Jamplay is an online guitar lesson platform that offers a wide variety of instructional videos and tools for learning how to play guitar. Founded in 2010 by Chris Edwards, Jamplay aims to provide high-quality, step-by-step lessons for guitarists of all skill levels. With over 1000 instructors and more than 45,000 video lessons covering genres like rock, blues, jazz, metal, country, and more, Jamplay has established itself as one of the premier destinations for online guitar learning.
In this comprehensive Jamplay review, we’ll take an in-depth look at the platform's features, instructors, content library, and overall value to help you determine if it's the right fit for your guitar learning needs. Key topics include:
- Overview of Jamplay's structure and offerings
- Breakdown of membership plans and pricing
- Analysis of video lesson quality and instructor roster
- Review of practice tools, song tutorials, and learning pathways
- Community and support resources
- Mobile app and offline access options
- Pros and cons of a Jamplay membership
By the end of this Jamplay review, you'll have all the information you need to decide if the platform's approach to online guitar education aligns with your goals and learning style. Whether you're a total beginner or seasoned guitarist looking to expand your skills, read on to find out if Jamplay has the tools to take your playing to the next level.
About Jamplay
Jamplay was founded by Chris Edwards in 2010 as an online education company aimed at teaching guitar through high-definition video lessons. Edwards, a passionate guitarist himself, set out to create a comprehensive online learning platform that would make quality guitar instruction accessible to all.
The Jamplay philosophy emphasizes breaking guitar techniques and concepts down into digestible chunks, enabling students to build skills in a step-by-step manner. By incorporating video technology into guitar lessons, Jamplay aims to provide an interactive and engaging learning experience.
Over the past decade, Jamplay has expanded to become one of the largest and most popular online guitar lesson providers. Here are some key facts about the platform:
- 1000+ expert instructors on staff
- 45,000+ HD video guitar lessons
- Covers genres like rock, blues, jazz, acoustic, classical, metal, and more
- Structured courses for beginners through advanced
- Tools like tablature, chord charts, and practice planners
- iPhone and Android mobile apps available
- Over 1 million active members
This massive library of guitar instruction is accessible through Jamplay's website and mobile apps. Members can stream lessons on-demand to learn at their own pace, with the ability to ask questions and engage with instructors.
Jamplay also sets itself apart by focusing equally on teaching both technique and music theory. Most lessons incorporate tablature, sheet music, chord charts, and other learning materials. This combination of playing exercises and theory helps equip guitarists with well-rounded skills.
With its vast instructor network, comprehensive curriculum, and interactive user experience, Jamplay aims to give aspiring guitarists everything they need in one scalable online platform. Next, let's look at the specifics of Jamplay's offerings.
Jamplay's Offerings And Content
Jamplay organizes its vast library of lessons into structured courses, practice tools, and song tutorials that aim to teach guitar holistically. Here's an overview of the platform's core offerings:
Lesson Courses
The foundation of Jamplay is its library of over 45,000 video lessons. These are organized into courses for core learning pathways:
Beginner Courses: Starts with guitar fundamentals like parts of the guitar, basic chords, strumming patterns, and early theory concepts. Beginner courses aim to get newbies playing songs within the first few lessons.
Genre Courses: Specialized series focused on styles like rock, blues, metal, jazz, acoustic, classical, and more. Learn the nuances of each genre from qualified instructors.
Technique Courses: Level-based courses focused entirely on improving guitar techniques like fingerstyle, alternate picking, sweep picking, tapping, vibrato, and more.
Theory Courses: Music theory lessons ranging from basics like reading tablature and rhythm to advanced concepts like modes, chord building, and composition.
Software & Recording Courses: Tutorials for home recording, effects processing, and digital audio platforms like Ableton Live, Logic Pro, and Pro Tools.
This scope of genre-based, technique-based, and theory-based courses enables guitarists to target specific weak areas or interests to expand their skills over time.
Learning Pathways
Beyond individual lessons, Jamplay provides structured learning pathways for students to follow. These curated playlists package relevant lessons into a cohesive routine. Pathways are organized by skill level, allowing members to progress through beginner, intermediate, and advanced content.
Popular pathways include Beginner Guitar Bootcamp, Guitar Technique, Blues Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, and Rock Guitar. Following preset pathways eliminates the guesswork of finding your next lesson to master.
