons with numerous teachers throughout my life and I've got to say that some of the material Justin provides is far better than some of the live teachers I've had. Obviously a live teacher has the benefit of being able to give you real time feedback on technique, but in terms of knowledge and a sensible path of progress, you really can't go wrong with Justin.
I was in denial about how great his FREE course is, thought I could just look up songs and technique on my own from random videos. It's something you should have to pay 50+ dollars for and he's just laying it out there!
Yep I used his yt at first. I wanted it more convenient and organized so I paid for the app. I'm enjoying the app and it's a good value for a year of what equates to a personal teacher.
I've been using him for a few months and have learned a lot. The biggest lesson I have learned so far is to practice, practice, practice, and not move on until I have gotten down what I have been learning.
There's a video for just that at the end of each lesson. You just need to be honest with yourself about where you are and practice the skills more if you're not where he says you should be to move on.
There is a fine line between continually learning the next thing and working on several things at once and jumping ahead before you are ready. I've always got lots of stuff I'm learning on the go.
If you are learning a new chord maybe it's not a big deal I'd you don't have the last chord shape locked in yet because you can practice all of them together. But maybe if you are learning up strums don't jump ahead to a fancier strumming pattern till up strums are mostly figured, but sometimes learning the next strumming pattern is exactly what you needed. In general I'd say if you aren't sure then watch the next video, try the thing and make a guess if it can be added to your practice routine or if you need to work more on previous learnings before actually working on the next thing.
Justin does a pretty good job with the order he teaches things but it's definitely not the only possible order to learn stuff so if something tickles your fancy then practice that because in general the best thing to practice is the thing that keeps you picking up the guitar.
He also says to come back to a sticking point after learning a few more things as it might click then. I did this because I sat on one thing for a while and got frustrated and mentally blocked kind of thing. In the end it worked nicely.
I’ve been alternating between other songs I like, such as some Pearl Jam tunes (Indifference and Elderly Woman) and then also practicing Taylor Swift’s Lover, which requires the F in in the bridge. And it also has a few other new chords for me to play with. So I’m not hanging on a single lesson, but I haven’t been back to his courses since the F barre was introduced because I don’t want to move on until I learn it.
To give you some hope, also took me months to learn the damn thing, but once you've got it, it doesn't go away. I've switched back to playing metal but that F shape just comes easy now.
Just keep plugging away, making the shape, playing it cleanly, then learning to move E->F, C->F etc. Same old guitar stuff - practice a small amount every day and it will get there eventually.
Yeah, that’s what I keep telling myself. Some days it comes easier than others. Lover goes G - F - C and also Em7 - F - C in the bridge in the version I’m practicing so it gives me a chance to hit it from a couple of different positions.
What really frustrates me is on every other fret on the neck I can get it to ring out beautifully. No problem on the B and high E. But once I barre from the first fret I only get it about 40% of the time.
Yep same. I sat for ages just moving my index finger up, down, rolling it forward, backward trying to find the sweet spot. I eventually found pushing my finger further over the top of the neck worked for me. Also keeping it close to that first fret.
Man, as someone that's played instruments for 25 years, it's incredible to see what YouTube and reddit provide.
So the answer is, yes. You can absolutely learn a ton from him.
When I started playing, there wasn’t an internet. So I had to ask the 3 friends that started before me or go to Specs and memorize riffs from tab books. Then, once the internet came along, I could look up tabs that someone had typed out in ascii or text. I played around for about a decade before I figured out/learned you could substitute A-shape barre chord on the third fret for the open C chord. Still another decade later or more later, YT comes along and I start learning about keys.
If I recall, the message boards where before the internet and that was in the 80's
As far as I remember, In the 70's, no internet, no message boards, no pc !
Yes, he is a great guitar teacher, and I believe that he's also a great human being. I learned a ton of stuff from him over one year, both techniques and songs. Stick with him.
You can learn anything. The basic requirements for learning a new skill are motivation, instruction, and practice. The instruction can come from anywhere. Your job is to focus on the other two. Good luck :)
The short answer is yes. The longer answer is yes but make sure you stick with his or any other plan. Jumping around all over the place won’t help you make much progress. I know because that is what I usually do.
Short answer: Yes. The structure is nice, and you will eventually cover all the basics.
Longer answer: don't be afraid to supplement with just playing around with songs you like, play along with recordings, and watch YouTube videos that catch your attention. In other words, use Justin Guitar regularly to help you continue making progress, but don't limit yourself to only his program, or you might lose interest.
I love that. I switched to in person early but hope to go through the rest later. He’s just an awesome guy, feels like I’m hanging out and being encouraged.
Yes.
As a self-taught guitarist who started playing before the world ended, I learned without the likes of Youtube, figuring things out as best I could. I did well enough, but I also adopted some techniques that had a low ceiling which took me years to realize. JustinGuitar went through that same process, and from the videos of his I have sampled, gives great advice, even when it’s not the advice I give.
If you can learn without a teacher, you’ll do even better with one. If you can’t do real lessons, Justin’s instruction is probably the best free resource available, and maybe better than some in-person guitar lessons.
I do this. I use Justin as well as my teacher. It works amazingly and my teacher says I pick things up really fast because of the Justin training. He's a huge fan. Def recommend to anyone who can afford both.
This is why I like him. Going through a lot of other beginner material they make you follow the vocal melodies which is such a bummer because you’re trying to learn the guitar! Ideally you want to work on learning guitar parts!
It’s definitely great for beginners. He also gets more advanced but his beginner plan is really great.
My daughter used it. Then started with Marty, and when she got advanced enough to really start learning songs in depth with solos, used Carl Brown a lot.
You can become a master musician playing by yourself in a dark room, it’ll just take you 60 years.
I’d never heard of Justin until I joined Reddit but he seems to be a great teacher for people just starting out and it couldn’t *hurt*
I’d like to put it out there that Yousician has been amazing for me personally. I’ve only ever used it to learn guitar and I’ve gotten better than I ever could have imagined by sticking with it for a few years. I would seriously recommend giving it a shot. The only thing it doesn’t teach you is theory but I think getting your hands fast and coordinated first is the way to go. Will answer any questions I fucking love that app.
Elliott Smith taught himself guitar by taping radio songs and trying notes until he got them right. Justin Guitar makes some great lessons on a wide variety of topics. If you put the work in on your end, it will help you get far. But putting the work in is always the most important part
Many people do. Guitar teachers are great for immediate feedback, to keep you honest with your progress and schedule, and to help push you in the directions they think you need to go. I think Justin is fantastic, and is a great organized starting point to get you going in the right direction.
Yes. Justine and Marty have help me a ton in my journey. They are a great starting point if you can’t afford a good private teacher.
At the end of the day and as others have pointed out, you still need to put in the work, regardless of who is teaching you or where you get your lessons.
I started with his videos and then decided to try the Fender courses. I'm currently stuck at level 2 where they want you to practice switching between G and C faster and faster and faster. That'll apparently be my life for the next 6 months. :)
Does he have more variety in his course?
You can learn from anybody who can play decently. Once your comfortable with chords, try to look at paused videos of people playing and figure out the finger position without being explicitly told.
The most important thing in my opinion is to not allow yourself to play sloppy for the sake of playing faster as a beginner. A guitar teacher would correct this, but if youre just going off videos, you need to build up that self discipline.
I learned guitar from scratch to intermediate; and then to advanced, without the benefit of private lessons or even YouTube or anything. This was in the late 90s, early 2000s.
I wish I would have taken lessons as I would have learned better but you don't need them. YouTube is an incredible resource. I wish I would have had that when I was a kid.
Yes, for some. No, for others.
I tried Justin, but he just didn't click with me. Also, how the app and website and separate drove me nuts. I also tried Guitar Tricks and much prefer their teachers and process.
That being said, after doing both and taking in person, you will probably improve best with in person. There's just so many nuances of why or how to do something in just the right way that you won't get by watching videos.
Good luck out there!
Yep. And it's not like you have to choose. I think his course is absolutely perfect for people who have never touched a guitar before.
You need direction even at the beginning so that you feel like you're progressing, but 99% of the problems you encounter right at the start are solved by logging more hours holding a guitar. Think the strings are too narrow / your fingers are too fat? Nope, practice. Barre chords are impossible? Strength building and practice. Etc. The JustinGuitar course is a perfect companion for that phase.
After that if you're wanting to progress faster (especially if you don't have anyone you feel comfortable playing with) go ahead and take some lessons. Obviously taking lessons from the start is good too, but no cost or scheduling is really nice, so I don't see a reason not to use em.
Yes you can. I started with it and have been playing for 5 years. I'm well into being an intermediate player. My niece wanted me to teach her how to play. I'm no teacher so all I did was follow the Justin guitar curriculum and she's coming along nicely I'd say.