Practice Tools
To supplement its lessons, Jamplay offers a toolbox of practice resources:
- Chordbook: 1000+ chord diagrams with audio samples for reference. Can save progress and star chords for quick access.
- Scales: Visual diagrams and backing tracks for practicing scales and modes in any key.
- Challenges: Daily exercises and technique drills to refine skills. Sent to your inbox each morning.
- Jam Tracks: Downloadable backing tracks and chord progressions to solo and jam over. Covers many genres and styles.
- Guitar Tuner: Built-in chromatic tuner to ensure accurate tuning.
- Metronome: Customizable click-track metronome with time signature and tempo control.
These tools aim to provide everything a student needs to turn lessons into results. Combined with Jamplay's structured learning pathways, they create a thorough guitar practice routine.
Song Tutorials
No guitar curriculum is complete without learning actual songs. Jamplay provides multi-angle video breakdowns of hit songs spanning styles like classic rock, heavy metal, blues, pop, country, jazz, and acoustic music.
Instructors walk through the nuances of signature riffs, solos, and full songs note-for-note. Tablature, chord charts, and sheet music are also provided for reference.
With over 5000 song tutorials, Jamplay features an extensive musical repertoire. Songs are categorized by difficulty level from beginner to advanced. This allows members to apply their growing skills to real songs step-by-step.
Jamplay Pricing And Membership Plans
Jamplay offers a selection of subscription plans to fit different budgets and commitment levels:
Monthly Membership
- $19.95 per month
- Billed monthly
- Full access to all lessons and tools
- Cancel anytime
The monthly plan offers complete access with maximum flexibility. Best for trying out the platform before committing.
Quarterly Membership
- $14.95 per month ($44.85 billed quarterly)
- 17% savings vs. monthly price
- Full access to all lessons and tools
- Cancel anytime
The quarterly membership offers a nice discount for those looking for a multi-month option.
Annual Membership
- $11.66 per month ($139.95 billed annually)
- 42% savings vs. monthly price
- Full access to all lessons and tools
- Cancel anytime
The annual plan offers Jamplay's biggest savings for long-term members. The best value if you plan to use the platform extensively.
All plans include Jamplay's complete lesson archive, courses, songs, and practice tools. There are no tiered access levels or hidden fees. You can cancel and reactivate your membership anytime with no penalty.
Jamplay also offers a 30-day money back guarantee. If you aren't satisfied within your first month, you can request a full refund – no questions asked. This removes the risk of trying out their platform.
Overall, Jamplay's pricing is very competitive compared to in-person guitar lessons. An hour private lesson can cost $40-$60, while a year of unlimited Jamplay lessons works out to under $12 per month. The value is tough to beat, especially considering the depth of lessons.
Key Features And Benefits
Now that we've covered Jamplay's curriculum and pricing models, let's highlight some of the platform's standout features:
HD Video Lessons
Jamplay's entire guitar teaching system is built around high-definition video lessons. This allows instructors to demonstrate techniques up-close from multiple camera angles. Lessons incorporate close-up finger positioning, sweeping stage shots, tablature overlay, and more.
Video enables interactive, step-by-step teaching tailored to student's individual needs. As opposed to a one-size-fits-all textbook approach.
1000+ Expert Instructors
Jamplay's vast lesson library is produced by over 1000 active instructors – each handpicked for teaching skills and musical mastery.
Instructors include accredited teachers, professional touring musicians, producer/engineers, and renowned guitarists like Dave Celentano, Jen Trani, Jonathan Brown, and many more.
This star-studded roster provides authoritative guidance across all major guitar styles. Students learn directly from legends.
Structured Courses
Jamplay moves beyond sporadic lessons by organizing its content into structured courses. This provides step-by-step guidance for establishing foundational knowledge vs just cherrypicking random lessons.
Courses lays out a path for developing core competencies as a guitarist before pursuing individual styles or techniques. This formal learning structure ensures consistent skill progression.
Practice Tools
We've already touched on Jamplay's built-in practice tools like the Chordbook, Metronome, Jam Tracks, and Tuner. These resources transform lessons into tangible improvements in skill and musicianship.
No more fumbling through disjointed YouTube videos or tabs trying to determine what to practice. Jamplay provides everything needed for productive, measurable practice time.
Learning Pathways
For additional guidance, Jamplay offers collections of curated lessons and milestones called Learning Pathways.
These playlists package everything from beginner basics to advanced techniques into an easy-to-follow routine. Learning Pathways eliminate the guesswork of what to learn next.
Custom Tracking
Jamplay provides tools to track progress across lessons including:
- Note taking within each lesson
- Bookmarking capability
- Rating system for lessons
- Statistics on total lessons completed
This allows students to reflect on accomplishments and identify weaker areas needing work. It brings visibility to long-term skill development.
Guitar Assessments
Upon joining, students can take optional assessments which evaluate current skill level across areas like technique, music theory, chord changes, and more.
Assessments then recommend lessons to strengthen weaker areas. They provide an objective measure of ability and guide how to improve.
Social Learning
Jamplay also incorporates social elements for idea exchange and accountability:
- Message boards to engage with instructors and peers
- Groups to join interest-based guitar communities
- Challenges to practice alongside others
- Options to share progress across social networks
The social components motivate continuous learning and growth through collaboration.
Mobile Apps
In addition to the web platform, Jamplay offers free mobile apps for iOS and Android. The apps enable viewing Jamplay's entire lesson library on smartphones and tablets for practice on the go.
Key app features include:
- Streaming over 3G/4G and WiFi
- Downloading lessons for offline access
- Accessing practice tools like Metronome and Tuner
- Tracking lesson progress
- Optimized video player
- Push notifications
The mobile experience provides the convenience of Jamplay's tools literally in your pocket. For times when you can't be at your computer, the apps keep practice and learning on track.
Who Is Jamplay Best Suited For?
While Jamplay aims to cater to all student levels, its approach is optimized for:
Beginners – Jamplay excels at providing structured, step-by-step lessons for building skills from scratch. The combination of video demonstrations, printed materials like tablature, and assessment tools ensures fundamentals are thoroughly instilled before progressing.
Self-Guided Learners – The highly organized lesson format enables students to learn independently. No need to rely on a local instructor's schedule or availability. This works well for self-motivated students looking to direct their own practice.
Well-Rounded Skill Building – Jamplay balances technique training, music theory, sight reading, ear training, and song application in one holistic curriculum. This develops functional musical skills beyond just watching riffs on YouTube.
Casual Hobbyists – The bite-sized video format suits more casual players looking to steadily improve vs intensively drilling for hours each day. Lessons can be mixed in when convenient.
Traditional In-Person Students – The platform can augment weekly in-person lessons with daily practice via Jamplay. Really the best of both worlds.
The common thread is Jamplay works extremely well for independent learners at any level focused on comprehensive skill development. The lessons instill great habits and musicianship.
Jamplay Pros And Cons
Let's round out this review by summarizing some of the pros and cons of a Jamplay online guitar lesson membership:
Pros
- Extremely organized and structured learning
- Step-by-step lessons for all skill levels
- 1000+ highly qualified instructors
- 45,000+ on-demand HD video lessons
- Covers all genres and playing techniques
- Great combination of theory, exercises, songs
- Built-in practice tools like Tuner, Metronome
- App access to take lessons on the go
- Very fairly priced compared to in-person lessons
- Flexible membership options, cancel anytime
Cons
- Mostly unsuitable for pure song learners just wanting tabs/charts
- Less personalized than one-on-one instructor attention
- Session tools like jam tracks could be expanded
- Can feel overwhelming navigating huge library
- Requires self-discipline versus in-person accountability
- Occasional instructor turnover
On the whole, Jamplay's pros greatly outweigh the cons provided you're looking to develop well-rounded guitar skills. The high lesson production value, organized curriculum, inspiring instructors, and flexibility provide tremendous value.
Final Verdict
In summary, Jamplay is one of the top online destinations for learning guitar with 1000+ instructors and 45,000+ lessons spanning all genres and experience levels.
The video-based curriculum provides step-by-step instruction on technique, music theory, sight reading, ear training, song application, and more. Structured courses and learning pathways make navigating the vast lesson library simple.
Jamplay's competitive pricing, mobile access, and money-back guarantee allow you to try out the platform risk-free. Learners who engage with the tools and community will find an immersive guitar education.
Overall, Jamplay earns a strong recommendation for motivated students seeking to maximize skills with a well-balanced approach. The combination of structured learning, expert guidance, community support, and on-demand access is hard to beat.
If developing fundamental musicianship and lifelong guitar learning habits sound appealing, Jamplay's curriculum will take your playing to the next level.
Since 2005, Singersroom has been the voice of R&B around the world. Connect with us via social media below.