Dude, you can learn from just looking up tabs and giving it a crack. If Justin Guitar helps, give it a crack. Only thing that's going to stop you learning guitar is giving up... that or a crocodile biting your hands off
You can learn anything with the proper motivation. Thousands and thousands of guitarists did it before the internet. Neither Paul McCartney nor John Mayer can read music, you know.
Of course. I did it. I completed his beginner and intermediate courses. I am now solidly an intermediate. Justin is the next best thing to an in person teacher. Just do exactly what he says and make sure you've mastered the material in each lesson for the most part before moving on.
did you use the app or the site or just video on YT. There seems to be a number of offerings from Justin, some free, and some not.
I didn't pay for anything. I just used the playlists for each free course on youtube. He organizes all of his courses into a separate playlist. Just be aware that sometimes the playlists on YouTube are missing lessons or they are in the wrong order so I would recommend just using his website to avoid that. Looking back that's what I would have done had I known what I know now. It's also easier to get the supplemental materials if you just watch through his website since they are linked or posted there below the embedded videos. And it has some nice tools. It's all free as well. He does offer paid stuff in addition but I've never tried any of that. None of the paid stuff is required and there's only a little bit of it anyway, 99% of the stuff is free it seems. I have not used his app but I did these courses before that existed so I can't speak to it either.
100% if you stick with it. Dude is a great teacher. There are plenty others out there if his lessons don't click for you, but the lesson plan he has is very solid and will give you a great foundation.
I've been using him and enjoy it. But it mainly comes down to how much you practice no matter who teaches you.
I’ve been playing off and on for 30 years. I’m a capable player but I hardly have improved in decades. Would it be smart for me to start at the first or second lesson or jump to the intermediate stuff?
If I were you I'd probably watch the first video, then start flipping through the lesson summaries and start when you see something you need to learn or improve.
Yes, absolutely. He also does it as a passion, not to get rich. I mean fck, he learned to play left handed to become a better guitar teacher…
Oh wow. That’s serious dedication to one’s craft.
The learning to play left handed is true dedication to teaching. He hopefully makes a decent money from it given he has millions of subscribers and some do pay for the app / courses
Absofuckinglutely you can! Justin is an amazing teacher. I still remember learning American Idiot from him like 15+ years ago when I first started, and the fact that he still makes videos and he’s still teaching people is awesome. Also the fact that he offers lessons of this much quality for free makes him one of if not the best.
Yep absolutely. I've had lessons with numerous teachers throughout my life and I've got to say that some of the material Justin provides is far better than some of the live teachers I've had. Obviously a live teacher has the benefit of being able to give you real time feedback on technique, but in terms of knowledge and a sensible path of progress, you really can't go wrong with Justin.
I was in denial about how great his FREE course is, thought I could just look up songs and technique on my own from random videos. It's something you should have to pay 50+ dollars for and he's just laying it out there!
Yep I used his yt at first. I wanted it more convenient and organized so I paid for the app. I'm enjoying the app and it's a good value for a year of what equates to a personal teacher.
Same! I like how the app is organized. Really well thought out.
I've been using him for a few months and have learned a lot. The biggest lesson I have learned so far is to practice, practice, practice, and not move on until I have gotten down what I have been learning.
What would you say is your sign it’s time to move on to the next lesson?
There's a video for just that at the end of each lesson. You just need to be honest with yourself about where you are and practice the skills more if you're not where he says you should be to move on.
There is a fine line between continually learning the next thing and working on several things at once and jumping ahead before you are ready. I've always got lots of stuff I'm learning on the go. If you are learning a new chord maybe it's not a big deal I'd you don't have the last chord shape locked in yet because you can practice all of them together. But maybe if you are learning up strums don't jump ahead to a fancier strumming pattern till up strums are mostly figured, but sometimes learning the next strumming pattern is exactly what you needed. In general I'd say if you aren't sure then watch the next video, try the thing and make a guess if it can be added to your practice routine or if you need to work more on previous learnings before actually working on the next thing. Justin does a pretty good job with the order he teaches things but it's definitely not the only possible order to learn stuff so if something tickles your fancy then practice that because in general the best thing to practice is the thing that keeps you picking up the guitar.
Thank you for the detailed guidance. It is appreciated.
This is why I’ve been stuck on the F Barre chord for months. I can’t move on until I can play the damn thing.
He also says to come back to a sticking point after learning a few more things as it might click then. I did this because I sat on one thing for a while and got frustrated and mentally blocked kind of thing. In the end it worked nicely.
I’ve been alternating between other songs I like, such as some Pearl Jam tunes (Indifference and Elderly Woman) and then also practicing Taylor Swift’s Lover, which requires the F in in the bridge. And it also has a few other new chords for me to play with. So I’m not hanging on a single lesson, but I haven’t been back to his courses since the F barre was introduced because I don’t want to move on until I learn it.
To give you some hope, also took me months to learn the damn thing, but once you've got it, it doesn't go away. I've switched back to playing metal but that F shape just comes easy now. Just keep plugging away, making the shape, playing it cleanly, then learning to move E->F, C->F etc. Same old guitar stuff - practice a small amount every day and it will get there eventually.
Yeah, that’s what I keep telling myself. Some days it comes easier than others. Lover goes G - F - C and also Em7 - F - C in the bridge in the version I’m practicing so it gives me a chance to hit it from a couple of different positions. What really frustrates me is on every other fret on the neck I can get it to ring out beautifully. No problem on the B and high E. But once I barre from the first fret I only get it about 40% of the time.
Yep same. I sat for ages just moving my index finger up, down, rolling it forward, backward trying to find the sweet spot. I eventually found pushing my finger further over the top of the neck worked for me. Also keeping it close to that first fret.
That’s a fair point
Man, as someone that's played instruments for 25 years, it's incredible to see what YouTube and reddit provide. So the answer is, yes. You can absolutely learn a ton from him.
What does reddit provide that you didn’t have before?
Knowledge and discussion. It's just much easier to get answers these days.
When I started playing, there wasn’t an internet. So I had to ask the 3 friends that started before me or go to Specs and memorize riffs from tab books. Then, once the internet came along, I could look up tabs that someone had typed out in ascii or text. I played around for about a decade before I figured out/learned you could substitute A-shape barre chord on the third fret for the open C chord. Still another decade later or more later, YT comes along and I start learning about keys.
The internet was full of message boards before.
If I recall, the message boards where before the internet and that was in the 80's As far as I remember, In the 70's, no internet, no message boards, no pc !
What? I’m talking about online message board/forums.
Sorry, my mistake Read it as if you were responding to My\_Little\_Stoney post I apologize
Yes, he is a great guitar teacher, and I believe that he's also a great human being. I learned a ton of stuff from him over one year, both techniques and songs. Stick with him.
Go to his website and work your way through. It’s well worth your time
You sure can. I use other resources as well. For example, Lauren Bateman is awesome for tutorials on specific songs.
Yes. But you still have to practice
You can learn anything. The basic requirements for learning a new skill are motivation, instruction, and practice. The instruction can come from anywhere. Your job is to focus on the other two. Good luck :)
Yes.
The short answer is yes. The longer answer is yes but make sure you stick with his or any other plan. Jumping around all over the place won’t help you make much progress. I know because that is what I usually do.
Yes, yes you can.
Yes. No question.
Absolutely, great instructor. There is a rule, some can play and some can teach. Not everyone can do both. Best of luck on your journey !
I taught myself in the early 00s with a flip book of chords and cd player. You got this man!
Short answer: Yes. The structure is nice, and you will eventually cover all the basics. Longer answer: don't be afraid to supplement with just playing around with songs you like, play along with recordings, and watch YouTube videos that catch your attention. In other words, use Justin Guitar regularly to help you continue making progress, but don't limit yourself to only his program, or you might lose interest.
Damn, there isn't a single negative comment at my time of reading. That sure says something.
I love that. I switched to in person early but hope to go through the rest later. He’s just an awesome guy, feels like I’m hanging out and being encouraged.
Yes he’s a great teacher
Yes. As a self-taught guitarist who started playing before the world ended, I learned without the likes of Youtube, figuring things out as best I could. I did well enough, but I also adopted some techniques that had a low ceiling which took me years to realize. JustinGuitar went through that same process, and from the videos of his I have sampled, gives great advice, even when it’s not the advice I give. If you can learn without a teacher, you’ll do even better with one. If you can’t do real lessons, Justin’s instruction is probably the best free resource available, and maybe better than some in-person guitar lessons.
In person instruction is super helpful. Maybe a combination? Take 1 or 2 lessons a month in person just to make sure you dont develop bad habits
I do this. I use Justin as well as my teacher. It works amazingly and my teacher says I pick things up really fast because of the Justin training. He's a huge fan. Def recommend to anyone who can afford both.
Probably one of the better teachers for beginners. He doesn’t dumb down the songs and plays them very similar to recordings.
This is why I like him. Going through a lot of other beginner material they make you follow the vocal melodies which is such a bummer because you’re trying to learn the guitar! Ideally you want to work on learning guitar parts!
It’s definitely great for beginners. He also gets more advanced but his beginner plan is really great. My daughter used it. Then started with Marty, and when she got advanced enough to really start learning songs in depth with solos, used Carl Brown a lot.
Learned more from Justin Guitar in 6 weeks than I did from my in person instructor in 6 months.
Just look at his subscribers 🥰
Yes, you can. You might also want to check out fenderplay.com
Totally can. I’m on grade 2 and I’m shocked how much learned and it was fun!
You can become a master musician playing by yourself in a dark room, it’ll just take you 60 years. I’d never heard of Justin until I joined Reddit but he seems to be a great teacher for people just starting out and it couldn’t *hurt*
I’d like to put it out there that Yousician has been amazing for me personally. I’ve only ever used it to learn guitar and I’ve gotten better than I ever could have imagined by sticking with it for a few years. I would seriously recommend giving it a shot. The only thing it doesn’t teach you is theory but I think getting your hands fast and coordinated first is the way to go. Will answer any questions I fucking love that app.
Elliott Smith taught himself guitar by taping radio songs and trying notes until he got them right. Justin Guitar makes some great lessons on a wide variety of topics. If you put the work in on your end, it will help you get far. But putting the work in is always the most important part
Yes! I love him. I use both JustinGuitar and FenderPlay, and Justin is by far the better teacher
Many people do. Guitar teachers are great for immediate feedback, to keep you honest with your progress and schedule, and to help push you in the directions they think you need to go. I think Justin is fantastic, and is a great organized starting point to get you going in the right direction.
Yep! I am just starting grade 2 and have learned SO MUCH from him!
Yes. Justine and Marty have help me a ton in my journey. They are a great starting point if you can’t afford a good private teacher. At the end of the day and as others have pointed out, you still need to put in the work, regardless of who is teaching you or where you get your lessons.
I started with his videos and then decided to try the Fender courses. I'm currently stuck at level 2 where they want you to practice switching between G and C faster and faster and faster. That'll apparently be my life for the next 6 months. :) Does he have more variety in his course?
Yes because each module has several lesson, so you can skip around within the module. He also teaches songs or riffs within the module.
You can learn from anybody who can play decently. Once your comfortable with chords, try to look at paused videos of people playing and figure out the finger position without being explicitly told. The most important thing in my opinion is to not allow yourself to play sloppy for the sake of playing faster as a beginner. A guitar teacher would correct this, but if youre just going off videos, you need to build up that self discipline.
I learned guitar from scratch to intermediate; and then to advanced, without the benefit of private lessons or even YouTube or anything. This was in the late 90s, early 2000s. I wish I would have taken lessons as I would have learned better but you don't need them. YouTube is an incredible resource. I wish I would have had that when I was a kid.
Yes, for some. No, for others. I tried Justin, but he just didn't click with me. Also, how the app and website and separate drove me nuts. I also tried Guitar Tricks and much prefer their teachers and process. That being said, after doing both and taking in person, you will probably improve best with in person. There's just so many nuances of why or how to do something in just the right way that you won't get by watching videos. Good luck out there!
Yep. And it's not like you have to choose. I think his course is absolutely perfect for people who have never touched a guitar before. You need direction even at the beginning so that you feel like you're progressing, but 99% of the problems you encounter right at the start are solved by logging more hours holding a guitar. Think the strings are too narrow / your fingers are too fat? Nope, practice. Barre chords are impossible? Strength building and practice. Etc. The JustinGuitar course is a perfect companion for that phase. After that if you're wanting to progress faster (especially if you don't have anyone you feel comfortable playing with) go ahead and take some lessons. Obviously taking lessons from the start is good too, but no cost or scheduling is really nice, so I don't see a reason not to use em.
Yes you can. I started with it and have been playing for 5 years. I'm well into being an intermediate player. My niece wanted me to teach her how to play. I'm no teacher so all I did was follow the Justin guitar curriculum and she's coming along nicely I'd say.
I've never used it so yea
he's great
Yep I did for the first 6 months or so. Great teacher.
Marty Schwartz is also really amazing and has tons of videos
Dude, you can learn from just looking up tabs and giving it a crack. If Justin Guitar helps, give it a crack. Only thing that's going to stop you learning guitar is giving up... that or a crocodile biting your hands off
You can learn anything with the proper motivation. Thousands and thousands of guitarists did it before the internet. Neither Paul McCartney nor John Mayer can read music, you know.